Question:
Is CQU willing to consider a bid that could include combined Contact Centre & CRM capabilities to show a lower cost to serve across the user base?

Answered on 02/Jul/2026 03:45 PM:


CQU is not willing to consider CRM capabilities. Any future Contact Centre must integrate into the current SugarCRM environment.

Question:
Hi,

In the Invitation PDF you have indicated to provide the responses within the tables below for Schedule 1.

Would Central Queensland University be able to please provide a copy of Schedule 1 in word format for responses? or potentially add Schedule 1 to the current 'Procurement_RFQ_RFI_EOI_RESPONSE_FORM-CQURFQ-PR26-59.docx' response form.

Answered on 13/Jul/2026 01:51 PM:


This has now been attached as an Addendum.

Question:
To accurately design and price the proposed contact centre solution in line with the RFQ scope (like-for-like IT Helpdesk pilot and potential broader production rollout), could CQUniversity please provide indicative historical and forecast interaction volumes for:

The IT Helpdesk contact centre queue that is in scope for the pilot (current environment), including:

- Average and peak monthly inbound voice calls

- Average and peak concurrent calls

- Average Handle Time (AHT) for voice interactions (talk + hold + after-call work)

Any additional queues/channels that CQU expects to include in a future production deployment of the new platform (if known), including indicative monthly volumes and AHT for:

- Voice

- Webchat / messaging

- Email

- SMS

Any anticipated growth assumptions or planned changes that would materially affect contact volumes over the term of the agreement.

Indicative ranges are sufficient; this information is required to size our vendor services and provide realistic commercial estimates for both the pilot and potential future state.

Answered on 14/Jul/2026 09:36 AM:


The IT Helpdesk contact centre queue that is in scope for the pilot (current environment), including:

- Average and peak monthly inbound voice calls

Answer = Average Monthly Call volume is 10,000 calls and the monthly peak calls is 17,500

- Average and peak concurrent calls

Answer = Average concurrent calls are 15 and peak concurrent calls are 25


- Average Handle Time (AHT) for voice interactions (talk + hold + after-call work)

Answer = CQU does not current record average Handle Time. The average talk time is 355 seconds

Any additional queues/channels that CQU expects to include in a future production deployment of the new platform (if known), including indicative monthly volumes and AHT for:

- Voice

- Webchat / messaging

- Email

- SMS

Any anticipated growth assumptions or planned changes that would materially affect contact volumes over the term of the agreement.

Indicative ranges are sufficient; this information is required to size our vendor services and provide realistic commercial estimates for both the pilot and potential future state.

Answer = CQU intends to implement webchat/messaging, SMS and social media however the timelines and usage of this deployment is largely unknown at this stage. Please provide any generic information regarding costings.

Question:
To ensure our response provides realistic implementation timelines and accurate pricing, could CQUniversity please provide further detail on the current IT Helpdesk call flows and queue design that are in scope for the pilot and any planned production rollout? Specifically, we are seeking:

- Documented overviews (ideally) and/or a description of all in-scope queues (e.g. IT Helpdesk, sub-queues, overflow/after-hours queues) and their purpose.

- Current IVR and call-routing logic, including key prompts, menu options, business rules, skills-based routing, and any special handling (e.g. VIP, internal vs external, priority incidents).

- Any integrations that currently influence routing or queues (for example triggers from SugarCRM, Ivanti, identity systems, or external telephony components).

- Any known pain points or complexities in the existing flows that CQUniversity expects the new solution to address.

- Understanding the end-to-end flows, queue structure and complexity at this level is essential for us to propose an appropriate architecture, estimate configuration effort, de-risk the pilot timeline, and provide transparent pricing for licences, AWS services usage, and professional services.

Answered on 15/Jul/2026 10:56 AM:


- Documented overviews (ideally) and/or a description of all in-scope queues (e.g. IT Helpdesk, sub-queues, overflow/after-hours queues) and their purpose.

Answer = see attached. Only the queue with phone number 4930 9090 is in scope for the pilot. All other queues will be implemented for later production rollout.

- Current IVR and call-routing logic, including key prompts, menu options, business rules, skills-based routing, and any special handling (e.g. VIP, internal vs external, priority incidents).

Answer = See attached.

- Any integrations that currently influence routing or queues (for example triggers from SugarCRM, Ivanti, identity systems, or external telephony components).

Answer = None. The current integrations do not influence any routing or queues

- Any known pain points or complexities in the existing flows that CQUniversity expects the new solution to address.

Answer = none to address in the pilot

Question:
desensitising the question...many thanks

To ensure our response provides realistic implementation timelines and accurate pricing, could CQUniversity please provide further detail on the current IT Helpdesk call flows and queue design that are in scope for the pilot and any planned production rollout? Specifically, we are seeking: - Documented overviews (ideally) and/or a description of all in-scope queues (e.g. IT Helpdesk, sub-queues, overflow/after-hours queues) and their purpose. - Current IVR and call-routing logic, including key prompts, menu options, business rules, skills-based routing, and any special handling (e.g. VIP, internal vs external, priority incidents). - Any integrations that currently influence routing or queues (for example triggers from SugarCRM, Ivanti, identity systems, or external telephony components). - Any known pain points or complexities in the existing flows that CQUniversity expects the new solution to address. - Understanding the end-to-end flows, queue structure and complexity at this level is essential for us to propose an appropriate architecture, estimate configuration effort, de-risk the pilot timeline, and provide accurate pricing.

Answered on 15/Jul/2026 10:56 AM:


- Documented overviews (ideally) and/or a description of all in-scope queues (e.g. IT Helpdesk, sub-queues, overflow/after-hours queues) and their purpose.

Answer = see attached. Only the queue with phone number 4930 9090 is in scope for the pilot. All other queues will be implemented for later production rollout.

- Current IVR and call-routing logic, including key prompts, menu options, business rules, skills-based routing, and any special handling (e.g. VIP, internal vs external, priority incidents).

Answer = See attached.

- Any integrations that currently influence routing or queues (for example triggers from SugarCRM, Ivanti, identity systems, or external telephony components).

Answer = None. The current integrations do not influence any routing or queues

- Any known pain points or complexities in the existing flows that CQUniversity expects the new solution to address.

Answer = none to address in the pilot

Question:
Could you please confirm whether the pilot scope comprises the full end to end flow shown in Appendix A (the IVR and all five queues), or the IT queue only.

Which platform hosts the voicemail service behind extension 48400 (for example Cisco Unity Connection), including how helpdesk staff currently retrieve and action those messages.

Please confirm whether overflow to the existing voicemail service (extension 48400) is acceptable for the pilot, or whether a voicemail capability native to the proposed platform is expected. Please also confirm which platform hosts 48400.

To support sizing and pricing, could you please provide indicative daily and peak call volumes and average handle time for the queues in Appendix A.

Please confirm whether CQU prefers to utilise an existing vendor or university staff to build and configure changes to the CUBE routers, CUCM and UCCX during the pilot under our direction, or CQU prefers the vendor to provide engineers and perform the end to end telephony work?

Answered on 13/Jul/2026 01:23 PM:


Could you please confirm whether the pilot scope comprises the full end to end flow shown in Appendix A (the IVR and all five queues), or the IT queue only.

Answer = All the Queues in the appendix needs to be configured

Which platform hosts the voicemail service behind extension 48400 (for example Cisco Unity Connection), including how helpdesk staff currently retrieve and action those messages.

Answer = Cisco Unity Connection

Please confirm whether overflow to the existing voicemail service (extension 48400) is acceptable for the pilot, or whether a voicemail capability native to the proposed platform is expected. Please also confirm which platform hosts 48400.

Answer = A Voicemail is part of the platform to be used during the pilot

To support sizing and pricing, could you please provide indicative daily and peak call volumes and average handle time for the queues in Appendix A -

Please confirm whether CQU prefers to utilise an existing vendor or university staff to build and configure changes to the CUBE routers, CUCM and UCCX during the pilot under our direction, or CQU prefers the vendor to provide engineers and perform the end to end telephony work?

Answer = Vendor to complete this as part of pilot

Question:
1. Success Criteria

What are the primary business outcomes CQUniversity will use to determine the success of the pilot and ultimate production deployment? For example:

Improved customer experience

Reduced handling times

Increased self-service

Operational efficiency

Reduced platform complexity

AI adoption

Answered on 06/Jul/2026 02:56 PM:


Primary business objectives for the pilot are Operational Efficiency and Reduced Platform Complexity

Question:
2. Customer Experience Strategy

Does CQUniversity have a documented customer experience, student experience, or digital engagement strategy that the proposed solution should align with?

Answered on 13/Jul/2026 01:33 PM:


CQUniversity maintains internal strategic plans and priorities relating to customer experience, student experience, and digital engagement. As these documents are not publicly available, vendors should align their responses to the objectives, requirements, and outcomes described within this RFQ.

