How to set up automatic email distribution

Automatic Email Distribution (AD) allows you to automatically and intelligently distribute and assign incoming emails to your operators.

Important: Before you continue, make sure you have set up BoldChat to manage email.

Note: An Enterprise subscription is required.

From the main menu of the operator client, go to Setup > Automatic Distribution > Automatic Email Distribution Setup.
Result: The Automatic Email Distribution Setup window is displayed.
Select Enable automatic distribution.
Result: This activates ACD at the account level.

Select options:

Option	Description
Reassign if not accepted in X minutes	When selected, emails are reassigned to another operator when the originally assigned operator does not accept the thread within the specified period of time. An operator who fails to answer in time is set to Away status to prevent new threads from being assigned. The operator must then explicitly log back in as Available.
Limit concurrent email threads to X	When selected, the number of threads that can be assigned to each operator is limited. When an operator reaches the limit, they are no longer assigned new threads. This limit setting can be overridden at an individual operator level.
Operators waiting for assignment	When there are fewer incoming email threads than operators can handle, some operators will be waiting for an assignment. Threads are assigned to highest ranked operators first, but you can choose an assignment method for operators of the same rank. See How to rank operators. To determine which waiting operator gets the next email, choose an assignment method: Least Busy. Assign the next incoming thread to the operator who has the fewest active threads and has waited the longest. Choose this to balance the workload between operators. Most Busy. Assign threads to your busiest operators. The next incoming thread is assigned to the operator who is handling the most threads until their limit is reached, and thereafter to the operator who has been idle for the shortest period of time. Choose this option if your operators must manage non-email tasks along with their email related work. Those who are managing email will stay busy with email, while others can stay focused on non-email tasks. To prevent overload on a single operator, make sure concurrent limits are set. Round Robin Rotate assignment among all available operators regardless of waiting time or number of active threads (until their concurrent limit is reached). Choose this option to balance the number of threads assigned per operator. Lower ranked operators will only be assigned a thread if all higher ranked operators have reached their limit.

Option

Description

Reassign if not accepted in X minutes

When selected, emails are reassigned to another operator when the originally assigned operator does not accept the thread within the specified period of time.

An operator who fails to answer in time is set to Away status to prevent new threads from being assigned. The operator must then explicitly log back in as Available.

Limit concurrent email threads to X

When selected, the number of threads that can be assigned to each operator is limited. When an operator reaches the limit, they are no longer assigned new threads.

This limit setting can be overridden at an individual operator level.

Operators waiting for assignment

When there are fewer incoming email threads than operators can handle, some operators will be waiting for an assignment. Threads are assigned to highest ranked operators first, but you can choose an assignment method for operators of the same rank. See How to rank operators.

To determine which waiting operator gets the next email, choose an assignment method:

Least Busy. Assign the next incoming thread to the operator who has the fewest active threads and has waited the longest. Choose this to balance the workload between operators.
Most Busy. Assign threads to your busiest operators. The next incoming thread is assigned to the operator who is handling the most threads until their limit is reached, and thereafter to the operator who has been idle for the shortest period of time. Choose this option if your operators must manage non-email tasks along with their email related work. Those who are managing email will stay busy with email, while others can stay focused on non-email tasks. To prevent overload on a single operator, make sure concurrent limits are set.
Round Robin Rotate assignment among all available operators regardless of waiting time or number of active threads (until their concurrent limit is reached). Choose this option to balance the number of threads assigned per operator. Lower ranked operators will only be assigned a thread if all higher ranked operators have reached their limit.

Save your changes.
Result: Settings are applied to your entire account except where overridden at the department or operator level.