VICIdial go-live checklist: from a new server to the first call

To take a new VICIdial server live, set things up in this order: carrier, caller ID and inbound numbers, then the campaign and its list, then user groups and agent logins, then inbound routing, then test calls. Each step depends on the one before it, which is why doing them out of order is the most common cause of a lost first day. The server checks come first; our post-install checklist covers those.

Step 1: carrier and numbers

• Add your SIP trunk and confirm a test call goes out and comes back with two-way audio.
• Ask your carrier how many Concurrent calls and calls per second you have. A Predictive dialing floor at three lines per agent needs about three channels per agent, plus headroom.
• Set the caller id you will dial with, and make sure the number is yours and can take calls back.
• Point each inbound DID (direct inward dialing) at the server.

Step 2: the campaign and its list

• Create the Campaign with a short ID agents will recognise on the login screen.
• Pick the dial method. Start predictive floors at a modest dial level and raise it once you have a day of answer-rate data.
• Set calling hours to run in each lead's own time zone.
• Load a Lead list, switch it on and attach it to the campaign. Check the count of dialable leads, not just the count of rows.

Step 3: user groups and agent logins

• Create one User group per role: agents, supervisors, managers.
• Allow each group the campaigns it should see. A group that is not allowed the campaign is the usual reason an agent sees an empty campaign list.
• Create a login and a phone for every agent. Browser phones save a day of softphone installs.

Step 4: inbound routing

• Create an Ingroup for each line callers can reach, with hold music and recording on.
• Route each DID to its in-group, and choose which groups answer it.
• On a blended campaign, make sure agents select their in-groups when they log in.

flowchart TD
  A[Carrier and numbers] --> B[Campaign and lead list]
  B --> C[User groups]
  C --> D[Agent logins and phones]
  D --> E[In-groups and DIDs]
  E --> F[Test calls]
  F --> G[First shift]

Step 5: test before the first shift

1. Log in as an agent and place a manual call.
2. Start the campaign with one agent and a test list of your own phones.
3. Call each inbound number and confirm it rings the right agents.
4. Play back one recording from each campaign.
5. Run a report and confirm the calls show up with the right dispositions.

The fast way

Steps 2 to 4 are what the VICIfast Setup Wizard does for you. It asks five questions (campaign, groups, people, inbound, launch), shows you everything in plain English before it changes anything, and builds the campaign, the list, the user groups, every login with a browser phone, and the inbound line in about five minutes. You still own the carrier and the test calls.

For a new server with VICIdial already installed and secured, see plans and pricing; servers are ready in under 40 seconds. If you would rather have someone do the whole go-live with you, see our VICIdial installation and setup service. For background on the install itself, start with the VICIdial installation guide.