Question:
3. Planned Channel Expansion

Beyond voice and email, which digital engagement channels are intended to be introduced during the next 2–3 years (SMS, webchat, WhatsApp, social messaging, virtual assistants, etc.)?

Answered on 06/Jul/2026 02:57 PM:


CQU intends to introduce SMS, webchat, WhatsApp, social messaging and AI virtual assistants in the next 2-3 years in the new platform.

Question:
4. Contact Centre User Volumes

Can CQUniversity provide:

Number of agents today

Number of supervisors

Number of administrators

Peak concurrent agents

Planned growth assumptions

The RFQ references a pilot of 13 users and a future footprint of approximately 80–90 users. Please confirm.

Answered on 14/Jul/2026 09:59 AM:


Number of agents today

Answer = 90 in total

Number of supervisors

Answer = Ten supervisors

Number of administrators

Answer = Three administrators

Peak concurrent agents

Answer = 70 concurrent agents

Planned growth assumptions

Answer = CQU is unsure of any potential future growth at this stage

The RFQ references a pilot of 13 users and a future footprint of approximately 80–90 users. Please confirm.

Answer = Yes this is correct

Question:
5. Current Interaction Volumes

Can CQUniversity provide:

Annual inbound calls

Annual outbound calls

Average monthly call volumes

Peak call periods

Email volume

Service desk ticket volumes

Answered on 14/Jul/2026 10:00 AM:


Annual inbound calls

Answer = in 2025, there were 105,000 calls

Annual outbound calls

Answer = CQU does not record this information

Average monthly call volumes

Answer = Average monthly call volumes is 10,000 calls

Peak call periods

Answer = the peak periods for calls are March and July (beginning of term starts)

Email volume

Answer = CQU does not have this information

Service desk ticket volumes

Answer = CQU created approximately 130,000 tickets in 2025

Question:
6. Contact Centre Operating Hours

Please confirm:

Service desk hours

After-hours arrangements

Weekend support requirements

24x7 requirements (if any)

Answered on 14/Jul/2026 10:01 AM:


Service desk hours

Answer = Currently 7:30am to 6pm Monday to Friday

After-hours arrangements

Answer = Currently no after hours arrangements. Aiming for AI to assist provide some level of support after hours with the new platform

Weekend support requirements

Answer = Currently no weekend arrangements. Aiming for AI to assist provide some level of support after hours with the new platform


24x7 requirements (if any)

Aiming for AI to assist provide some level of support after hours with the new platform

Question:
7. SugarCRM Integration

Can CQUniversity provide:

Current SugarCRM version

Hosting model (cloud/on-premises)

API availability

Key workflows currently integrated with Cisco Finesse

Answered on 14/Jul/2026 10:02 AM:


Answer – The pilot does not require implementation of a live integration with SugarCRM. Vendors should confirm the technical capability of their solution to integrate with SugarCRM. Detailed integration requirements and technical documentation will be provided to the successful vendor(s) following selection for the pilot. The current version of SugarCRM is 26.0.1 and is on-prem.

Question:
8. Ivanti Integration

Can CQUniversity provide:

Ivanti version

Cloud/on-premises deployment

Existing telephony integration points

Ticket creation workflows

Answered on 14/Jul/2026 10:03 AM:


Ivanti version

Answer = CQU has Ivanti Neurons for Enterprise and is currently version 2026.2

Cloud/on-premises deployment

Answer = Ivanti is cloud based

Existing telephony integration points

Answer = None for the integration into Ivanti

Ticket creation workflows

Answer – The pilot does not require implementation of a live integration with Ivanti. Vendors should confirm the technical capability of their solution to integrate with Ivanti. Detailed integration requirements and technical documentation will be provided to the successful vendor(s) following selection for the pilot.

Question:
10. Data Requirements

What customer attributes and interaction data need to be synchronised between Contact Centre, CRM, and ITSM platforms?

Answered on 14/Jul/2026 10:05 AM:


Answer – The University's current integrations between the Contact Centre, CRM, and ITSM platforms are limited. It is expected that any future integration will support a broader range of customer attributes and interaction data; however, the specific synchronisation requirements have not yet been defined and will be determined during the implementation phase after a successful pilot

Question:
11. AI Priorities

Of the AI capabilities listed, which are considered highest priority?

Agent Assist

Summarisation

Transcription

Virtual Agents

Knowledge Retrieval

Sentiment Analysis

Predictive Analytics

Answered on 14/Jul/2026 10:05 AM:


Answer = Virtual Agents are the highest priority

Question:
12. AI Data Governance

Are there any specific requirements regarding:

Use of foundation models

Use of public LLMs

Australian-only AI processing

AI-generated content approval workflows

Answered on 14/Jul/2026 04:19 PM:


Answer = CQUniversity does not currently have specific AI governance requirements relating to foundation models, public LLMs, AI processing locations, or AI-generated content approval workflows for this procurement. The University is interested in solutions that provide flexibility and support integration with a broad range of current and emerging AI capabilities and services. Respondents should describe any AI-related dependencies, constraints, governance controls, and integration options associated with their proposed solution.

Question:
13. Knowledge Management

Does CQUniversity currently maintain a knowledge base and, if so, what platform is used today?

Answered on 14/Jul/2026 10:12 AM:


Answer = CQU has two Knowledge management tools, Ivanti and SugarCRM

Question:
14. Telephony Strategy

Is CQUniversity actively considering replacing Cisco Call Manager as part of this initiative, or is this being assessed as a future option only?

Answered on 14/Jul/2026 10:07 AM:


Answer = It is a future option only. Once the Contact Centre is converted to a newer platform, we will be looking to replace Call manager, however the university does not have timelines for this initiative, at this stage.

Question:
15. Telstra SIP Services

Can CQUniversity provide:

Existing SIP architecture

Number ranges

DIDs associated with the contact centre

Porting requirements

Answered on 15/Jul/2026 11:00 AM:


Existing SIP architecture

Answer = CQU has a 150 channel SIP service with Telstra which is delivered over 2x 20Mbps data services – one at Sydney and one in Rockhampton. Incoming calls are delivered round-robin to the two sites with failover should one be down. CQU terminate these services on a Cisco 4400 ASR as CUBE at each location. CQU have purchased Ribbon gateways to replace these devices and are awaiting delivery.


Number ranges

Answer =

Number ranges

In-Dial

07 4923 2XXX

07 4930 6XXX

07 4930 62XX

07 4930 62XX

07 4930 9XXX

07 5440 70XX

71XX

72XX

07 3295 11XX

07 3023 42XX

07 3023 41XX

07 3228 48XX

08 8378 45XX

07 4150 7[017]XX

07 4970 7[236]XX

07 4940 7[458]XX

07 4726 53XX

07 4722 56XX

074037 47XX

51XX

59XX

03 9616 0[456]XX

02 9324 50XX

02 9324 57XX

02 8295 5800-5999

08 9260 40XX

074920 2XXX

074970 77XX

074970 78XX

07 4940 32XX

07 4940 33XX

07 4940 34XX

07 4980 41XX


DIDs associated with the contact centre

Answer = DIDs associated with the contact centre

These all fall within the following ranges – ie there is not a separate range for them.

07 4930 6XXX

07 4930 9XXX

07 4923 2XXX


Porting requirements

Answer = CQUniversity currently anticipates retaining its existing telephony arrangements. At this stage, respondents should not assume that telephone number porting will be required as part of the procurement. Should number porting become necessary during a future implementation phase, relevant details will be provided at that time.

Question:
16. Recording Requirements

What are the current:

Recording retention policies

Compliance obligations

Storage volumes

Quality assurance processes

Answered on 14/Jul/2026 02:43 PM:


What are the current:

Recording retention policies

Answer = CQU records all calls for 3 months

Compliance obligations

Answer = CQU aligns with the Queensland Government privacy and records management frameworks.

Storage volumes

Answer = CQUniversity estimates that approximately 150 GB of recording storage will be sufficient for the anticipated requirements; however, respondents should validate and state any assumptions used in determining their proposed storage requirements.


Quality assurance processes

Answer = Respondents should describe the quality assurance capabilities available within their proposed solution.

Question:
17. Reporting Requirements

Can CQUniversity provide examples of:

Current Power BI reports

Contact centre dashboards

Operational KPIs

Executive reporting packs

Answered on 14/Jul/2026 02:44 PM:


Answer = CQUniversity is not providing examples of current reports, dashboards, KPIs, or executive reporting packs as part of this procurement. Respondents should describe the reporting and analytics capabilities of their proposed solution, including examples of operational and executive reporting that can be supported.

Question:
18. Workforce Management

Does CQUniversity intend to deploy Workforce Management (forecasting, rostering and scheduling) during the pilot phase or as a future production capability?

Answered on 14/Jul/2026 10:14 AM:


Answer = The University requests optional pricing for this capability to support potential inclusion within the pilot.

