User's Guide to Community Bulletin Board
Chapter 6: Performing Specific Tree Operations
Overview
Now that you’ve experimented with the system tree and you know your way around it a little better, you may feel that the existing system tree does not suit your purposes. You may wish to have a simple system that just tells the time and temperature and maybe the lottery numbers. Conversely, you may want a more complex system tree that allows callers to choose from any number of different Announcements and Announcement groups. You could conceivably design and build a system with news and weather Announcements, and you would update these Announcements regularly to keep people calling in to hear the new messages. This also means that the Advertisements get a lot of air time (which keeps your Sponsors happy).
Whichever way you want to go, this is the place to start really designing and building your system tree, or modifying the existing system tree. At this point you should have a pretty firm grasp of the basic purpose and functionality of the tree objects, as well as how they work in the system tree.
The chapter shows you how to:
Terms
|
Tree Depth |
This is simply the number of options under a Prompt. The deeper a list of options is, the better the chances are that the caller will not remember the listed options. |
|
Tree Level |
This is a measure of branch complexity in the system tree. The more levels a system tree has, the better the chances are that the caller becomes lost. |
|
Trial-and-error Method |
This is a method of learning in which you experiment with the thing you are learning. If you make a mistake, you correct it and learn from it. |
This section contains procedures that you may use to modify and customize the system tree that we shipped to you. These procedures allow you to configure the existing system tree so that you may get it up and running. You may wish to go through these procedures for practice purposes, and you may exit (without committing the changes) when you finish practicing. You might also decide to combine some of these customizing features to make a diverse system for callers.
The Express Setup
The ‘express setup’ allows you to run the application ‘bare-bones’ style. This setup allows the caller to hear the time and temperature Announcements only. Because this is the express way to do this, this setup may not be combined with any of the other customizing features.
Use the following procedure to configure the system tree for the ‘express setup’:
· First, access the "System Greeting" object’s control box by double clicking the "System Greeting" object. The System Greeting box appears as shown in Figure 75:
Figure 75—The System Greeting box
· Click the "Next Prompt" field. Use the c key to remove the current number, then type: 11
· Click the "OK" button, and you return to the system tree. The changes you made to the object save.
· Now double click the "Temperature in Fahrenheit" Announcement. The Announcement box for this Announcement appears as shown in Figure 76:
Figure 76—The "Temperature in Fahrenheit" Announcement box
· Click the "Hangup Phone" control to activate it. A small black dot appears in the white circle to the left of this option.
· If you wish to modify the Advertising controls, you may do so. If you wish to record some sort of message (perhaps a weather report or other news) you may do so.
· When you finish, click the "OK" button. The Announcement control box closes, and the changes to the object save.
|
If you are only practicing at this point, do not commit these changes. |
· To save these changes to the system tree, click the "File" menu heading on the menu bar. Click the "Commit Changes" option. The program then saves your changes. |
At this point, the system tree is ready to go. When the caller calls in, they hear the System Greeting, then the current time and temperature (in Fahrenheit). When this finishes playing, the system hangs up and the call ends.
You may wish to make some slight modifications to this setup. You could record a new speech on the System Greeting, or record a speech on the "Temperature in Fahrenheit" Announcement. This could be some sort of weather or news bulletin that you may update daily.
Adding a Number List Announcement
The most common use for a number list Announcement is to play a list of lottery numbers. However, the "Say Numbers List" field also allows you to enter dollar values using the currency format.
In this section, you will add a new Announcement with an ID of "3" to the existing tree, and configure it to say lottery numbers. This of course means that this Announcement will need updated each week day, or as the new numbers become available. Use the following procedure to do so:
· First, locate the tree object tools in the upper left corner of the program window. Drag the "Announcement" tool to the Initial Prompt in the tree, then drop it. The Insert Tree Object box appears as shown in Figure 77:
Figure 77—The Insert Tree Object box
· In the "Touch Tone Number" field, type: 3
· Click the "OK" button, and the appears in the tree as shown in Figure 78:
· Now double click the new Announcement in the tree, so that the Announcement control box appears. When the box appears, click the "Enable" check box to activate this Announcement.
