MEMORANDUM
Information Services and Technology is beginning the process of replacing the
University’s current telephone systems. The design phase has begun and the
deployment of new handsets and instruments will begin in May. We need your
involvement to ensure a smooth and successful transition.
We are asking the involvement of Access Rights Administrators (ARA) to validate
the information regarding the current use of phones, and help guide decisions about
the new phones within your division or department. The ARA should be someone
who:
1. Has an understanding about current operations, namely, the business
functions performed, how calls are answered and routed, and how messages
are handled;
2. Has decision making authority or direct access to the person who is the
decision maker;
The ARA might be an administrative assistant, business manager, or the person who
currently places phone and voice service work orders.
The Voice Project Manager along with PBX vendor will be reaching out to the
departments ARA within the next few weeks to schedule an overview/education
session that will address the features and capabilities of the new system. After the
overview session, each ARA will receive a packet of including a summary of the
session, product-related information, a listing of her department’s current
telephone lines, instruments and budget account codes.
The ARA will then meet will all appropriate individuals to understand the overall
call handling requirements and member’s individual service needs. The vendor will
schedule individual design meetings with each ARA to determine how each
telephone line and instrument now in use will be replaced with comparable service
through the new phone system. The vendor will then generate and provide to the
ARA a printout of the telephone instruments and call handling options selected. The
ARA must obtain written approval for the selections from her appropriate fiscal
authority and return the signature of approval to the vendor.
The ARA will coordinate telephone training for people in their area of responsibility.
The ARA will also coordinate access to rooms to facilitate installation of new
phones. Once the new phone system is operational, the ARA will also with the
vendor and IST to fine-tune phone service.
Your cooperation is great appreciated. If you have any questions, please do not
hesitate to contact us.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE ARA

Identify and assemble information about the voice communications needs of
each user, e.g., the model of the telephone required, voicemail requirements
if changed, software coverage requirements (hunt and pickup groups)

Understand and communicate with the Altura representatives the global
departmental requirements, i.e. whether ACD or Call Center applications are
needed, whether new telephone lines and phones will be needed in the near
future, whether the department plans a major move or renovation in the
near future that will impact current telephone locations.

Be the single point of contact for the department on the project.

Meet the vendor representatives to discuss the department’s voice services
configuration.

Receive and distribute information regarding the project to the department.

Coordinate training schedules for members of their department

Coordinate access to rooms and offices

Continue in the role through the implementation phase.
TIME REQUIREMENTS:

The ARA can anticipate that this work will take between 15% and 20 % of his
or her time during the final design and implementation phases of this project.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR ARA
1.
2.
3.
4.
Verify every extension/phone number on your spreadsheet.
Verify Fax Numbers
Verify Modem phone numbers
Identify if there are alarms, Gate open/close devices, miscellaneous
components connected to the telephone wiring. Collect data on separate
document.
5. Mark your floor-plans accordingly
6. If a Multi-line phone has a Primary number and one or more “rollover” or
Virtual lines, inform the owner that they will soon be getting a phone with
multiple Line Appearances and that the “rollover” lines are no longer needed.
You may need to explain the concept of Line appearances.
7. Identify the phone type needed. Model 2402 or Model 2410 or Model 2420
for Digital Phones. If the user is currently a single-line Analog phone, their
phone instrument will stay the same.
8. Determine who (what extension number) answer their line when they are
busy or away from their desk. This is their Call Coverage Answer point.
Make a note if that and mark the spreadsheet with the Coverage Extension
number. Some users will have their phone ring 3 or 6 times and then simply
want their calls to go to voice mail.
9. Identify if they are part of a group for Call Pick-up. If they are, simply
indicate include Y for yes and N for no Call Pick-up.
10. With Deans or VIPs, ask if they ever use Call Forwarding today. If Yes, mark
your spreadsheet. Ask to where they are forwarding all calls when Call Fwd
is used. Add to the comments on spreadsheet.
11. Identify where single extension number has more than one voice mail box.
You may find that some phones are shared by multiple users and each user
has their one mail box. When dialing this extension, the greeting may say,
“For Anne, press 1; for Bill press 2, for Lucy press 3,” Mark your information
into the comments field.
12. Keep it simple
DON’T’s:
1. Do not offer features that are not being requested or described by the user.
Your mission is not to grant them their “wish list.” Your mission is to
DUPLICATE what they have today. Many of the new features will actually
enhance their telephone experience.
2. Do not take Speed Dial list from users. They will be trained on how to
program their own lists from their phones.
3. Do not offer ACD functionality to non-ACD users.
ARA INFORMATION FORM
1. ARA’S Name: _________________________________________________________________________
2. Department/Activities Represented by the ARA, the associated
budget/accounting administrator and/or the applicable department
head/fiscal authority for each (list only those budget/account codes to which
telephone, voicemail, and other related services are billed):
DEPARTMENT/
ACCOUNTING
ADMINISTRATOR NAME:
ACCOUNTING
ADMINISTRATOR
NUMBER:
DEPARTMENT RECUR
CHART OF ACCOUNT
STRING
DEPARTMENT ONE TIME
CHART OF ACCOUNT
STRING
3. ARA’s Telephone Number: __________________________________________________________
4. ARA’s Email Address:________________________________________________________________
5. ARA’s Fax Number: __________________________________________________________________
6. Signature: ____________________________________________________________________________
7. Date: __________________________________________________________________________________