Question:
19. Pilot Users

Will all 13 pilot users belong to the IT Helpdesk team, or will additional business units participate in evaluation? [au.seek.com]

Answered on 14/Jul/2026 10:15 AM:


Answer = 12 users below to the IT helpdesk team and one user is a technical user.

Question:
20. Pilot Success Metrics

What specific performance criteria must be met for the pilot to progress to a production deployment?

Answered on 14/Jul/2026 10:18 AM:


Answer = Pilot outcomes will be assessed against a range of business, technical, operational, security, user experience, and commercial considerations. Specific evaluation criteria, weightings, and decision-making processes are internal University matters and will not be disclosed.

Question:
21. Pilot Integrations

Which integrations are mandatory during the pilot?

SugarCRM

Ivanti

Entra ID

Teams

Telephony

Reporting

Answered on 14/Jul/2026 10:20 AM:


Answer = The pilot requires integration with Entra ID to support Single Sign-On (SSO) and telephony capabilities to enable inbound and outbound calling. Other integrations, including SugarCRM, Ivanti, Microsoft Teams, and reporting platforms, are not mandatory for the pilot phase.

Question:
22. Training Requirements

What training outcomes are expected for:

Agents

Supervisors

Administrators

Technical support teams

Reporting

Answered on 14/Jul/2026 02:47 PM:


Complete training required for all of these teams to ensure successful implementation

Question:
23. Production Contract Term

Following a successful pilot, what production agreement term is currently being considered (e.g., 3-year, 5-year, or other)? The RFQ references a future production contract but does not specify a term

Answered on 06/Jul/2026 01:01 PM:


CQU would prefer a 3 year +1 year +1 year contract after a successful pilot.

Question:
24. Evaluation Weightings

Beyond the published criteria, how will CQUniversity assess:

AI capability

Platform innovation

User experience

Microsoft ecosystem alignment

Answered on 14/Jul/2026 02:48 PM:


CQUniversity will assess responses in accordance with the published evaluation criteria. No additional weighting or prioritisation of specific capabilities, technologies, or platform attributes will be provided. Respondents are encouraged to demonstrate the value and benefits of their proposed solution, including any innovative, AI, user experience, or ecosystem capabilities they believe are relevant.

Question:
1. Pilot for 13 agents - we can do this but there will be a fee. Given the amount of integration needed, Can you confirm if a limited the scope can be done for the pilot? -without having to build integrations. The pilot should be based on simple platform experiences such as - agent usability for inbound and outbound calls, campaign creation etc

2. CRM Integration - We don’t have a CTI Adaptor for Sugar CRM. We do have a CTI SDK (Software Development Kit) You would need to build this yourself. Is this ok?

3. Knowledge Management - We don’t provide a knowledge management solution. Is this necessary? There is a knowledge base though for reference.

4. Workforce Management - Depending on how complex you need this. We have Insights and the Erlang C report - which help suggest how many agents are required, but if you need more functionality a more comprehensive WFM solution such as Calabrio is needed. Can you confirm level of WFM you need?

5. I would be good to understand what AI LLM you would like to use or if this is truly your own custom LLM?

Answered on 14/Jul/2026 03:00 PM:


Answer = No integrations will be required for the pilot. The pilot can be based on simple platform experiences such as - agent usability for inbound and outbound calls, campaign creation etc

2. CRM Integration - We don’t have a CTI Adaptor for Sugar CRM. We do have a CTI SDK (Software Development Kit) You would need to build this yourself. Is this ok?

Answer = This is acceptable

3. Knowledge Management - We don’t provide a knowledge management solution. Is this necessary? There is a knowledge base though for reference.

Answer = A dedicated knowledge management capability is not a mandatory requirement and respondents will not be excluded from consideration if such functionality is not included in their proposed solution.

4. Workforce Management - Depending on how complex you need this. We have Insights and the Erlang C report - which help suggest how many agents are required, but if you need more functionality a more comprehensive WFM solution such as Calabrio is needed. Can you confirm level of WFM you need?

Answer = CQUniversity is seeking information on the workforce management capabilities offered by each solution. Respondents should outline the functionality available, including forecasting, scheduling, reporting, and resource planning capabilities, and identify any dependencies on additional modules or third-party solutions.

5. I would be good to understand what AI LLM you would like to use or if this is truly your own custom LLM?

Answer = CQU does not have a preference. We want the system to be LLM agnostic and flexible. Supporting the larger vendors like OpenAI, Claude, and Microsoft MAI.

Question:
CQU has stated that it requires access to a vendor hosted Proof of Concept environment to facilitate its evaluation, for up to four weeks. To ensure that POC progresses smoothly for both CQU and the vendor, can CQU advise to what extent will we be able to discuss and implement specific configuration requirements and provide user training for the POC?

Answered on 15/Jul/2026 11:01 AM:


Answer = Vendors are welcome to offer configuration support and user training as part of the Proof of Concept. Acceptance and utilisation of these services will be at the discretion of CQUniversity.

Question:
To what extent is alignment with existing enterprise productivity and collaboration platforms (e.g. Microsoft 365, Teams, Entra ID) a consideration in the evaluation process?

Answered on 15/Jul/2026 11:02 AM:


Answer = CQUniversity remains vendor and platform neutral in its evaluation. While integration with existing enterprise platforms may provide additional benefits, the primary focus is on the overall capability, usability, value, and suitability of the proposed contact centre solution.

Question:
Has CQUniversity established a preferred enterprise AI strategy or platform approach, and will alignment with existing AI initiatives form part of the evaluation criteria?

Answered on 15/Jul/2026 11:06 AM:


Answer = CQUniversity has not established a preferred enterprise AI strategy or platform approach for this procurement. Alignment with existing AI initiatives is not a specific evaluation criterion, although respondents may highlight any relevant AI capabilities and associated business benefits.

Question:
Can CQUniversity provide additional detail regarding its identity management platform(s) and whether alignment with existing authentication, identity governance and security services will influence solution selection?

Answered on 15/Jul/2026 11:07 AM:


Answer = CQU uses Microsoft Entra ID for identity. Single Sign On is preferred but not essential

Question:
Does CQUniversity currently utilise Microsoft Teams for collaboration and telephony, or have any planned initiatives to expand Teams-based communications capabilities?

Answered on 15/Jul/2026 11:13 AM:


Answer = CQUniversity currently utilises Microsoft Teams for collaboration and internal calling. At present, CQUniversity does not have any planned initiatives to further expand Microsoft Teams communications capabilities. However, the University remains open to opportunities that may be identified through the RFQ process where a clear business benefit can be demonstrated.

Question:
Has CQUniversity adopted a preferred public cloud strategy or established strategic partnerships that may influence future platform decisions?

Answered on 14/Jul/2026 03:16 PM:


Answer = CQUniversity utilises a range of cloud platforms and services and remains platform neutral for this procurement. Existing technology partnerships will not influence the evaluation of responses, which will be assessed on their ability to meet the University's requirements and deliver value.

Question:
Can CQUniversity provide additional information regarding its current cloud hosting landscape and the proportion of services hosted across Azure, AWS or other cloud platforms

Answered on 14/Jul/2026 03:13 PM:


Answer = CQUniversity utilises a mix of on-premises and cloud-hosted services across multiple technology platforms, including Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud and other cloud providers. Detailed information regarding the proportion of services hosted on specific platforms is not being provided as part of this procurement. Respondents should describe any dependencies, assumptions, or benefits associated with their proposed hosting architecture.

Question:
Does CQUniversity have a preference for solutions that minimise dependency on a broader application ecosystem, or is tighter integration with existing enterprise platforms considered advantageous?

Answered on 14/Jul/2026 10:22 AM:


Answer = CQU considers it more advantageous to integrate into other enterprise platforms

Question:
Operational efficiency and reduced platform complexity have been identified as key objectives. Can CQUniversity elaborate on whether these objectives are intended to be achieved through platform consolidation, reduced vendor count, simplified support operations, or other measures?

Answered on 14/Jul/2026 10:25 AM:


Answer = Simplified support operations and automated/streamlined processes

Question:
Are there any enterprise architecture principles, standards or strategic technology directions that vendors should consider when proposing future-state solutions?

Answered on 14/Jul/2026 10:34 AM:


Answer = Only principle that relates to the contact centre is that we have a cloud first principle. We can do on-prem however prefer cloud based if possible

Question:
Beyond the published evaluation criteria, can CQUniversity provide guidance on the relative importance of:

Platform functionality

Integration capability

User experience

AI capability

Total cost of ownership

Architectural alignment

Vendor ecosystem alignment

Answered on 14/Jul/2026 03:11 PM:


Answer = CQUniversity will evaluate responses in accordance with the published evaluation criteria. No additional weighting or prioritisation of individual solution attributes beyond the published criteria will be provided. Respondents are encouraged to present the strengths of their proposed solution across all relevant areas.

