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Distribution Policies

Nimbus applies Distribution Policies to define a task escalation over time. A distribution policy can consist of multiple distribution levels, each with its own Skills and Responsibilities.

PRECONDITIONS

Contact Center - Please note that Distribution Policies are a Contact Center feature. Both Services and Users need the Contact Center license to enable the corresponding configuration tabs.

To use this feature you need to make sure the following criteria are met:

  1. Skills and Responsibilities need to be defined first in order to be visible in your Distribution Policy. As you define you can freely define these criteria, for example: “Language” or “Product Proficiency”.
    💡 As for all data entities, their visibility follows Organization Unit constraints.
  2. At least one Service needs a Contact Center license applied in the Service Administration and configured for skill-based distribution.
  3. Users need to be Contact Center licensed to enable their Skills and Responsibilities tab and according Responsibility Profiles.
    1. Assign Skills and Responsibilities to Users. This must be done for each of your Contact Center Users individually.
    2. Note that Non-CC-licensed Users cannot be selected as preferred.
  4. Finally, Users need to be added as Agents or Owners of the Service. This is done in the Permissions tab, located in Service Administration.

🔍 You can also read the Use Case - Setting up a Contact Center which guides you through all these steps in a basic end-to-end scenario.

 

Use Case / Overview

While customers are waiting in queue, services using a Distribution Policy will define the search for skilled and responsible users. Think of this as search that escalates in levels over time. Each distribution level defines its own set of independent Skills and Responsibilities as criteria, acting like a filter to pool and select (available) Users for call distribution.

 

Example

The following example shows you a distribution policy with three levels.

  1. In the first level, low expertise, but “TechSupport” skilled agents are searched for. Advanced English Skills are required. 
  2. In the second level (After 10s), the distribution will also look for medium-responsible and average-skilled people. English requirements are softened.
  3. In the third level, the search extends fully, allowing any level of expertise. The “TechSupport” requirement is also dropped, so anyone not having that label can also help take over this task.
Example of an escalating Distribution Policy with 3 Levels.

General Tab

Creating a Distribution Policy

✅ Reminder: Before you can create and configure a Distribution Policy make sure you have Skills and Responsibilities already defined, so you can continue with the next steps.

  1. Within the Configuration (Admin), go to "Distribution“ > ”Distribution Policy".
  2. Create a new policy and pick a name that either reflects the intent (e.g. for general-purpose response teams) or a special division (e.g. Sales Team).
  3. Assign an Organization Unit that also will determine where this policy is visible/applicable.
  4. Define the Distribution Order which should be applied in case when multiple Agents meet the same skill criteria:
Order1 Description
Longest Idle (default) Will prefer the Agent which are longest available, even with more qualified Agents present.
Best Qualified

Will prefer the Agent which is most suitable for the task.

  • User skills and their levels are compared against each other.
  • If more than one skill is available, they are treated with same priority.
  • On equal match, longest idle will be used as fallback.
  • Higher responsibility will be ignored.

1🔎Related Reading: Distribution Order algorithm

The distribution order algorithm allows flexibility, but also some learning. For that reason, we've prepared a concept page that explains the Distribution Order algorithm behind Nimbus in more detail and with a specific example.

🌰In a Nutshell the algorithm does the following:

  1. Level 0 Check: “Level 0” - technically happens before any escalation levels: 
    1. Check for available “Last User” from previous interaction with the customer, distribute to them first.
    2. If no “Last User” is available, use defined “Preferred Users” and distribute to them first.
  2. Level 1…n checks: If neither “Last Users” or “Preferred Users" available: Repeat to iterate through the remaining Distribution levels using the ruleset below.

⚙️ Ruleset (applies at each level):

  1. If a User is currently “not selectable” due to any reason (e.g. User State, Task Limit, MS Teams Presence) the next suitable User is selected instead.
  2. Among available Users, find those which are skilled / responsible to take the task.
  3. Among equally skilled Users, find the one according to the Order Setting (Longest Idle / Best Qualified).
 

Preferred and Last User Routing

Preferred User Routing

✅ Preconditions

💡OPTIONAL FEATURE - “Preferred User Routing”: Enables further options options described below.

  • This feature requires your Preferred Users to be defined via Power Automate Flow, using the Nimbus Connector "Update Task" flow action.
  • Note that preferred Users need a Contact Center license applied in order to be selectable.
    💡Tip: You can provide any list of CC Users, including Users who are not part of your originally contacted Service. However, in this case the Service's Distribution Settings will be ignored.

🔎 Related Example Use Case: Use Case - Set Preferred Agent from CRM.