· Click in the "Description" field, and use the c key to remove the existing description. Type the new description: Winning Lottery Numbers
· Record this description by clicking the "Record Id" button. When the Record box appears, click the "Record" button and pick up your local phone. Begin recording the description, and click the "Stop" button when you finish. Click the "OK" button when you finish, to save this speech.
· Now click the "Enable Speech" check box. Move the mouse pointer to the Script Editor box and click. When the cursor appears, type: And now for the winning lottery numbers.
· Record this introductory speech by clicking the "Record" button. When the Record box appears, click the "Record" button and pick up your local phone. Begin recording the speech, and click the "Stop" button when you finish. Click the "OK" button when you finish, to save this speech.
· Move the mouse pointer to the "Say Numbers List" field and click the mouse. When the cursor appears, type your list of lottery numbers. Make sure to separate each lottery number with a comma (,). This ensures that each number is spoken separately. If you forget the commas, the system plays the numbers as one big number.
· Now the Announcement is complete, and the Announcement control box should appear similar to the one shown in Figure 79:
Figure 79—The completed "Winning Lottery Numbers" Announcement
· Click the "OK" button, and the control box closes. The "Winning Lottery Numbers" Announcement now appears in the tree as shown in Figure 80:
|
If you are only practicing at this point, do not commit these changes. |
· To save these changes to the system tree, click the "File" menu heading on the menu bar. Click the "Commit Changes" option. The program then saves your changes. |
When a caller calls in, they will hear the System Greeting, followed by the auto-menu on the Initial Prompt (with option 3 being "Winning Lottery Numbers"). If they choose this option, they hear the introductory speech and the lottery numbers, then they return to the Initial Prompt (via the "Goto *"). This is to allow them to select other options in the system.
Adding a "Weather" Announcement
If you decide to dedicate your system to the time and temperature, you may also wish to include an Announcement that tells the caller the current weather patterns in your area. You could also have two or more weather Announcements for surrounding areas, or for the national weather forecast. The one thing you must be aware of is that an Announcement of this sort requires updating on a daily (or at least weekly) basis. This means that you have to record a new weather message each day.
In this section, you will add a new Announcement with an ID of "4" to the existing tree, and configure it to announce the weather. Use the following procedure to do so:
· First, locate the tree object tools in the upper left corner of the program window. Drag the "Announcement" tool to the Initial Prompt in the tree, then drop it. The Insert Tree Object box appears as shown in Figure 81:
Figure 81—The Insert Tree Object box
· In the "Touch Tone Number" field, type: 4
· Click the "OK" button, and the appears in the tree as shown in Figure 82:
· Now double click the new Announcement in the tree, so that the Announcement control box appears. When the box appears, click the "Enable" check box to activate this Announcement.
· Click in the "Description" field, and use the c key to remove the existing description. Type the new description: Current Local Weather
· Record this description by clicking the "Record Id" button. When the Record box appears, click the "Record" button and pick up your local phone. Begin recording the description, and click the "Stop" button when you finish. Click the "OK" button when you finish, to save this speech.
· Now click the "Enable Speech" check box. Move the mouse pointer to the Script Editor box and click. When the cursor appears, type the current weather forecast.
· Record this weather message by clicking the "Record" button. When the Record box appears, click the "Record" button and pick up your local phone. Begin recording the speech, and click the "Stop" button when you finish. Click the "OK" button when you finish, to save this speech.
· Now the Announcement is complete, and the Announcement control box should appear similar to the one shown in Figure 83:
Figure 83—The completed "Current Local Weather" Announcement
· Click the "OK" button, and the control box closes. The "Current Local Weather" Announcement now appears in the tree as shown in Figure 84:
Figure 84—The "Current Local Weather" Announcement
|
If you are only practicing at this point, do not commit these changes. |
· To save these changes to the system tree, click the "File" menu heading on the menu bar. Click the "Commit Changes" option. The program then saves your changes. |
When a caller calls in, they will hear the System Greeting, followed by the auto-menu on the Initial Prompt (with option 4 being "Current Local Weather"). If they choose this option, they hear the weather report, then they return to the Initial Prompt (via the "Goto *"). This is to allow them to select other options in the system.
Adding a "System Instructions" Announcement
This can be a very useful Announcement if you have a complex system, or if you feel that your callers need explicit instructions. This acts as sort of a ‘system help’ for the caller.