Question:
Has CQUniversity already deployed, trialled or adopted enterprise AI capabilities, and if so, how important is integration between the contact centre platform and existing AI investments?

Answered on 14/Jul/2026 10:40 AM:


Answer = CQU has deployed some smaller AI capabilities and are piloting a student gen AI assistant. We believe the contact centre platform will need to be able to integrate into general AI standards MCP, Agent Skills, A2A etc... our ai investments will also support the common standards.

Question:
Does CQUniversity anticipate that future AI-assisted customer experience capabilities will utilise existing enterprise knowledge repositories, and if so, what platforms currently store or manage institutional knowledge?

Answered on 14/Jul/2026 10:42 AM:


Answer = Yes, we are currently looking at a few different options like foundry iq, and also some custom solutions. We have work going on about organising our institutional knowledge.

Question:
Hi we would like to confirm the term for the pricing of pilot do we need to quote CQU 1 year minimum commit for the pilot or only for 3months

Answered on 14/Jul/2026 10:46 AM:


Answer = 3 months is preferred

Question:
Could we please confirm the following if possible?

Q. How many of the total 90 users require access to premium agent features - supervisor monitoring and/or additional digital communication channels (SMS and social channels). What is the peak number of concurrently signed in agents.



Q. Do CQU have a SugarCRM sandbox instance?



Q. What is CQU's current Monthly Call Volume and Average Talk Time?

Q. Will Schedule 1 be provided in word format for supplier responses or is CQU happy for us to append this to the current response form?

Thanks in advance

Answered on 14/Jul/2026 11:35 AM:


Q. How many of the total 90 users require access to premium agent features - supervisor monitoring and/or additional digital communication channels (SMS and social channels). What is the peak number of concurrently signed in agents.

Answer = 10 of the 90 users will require supervisor/premium agent features. The number of concurrently signed in agents will be 65

Q. Do CQU have a SugarCRM sandbox instance?

Answer = Yes we have a sandbox instance

Q. What is CQU's current Monthly Call Volume and Average Talk Time?

Answer = Average Monthly Call volume is 10,000 calls and the Average talk time is 355 seconds

Q. Will Schedule 1 be provided in word format for supplier responses or is CQU happy for us to append this to the current response form?

Answer = see attached word document

Question:
1. Capability priorities. The requirements list is extensive. If CQU had to prioritise, which capabilities or functions matter most for the pilot and for the goal of reducing platform complexity?

2. Inbound call volumes. What are your current total inbound call volumes (daily and monthly), and if available, a breakdown by queue including the IT helpdesk?

3. Voice AI scope. Of those inbound volumes, which enquiry types does CQU expect could be handled by a voice AI agent, and are there any enquiry types CQU would consider out of scope for voice AI?

4. Average handle time. What is the current average handle time for those inbound enquiries?

Answered on 14/Jul/2026 03:09 PM:


1. Capability priorities. The requirements list is extensive. If CQU had to prioritise, which capabilities or functions matter most for the pilot and for the goal of reducing platform complexity?

Answer = The pilot is for our staff to use the platform to confirm it will work with our environment/computers etc. A simple user interface and search functionality would be ideal to reduce platform complexity.

2. Inbound call volumes. What are your current total inbound call volumes (daily and monthly), and if available, a breakdown by queue including the IT helpdesk?

Answer = CQU has approximately 10,000 calls per month on average. CQU cannot break this down to daily amounts.

3. Voice AI scope. Of those inbound volumes, which enquiry types does CQU expect could be handled by a voice AI agent and are there any enquiry types CQU would consider out of scope for voice AI?

Answer = CQU is unsure which enquiry type AI could assist with. Vendor assistance is required for this during the implementation phase

4. Average handle time. What is the current average handle time for those inbound enquiries?

Average talk time for inbound enquiries is 355 seconds

Question:
Dear CQU,

Please find the following questions which we would appreciate some clarity:

- Are you able to provide any Contact centre statistics (i.e. AHT, ACW, etc.)? If possible, broken down by business units

- Can you please provide call volumes for non-contact centre (i.e. UC/telephony) users?

- Is there a requirement for respondent to provide Handsets or headsets for the proposed solutions (CX and/or UC)? Are there softphone requirements - what is the % ratio between hard phone and softphone?

- Do you need to migrate historical call recordings? If so, what is the volume size (MB/GB storage requirements), what are the retention requirements?

- Are you able to provide additional scope details for the POC (i.e.what is likely to be tested)? Is the POC just to compare like-for-like (i.e. voice) or do you plan to test additional channels, and capabilities?

- Is there a requirement to integrate the platform to Ivanti platform for the pilot?

- Are there any custom reporting requirements for an external reporting platform like power bi etc?

- Is there a requirement for Carriage for the POC and Pilot, or will this be using existing carriage? Is there a requirement for SBC's?

Many thanks.

Answered on 14/Jul/2026 03:06 PM:


- Are you able to provide any Contact centre statistics (i.e. AHT, ACW, etc.)? If possible, broken down by business units

Answer = Average Monthly Call volume is 10,000 calls and the Average talk time is 355 seconds. Abandonment rate is approximately 4%. Average Hold Time is 45 seconds.

- Can you please provide call volumes for non-contact centre (i.e. UC/telephony) users?

Answer = CQU does not have this information.

- Is there a requirement for respondent to provide Handsets or headsets for the proposed solutions (CX and/or UC)? Are there softphone requirements - what is the % ratio between hard phone and softphone?

Answer = No there is no requirement for this

- Do you need to migrate historical call recordings? If so, what is the volume size (MB/GB storage requirements), what are the retention requirements?

Answer = Yes, existing call recordings will need to be relocated from existing platform to new platform. Estimated size is 150GB. CQU has a three month retention period.

- Are you able to provide additional scope details for the POC (i.e.what is likely to be tested)? Is the POC just to compare like-for-like (i.e. voice) or do you plan to test additional channels, and capabilities?

Answer = The POC is intended to allow CQUniversity stakeholders to explore and evaluate the proposed platform's functionality, usability, and overall user experience. No live customer interactions or production data will be used. The POC will assist CQU in shortlisting one or more vendors for a subsequent pilot phase.

- Is there a requirement to integrate the platform to Ivanti platform for the pilot?

Answer = No there is no requirement to integrate Ivanti for the pilot

- Are there any custom reporting requirements for an external reporting platform like power bi etc?

Answer = Yes CQU currently uses PowerBI for custom reporting

- Is there a requirement for Carriage for the POC and Pilot, or will this be using existing carriage? Is there a requirement for SBC's?

Answer = CQU does not require vendor to supply these. The existing CQU carriage and SBC is expected to be used during the pilot.

Question:
Hi, could we please confirm if web-cube is the primary SBC for your Telstra SIP Integration?

Answered on 14/Jul/2026 09:43 AM:


Answer = CQU has two CUBE's one in Rockhampton and one in Sydney and they are an active/active pair. These are the primary SBC for our connection to Telstra.

Question:
Good morning,

Please see below clarification questions:

• Is CQUniversity seeking a software vendor as the primary contractor, or are consortium/partner-led responses acceptable where one party provides the platform and another provides implementation and transformation services?

• Beyond replacing Cisco Finesse, what business outcomes is the University seeking to achieve through this initiative (e.g. improved student experience, operational efficiency, AI-enabled service delivery, digital self-service)?

• Is the scope limited to platform replacement, or does it also include review and redesign of customer journeys, service processes, operating model and channel strategy?

Thank you.

Answered on 14/Jul/2026 09:40 AM:


• Is CQUniversity seeking a software vendor as the primary contractor, or are consortium/partner-led responses acceptable where one party provides the platform and another provides implementation and transformation services?

Answer = CQU is comfortable with either approach

• Beyond replacing Cisco Finesse, what business outcomes is the University seeking to achieve through this initiative (e.g. improved student experience, operational efficiency, AI-enabled service delivery, digital self-service)?

Answer = AI enabled service delivery, improved staff and student experience, reduced call times and reduced number of calls.


• Is the scope limited to platform replacement, or does it also include review and redesign of customer journeys, service processes, operating model and channel strategy?

Answer = The primary focus is to modernise how CQU interacts with our customers, replacing the existing platform is critical to providing this functionality. We are open to redesign of journeys and service processes as a second stage of implementation after we have migrated off the existing platform. These services should be costed as optional items that we can select, if budget allows.

Question:
What Core features (which are must-have vs nice-to-have?) do you require for Sugar CRM

Click-to-call from a Sugar record?

Screen-pop / caller identification on incoming calls?

Automatic call (and chat) logging back to the Sugar record?

Unified search across name / phone / email?

Data enrichment or skills-based routing using Sugar data?