 
Option Description
Preferred User Routing

🔍 Preferred User Routing works as follows:

  1. Attempts to connect preferred Users within the defined → preference phase. 
  2. Applies the order algorithm among all defined preferred Users:
    1. First: Priority – there can be Users with the same priority, as defined via "UpdateTask" flow action
    2. Then: Longest Idle
  3. Preferred Users will stay on top of the distribution list in all following levels. The "Order" setting of the policy (e.g. "Best Qualified") does not apply as preferred Users can be from outside the team and not necessarily require defined skills. → Instead, their own order (priority, longest idle) applies.

☝Distribution Settings are ignored for “preferred” non-Service Users 

 For preferred Users that are NOT part of the Service team, the corresponding "Conversation Distribution" Settings are being ignored.

Learn more about this...

💡 Example:

  1. For the Service's distribution policy "preferred User" are enabled. Users are configured as follows:
    1. User A is preferred in the Service
    2. User B is the usual skilled User in the Service
  2. Distribution Service Settings are set to “Busy = NOT Distributed to the User”
  3. Scenario: As a call gets distributed, both Users are Busy in their MS Teams client:
    1. Preferred User A will get an invitation being in Busy presence.
    2. Skilled User B (while being selectable) will not get an invitation being in Busy presence.
Conversation Distribution Settings
 
 
 
Initial Preference Phase

Defines the User States, under which Users are not considered for the preferred User list. Once a User is considered for the preferred User list, the preferred User "Initial Preference Phase" is started.

Available options:

  • Off Duty And Not Available (default): Does not consider Users for the preferred User list that are off duty and offline.
  • Off Duty And Offline: Does not consider Users for the preferred User list that are either off duty or offline.
  • None: Considers all Users for the preferred User list.

INC Preferred Users List Table

 

The following table shows you in which cases users are considered for the preferred user list:

Nimbus User being in:

Initial Skipped Preferred User States set to:
User State Duty State Off Duty And Not Available Off Duty And Offline None
Online On ✅ ✅ ✅
Off ❌ ❌ ✅
Available On ✅ ✅ ✅
Off ❌ ❌ ✅
Busy (NOT distributed to the user) On ✅ ✅ ✅
Off ❌ ❌ ✅
Busy (Distributed to the user) On ✅ ✅ ✅
Off ❌ ❌ ✅
Do not disturb (NOT distributed to the user) On ❌ ✅ ✅
Off ❌ ❌ ✅
Away (NOT distributed to the user) On ❌ ✅ ✅
Off ❌ ❌ ✅
Away (Distributed to the user) On ✅ ✅ ✅
Off ❌ ❌ ✅
Offline On ❌ ❌ ✅
Off ❌ ❌ ✅
ACW On ❌ ✅ ✅
Off ❌ ❌ ✅
Persistent Rona On ❌ ✅ ✅
Off ❌ ❌ ✅

✅ User is considered for preferred user list.

❌ User is not considered for preferred user list.

Initial Preference Phase

(dd:hh:mm:ss)

✅ Applies when the "Initial Preference Phase" toggle is enabled.

Defines the time at which preferred Users are considered first before distribution levels come into effect.

  • Default: 00:00:00:10
  • Min: 00:00:00:05
  • Max: 03:00:00:00

💡 During this time, Users are considered as "Level 0", also reflected as such in the Nimbus frontend UI where applicable.

💡 After the time has expired, preferred Users will be pooled with other Users from Distribution Level 1...x Users, and still preferred in the selection.

💡 When "Preference Phase" is disabled, the 1st distribution level criteria are applied immediately, and preferred Users are also taken into consideration.

Last User Routing

💡 OPTIONAL FEATURE - “Last User Routing”: Enables further options options described below.

✅ Precondition: This feature requires "Preferred User Routing" to be enabled.
💡 You can use this option standalone without Power Automate involvement. Last Users get automatically added to the list of preferred Users.

 
Option Description
Last User Routing

🔎 Last User Routing works as follows:

  • The last User will be automatically added to the list of preferred Users with priority "-1" (top priority above even preferred Users).
  • Attempts to connect last Users within the defined → "Preference Phase". A "Last User" is any User with a successful User session(1) being established between same caller and same Service. This includes:
  • Anonymous callers are not tracked and thus not associated with "Last Users".

1See Nimbus Reporting Model > Static Dimensions > User Session Outcomes.

Last User Routing Phase

(dd:hh:mm)

Time until the "Last User" status is removed from a User. After the threshold is passed the top-priority is cleared.

