IVR Management

Managing custom-made Interactive Voice Response (IVR) applications made with VoiceXML

The system uses Interactive Voice Response (IVR) applications made with VoiceXML.

An IVR application is ready to use when all of the following conditions are fulfilled:

A proper VoiceXML application has been imported or created.
The application has a phone number.
At least one of the application’s versions is activated.
The Active checkbox is selected in the Basics block. (Changed in 1911: in earlier version hosting CEM Server instance needed to be defined).

In IVR management, you can manage custom-made IVRs in the following way:

To manage IVR applications, define application number, choose hosting CEM server, and activate or deactivate a version.
Create or edit IVR applications.
Copy an IVR application, or part of it.
Import and export VoiceXML files.

CAUTION:
Only limited VoiceXML functions are supported. If the imported XML file includes non-supported functions, they are removed during import. That may cause malfunction in the imported IVR. Supported functions are listed in the table Supported VoiceXML Elements.

recommendation:
If you need several IVR applications with almost identical functions, make the basic IVR application and export it. To make each of the other applications, create an empty application with an appropriate name, import the file and adjust element attributes after each application’s needs.
Manage customizers for IVR applications.
Create opt-in and survey IVRs for making post-call customer surveys.

To get xml example files for some very basic and some advanced cases, contact Sinch.

Built-In IVRs

The system includes built-in IVRs, such as Presence IVR and Queue Callback IVR, which are automatically activated and they cannot be edited by users. Settings for these are found outside IVR Management, for example in Presence Management > Settings and System Services > Queue Callback.

Consent IVR, Opt-In IVR, and Survey IVR are built-in IVRs, but they need to be configured in IVR Management. Alternatively, you can use your own custom IVRs for those purposes.

As a general rule, a phone number must be defined for all built-in and custom IVRs for the system to function correctly. For example the following IVRs require a number: Queue Callback IVR, ETC IVR, Consent IVR, and Conference IVR. A number is not required, for example, if the feature using the IVR is not in use or if a built-in IVR has been replaced by a custom IVR which has the needed number.