> Source: https://builder-docs.ema.ai/agent-qa/core-concepts
> Title: Core Concepts

# Core Concepts

Before diving into setup or daily use, it helps to understand the key ideas behind Agent QA.

## 1.1 How Agent QA Works

Agent QA follows a multi-stage pipeline:

1.  **Audio uploaded** via the ingestion API
2.  **Transcribed** -- speech-to-text with PII masking and speaker diarization
3.  **GWE workflow evaluates** the transcript against your QA parameters
4.  **Callback processes results** -- extracts rule outcomes, contact reasons, sentiment, and insights
5.  **QA score computed** -- weighted average with critical-rule auto-fail
6.  **Score and Scorecard saved** and visible on the Audit tab

Every call goes through this pipeline automatically. The entire flow -- from audio upload to a completed scorecard -- typically takes 2 to 5 minutes.

## 1.2 Key Terms

Term

What It Means

**AI Employee**

A configured workflow on the Ema platform. Agent QA is a type of AI Employee. You may also see this called a "persona" in technical contexts.

**Parameter** (also called a "rule")

A single quality criterion used to evaluate agent performance. Examples: "Greeting," "Empathy," "Issue Resolution." Each parameter has pass/fail criteria and a weight.

**Scorecard**

The detailed breakdown of an interaction's evaluation -- one result per parameter, with rationale and transcript evidence.

**QA Score**

A number from 0 to 100 representing overall quality. Calculated from weighted parameter results.

**Auto-Learning**

The system that generates and refines your QA parameter instructions using a set of human-graded example calls (your "golden dataset").

**Continuous Learning**

The ongoing process of improving evaluation accuracy through feedback submitted by your review team.

**Golden Dataset**

A collection of call recordings with verified human evaluations (Pass/Fail/N/A per parameter) used to calibrate Auto-Learning. Also referred to as "label data" in the setup interface.

**Critical Parameter**

A parameter where failure automatically sets the entire interaction score to 0, regardless of other results. Used for non-negotiable standards like regulatory compliance.

**N/A (Not Applicable)**

When a parameter does not apply to a particular call. N/A results are excluded from scoring entirely -- they do not help or hurt the score.

**Contact Reason**

A three-level categorization of why customers are calling: L1 (broad category), L2 (subcategory), L3/Call Driver (specific reason).

**UCID**

Unique Call Identifier -- the unique ID for each call recording.

**Verbatim**

A direct quote from the transcript used as evidence for an evaluation decision.

## 1.3 Evaluation Mechanisms

Each parameter uses one of three mechanisms that determine what data is consulted during evaluation:

Mechanism

What It Checks

When to Use

**Transcript Only**

The call transcript alone

Greeting, empathy, communication skills -- anything observable from the conversation

**Knowledge Verified**

Transcript + your knowledge base documents

Information accuracy, policy compliance -- anything requiring verification against reference materials

**Action Based**

Transcript + actions in external systems (CRM, ticketing)

Case creation, ticket updates -- anything requiring verification of what the agent did in their tools

## 1.4 The Daily QA Loop

Agent QA delivers the most value when used as a continuous cycle:

1.  **Audit** -- review interactions
2.  **Metrics** -- spot trends
3.  **Insights** -- identify coaching priorities
4.  **Feedback** -- correct evaluations
5.  **Improve** -- refine rules
6.  Back to **Audit**

Each stage feeds into the next. Reviewing interactions surfaces evaluation disagreements. Metrics reveal patterns. Insights pinpoint coaching priorities. Feedback corrects individual evaluations. Improvements refine the underlying rules.

## 1.5 Languages Supported

Agent QA supports transcription and evaluation for a wide range of languages including: Arabic, Belarusian, Bengali, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, Flemish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Kannada, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian, Macedonian, Malay, Marathi, Norwegian, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, Tagalog, Tamil, Telugu, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, and Vietnamese.