Thank you

Answered on 13/Jul/2026 02:57 PM:


CQU is unsure which exact configuration we want for SugarCRM. This will be finalised during implementation. It is more important for CQU to ensure any future contact centre platform can integrate with the current SugarCRM platform to ensure suitable capabilities can be utilised. SugarCRM is on prem and currently version v26.0.1

Question:
In relation to the Optional component (voice services), are you able to share high level stats/quantities on :

- Call volumes (both inbound and out)

- SIP trunks

- DID ranges

- TF numbers

Answered on 16/Jul/2026 11:58 AM:


In relation to the Optional component (voice services), are you able to share high level stats/quantities on :

- Call volumes (both inbound and out)

Answer = CQU does not have this information

- SIP trunks

Answer = CQUniversity is unable to provide detailed SIP trunk statistics at this stage. Respondents should provide indicative information regarding the SIP trunk and voice service capabilities available as part of their solution.

Number of concurrent call channels = 150

On the SBCs CQU only have SIP trunks to Telstra (external) and CallManager (Internal)


- DID ranges

Number ranges

In-Dial

07 4923 2XXX

07 4930 6XXX

07 4930 62XX

07 4930 62XX

07 4930 9XXX

07 5440 70XX

71XX

72XX

07 3295 11XX

07 3023 42XX

07 3023 41XX

07 3228 48XX

08 8378 45XX

07 4150 7[017]XX

07 4970 7[236]XX

07 4940 7[458]XX

07 4726 53XX

07 4722 56XX

074037 47XX

51XX

59XX

03 9616 0[456]XX

02 9324 50XX

02 9324 57XX

02 8295 5800-5999

08 9260 40XX

074920 2XXX

074970 77XX

074970 78XX

07 4940 32XX

07 4940 33XX

07 4940 34XX

07 4980 41XX


DIDs associated with the contact centre

Answer = DIDs associated with the contact centre

These all fall within the following ranges – ie there is not a separate range for them.

07 4930 6XXX

07 4930 9XXX

07 4923 2XXX


- TF numbers

Answer = CQU does not have any Toll Free numbers however we do have the following local numbers:

1300369038

1300 666 620

132786

Question:
Hi,

In section B of the Procurement Quotation Form (Invitation) there is a table (key objectives and specific details' that has had quite a few words truncated. Whilst we might assume what the missing words are, we would prefer to make sure. Woudl you please provide a full text from the table, please?

Many thanks

Jeff

Answered on 14/Jul/2026 04:16 PM:


A word version of the document is now included as an addendum

Question:
Is CQU uses Microsoft Teams as one of its official collaboration and communication platforms for staff ? If yes, please advise if CQU has Microsoft Teams Phone licenses.

Thank you.

Answered on 14/Jul/2026 04:13 PM:


Answer = CQU uses Microsoft Teams for collaboration and internal calls. CQU staff do not currently have Microsoft Teams Phone licences.

Question:
1) Can you confirm whether your requirement is for 13 concurrent users or 13 named users. Likewise with the expansion to 90 agents - is this named or concurrent?

2) What is the user split between Contact Centre and IT helpdesk?

Answered on 14/Jul/2026 04:12 PM:


1) Can you confirm whether your requirement is for 13 concurrent users or 13 named users. Likewise with the expansion to 90 agents - is this named or concurrent?

Answer = This is named users for both pilot and future expansion

2) What is the user split between Contact Centre and IT helpdesk?

Answer = 13 named users for the IT helpdesk. The remaining users are on the Student Contact Centre.

Question:
Does CQUniversity currently maintain a structured knowledge base (such as Confluence, SharePoint, an internal wiki, or documented FAQs/SOPs) that could be ingested to feed AI-assisted agent responses in the new contact centre platform?

Answered on 14/Jul/2026 04:10 PM:


Answer = Yes, CQUniversity currently maintains knowledge content primarily within the Ivanti Knowledge Base; however, the University would ideally like to leverage additional information sources where appropriate. Respondents should describe how knowledge and data sources are structured, ingested, and maintained within their platform, including any requirements, limitations, or preferred formats.

Question:
Does the new contact centre platform need to feed data into CQUniversity's existing PowerBI environment for contact centre reporting, or will native reporting dashboards provided by the platform suffice?

Answered on 14/Jul/2026 04:09 PM:


Answer = The platform feeding data back into existing PowerBI environment would be preferred but not essential. The reports could stay in the platform as long as they are customisable to meet business needs.

Question:
1. Noting that initial implementation is for Pilot only, and full implementation would be a separate scope (as per section "COST SUMMARY" on page . For the questions below, need to understand what is envisaged for the pilot, and for a full implementation to assist with our responses in the RFP. For example - assuming 5 queues - will all of these be included in the pilot, or only a sub-set. Are there any implications with co-existing with the current state CISCO, or would the (Dynamics) pilot be a mutually exclusive solution? This includes the telephony integration - so for example, there is an in-dial (4930 9090) - assuming this would be a inbound into Dynamics, but then how would the transfers (options 1-5) work even only a sub-set of users will be in the (Dynamics) pilot.

For the following questions, answers need to cover both pilot and fully implementation perspectives

2. Average Handle Time (AHT) for the voice channel?

3. Annual call volume?

4. Current queue structure and number of queues? Assuming 5 queues (based on Schedule 3 Appendix A (Current Environment Summary)

5. What channels are required in addition to voice? For each of these, what are the expected channel volumes? What are the use cases?

6. Call recording retention period? Note that this has implications on (storage) costs. Dataverse is typically a higher cost storage. Are you expecting this to archived / moved to a lower cost storage (such as Azure Blob Storage)

7. "How many business units?

A business unit are typically different divisions within an organization, and specifically where they need different security and access between them."

8. Is the routing logic the same regardless of the queue and as described in Schedule 3, Appendix A (Current Environment Summary)

9. There is mention of outbound - what are the use cases for this? E.g contact centre Agent making a call from UI from a list of contacts, campaings, etc. Need sufficient details to define scope.

10. Are there any cross-skilled Agents and different levels of proficiency?

11. For the systems that require integration, is there any API integrations required with these systems? If yes, please provide details of the APIs (including authentication) and what the use cases are for these.

12. How is the website integration with SugarCRM and Ivanti envisaged? Note that integration within the Agent UI may not be possible as iFraming needs to be allowed and also SSO. If it is not possible, then it will be viewed via another tab within the browser.

13. What do you plan to expose for Knowledge Management and what is the format and structure? For example, Sharepoint articles with a specific folder structure

14. Is there any data you are expecting to be migrated from your current system? If yes, please provide details.

15. There there any specific PCI or PII requirements?

16. Note there are requirements for Quality Evaluation of contact centre Agents. What is the expectation of the percentage of Agent evaluated? This has cost implications for AI credits and storage.

17. "Telstra is the current carrier and will be the same carrier for future state, is this correct? Assuming numbers are owned by Telstra and will continue to be so.

Having said this however, for Pilot, the easier / quicker option could be to use Direct Routing intration with the existing CISCO SBC. For full implementation, Operator Connect integration with Telstra would be a good option."

18. Assuming given the short timeframes, the POC would be out of the box features only, is this correct?

19. Will the source of truth for Contacts continue to be SugarCRM and a syncronisation (method TBD) would need to be performed with Dynamics Contacts, is this correct?

20. What is the current state ID&V process? Will this remain the same for the initial migration? If not, what would be expected?

21. Do you have an in-house team that will administor the Azure tenant, including networking and other components such as Key Vaults, etc? Also the the licensing for Dynamics. Or will this be within the vendors remit?

Answered on 17/Jul/2026 09:00 AM:


Noting that initial implementation is for Pilot only, and full implementation would be a separate scope (as per section "COST SUMMARY" on page . For the questions below, need to understand what is envisaged for the pilot, and for a full implementation to assist with our responses in the RFP. For example - assuming 5 queues - will all of these be included in the pilot, or only a sub-set. Are there any implications with co-existing with the current state CISCO, or would the (Dynamics) pilot be a mutually exclusive solution? This includes the telephony integration - so for example, there is an in-dial (4930 9090) - assuming this would be a inbound into Dynamics, but then how would the transfers (options 1-5) work even only a sub-set of users will be in the (Dynamics) pilot.

For the following questions, answers need to cover both pilot and fully implementation perspectives

Answer = Only 1 queue for the pilot (the IT helpdesk queue). It would be preferred if the new platform could integrate into the current Cisco contact centre platform for seamless testing and deployment however this is not mandatory and would be discussed with successful vendor. Please advise is this is possible and if any costs are required.


2. Average Handle Time (AHT) for the voice channel?

Answer = CQU does not currently record average Handle Time. The average talk time is 355 seconds

3. Annual call volume?

Answer = CQU has approximately 105,000 inbound calls per year total. This is approximately 30,000 for the queue included in the pilot, and approximately 75,000 for all other queues.

4. Current queue structure and number of queues? Assuming 5 queues (based on Schedule 3 Appendix A (Current Environment Summary)

Answer = Please see addendum for images of the queues.

