There are many places in the PBX where binary decisions have to be made. The PBX uses service flags for this. A typical service flag would be on during office hours, and off outside office hours.
Service flags can be time-based or manual. When time based, the system automatically changes their state depending on the times that were set up. Users can still override those states with manual interactions. Manual service flags change their state only when a user explicitly changes the state.
Examples for using service flags include:
Service flags can trigger announcements (see below). This can be useful in schools or factories that are using speakers for announcing breaks.
Automatic service flags can be positive or negative, where the time definition defines when the flag is active or when it is inactive. For example, when setting up a service flag that defines the office hours, the time settings may define when the office is open. In most places where service flags can be used, both the flags state and the negated state can be used to make routing decisions. In the example of the office hours, the service flag might be used in its regular active state to define when a cell phone is included in extension calls; the negated state may be used to define when incoming calls are diverted to a mailbox.
In many cases, service flags can be chained. For example, one service flag might define the weekly office hours to be from 9 AM to 5 PM, and another flag can define the company holidays to be on December 25 and 26. When redirecting calls, the first redirection rule can use the office hours and another redirection rule the holidays. This provides some more flexibility when there are serveral working hour definitions, for example for morning shift and evening shift or for regular staff holidays and emergency staff holidays.
Changing State
There are several methods available for changing the state of a manual service flag:
Automatic service flags can also be changed. This will override the next transition of the service flag. For example, when an office closes earlier, a user that has permission to change the service flag might set the flag earlier. The next day, the flag will automatically turn back on.
Creating a Service Flag
Navigate to Features > Service Flags and click on the Create Service Flag button.
Account Number - This is the internal extension number of the Service flag. The Account Number will need to be between 3-7 digits (numeric only) in length and must be unique.
Display Name - A friendly name for easy identification
Managing a Service Flag
Timezone - The timezone for this service flag.
Confirmation tone - Choose the confirmation sound you would like to hear upon turning the service flag on or off.
PIN code for changing state - Instead of listing the extensions that may change the state, a caller may change the state of the flag by entering a PIN code. This is useful when calling from outside where the PBX does not associate an extension with the caller.
Mode - The service flag can be controlled either manually or automatically.
Logic - This setting is used to determine if the times specify when the flag is active or when the flag is inactive.
When user calls this service flag - This flag determines if calling an automatic service flag will just change the state or offer more options. When choosing more options, the caller can change the state of the flag for the whole day, even if there are several more transitions pending for the day.
Monday - Sunday - For each day, these fields take the time when the flag is active or inactive (depending on the logic).
Holidays- Select dates when the flag is active or inactive (depending on the logic).
Holiday Times - For Holiday days selected, these fields take the time when the flag is active or inactive (depending on the logic).