the oracle at delphi was consulted before any important step was taken in affairs of state. all of...

The oracle at Delphi was consulted before any important step was taken in affairs of state.

All of the city-states in Greece contributed funds to the Temple of Apollo.

A massive temple stood on one of the very few spots in the sanctuary that was level. Above the temple door were carved such admonitions such as "Know Thyself".

This was where all those wishing to consult the Oracle would come. The Oracle of Delphi was a spiritual experience, in which advice and questions were asked to the spirit of Apollo.

The reply from Apollo would be channeled through priestesses, known as Pythia, who would be seated on a tripod over a mysterious chasm that expelled mystic vapors, said to enhance the channeling of Apollo.

Let the Oracle Speak!Ricky Burke

Interactive Voice Response Systems (IVR)&

Oracle

April 15, 2004 Let the Oracle Speak! 2

Introduction

Ricky Burke Oracle Architect & Developer 2001 President of DOUG

Dallas Independent School District’s (DISD) Talent Management System (TMS)

Presented by:


Topics of Discussion Why use Interactive Voice Response (IVR)? DISD IVR Case Study

Using a low-cost, PC-based IVR system to provide database access

Separating the Business Logic in Oracle from the Database Access Logic in the IVR system

What this means to YOU!


Using the Telephone as an Access Device to Oracle

Low-cost interface mechanism Ubiquitous, universal access Web access is Great -

Except when… You don’t have a PC or Laptop

(or prefer not to use a computer) There are still many people that don’t

always have computer access!!! You don’t have Internet connection The information is urgent


Using a PC-based IVR systemto provide database access Eliminates computer and network

access problems Allows users to easily specify requests IVR call-out can reach users

when the data is urgent Low-cost

Oracle IVR Systems Start at $500,000 PC-Based IVR Systems Start at under $50,000

(one tenth the cost)


DISD Talent Management System

Allows teachers to report an absence Teachers call in to the IVR System Access the Web Site

Allows substitutes to accept these teaching assignments Substitutes call in to the IVR System IVR System calls Substitutes Access the Web Site


DISD System and People

Number of Teachers: 10,000 Number of Substitutes: 5,000 Number of Schools: 240 Absences per Day: 500 to 800


DISD Absence ManagementPrior to 1998

No Interactive Voice Response System Absences filled manually

1 Full Time HR Employee Some Part-Time HR Employees Most Absences filled manually by

240 staff members at individual Schools


DISD Absence ManagementPrior to 1998

At that time, all Absence Requests were necessarily channeled through Pythia…


Previous DISD IVR System(1998-2004)

Maintained all teacher, substitute and scheduling information in a PC-based system

DISD later added Oracle HR Teacher and substitute information

now also exists in Oracle HR Data Synchronization issues

No Web access


New DISD IVR System Uses read-only access to the teacher and

substitute information in Oracle HR Teacher & substitute qualification

information maintained in Oracle HR New scheduling information

created in a new Oracle schema Tables, views, sequences, packages,

procedures, functions, etc. IVR System used exclusively as an

access device to the Oracle system Web Access uses same procedures

developed for IVR system


DISD TMS ArchitectureDISD Talent Management System

Standard Oracle HR Customized Oracle (Talent Management System)

Teachers Report Absence

or Review/Modify/Cancel Absence

Fill Absence Substitutes Review Job Information/

Cancel Job Acceptance

Customized Oracle HR Schools

User Interfaces Areas

Web Access Oracle to IVR Interface Teacher Forms IVR Sub-System Substitute Forms Teacher Substitute School Admin’s Forms Call In Call Out Call In (Report/Review, (Fill Absence) (Review Job Information/ Modify/Cancel Absence) Cancel Job Acceptance)

Substitute Availability Table

Qualifications

School Preferences Table

Call Period Table

Job Event Table

Job Table

Substitute Schedule Table

Matching Algorithm

Qualifications

Locations

Subject Preferences Table


IVR & Oracle Systems Separate the Business Logic from the

Database Access Logic Business logic developed entirely in Oracle Uses data already available in Oracle

Applications IVR system used exclusively for database

access Collect Touch-Tone Input, Speak Output Lowers maintenance cost

Changes to Business logic made using standard Oracle development tools; no changes to IVR system

Allows use of Standard Reporting Tools Oracle Reports, Discoverer, Portal Reporting Tools


DISDTalent Management System

Technical Stuff

Oracle 9i database Oracle 11.5.7 HR, Payroll HP Tru64 UNIX IVR System platform from

dataVoice, International Interfaces to Oracle through a

custom Visual C++ program using Open Database Connectivity (ODBC)


What This Means to You? If you are responsible for an

Independent School District This technology can be used to

effectively and economically manage Teacher’s absences

Allow Substitutes to view and accept available assignments

Critical Business Information continues to reside in Oracle


What This Means to You! If you are NOT responsible for an

Independent School District

This technology can be used to effectively and economically manage GENERIC absences

IVR technology allows access to your database with only a standard telephone


What This Means to You! IVR technology allows cost-effective

access to your database with only a standard telephone

Generic absence management• Hospital Staff, Building Maintenance

Clients and customers can easily interact with the data they need

Sales Reps can obtain critical information Delivery of Banking, Stock & Financial Info Benefits enrollment, Training enrollment Telephone Marketing & Surveys Voice Mail and other IVR features

interfaced with Oracle Collaboration Suite


Some IVR CapabilitiesNot Used on the DISD TMS Project

Fax Text-to-Speech Speech Recognition Optical Character Recognition (OCR) Paging

Pager E-Mail Phone Other Personal Communication Device


Using IVR in Conjunction withOracle’s Collaboration Suite

Text-to-Speech Play e-Mails over the Phone Subject, To/From, Date and/or Body fields

Optical Character Recognition (OCR) Play Text of Faxes over the Phone

Fax Use fax machines as portable printers


Use Oracle Collaboration Suite to network low-cost Voice Mail systems

Allows information to be sent to any branch office

Use Oracle for low-cost storage (and archiving) of Voice Mail messages

Using PC-BasedVoice Mail Systemsat Branch Offices


IVR Platform Applications Once the IVR platform is in place,

additional features can be added at a very low incremental cost Add additional phone lines Add additional features

Typically start with a “business driver application”, then add additional features when necessary Employee Verification Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)

Compliance


What This Means to Everyone! IVR technology allows access to your

database with only a standard telephone. The Telephone becomes a low-cost,

ubiquitous portal into your information. Perfect augmentation to Web Site Data and Data Access Routines continue to

reside in Oracle. Allows employees, sales reps, clients and

customers to easily interact with the data they need, without the need for a computer and network access.

Cost-effective access to your existing data!


Questions & Answers



Oracle


Delphi became known throughout the world for the Oracle of the God (or angel) Apollo.

To obtain the right to approach the great altar of Apollo,

Whoever wished to consult the Oracle was obliged to pay a tax.

Knowledge is Power

Delphi became known throughout the world for the Oracle of the God (or angel) Apollo.

To obtain the right to approach the great altar of Apollo,

Whoever wished to consult the Oracle was obliged to pay a tax.

Sound Familiar?

Knowledge is Power


Having purified herself in the water of the Kastalian Fountain, Pythia (the Oracle) bent over the Navel of the Earth (the Sacred Stone), ate a laurel leaf and, inhaling the mystic vapors emitted from the chasm, entered a state of ecstasy, uttering incoherent words.

These answers (also called oracles) were then composed into verses by the Priest, while interpreters endeavored to render some meaning out of the prophecy.

Arguments over the correct interpretation of an oracle were common, but the Oracle was always happy to give another prophecy if more gold was provided.



Oracle

Having purified herself in the water of the Kastalian Fountain, Pythia (the Oracle) bent over the Navel of the Earth (the Sacred Stone), ate a laurel leaf and, inhaling the mystic vapors emitted from the chasm, entered a state of ecstasy, uttering incoherent words.

These answers (also called oracles) were then composed into verses by the Priest, while interpreters endeavored to render some meaning out of the prophecy.

Arguments over the correct interpretation of an oracle were common, but the Oracle was always happy to give another prophecy if more gold was provided.

Sound Familiar?



Oracle

the oracle at delphi was consulted before any important step was taken in affairs of state. all of...

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