5. What channels are required in addition to voice? For each of these, what are the expected channel volumes? What are the use cases?

Answer = CQUniversity is interested in understanding the full range of channels supported by each proposed solution and requests that respondents outline the available capabilities. At this stage, CQUniversity has not defined specific channel requirements, expected volumes, or use cases beyond voice. Respondents are encouraged to describe common use cases, benefits, and considerations associated with the channels supported by their solution. Only voice is required for the pilot.

6. Call recording retention period? Note that this has implications on (storage) costs. Dataverse is typically a higher cost storage. Are you expecting this to archived / moved to a lower cost storage (such as Azure Blob Storage)

Answer = CQU expects call to be recorded for 3 months then deleted.

7. "How many business units?

A business unit are typically different divisions within an organization, and specifically where they need different security and access between them."

Answer = There are 4 business units in our contact centres

8. Is the routing logic the same regardless of the queue and as described in Schedule 3, Appendix A (Current Environment Summary)

Answer = Yes

9. There is mention of outbound - what are the use cases for this? E.g contact centre Agent making a call from UI from a list of contacts, campaings, etc. Need sufficient details to define scope.

Answer = Current outbound use cases are expected to include agent-initiated callbacks where a student has requested contact at a specific time, as well as proactive student engagement activities. For example, events or triggers within systems such as SugarCRM may identify students who are not attending classes or otherwise showing signs of disengagement, prompting an agent to contact the student. Respondents should outline how their solution supports both scheduled and event-driven outbound calling activities.

10. Are there any cross-skilled Agents and different levels of proficiency?

Answer = CQU does not have any cross-skilled agents. Different levels of proficiency might exist within individual team structures.

11. For the systems that require integration, is there any API integrations required with these systems? If yes, please provide details of the APIs (including authentication) and what the use cases are for these.

Answer = Yes, integration with a number of enterprise systems is anticipated as part of the broader solution implementation. However, detailed integration development, including API integration design, authentication methods, and specific use cases, is outside the scope of the Proof of Concept and pilot activities and will be addressed during the implementation phase.

Notwithstanding the above, CQUniversity considers integration capability to be an important requirement and seeks to ensure that any proposed platform provides robust API and integration capabilities. Respondents are requested to outline the API, integration, authentication, and extensibility options available within their solution, including any relevant limitations or dependencies.


12. How is the website integration with SugarCRM and Ivanti envisaged? Note that integration within the Agent UI may not be possible as iFraming needs to be allowed and also SSO. If it is not possible, then it will be viewed via another tab within the browser.

Answer = CQU has not defined a detailed integration approach for SugarCRM at this stage. The specific design and user experience will be determined during the implementation phase. For the purposes of this procurement, CQUniversity is seeking assurance that the proposed solution has the capability to integrate with these systems.

13. What do you plan to expose for Knowledge Management and what is the format and structure? For example, Sharepoint articles with a specific folder structure.

Answer = CQUniversity currently maintains knowledge content across platforms including Ivanti and SugarCRM. At this stage, the University has not defined a target knowledge management structure or repository and is interested in understanding the range of knowledge sources, formats, and ingestion methods supported by each solution. Respondents should describe all relevant knowledge management capabilities, including supported repositories, content formats, integration options, and any requirements or limitations.

14. Is there any data you are expecting to be migrated from your current system? If yes, please provide details.

Answer = CQU expects existing call recordings and reports to be migrated from current system to the new system.

15. There there any specific PCI or PII requirements?

Answer = CQU aligns with the Queensland Government privacy and records management frameworks.

16. Note there are requirements for Quality Evaluation of contact centre Agents. What is the expectation of the percentage of Agent evaluated? This has cost implications for AI credits and storage.

Answer = CQU is unsure how much Quality Evaluation for AI agents is required. Please provide recommendations and approximate costs.

17. "Telstra is the current carrier and will be the same carrier for future state, is this correct? Assuming numbers are owned by Telstra and will continue to be so.

Having said this however, for Pilot, the easier / quicker option could be to use Direct Routing intration with the existing CISCO SBC. For full implementation, Operator Connect integration with Telstra would be a good option."

Answer = Telstra is the current carrier and is expected to remain the carrier in the future state. All existing telephone numbers are owned by Telstra and will continue to be retained under existing contractual arrangements. CQUniversity places a high value on validating telephony capabilities during the pilot and therefore prefers solutions that utilise existing carrier and telephony infrastructure wherever practical. Respondents are encouraged to propose the most appropriate approach to enable realistic end-to-end telephony testing during the pilot while minimising complexity and implementation effort.

18. Assuming given the short timeframes, the POC would be out of the box features only, is this correct?

Answer = Yes this is correct

19. Will the source of truth for Contacts continue to be SugarCRM and a syncronisation (method TBD) would need to be performed with Dynamics Contacts, is this correct?

Answer = Yes this is correct

20. What is the current state ID&V process? Will this remain the same for the initial migration? If not, what would be expected?

Answer = CQUniversity currently verifies identity using a combination of information held within University systems, including details such as Student ID, full name, date of birth, email address, address, and mobile number. At this stage, CQUniversity has not defined whether the identity verification process will change as part of a future implementation and is interested in understanding the identity verification and authentication capabilities available within each proposed solution.

21. Do you have an in-house team that will administor the Azure tenant, including networking and other components such as Key Vaults, etc? Also the the licensing for Dynamics. Or will this be within the vendors remit?

Answer = CQU has an internal team to manage the Azure tenant including networking and other components however assistance to answer questions from the vendor would be required. Licensing for Dynamics can be purchased by CQU however please include indicative costs in your response.

Question:
Dear CQU,

1. Can you please advise when you can provide response to below question?

2. In order for us to provide a complete response we would need additional information; as such we are requesting if you could kindly provide a 2 week extension to respond to the tender.

Regards.

Answered on 14/Jul/2026 02:41 PM:


CQUniversity confirms that the RFQ closing date and procurement timeline will remain as published.

Question:
I trust you are having a great day. We greatly appreciate the opportunity to participate in this process and are committed to delivering a comprehensive and competitive proposal. Due to the complexities of some of the technical requirements and our commitment to deliver a high-quality proposal that meets the CQUniversity's specifications, we respectfully request an extension of two weeks to the submission deadline. This additional time will allow us to ensure the accuracy, completeness, and quality of our proposal, ultimately enabling us to present a submission that fully meets the tender’s requirements.

We understand the importance of adhering to timelines and assure you that this request is made solely to enhance the quality and compliance of our submission. Should the extension be granted, we will make every effort to submit well within the revised timeframe.

Answered on 14/Jul/2026 02:39 PM:


CQUniversity confirms that the RFQ closing date and procurement timeline will remain as published.

Question:
Can we get a word/editable version of this VP513860_VP513860_Procurement_RFQ_RFI_EOI_Header.pdf?

Answered on 14/Jul/2026 04:07 PM:


Document has been provided to you as an addendum

Question:
For the following questions, answers need to cover both pilot and fully implementation perspectives

1 How many agents and supervisors currently use Cisco Finesse?

2 Average and peak inbound voice calls per day/month?

3 If there are other channels outside of voice, these are not described in Schedule 3, Appendix A - can details be provided

4 Forecast user growth over 3 years?

5 Number of concurrent agents during peak enrolment periods?

6 Reporting and workforce management user counts?

7 Are there any specific audit requirements? This will have storage cost implications.

8 Number of timezones. Assuming one, being UTC+10 (QLD)

9 Assuming there is only one Azure tenant. Is this correct?

10 What are the current set of Agent skills? Is there a one-to-one relationship between caller intent and agent skill, or are there other factors?

11 Going off Schedule 3, Appendix A, ID&V would not be performed by the voice bit but by the Agent in the Contact Centre if required - is this correct?

12 Assuming that the one IVR voice bot and the routing logic as described in Schedule 3, Appendix A is what is required to implemented.

13 Note that there are questions within the RFP regarding capabilities such as AI. Are there any requirements for these capabilities for the initial migration or is this something that is planned to be leveraged post migration (and within another scope). If expected for the initial migration (scope), please provide details

14 Understand that you have not seen the response regarding reporting capabilities, however in the current state (or envisaged future state) is there any special requirements that you expect that are outside of what is typically provided out-of-the-box?

15 Are there any Data sovereignty requirements? Note, data is typically kept within Australia, however there are instances where LLMs are leveraged, these model may be outside of Australia.

16 Do you have any application deployment requirements, or would the standard out of the box Application Management Lifecycle be sufficent?

17 What would be your expectation around Hypercare support duration post go-live

18 Do you envisage one deployment and cut all users over at once, or a phased rollout across different teams? If the later, would there by any integration requirements with the current state Cisco solution?

