Flow Tutorial: Design a Flow for SMS Interactions

This tutorial guides you through creating a basic SMS interaction flow design using the configuration console. This flow includes sections for both the customer and an agent resource. After completing this tutorial, you will: 

• Understand the core elements of an SMS flow
• Be able to link those elements together to build a flow that routes SMS messages to an agent
• Know how to configure the options for those elements

You will create a flow that: 

• Receives SMS messages from a customer
• Places the messaging customer into a queue for an agent
• Sends the SMS work offer to an agent logged into the Agent Toolbar
• Allows the agent to respond to the SMS message from the Agent Toolbar
• Places the agent in Ready status when the interaction is complete

Here is what the completed flow will look like:

Prerequisites

Before you begin, you need:

1. An SMS-enabled telephone number that is routed to the correct gateway URL in order to receive or send SMS messages.
   If you do not currently have an SMS-configured telephone number, contact Enghouse Interactive Support.
   You can create the flow for this tutorial without an SMS-enabled telephone number, but will be unable to test it by sending or receiving messages.
2. A media file in your tenant.
   The Queue Interaction activities require a media prompt in order to publish the flow. With an SMS interaction the media file is not actually played to the customer. Any media file on the tenant is sufficient.
3. At least one queue enabled in your tenant for the SMS message to route to.

Create the Flow

To create the SMS interaction flow: 

1. Go to Flow > Flows.
2. Click Create.
3. Enter a name for your flow. For example, "Support SMS Flow".
4. Select Customer as the Type.
5. Click Submit.

Design the Flow

Step	Details	Element
Step 1	Drag and drop an Entry event onto the Flow Designer canvas.
Step 2	Next to the Entry event, add a Queue with Media activity. Queue: Select the queue that you want the SMS interaction to route to Media: Select a media file to use for the queue interaction This is a default parameter for the activity that is required for voice interactions, but will not actually be played for SMS interactions. Callback Enabled: Leave disabled (grey) The callback media parameters are not necessary if this flow is for SMS interactions. Leave the default values that are populated for those parameters. Resource: Enter a name for your resource variable, such as Agent Connect the Entry event to the Queue with Media activity.
Step 3	Next to the Queue with Media activity, add a Conference Customer In activity and connect the Queue with Media activity to it.
Step 4	Next to the Conference Customer In activity, add a Disconnect activity and connect Conference Customer In to it. Participant: Customer
Step 5	Next to the Disconnect activity, add an Exit event and connect the Disconnect activity to it. In steps 1 through 4 we designed the flow section required for the customer experience. It places the SMS interaction into a queue and looks for a resource to respond to the message. Now we will design a sub-process for the agent experience that begins as soon as one is acquired.
Checkpoint: Your flow should now look similar to this example.
Step 6	Below the Entry event from Step 1, add a Resource Flow activity. Disconnect On: Leave disabled (grey) Timeout (seconds): Enter the length of time that the agents toolbar will offer the SMS work offer before the work is considered to be rejected. Disposition Codes: Select the Disposition Code list to use for interactions on this flow. Force Disposition Select: Click to enable. When this is enabled, agents are required to select a disposition code before they can end their Wrap Up. This function required Auto Wrap Up to be enabled. Auto Answer: Click to enable to have work offers automatically accepted by the agent. If disabled, the agent must accept the work offer prior to handling the interaction. Auto Wrap Up: Click to enable to have agents automatically placed in Wrap Up mode after ending an interaction. Allow Wrap Up Update: Click to allow agents to manually turn automatic wrap up on or off from their Toolbar. Target Wrap Up Time (seconds): Enter a goal time frame, in seconds, for agents to complete their post interaction work. This is the maximum time in which an agent can be in Wrap Up and still be within target time frames. Maximum Wrap Up Time (seconds): Enter the maximum time frame, in seconds, for agents to complete their post interaction work in Wrap Up mode. Customer Message Timeout (seconds): Do not use. Leave the default values for this parameter. This parameter is for the length of time to wait for a customer to respond to a message before expiring and ending the interaction. This value is currently hard coded to be 12 hours.
Step 7	Click the gear icon on the canvas to access the flow settings and select the Flow Defaults tab. Enter any settings that you want for this flow.
Step 10	Publish the flow. Enter a mandatory version name and click Submit to save the flow

Create your SMS Dispatch Mapping

Now that you have an SMS-enabled number, and a flow that routes SMS messages, you need to map your SMS-enabled number to the designated flow.

To create your SMS Dispatch Mapping through the configuration UI: 

1. Go to Flows > Dispatch Mapping
2. Click Create.
3. Enter a Name.
   This is a free form entry. Use any Dispatch Mapping name that doesn't already exist and would apply for your business, such as Support - SMS.
4. Optionally, enter a brief Description for this mapping.
5. Select an Interaction Type of SMS.
6. Select a Mapping of contact-point.
7. Enter the telephone number, in E.164 format, that is being set up to receive SMS messages.
8. Select the flow that was created in the previous section from the Dispatch to flow menu.
9. Click Submit.

Putting It All Together

You can test your new flow by logging in to the Agent Toolbar or Skylight, sending a message to your SMS-enabled number that was just mapped to your SMS flow, and responding to the message.