  • Default: 07:00:00
  • Min: 00:00:05
  • Max: 30:00:00

NOTES: Conditions for Preferred- and Last User Routing

  • The "Distribution Order" setting in your General Policy details (Longest Idle / Best Qualified) applies only for "non" preferred Users. Once you define a User as "preferred" they are taken out of the regular distribution pool and treated according to their own order algorithm.
  • User States such as RONA or Off-Duty States can prevent Preferred- or Last User Routing. Users only get tasks distributed when they considered "selectable. Selectability can also be influenced via Distribution Service Settings, e.g. the User's Presence in MS Teams.
  • Non-Service Affiliation: Note that preferred Users do not need to be assigned Agents of Services, but need to have the Contact Center license applied and an "On Duty State" in order to be selectable.
  • License removal: If Users get their license removed, they remain on the preferred list for any ongoing session. However they cannot be selected as "preferred" for future sessions.
  • Skill removal: If Users get their Skills and Responsibilities removed they can still be be considered for "Preferred / Last User" routing, as Priority / Longest Idle state apply.
  • Integration channel consideration: In addition to the modality Nimbus also considers the previously used service integration channel (e.g. Instant Message setup for either Interact or WhatsApp) for preferred- and last user routing Distribution Policies. For example:
    1. WhatsApp session 1 → Multiple users available, user A is selected by policy.
    2. Interact session 2 → Multiple users available, user B is selected by policy.
    3. WhatsApp session 3 → Last user routing policy applies → User A is selected as preferred.
 

Distribution Policy Tab

Skip Distribution Levels

✅Optional Feature: By default, a Distribution Policy waits in each level until its Activation Time elapses before escalating to the next level. With Skip Distribution Levels enabled, a level that currently has no matching users is skipped immediately and the policy moves straight on to the next level — avoiding unnecessary wait time when nobody with the required skills is around.

Skip Level configuration
Option Description
Skip levels
(toggle)

Default: off. When enabled, levels can be skipped according to the condition chosen below.

When enabled,

  • Skipping applies to distribution Levels 1…n only. 
  • Preferred / Last User Routing (Level 0) is never skipped.
  • The last level is never skipped — once reached, the policy stays on it as usual until the task is solved or cancelled.
  • If at least one user matches the selected condition in the current level, distribution waits in that level as it does without the option enabled.
Skip when
(dropdown)

Mandatory once the toggle is enabled. Defines the condition that triggers a skip:

  • No users on duty: none of the level's users are on shift at all. 
    🔎A user counts as on duty when their Duty State is On Duty and their MS Teams presence is not Offline / Appear Offline or Do Not Disturb.
    💡They still count as on duty even if momentarily occupied — Busy, Away, Be Right Back, Ringing, Connected, Dialing Out, ACW, RONA, or Task Limit Reached.
  • No users selectable: users are “On Duty” but none of the level's users can take this task right now. 
    💡This is stricter than "on duty": users who are on duty but currently engaged with a task, Ringing, Connected, Dialing Out, in ACW, or at their Task Limit count as not selectable, so the level is skipped.

Defining Levels

✅Defining levels (of escalation) determines how your policy escalates the search for new (skilled and responsible) users. Note that the selection of Organization Units 

  1. Add one or multiple additional levels (e.g. to escalate your Agent selection) or remove them down to one.
  2. Specify details for each level as follows:
Description    
Name

Name of the level, mainly required for Nimbus Reporting reasons for later identification..

💡 Due to size constraints, the Nimbus UI will just show a shortened Level 1,2,3 view.
Example: 
a skill without levels (e.g. a Label, Hard requirement)
a skill with levels (e.g. to check for Language)
a skill with level and responsibility (e.g. to prevent high-demand users from being selected as last resort)
Activation Time 
(hh:mm:ss)

Call preference phase when the policy level should activate. 

  • The Distribution Order algorithm will always start at the 1st level (00:00:00) for any incoming call.
  • ☝️Affected by Related Toggles: 
    • Preferred Users (General Tab): When enabled, preferred users are always considered “Level 0” first. The “Initial Preference Phase” applies before the first activitation time.
    • Skip Levels (Above When enabled, “Skip Levels” toggle applies, ignoring the activation time.
Skills / Responsibility Levels

Adds one or several Skills and Responsibilities as requirement to the according level entry.

  • Click “Add” to add from your pool of Skills and Responsibilities. 
    💡When your 
  • Use the slider or click to define which skill levels qualify a user for this distribution level. Click a level or drag the slider indicator to it: all levels from Level 1 (the highest skill level, selected by default) up to the chosenP level are included and highlighted.
    💡Selecting a higher level widens the range, selecting a lower level narrows it..

