June 1999

When CTI Is DIY

BY FARON RICHARDS

Whether you are a VAR, a developer, or a company implementing a new CTI application, there comes a time when you must confront a fundamental decision: Will an off-the-shelf system do the job, or would it be better to build your own solution with an application generator? In some cases, an off-the-shelf product will fit your project like the proverbial glove, but in others it's like trying squeeze an adult hand into a child's mitten. Either the features that you need simply aren't there, or the product has so many features that trying to use it would be like fumbling with a top-of-the-line camera when all you want to do is point and shoot.

The question then becomes whether to deal with the struggle or turn to a CTI toolkit with a longer learning curve but with better prospects for delivering the results you're looking for. Here are some guidelines for making the decision, choosing the right toolkit, budgeting and managing the project, and following it through to completion.

BUY OR BUILD?
Turnkey products are great for certain projects, but there are two conditions that tell you it's time for a kit: 1) the product just won't let you do what you need to do, or 2) the only products available would be too confusing for the average end user to use.

Let's take a simple example. You're building an audio-text application advertising local restaurants. All you need is a bunch of prompts that will let callers listen to various selections and perhaps receive a fax of their menus, but all the out-of-the-box products you evaluate are voice mail systems which would require a lot of customization and may not yield an easy-to-use finished product. An application generator would be a better choice: the application can be built in a much more straightforward manner that will be less frustrating to the end user and therefore more satisfying to the restaurants. Also, the application will grow as your needs grow.

There is a third condition that drives a VAR, developer, or company to a CTI toolkit, and that is if you build so many different applications that no single turnkey product can meet your needs every time. If your feature set changes dramatically from project to project, or if you move back and forth between voice mail, IVR, and other projects, a multi-purpose application generator will move right along with you. It may not save you money or time (don't use those criteria in making your decision), but it's a better growth vehicle over the long haul.

A toolkit is also an ideal choice for proof-of-concept applications, such as situations in which you want to simulate a new product to have something to show to investors. You can mock up an application quickly without steps like professional recording, and you have complete flexibility to build the mockup in any way you wish.

CHOOSING AN APPLICATION GENERATOR
There are three rules of thumb to remember when you're shopping for a CTI toolkit: 1) purchase a kit that has what you need today, 2) look for a wide breadth of capabilities so that today's investment will provide the tools to build applications tomorrow, and 3) be sure the kit matches your skill level. (A fourth rule goes almost without saying: be sure it runs on Windows NT and supports industry-standard components, like Dialogic voice and fax cards.)

Many application generators require considerable programming expertise. Even Visual Basic-based toolkits with drag-and-drop capabilities require that you go back to the code level under certain circumstances. Forms-based products also require a working knowledge of Visual Basic or C++.

Less experienced developers will want to opt for drag-and-drop kits that utilize graphical building blocks designed to be connected together like virtual tinker toys. With a familiar graphical interface, flow charts that display each box in the script in a hierarchic list, and dialog boxes for setting properties, developers can quickly assemble voice mail, IVR, IP telephony, unified messaging, and many other applications without writing a single line of code.

One final rule: try before you buy. A few minutes with a demo is worth 10,000 words.

MANAGING THE PROJECT
As with any project, your budget must consider both time and materials. Materials in this case include PCs, voice cards, network cards, gateways, and other components. Time includes drafting the call flow, ordering parts, initial setup, programming, testing, adds and changes, and implementation. Always build in an extra 10 percent for adds and changes.

The timeline can range from two weeks to six months, depending on the project, your familiarity with your toolkit, and other variables. Regardless, the steps and the schedule will go something like this:

• First, map out your basic call flow, either on paper or with a flow chart program like Patton & Patton's PDQ Lite or allClear by SPSS. List the sequence of events and the features you need. This step-by-step layout is the cornerstone of everything you do. Without a road map, you're headed for disaster.
  
  
• Next, spend several days gathering input on your call flow from end users. Ask them to evaluate prompts and point out areas that could be made more user friendly.
  
  
• Calculate up to 15 minutes per block on your flow chart for programming time, but understand that this is the real wild card in the process. If you're new to the toolkit, you need a patch, or some other problem arises, you will need more time. Don't forget to include error handling and recording of prompts, with extra time if you're using a recording studio.
  
  
• Allot several days to create your database or to interface with an existing database. Many toolkits provide a wizard to streamline this process, but construction of the fields can be time consuming.
  
• Add a minimum of three days to gather the components you need. The time required will vary according to you purchasing decisions/options, but be sure to allow a cushion for back-ordered parts.

• Initial PC assembly and software installation should take no more than two days, but again, allow for contingencies. The need for minor hardware changes in network cards or other components will add time.

• If you're working with an application generator for the first time and have had previous experience with a toolkit, add a day or two of learning time. If you're a novice, add a week.
  
  
• Allow at least two or three days for manual testing, and try your hardest to make your app fail. If you come to a menu prompt that gives you only three options, what happens if you punch in a fourth? If you're working with a database and make an invalid entry, does it crash? Try to anticipate every scenario.
  
  
• Add at least one more day for a third party to test the application. Programmers should never be the only testers of a product. They know how it is supposed to work, and they may not think the way a user does.
  
  
• Factor in at least three days for load testing, preferably over a weekend. If you have more time, use it. Ideally, use a separate machine to bombard your application with as much traffic as you can. (You can use your toolkit to quickly build a program for this purpose.)
  
  
• Include several days for writing a guide for end users. If you are assigning this task to a writer, he or she can be doing this while you're still tweaking the application. The writer, in fact, is the ideal person to do the third-party testing. He or she can do the necessary research for the writing assignment while simultaneously telling you what doesn't work.
  
  
• Add at least one day for installing the application at the customer location, working with the local telco, and training the customer to use the system.

• Finally, set aside two to four weeks for a beta-like period that will allow the customer to adjust to the application. You will need to be on call during that time in case any adds, changes, or final tweaks are needed.

Follow these steps, and you'll wind up with an application you can be proud of. You'll also have the same toolkit to use the next time you have a CTI development project.

Faron Richards is president of Envox (U.S.) Ltd., developer of the Envox CT Studio application generator. Envox CT studio allows developers of all skill levels to quickly create reliable, business critical CT solutions. For more information, please contact Envox at 888-368-6987, or visit their Web site at www.envox.com.