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Documentation to assist with the setup and configuration of the HaloITSM platform

Guides > Distributing Tickets in Halo (Intelligent Routing, Load Balancing, Round Robin, Qualification Matching)

Distributing Tickets in Halo (Intelligent Routing, Load Balancing, Round Robin, Qualification Matching)


In this lesson we will cover:

- Default Ticket Type Assignment Options

- Global Ticket Settings

- Options Shown on New Ticket Screen/New Actions

- Agent Statuses, Ticket Statuses and Teams

- Qualification Matching


There are a few options for ticket routing in Halo, some more advanced than others. This guide will go through the various types of configuration for ticket routing.


Default Ticket Type Assignment Options

The options for assigning tickets by default are set in Configuration > Tickets > Ticket Type > *Defaults Tab*.


The following options can be configured:


  • Team
  • Agent (Load Balance, Round Robin or Agent Logging/ Doing can be selected on this dropdown)


Global Ticket Settings

The main settings can be configured in Configuration > Tickets > General Settings: 


Fig 1. Assignment of Tickets configuration options


Show Load Balance and Round Robin on the New Ticket Screen: When selected & including the 'Agent' field in your ticket's field list, you will be provided with two additional options in the agent dropdown: Load Balance & Round Robin. Load balancing is a way to balance the number of tickets across agents based on their current number of tickets, so that agents with the least tickets will be assigned them. The round robin feature will assign to agents based on their ID number in their team. This means that the system will give a ticket to each member of the team list and then loop back through the list of agents again, there is no logic behind it, the agents will just be assigned based off of their number on the team list (this is not configurable any other way). Two settings can also be configured for load balance at team level and at agent status level (the Incoming Service must be on for the status setting to be used Configuration > Advanced Settings), this is to exclude certain teams or ticket statuses from load balance calculations, the default is for the load balance calculations to be on for the teams and statuses. 


Show Intelligent Routing on the New Ticket Screen: When checked, the Intelligent Routing feature will be enabled on new ticket creation. This takes into account previous work with the user and Agent availability to decide on the best fit for the task. The setting will try to match the agent with the most interaction with the user, as long as that interaction was within the cut off days and the agent has less than the maximum number of tickets from that user assigned to them. If the agent matches this criteria they will be assigned the ticket from the users they have been recently interacting with. If no agent has interacted with this user before then the ticket will stay unassigned.


Intelligent Routing cutoff days: The number of days in the past that are considered when calculating interactions between Agents and Users.


Intelligent Routing maximum Tickets: The maximum number of Tickets from the same User that an Agent can have during the cutoff period.


Show Intelligent Routing on the New Action Screen: This takes into account previous work with the user and Agent availability to decide on the best fit for the task. The setting will try to match the agent with the most interaction with the user, as long as that interaction was within the cut off days and the agent has less than the maximum number of tickets from that user assigned to them. If the agent matches this criteria they will be assigned the ticket from the users they have been recently interacting with. If no agent has interacted with this user before then the ticket will stay unassigned. The re-assign field in the actions field list must be set to show agent and team fields when editing the field on the list, and the system use must be set to re-assign.


Show Load Balance on the New Action screen: Load balancing is a way to balance the number of tickets across agents based on their current number of tickets, so that agents with the least tickets will be assigned them. When checked, this option will be available when re-assigning tickets via the re-assign action. The re-assign field in the actions field list must be set to show agent and team fields when editing the field on the list. Two settings can also be configured for load balance at team level and at status level (the Incoming Service must be on for the status setting to be used Configuration > Advanced Settings), this is to exclude certain teams or ticket statuses from load balance calculations, the default is for the setting to be on. The re-assign field in the actions field list must be set to show agent and team fields when editing the field on the list, and the system use must be set to re-assign.


Options Shown on New Ticket Screen/New Actions

Fig 2. Agent routing options (top 3 in dropdown)


The action or ticket type can set to use one of the routing options by default with another dropdown in Configuration > Tickets > Ticket Types > *Defaults Tab* > *Select the Default Agent of the ticket*.


The agent logging/ doing option will take the agent that is logging the ticket and assign them to the ticket by default.


Only Round Robin and Load Balance to logged in Agents - When selected & assigning tickets via load balance or round robin, agents who are not logged in to Halo will not be considered in ticket assignment. This is recommended as it will stop agents that are not currently using Halo to be included in ticket assignment.


Load Balance based on remaining Estimate time - When checked, this factors in the estimated time it will take for tickets that the agent has already been assigned, when deciding what agent to load balance to. The estimated value field (Set in general settings or per ticket type in the defaults tab) is used to add in a default estimate of time it will take to resolve a ticket, this can be added to the field list, field name: "Estimated Time" where it can then be overridden to the time inputted from the ticket creation screen, or changed on the ticket itself.


For more configuration options with explanations, head to the admin guide for Tickets General Settings


Agent Statuses, Ticket Statuses and Teams

Agent Statuses

There is also agent status level settings (Configuration > Teams & Agents > Statuses). For example, the out of office status is not included in the load balancing by default, so this could be checked on to be included:


Fig 3. Include Agents with this Status in Load Balance and Round Robin checkbox within a status


You can choose which agent statuses will be calculated in the load balance/round robin.


Ticket Statuses

Ticket statuses can be included/excluded (the Incoming Service must be on for the status setting to be used: Configuration > Advanced Settings > *Checkbox: Use Incoming Service*). The default is for the load balance calculations to be on for the ticket statuses, but can be editing in Configuration > Tickets > Statuses > choosing a status.


Fig 4. Include in Load Balance calculations checkbox


Teams

The teams can be removed from load balance via the details tab of a team.


Fig 5. Include in Load Balance Calculations checkbox within a team


Qualification Matching

Fig 6. Ticket assigning can be based on qualifications - Agents must have this qualification to be assigned a Ticket that matches this qualification


Fig 7. Assigning the agents to that qualification


The expiry date can be set so that if the agents in the list are certified for specific things, you can select when the certificate expires. Now if a ticket is logged that matches the categories in the qualification matching, the ticket can only be logged to the agents on the qualification list with an active qualification (not past the expiry date)


Example: Changing an existing ticket to one of the matching categories:


Fig 8. Incident ticket Categories


As the team assigned to the ticket is for HR, only agents with that team will show in the list, regardless of the qualification matching. The green tick on the left hand side of the agent icon shows that they match the qualifications to handle this ticket:



Fig 9. Team assigning only showing that team in the dropdown


Then when Jennifer had an expired qualification, she no longer showed on the list:


Fig 10. Jennifer's qualification expiry

Fig 11. Jennifer no longer showing in the dropdown


Another setting, checked on in Configuration > Calendars & Appointments > General Settings, is the option to only show qualified agents when scheduling appointments.


When selected, if qualification matching has been set up, then the agents shown on the appointment scheduler (at the top of the create appointment screen) will be the ones that are qualified to deal with that ticket. A qualification could be i.e. Cisco Certified Network Associate (set as a qualification on an agent) therefore if a qualification match is set to say "If the category on the ticket is Hardware > Desk Phone > Cisco", then make the ticket qualified for only Cisco Certified Network Associates to deal with.

Fig 12. Appointment Scheduler should only show qualified agents by default


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