💡We recommend you to start with the experts (higher levels) first and gradually expand the user pool by widening the filter criteria.
  1. Add further levels (columns) and skills (rows) as needed and adjust the skills/responsibility sliders for each level.
  2. Save your policy with a descriptive name (e.g. based on the skillsets required).

🔎POLICY EVALUATION CRITERIA

General evaluation criteria

General Policy evaluation Criteria

  • Only one level and associated criteria apply at a time. Once the next "Activation time" is reached, previous levels are disregarded.
  • If a task was not accepted by an Agent, the check will be performed again according to the currently active distribution level, until the next "Activation Time" is met.
  • When multiple Agents are equally selectable and available, the Distribution Order comes into effect (Longest Idle / Best Qualified).
  • When the last level is reached within a policy, it remains active until the task is canceled - either by caller abort, task cancelled in workflow, queue timeouts, etc.
 
 

Conditional criteria: “Pickup” Queue Distribution

Policy evaluation Criteria with “Pickup” queue

When the Workflow on a skill-based service uses the Pickup Distribution Type, the Distribution Policy still governs who may pick a task up. Instead of Nimbus directly ringing a selected user, eligible users see an enabled Pickup button1 and choose when to take the task.

🔎Criteria during the evaluation:

  • As the policy escalates through its levels over time, the set of users with an enabled Pickup button changes in step with the active level.
  • Preferred / Last User routing is respected: during the “Initial Preference Phase” (Level 0) only the preferred (or last) users have the Pickup button enabled. After the phase expires, Pickup becomes available to the other matching users of the active level, while preferred users stay.
  • Pickup stays available to matching users for as long as the task is unsolved in the queue.
  • If two users pick up the same task, the first request to reach Nimbus wins; the others see the button disabled with an “already picked up” hint.
  MS Teams-based service Skill-based service
Who gets an enabled Pickup button All active members of the team. Only users who match the current distribution level by skills and responsibilities.
Eligibility over time Static — the same active members throughout. Widens as the policy escalates through its levels.
Preferred / Last Users Not applicable. Have the Pickup button exclusively during the Initial Preference Phase, then remain eligible.
Where it appears Nimbus UI, plus an optional Teams channel Adaptive Card. Nimbus UI only (e.g. on My Overview, Services Overview, Live View, Attendant Console) — the Adaptive Card toggle is ignored.
Conflict handling First Pickup request to reach Nimbus wins. First Pickup request to reach Nimbus wins.
Table: How Pickup eligibility differs between MS Teams-based and Skill-based services.

1☝️Note: Users may still see a disabled pickup button in some scenarios. Nimbus shows a short reason, e.g. the user is in a “Not Available” state, has no capacity (or license) for that modality, the task was already picked up, or the user does not match the current distribution level by skills/responsibilities.

 
 
 

Follow-Up Actions: Policy Assignment

✅ Assign the Policy to a Service

Precondition: Your previously or newly defined policy will not take effect until assigned to a Service. 

To do so:

  1. Head to the Service Administration > Locate any Contact Center licensed Service
  2. Check that Services User Assignment Type  is "Skill-based". Otherwise it cannot use this feature.
  3. Click on the Service to reach the Settings > Distribution Tab.
  4. Assign the Distribution Policy you created previously.
    ⮑ Once you confirm and save the settings, the Policy will take immediate effect. 
    ⮑ Users will be selected according to the Policy whenever the next Task is reaching the Service queue. Current and ongoing tasks are not affected.
    Applying the Distribution Policy to a Skill-based service
 

Troubleshooting

Issue Proposed Solution
🤔 The Distribution Policy is not visible within Service Settings

Make sure to check the Organization Units on both the policy and Service. 
☝️The policy must be on equal or higher OU level as the Service to be found in the dropdown.

 
🤔 Users are not being selected

🔎Refer to User States to see if all “Selectable” user criteria are fulfilled. Otherwise Nimbus will not consider those users.

🔎Follow Use Case - Setting Up a Contact Center to ensure you haven't missed on steps.

  1. For every User: Check within Admin Portal > User > Skills Tab that Skills were set at their appropriate levels.
    1. Assign Responsibility Profiles to Users and keep in mind that skill levels can be adjusted for every Responsibility Profile individually.
    2. For multiple Services using the same Users: Instruct Service Owners that they can Adjust Skill levels for their Agents (Users) via Nimbus User Portal > Service Settings > Agents Tab.
  2. When tasks are not distributed to “preferred” Users as expected, check your Nimbus Power Automate Connector > Flow Actions > “Update Task” action is executed upon incoming Tasks and if the Users are past of the ”Preferred User" list.

 

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