19 Is scheudled callback a requirement?

Answered on 17/Jul/2026 08:57 AM:


1 How many agents and supervisors currently use Cisco Finesse?

Answer = Approximately 90 individual named users using Cisco Finesse

2 Average and peak inbound voice calls per day/month?

Answer = Average Monthly Call volume is 10,000 calls and the monthly peak calls is 17,500

3 If there are other channels outside of voice, these are not described in Schedule 3, Appendix A - can details be provided

Answer = At this stage, CQU contact centre operations are primarily voice-based. No additional customer interaction channels are currently in scope for the existing environment.

However, CQU is interested in understanding the omnichannel capabilities available within respondent solutions and may consider the introduction of additional channels as part of future phases.

4 Forecast user growth over 3 years?

Answer = CQU has not developed a formal forecast for user or interaction growth over the next three years.

For planning purposes only, respondents may assume a modest increase in contact centre demand, such as approximately 10% growth in interaction volumes over the three-year period. However, this figure is indicative only and should not be considered a commitment or forecast by CQU.

5 Number of concurrent agents during peak enrolment periods?

Answer = Assume 65 concurrent agents during peak periods

6 Reporting and workforce management user counts?

Answer = 10 user accounts should be suitable

7 Are there any specific audit requirements? This will have storage cost implications.

Answer = There are no specific audit requirements

8 Number of timezones. Assuming one, being UTC+10 (QLD)

Answer = CQU operates in QLD, NSW and Victoria

9 Assuming there is only one Azure tenant. Is this correct?

Answer = Yes this is correct

10 What are the current set of Agent skills? Is there a one-to-one relationship between caller intent and agent skill, or are there other factors?

Answer = CQUniversity does not currently operate a formal skills-based routing model. Interactions are generally routed to the appropriate team or business unit, with the expectation that any member of that team is able to handle the enquiry.

As such, there is not typically a one-to-one relationship between caller intent and individual agent skills. Calls are primarily directed to the relevant team, rather than to specific agents based on specialised skill profiles.

11 Going off Schedule 3, Appendix A, ID&V would not be performed by the voice bit but by the Agent in the Contact Centre if required - is this correct?

Answer = CQU has not prescribed a specific approach to Identity and Verification (ID&V) at this stage and is open to either model.

Respondents are encouraged to outline the available options within their solution, including any voice-based, automated, or agent-led ID&V capabilities, and provide recommendations based on industry best practice, customer experience, security, and operational efficiency considerations.

12 Assuming that the one IVR voice bot and the routing logic as described in Schedule 3, Appendix A is what is required to implemented.

Answer = yes this is correct

13 Note that there are questions within the RFP regarding capabilities such as AI. Are there any requirements for these capabilities for the initial migration or is this something that is planned to be leveraged post migration (and within another scope). If expected for the initial migration (scope), please provide details

Answer = CQU has included AI-related questions within the RFQ to better understand the capabilities available within the market and the potential future opportunities offered by each platform.

AI capabilities are not required as part of the initial migration, Proof of Concept, pilot, or immediate production deployment. The primary focus of these phases is the successful implementation and validation of core contact centre functionality.

CQU anticipates that AI capabilities may be explored as part of future phases once the core platform has been established. Respondents are encouraged to outline their AI capabilities, recommended use cases, implementation approach, and roadmap to support future adoption.

14 Understand that you have not seen the response regarding reporting capabilities, however in the current state (or envisaged future state) is there any special requirements that you expect that are outside of what is typically provided out-of-the-box?

Answer = CQUniversity’s reporting requirements are expected to be relatively standard. At this stage, CQU does not anticipate any significant reporting requirements beyond the capabilities typically provided out of the box by a modern contact centre platform.

Respondents are encouraged to outline the standard reporting, dashboarding and analytics capabilities available within their solution, including any limitations or areas that would require configuration or custom development.

15 Are there any Data sovereignty requirements? Note, data is typically kept within Australia, however there are instances where LLMs are leveraged, these model may be outside of Australia.

Answer = CQUniversity aligns with applicable Queensland Government privacy, information security and records management requirements. CQU’s preference is for data to be stored and processed within Australia where practicable.

CQU recognises that some AI and large language model services may involve data processing or storage outside Australia. Such arrangements may be considered where appropriate, subject to CQU’s security, privacy, legal and risk assessment processes and the implementation of suitable safeguards.

Respondents must clearly identify where data is stored and processed, including any use of offshore infrastructure, subprocessors or external AI models, and describe the controls available to protect CQU data.

16 Do you have any application deployment requirements, or would the standard out of the box Application Management Lifecycle be sufficent?

Answer = standard out of the box Application Management Lifecycle be sufficient

17 What would be your expectation around Hypercare support duration post go-live

Answer = Priority support for 4 weeks after go-live is preferred

18 Do you envisage one deployment and cut all users over at once, or a phased rollout across different teams? If the later, would there by any integration requirements with the current state Cisco solution?

Answer = It would be preferred if the new platform could integrate into the current Cisco contact centre platform for seamless testing and deployment however this is not mandatory and would be discussed with successful vendor. Please advise is this is possible and if any costs are required.

19 Is scheduled callback a requirement?

Answer = This is highly preferred

Question:
RFI Document – Objectives - The Objectives table on Page 2 appears to be truncated, with part of the "Details" column cut off. Could you please provide the complete table (or a higher-resolution copy) so we can fully understand the University's objectives and ensure our response addresses all requirements?

Answered on 15/Jul/2026 04:32 PM:


Answer = A word document of the RFQ is included as an addendum, please refer to this document.

Question:
Pilot Scope Clarification

Other than IT Helpdesk, what functionality specifically must be included in the pilot?

Answered on 16/Jul/2026 10:57 AM:


Answer = In addition to IT Helpdesk functionality, the pilot solution must be capable of receiving inbound calls.

Question:
Pilot Scope Clarification

Is the pilot expected to integrate with production systems or test environments?

Answered on 16/Jul/2026 10:59 AM:


Answer = The pilot will not require any integrations with any other systems

Question:
Pilot Scope Clarification

Will pilot users perform live customer interactions?

Answered on 16/Jul/2026 11:01 AM:


Answer = Yes. The pilot is expected to operate in a live environment, with pilot users performing genuine customer interactions as part of their normal duties. The purpose of the pilot is to evaluate the solution under real-world operating conditions.

Question:
Pilot Scope Clarification

Are success criteria already defined for pilot acceptance?

Answered on 16/Jul/2026 01:13 PM:


Answer = CQUniversity will assess the pilot against a range of evaluation criteria aligned to the University's strategic objectives, business requirements, user experience expectations, technical capabilities, security requirements, and overall value proposition.

Question:
Pilot Scope Clarification

What KPIs will determine pilot success?

Answered on 16/Jul/2026 01:11 PM:


Answer = CQU’s approach to the pilot is aligned to the University's strategic objectives, business requirements, and future operating model.

The methodology used by CQU to assess and compare solutions is internal and will not be published. Respondents should ensure their proposed solution clearly addresses the requirements outlined in this RFQ and demonstrates how it can support CQU’s long-term business objectives.

Question:
Pilot Scope Clarification

Is email routing required in the initial solution, or only voice for the pilot?

Answered on 16/Jul/2026 01:10 PM:


Answer = Email routing will not be required in the pilot

Question:
Pilot Scope Clarification

Is webchat required for the IT Helpdesk pilot?

Answered on 16/Jul/2026 01:10 PM:


Answer = No this is not required for the pilot

Question:
Pilot Scope Clarification

Is CQUniversity expecting a fully configured production-ready environment after the pilot?

Answered on 15/Jul/2026 04:46 PM:


Answer = yes however the timelines and implementation will need to be negotiated

Question:
How many agents, supervisors, will be required with supervisor to agent bifurcation.

How many concurrent agents and suprevisor’s are active during peak periods?

What are the operating hours of the contact center?

Which omnichannel are you looking for in phase 1

What are the annual inbound and outbound interaction volumes by channel?

Answered on 17/Jul/2026 08:47 AM:


1.How many agents, supervisors, will be required with supervisor to agent bifurcation.

Answer = Approximately 80 unique named agents and 10 unique named supervisors

2.How many concurrent agents and supervisor’s are active during peak periods?

Answer = 70 concurrent agents, 5 of which would be supervisors

3.What are the operating hours of the contact centre?

Answer = Currently 7:30am to 6pm Monday to Friday. Currently no support outside these hours.

4.Which omnichannel are you looking for in phase 1

Answer = CQUniversity has not prescribed specific omnichannel requirements for Phase 1. Respondents are encouraged to provide recommendations on the most appropriate channels to implement initially, taking into consideration ease of implementation, business value, user adoption, and alignment with industry best practice.

CQUniversity is interested in understanding the options available within each platform and how a phased omnichannel approach could be delivered over time.

5.What are the annual inbound and outbound interaction volumes by channel?

Answer = CQUniversity does not currently maintain consolidated annual interaction volume statistics across all channels. As an indication of scale, the contact centre handled approximately 105,000 inbound calls during the previous 12-month period.

Detailed inbound and outbound interaction volumes by channel are not available at this time.

Question:
What are the peak concurrent call volumes?

What are the average call duration and average wait times?

How many IVRs and call flows currently exist?

Pls let me know how many agent location would be required and agent bifurcation per location.

Is SugarCRM on-premises or cloud hosted?

Answered on 17/Jul/2026 08:48 AM:


1.What are the peak concurrent call volumes?

Answer = CQU has a peak concurrent call volume of about 100 calls

2.What are the average call duration and average wait times?

Answer = The average talk time is 355 seconds. The average wait time is 45 seconds

3.How many IVRs and call flows currently exist?

Answer = See appendixes for IVR and call flow details

4.Pls let me know how many agent location would be required and agent bifurcation per location.

Answer = Contact centre users may operate from multiple CQUniversity locations and may also work remotely where appropriate. CQUniversity does not have a fixed agent distribution model at this stage.

For planning purposes, respondents should assume approximately 90 users in total, with around 70 users located across Central Queensland (primarily Rockhampton, Mackay and Gladstone), approximately 10 users located in Sydney, and approximately 10 users located in Melbourne. These figures are indicative only and may change over time.

5.Is SugarCRM on-premises or cloud hosted?

Answer = on-prem

Question:
Are APIs available and documented?

What specific CTI functions are required apart from CTI Popup

What integration use cases are required for Ivanti ITSM integration?

What PSTN carriers are currently used besides Telstra SIP?

Are there any contact-centre-specific SIP gateways apart from the two Cisco 4400 CUBEs?

Answered on 17/Jul/2026 08:54 AM:


1.Are APIs available and documented?

Answer = The existing APIs are not formally documented. However, they are relatively simple in nature, and CQUniversity staff with knowledge of the current integrations will be available to explain the existing configuration and integration approach to the successful vendor during the implementation phase.

2.What specific CTI functions are required apart from CTI Popup

Answer = CQU has not prescribed specific CTI functionality beyond CTI screen pop at this stage. Respondents are encouraged to outline the CTI capabilities available within their platform and recommend functionality that would provide the greatest operational value, improve agent efficiency, and support integration with CQU’s existing and future business systems.

3.What integration use cases are required for Ivanti ITSM integration?

Answer = The primary Ivanti ITSM integration use case for the initial implementation is the automatic creation of tickets associated with customer interactions and calls.

At this stage, no additional integration use cases have been formally defined. However, CQUniversity expects to work with the successful vendor to identify and develop further integration opportunities as part of the broader implementation and continuous improvement process.


4.What PSTN carriers are currently used besides Telstra SIP?

Answer = None

5.Are there any contact-centre-specific SIP gateways apart from the two Cisco 4400 CUBEs?

Answer = No

Question:
How many DIDs must be ported?

Are there existing toll-free numbers that must be retained?

Are Microsoft Teams telephony integrations required?

How many years of recordings must be retained?

Are there regulatory requirements governing recordings?

Answered on 16/Jul/2026 01:09 PM:


1.How many DIDs must be ported?

Answer = CQUniversity currently anticipates retaining its existing telephony arrangements. At this stage, respondents should not assume that telephone number porting will be required as part of the procurement. Should number porting become necessary during a future implementation phase, relevant details will be provided at that time.


2.Are there existing toll-free numbers that must be retained?

Answer = CQU does not have any Toll Free numbers however we do have the following local numbers:

1300369038

1300 666 620

132786


3.Are Microsoft Teams telephony integrations required?

Answer = Microsoft Teams telephony integration is not a requirement. However, where such functionality is available, respondents are encouraged to provide details of the capability and any associated considerations, as this may provide flexibility for future requirements.

4.How many years of recordings must be retained?

Answer = CQU requires recordings of all calls through the contact centre for 3 months

5.Are there regulatory requirements governing recordings?

Answer = CQU aligns with the Queensland Government privacy and records management frameworks.

Question:
Is Workforce Management mandatory or optional?

Are forecasting and schedule optimization currently performed manually?

How many evaluations are conducted monthly?

Are evaluation forms standardized?

Would automated AI quality scoring be considered?

Answered on 16/Jul/2026 01:07 PM:


1.Is Workforce Management mandatory or optional?

Answer = Workforce Management capabilities are not mandatory for the proposed solution. However, they are considered highly desirable and respondents are encouraged to outline any Workforce Management functionality available within their platform.

2.Are forecasting and schedule optimization currently performed manually?

Answer = yes

3.How many evaluations are conducted monthly?

Answer = Evaluations are conducted on an ad hoc basis and are not currently performed according to a fixed monthly schedule.

4.Are evaluation forms standardized?

Answer = Evaluations are typically partially standardised to ensure consistency and alignment with organisational requirements. However, CQUniversity also values the application of supervisor judgement and coaching skills to provide contextual feedback, recognise individual circumstances, and support employee development.

5.Would automated AI quality scoring be considered?

Answer = Yes automated scoring would be considered

Question:
Can you provide AI customer journey’s or Use cases that you are looking for?

Is Australian data residency mandatory for recordings, transcripts, analytics, and AI processing?

Is Microsoft Entra ID the required identity provider for SSO and MFA?

Will the agents use and virtual environments like VDI citrix etc.

Answered on 15/Jul/2026 04:41 PM:


1.Can you provide AI customer journey’s or Use cases that you are looking for?

Answer = CQUniversity has not yet defined specific AI customer journeys or use cases. The University expects these to be identified and refined during subsequent phases of the project. Respondents are encouraged to describe relevant AI capabilities, use cases, and customer journey opportunities that may be applicable within a higher education environment.

2.Is Australian data residency mandatory for recordings, transcripts, analytics, and AI processing?

Answer = Australian Data residency is not mandatory however this is highly preferred

3.Is Microsoft Entra ID the required identity provider for SSO and MFA?

Answer = Yes Microsoft Entra ID is the mandatory identity provider for SSO and MFA

4.Will the agents use and virtual environments like VDI citrix etc.

Answer = CQUniversity does not currently anticipate a requirement for agents to utilise VDI or virtual desktop technologies. While the University generally prefers lower-risk and less complex deployment models, respondents will not be excluded from consideration based on their support for, or reliance upon, VDI or similar technologies. Respondents should outline any dependencies, requirements, or considerations associated with their proposed approach.

Question:
Beyond the information provided in the RFQ, what are the top three operational challenges CQUniversity experiences with the current contact centre environment that you are most keen to address through this project?

Answered on 16/Jul/2026 10:43 AM:


Answer = CQUniversity's objective is not simply to optimise or incrementally improve the current contact centre environment. Rather, this project represents an opportunity to fundamentally transform the way student, customer and staff interactions are managed and delivered.

While there are aspects of the current environment that could be improved, CQU is seeking innovative approaches that redefine the future operating model rather than replicate existing processes on a newer platform.

As such, rather than prescribing specific operational challenges, we encourage respondents to demonstrate what best-practice customer engagement, agent experience, automation, AI capability, workflow integration, and service delivery could look like using their platform.

Question:
Could CQUniversity please outline the primary evaluation criteria and success measures that will be used during the Proof of Concept activities to compare shortlisted solutions?

Answered on 16/Jul/2026 10:44 AM:


Answer = CQU’s approach to the Proof of Concept is aligned to the University's strategic objectives, business requirements, and future operating model.

The methodology used by CQU to assess and compare solutions is internal and will not be published. Respondents should ensure their proposed solution clearly addresses the requirements outlined in this RFQ and demonstrates how it can support CQU’s long-term business objectives.

Question:
Are there any known implementation constraints or blackout periods (for example enrolment, examinations or major University events) that respondents should consider when proposing the pilot and future production implementation approach?

Answered on 16/Jul/2026 10:46 AM:


Answer = The pilot has only a few small number of individual days that CQU could not cutover, otherwise very available. The larger production deployment would need to occur in the second half of 2027 and large amount of notice can be negotiated with successful vendor.

Question:
"CQU currently maintains approximately 2,500 telephony endpoints across the University, including both physical desk phones and soft phone clients"

Would you mind clarifying this for better understanding.

How many of the 2500 endpoints are physical desk phones and how many end user soft phone related?

Are the desk phones 1 to 1 with the end users or are some of the desk phones deployed in common areas for staff to share and use for external calls

Answered on 15/Jul/2026 04:26 PM:
(edited on 15/Jul/2026 04:29 PM)


How many of the 2500 endpoints are physical desk phones and how many end user soft phone related?

Answer = CQU has approximately 1,500 physical handsets total of which about 375 are in rooms for shared spaces/teaching spaces, the other 1,125 physical phones are assigned to staff for their individual use. The other 1,000 endpoints are soft phone numbers used by staff for individual use who do not have a physical phone.

Are the desk phones 1 to 1 with the end users or are some of the desk phones deployed in common areas for staff to share and use for external calls

Answer = see above