Dynamic Phone Number Inventory

Dynamic inventory provides enhanced real-time search and phone number selection functionality directly from ACS's underlying CLEC providers' telephone number management systems — fully replacing our legacy “local inventory” workflows. Ultimately, dynamic inventory simplifies the otherwise complex task of managing and selecting phone numbers, freeing up your time and resources to focus on more important business goals. 

Highlights

• No need to manage local inventory
• Expand to new territories using our carriers’ rate center footprint
• Reserve one or more available numbers and ensure the end user is satisfied prior to activation
• Reserve up to 400 random numbers at a time
• Search for and select up to 15 numbers at a time
• Search by quantity and NPA or NPA-NXX
• Restrict results to sequential numbers

These features can be accessed using new parameters on our existing Telephone Number inventory endpoints.

Add Numbers Using Dynamic Inventory

1. On the Phone Numbers page, click [+ Add Number] in the top right.
2. In the New number tab, enter the customer’s postal code and address. As you type, matching addresses will populate below. Select the one you want.
   
   If more information is required, such as a unit or apartment number, click Manual entry for additional fields.
   
3. Select the Dynamic tab.
4. Choose one:
   • Activate any phone number(s)(up to 400)
     1. In the Phone number quantity field, enter the quantity of phone numbers you want to reserve.
     2. Continue to the Customer Service Record.
   • Search for and select phone number(s) (up to 15)
     1. In the Phone number quantity field, enter the quantity of phone numbers you want to search for, up to 15. (Not available for Home Phone accounts which are limited to one phone number.)
     2. Select how to search for numbers:
        • Postal code (from the address entered above)
        • Area code (NPA)
        • Area code + exchange (NPA-NXX)
     3. To search by area code or area code + exchange:
        • Enter the criteria in the field below.
        • Select Sequential if you want the numbers returned to be in sequential order (optional).
     4. Click Search. Once the search is complete (it shouldn’t take more than a minute), a list of numbers that match your criteria will be displayed below. If nothing is available, modify your search criteria and try again.
     5. Select the number(s) you want to activate, then continue to enter the Customer Service Record (CSR), E911 Record, and Directory Listing. See Add Phone Numbers for complete steps.
        

Q&A

What’s happening to local inventory?

Dynamic inventory makes local inventory obsolete. In the next few months, we will discontinue the local inventory workflows in favor of dynamic inventory. Once that happens, any local inventory on your account will be returned to the carriers. Rest assured, we will communicate the plan to you prior to making any changes.

Toll-free numbers and numbers that are recovered  after being deleted/disconnected will be in local inventory.

Where can I see how often dynamic inventory is used as opposed to local inventory?

We don't have a report specific to dynamic inventory; however, you can filter Account History by Dynamic Reservation to see how often numbers were reserved using dynamic inventory.

What is NPA?

Phone numbers in North America follow the North American Numbering Plan (NANP), which divides telephone service territories into individual Numbering Plan Areas (NPA). 10-digit numbers are in the format NPA-NXX-XXXX, where N is any digit from 2-9, and X from 0-9.

• NPA, commonly known as the area code, is the first three digits of a 10-digit phone number.
• NXX, also known as the exchange, is the first three digits of a 7-digit local phone number which identifies the central office switch within the NPA.

Does dynamic inventory work with BSS/OSS integrations?

Not yet, but we are working with our integration partners, including GLDS and NISC, to enable dynamic inventory workflows in those integrations. In the meantime, talk to your Customer Success Manager about how these changes may impact your processes.