In this section, you will add a new Announcement with an ID of "5" to the existing tree, and configure it to give the caller instructions for the use of your system. Use the following procedure to do so:
· First, locate the tree object tools in the upper left corner of the program window. Drag the "Announcement" tool to the Initial Prompt in the tree, then drop it. The Insert Tree Object box appears as shown in Figure 85:
Figure 85—The Insert Tree Object box
· In the "Touch Tone Number" field, type: 5
· Click the "OK" button, and the appears in the tree as shown in Figure 86:
· Now double click the new Announcement in the tree, so that the Announcement control box appears. When the box appears, click the "Enable" check box to activate this Announcement.
· Click in the "Description" field, and use the c key to remove the existing description. Type the new description: System Instructions
· Record this description by clicking the "Record Id" button. When the Record box appears, click the "Record" button and pick up your local phone. Begin recording the description, and click the "Stop" button when you finish. Click the "OK" button when you finish, to save this speech.
· Now click the "Enable Speech" check box. Move the mouse pointer to the Script Editor box and click. When the cursor appears, type the system instructions.
· Record these system instructions by clicking the "Record" button. When the Record box appears, click the "Record" button and pick up your local phone. Begin recording the speech, and click the "Stop" button when you finish. Click the "OK" button when you finish, to save this speech.
· Now the Announcement is complete, and the Announcement control box should appear similar to the one shown in Figure 87:
Figure 87—The completed "System Instructions" Announcement
· Click the "OK" button, and the control box closes. The "System Instructions" Announcement now appears in the tree as shown in Figure 88:
Figure 88—The "System Instructions" Announcement
|
If you are only practicing at this point, do not commit these changes. |
· To save these changes to the system tree, click the "File" menu heading on the menu bar. Click the "Commit Changes" option. The program then saves your changes. |
When a caller calls in, they will hear the System Greeting, followed by the auto-menu on the Initial Prompt (with option 5 being "System Instructions"). If they choose this option, they hear the system instructions, then they return to the Initial Prompt (via the "Goto *").
Using Only One "Time and Temperature" Announcement
|
If you do not have the Weather Watcher kit, then you cannot use the temperature controls. |
When looking at the system tree, you may decide to simplify it by having only one Temperature Announcement. If this is the case, it is an easy system modification to do so. In this section you will cut the "Temperature in Fahrenheit" Announcement from the tree, delete the "Time and Temperature" Prompt, and then paste the "Temperature in Fahrenheit" Announcement back into the tree with an ID of "1". |
Use the following procedure to use only one "Time and Temperature" Announcement in your system tree:
· First, select the "Temperature in Fahrenheit" Announcement by clicking on it. A highlight bar appears around this Announcement when you select it.
|
|
· Click on the "Cut" button. The "Temperature in Fahrenheit" Announcement disappears from the system tree, and goes to the Paste Buffer. |
|
|
· Now click the "Time and Temperature" Prompt. Click the "Prune" button to delete this Prompt and its remaining Announcement. The Advisory message shown in Figure 89 appears: |
Figure 89—The Delete Advisory message
· Click the "Yes" button, and the Prompt and its remaining Announcement disappear from the tree.
· Click the Initial Prompt to select it. This is where the "Temperature in Fahrenheit" Announcement will branch from.
|
|
· To paste the "Temperature in Fahrenheit" Announcement back into the system tree, click the "Paste" button, and the Paste Item(s) box appears as shown in Figure 90: |
Figure 90—The Paste Item(s) box
· In the "Touch Tone Number" field, type: 1
· Click the "OK" button, and the "Temperature in Fahrenheit" Announcement appears in the system tree as shown in Figure 91:
Figure 91—The "Temperature in Fahrenheit" Announcement in the tree
· Now double click the "Temperature in Fahrenheit" Announcement in the tree. The Announcement control box appears as shown in Figure 92:
Figure 92—The "Temperature in Fahrenheit" Announcement box
· Click in the "Description" field, and use the c key to remove the existing description. Type the new description: Time and Temperature
· Record this description by clicking the "Record Id" button. When the Record box appears, click the "Record" button and pick up your local phone. Begin recording the description, and click the "Stop" button when you finish. Click the "OK" button when you finish to save this speech.
