Estimating the number of channels needed

The blockage rate and traffic in Erlangs allow you to estimate how many channels you need. The number of channels depends, in part, on whether Blueworx Voice Response is connected in such a way that it is behind a switch queue. To determine the number of channels you need, estimate how much telephony traffic you expect. This estimate can then be converted into a specific number of telephone channels. Your estimate should then be validated by an expert.

For a non-queueing situation (when you do not have an ACD in front of Blueworx Voice Response), Table 1 can be used to give a preliminary estimate of the number of channels you will need. First find your busy hour Traffic in Erlangs in the first column. Then find the Blockage Rate you find acceptable in the column headings. The cell where the row and column meet gives you the Number of Channels you need. Before implementation, your estimate should be validated by an expert.

For example, if your traffic load is 20 Erlangs and you find a blockage rate of 5% acceptable, you need 26 channels. Because an E1 trunk carries 30 channels and a T1 trunk carries 24, the number of channels you order depends on the type of system: