Administering Phone Numbers

This chapter provides an overview of number lifecycle management and discusses how to:

• Define regions.

• Add new numbers.

• Make numbers available.

• Reserve and unreserve numbers.

• Make numbers metallic.

• Manage numbers.

• Assign numbers.

Understanding Phone Number Lifecycle Management

Using Number Management, you can sell multiple service products requiring numbers to a geographically diverse customer base.

Defining Regions

Regions define how number blocks are grouped together for assignment. Regions can be geographical, defined by the service offering, or defined by postal codes.

Page Used to Defining Regions

Defining Regions

Access the Region page (Set Up CRM, Common Definitions, Location, Region Codes, Region).

Status	Select from Active and Inactive . The status must be Active for numbers to be available.
Region Type	Types that are specific to Number Management are Service Area, Postal Wireline, and Postal Wireless. A service area is the top-level region for number management; postal wireline and postal wireless are typically used for service area subregions.
Description	Enter a description for the region. The description appears in the region hierarchy.
Parent Region ID	Enter the region ID for the parent of the region that you are entering. This field sets up the hierarchical relationship for regions and enables you to create parent/child relationships.
Region Hierarchy	Displays the entire region hierarchy, including the current region.

Adding New Numbers

You can create numbers using Number Management, or you can import numbers in a flat file. Numbers can be created individually or in blocks using a block range. Individual numbers or number blocks can be created for a specific region.

This section discusses how to:

• Import numbers

• Define number criteria

• Review numbers

To define number criteria, use the Add Numbers – Define Number Criteria (RBT_NUMCREATE_CMP) component.

Using a Flat File to Import Numbers

This table illustrates the structure for the Number Import input file.

Pages Used to Add New Numbers

Importing Numbers

Access the Import Numbers page (Number Management, Import Numbers, Import Numbers).

Delete	Click the Delete button to delete the uploaded file.
View	Click the View button to display the contents of the uploaded file.
Field Map	Click the Field Map button to display the mapping of the fields in the file with the fields in the destination table.
Run Import	Click the Run Import button to save the entered information, assign a default run control ID, and run a batch job to import the numbers.

Defining Number Criteria

Access the Add Numbers - Step 1: Define Number Criteria page (Number Management, Manage Number, Add Number, Add Numbers - Step 1: Define Number Criteria).

Region ID	Select a region for the number to be created.
SetID	Select the setID for Communications to get the number configuration.
Category	Select from Administrative, General, Intermediate, Metallic or Reserved.
Type	Select the type of number, either wireless or wireline.
Sub Category	Select a sub category for the number. This is optional.
Usage	Select the usage of the number such as Voice, Fax or Data.
Zip Code	Enter the zip code for the number.
Area Code	Enter the area code for the country in which the provider is operating, if applicable. The area code length must be within the minimum and maximum NDC length defined in the Number Format setup.
Prefix	Use the Prefix field to enter optional leading zeroes.
Starting Number	Enter the beginning number for the block.
Ending Number - Auto-generated next block	Select the range of Subscriber numbers. If you use an auto-generated block, the system will use the block size setup as a parameter for communications. The subscriber length must be within the minimum and maximum LSP length defined in the Number format setup.
Specify end number	Enter the end number for the range if you do not auto-generate the block.

Reviewing Numbers

Access the Add Numbers - Step 2: Review Numbers page (click the Continue button on the Add Numbers - Step 1: Define Number Criteria page).

By default all numbers are selected. Clear all or specific numbers if no action needs to be taken.

Making Numbers Available

Your organization needs a supply of assignable numbers available for customers. When the number inventory is low, you need to make new numbers available. Numbers can be made available individually, or in blocks using a block range. Individual numbers or number blocks can be made available for a specific region.

To make numbers available:

1. Select the region, setID, category, type, and starting number. Select auto number generation to specify the end number.

   Region, setID, area code, and starting number are required fields.

2. Review the number list before saving to the available number inventory.

Note. The interface for making numbers available is similar to adding new numbers.

See Adding New Numbers.

Pages Used to Make Numbers Available

Reserving and Unreserving Numbers

Number Management allows numbers to be reserved by businesses. The general category Numbers with 'Available' status can be only reserved. The reserved Numbers that are in available status can be only unreserved. For example, a company may want to reserve all the numbers in the 925 area code with the Subscriber Number prefix 694. In this case, administrators can reserve these numbers using a similar interface to creating and making numbers available. Numbers can be unreserved in the same way.

To reserve numbers, use the Reserve Number (RBT_RESERVENUM_CMP) component.

To unreserve numbers, use the Unreserve Number (RBT_UNRESERVE_NUM) component.

Note. The interface for reserving and unreserving numbers is the same.

Pages Used to Reserve and Unreserve Numbers

Selecting the Customer

Access the Unreserve Numbers - Step 1: Select Customer page (Number Management, Manage Number, Unreserve Number, Unreserve Numbers - Step 1: Select Customer page).

Note. The pages used to reserve numbers and unreserve numbers use the same interface.

Defining Number Criteria

Access the Unreserve Numbers - Step 2: Define Number Criteria page (click the Continue button on the Unreserve Numbers - Step 1: Select Customer page).

Note. The pages used to reserve numbers and unreserve numbers use the same interface.

Reviewing the Numbers

Access the Unreserve Numbers - Step 3: Review Numbers page (click the Continue button on the Unreserve Numbers - Step 2: Define Number Criteria page).

Note. The pages used to reserve numbers and unreserve numbers use the same interface.

Making Numbers Metallic

Number Management enables you to make general category numbers into metallic or vanity numbers. This is for numbers that have already been created. For example, you may decide that the number 925-694-7777 should be a metallic number. In this case, you can make the number a metallic number with a similar interface to creating and making numbers available.

To make numbers metallic, use the Make Number Metallic (RBT_VANITYNUM_CMP) component.

Note. The interface for making numbers metallic is similar to adding numbers.

See Adding New Numbers.

Pages Used to Make Numbers Metallic

Managing Numbers

This section discusses how to:

• Manage numbers.

• View number history.

• View number audit information.

Pages Used to Manage Numbers

Maintaining Numbers

Access the Number Information page (Number Management, Search Number, Number Information).

Area Code	Displays the area code for the number. This is hidden if no national destination code is defined in the Number Format.
Subscriber Number	Displays the mobile identification number for wireless service or phone number for local service.
Region ID	Select the region ID for the number. When a user requests a number, only the numbers within the valid region are presented. Regions are selected from the RB_REGION prompt table.
Status	Select from Activation-Pending, Active, Aging, Available, Blocked, Pending, Ported-Out, Released, or Reserved. Numbers with Assigned status cannot be changed or deleted. Ported-Out indicates that the provider owned number is ported-out to external carrier. Released indicates that the external carrier owned number is released to external carrier, after the services are disconnected. This external carrier may or may not be the actual owner of this number but it is known that the number was ported-out last by this carrier.
Type	Select the type of number. Number types segment different types of numbers to be used with multiple products that use different number ranges.
Usage	Select Data, Fax, or Voice.
Category	Select Administrative, General, Intermediate, Metallic, or Reserved.
Sub Category	Enter a sub category, if applicable.
Ported In Number	Select to indicate that the number is ported in from an external carrier.
Zip Code	Enter the zip code for the number. Alternately, this can be a City based on the Number distribution factor defined in the Number Format setup,
Port From	Select the name of the external carrier that the number is ported from. Use this if you have selected Ported In Number. This value is set by the Port-In Process.
Ported To	Select the name of the external carrier that the number is ported to. Use this if the status is Ported-Out.
Reserved By	The Reserved By section is displayed only if the Category is Reserved.
Aging Start Date and Aging End Date	The Aging Information section will be displayed only if the status is Aging. When a number is disconnected, the system enters the aging start and end dates. You establish the aging variables in the Communication Set Up component. AGETIMEBUS establishes the number of days for aging business numbers. AGETIMEIND establishes the number of days for aging individual customer numbers.

Viewing Number History

Access the Number History page (Number Management, Search Number, Number History).

The Number History page displays:

• When the number is created.

• When the number is made available.

• When the number is assigned to a customer.

• When the number is reserved for a customer.

• When a number is set to aging.

• When a number is ported-out or ported-in.

Viewing Number Audit Information

Access the Number Audit page (Number Management, Search Number, Number Audit).

The Number Audit page provides an audit trail for the number history.

Assigning Numbers

Number assignment takes place during the order-capture process.

For example, a customer in the communications industry calls to order a digital wireless package. During the order-capture process, the CSR enters the Digital Wireless product on the order line. When the detailed order line is displayed, the CSR clicks the Attributes button to display a list of available numbers. The available numbers are attributes of the product.

See Also

Using Order Capture and Service Management in the Communications Industry

Managing Orders and Quotes

Pages Used to Assign Numbers