· Click the "OK" button, and the control box closes. The "Time and Temperature" Announcement now appears in the tree as shown in Figure 93:
Figure 93—The "Time and Temperature" Announcement
|
If you are only practicing at this point, do not commit these changes. |
· To save these changes to the system tree, click the "File" menu heading on the menu bar. Click the "Commit Changes" option. The program then saves your changes. |
When a caller calls in, they will hear the System Greeting, followed by the auto-menu on the Initial Prompt (with option 1 being "Time and Temperature"). If they choose this option, they hear the current time and temperature in Fahrenheit, then they return to the Initial Prompt (via the "Goto *").
As stated at the beginning of this chapter, it is quite possible for you to use some of these customizing procedures together. The "Express Setup", however, is designed to stand alone. The other customizing options work together quite well, and give you a very informative system to present to your callers.
As you are no doubt beginning to see, the system tree is a very dynamic structure. It allows you to perform a vast number of tasks, in any number of combinations. As you master the system tree, you will most likely begin to design your own system trees, based on the tasks you wish to have your system perform.
When you begin to build your system tree, you should map the structure out a bit. This allows you to see how everything goes together, and you can design a better system.
Designing Your Tree
When designing your system tree, you should give some consideration to the tree’s ‘levels’ and ‘depth’. By ‘level’, we mean level of branch complexity. How many buttons does the caller press to get somewhere? The more levels a system tree has, the better the chances are that the caller becomes lost. Figure 94 illustrates the idea of depth and levels:
Figure 94—The system tree, showing depth and levels
As a general guideline, your Community Bulletin Board system tree should not need to exceed four levels. As you can see, the example tree only has two levels (not counting the System Greeting and Initial Prompt, as you don’t have to press buttons to get to them). This allows the caller to move around easily, and keeps them close to the originating level.
‘Depth’ is simply the number of options under one Prompt. Normally, a caller can handle a menu that is four or five items deep. Anything past that, and the caller begins to forget the options.
Sometimes you may find that adding a level can simplify a deep (lengthy) Announcement group. If you had an Announcement group of ten or more Announcements and you could find a logical way to divide them, it may simplify things for the caller.
Building Your Tree
When you finish planning you system tree, it is time to build it. There are many ways that you may go about building your system tree. We’ve found that following these steps makes the building and configuring process simple and efficient:
Step 1: Drag and drop all of the necessary tree objects into place. This means that you complete the looks of the system tree before configuring any of the tree objects. This allows you to con- centrate on the system structure.
Step 2: Once you complete the system tree, you now edit and configure each of the tree objects. As you configure each one, make sure that you know the function and purpose of the object and that the object fulfills its purpose.
Step 3: Record the speeches and ID speeches for each of the objects. Make sure to use the scripts you created during the configuration and editing process. The script ensures that you’ll know what to record and where.
Step 4: Commit the changes to the system tree. This means saving the system you made so that callers may call into your system.
These four easy steps allow you to deal with the four biggest chunks of system design separately and in a logical order. Also, you may design your system using the ‘trial-and-error’ method, allowing you to experiment with the tree objects so that you may better understand how they relate. When you’re experimenting with system design, keep in mind that you don’t have to commit these changes. This familiarity through experimentation allows you to become comfortable with the system tree and how it works.
Testing Your Tree
|
Once your system tree is ready to go, you should be the first person to call your system. This allows you to test the flow of the system, and ensure that everything is working properly. Testing also eliminates the chance of a caller calling in and having problems with your system. Not only should you make sure that everything is working correctly, you should also make sure it runs smoothly. If the system is too complex or there is not enough information to lead the caller where they want to go, you should consider restructuring your tree to accommodate your users. |
The Monitor program is a portion of the Business Manager program that allows you to perform a ‘Local Launch’. This means that you click the "Local Launch" button on the Monitor box, then the system uses the local phone as if a caller were calling into the system. You play the part of the caller, listening to messages and pressing buttons on your phone. This is a very valuable testing tool. For more information on local testing, refer to your "Business Manager" manual.
Managing Your Tree
After you design, build, test, and run your system tree, you need to start thinking about system tree maintenance. This involves updating speeches for Announcements and Advertisements, as well as adding and deleting tree objects and Advertisements.
You should also periodically ask yourself "Does my system tree structure suit its tasks?" If it doesn’t, it may be time to change the structure. Being a dynamic structure, the system tree lends itself well to changes and modifications.
