Method, apparatus, and computer program product for lead assignment

• US 10,255,567 B1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Groupon Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Groupon Incorporated
• Inventors: Shariff, Shafiq, Urie, Kris, Nordquist, Derek, Jeanes, Bodaniel, Baribeau, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Gills, Kurtis
• Application Number:
  US13/826,464
• Time in Patent Office: 2,217 Days
• Field of Search: 705 713
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 Machine learning
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/10 using kernel methods, e.g. support vector machines [SVM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/02 Knowledge representation; Symbolic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/04 Inference or reasoning models
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0635 Risk analysis of enterprise or organisation activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06393 Score-carding, benchmarking or key performance indicator [KPI] analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/067 Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0202 Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0282 Rating or review of business operators or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

Provided herein are systems, methods and computer readable media for assigning leads. An example for method for assigning leads comprises receiving a list of one or more merchants, wherein the one or more merchants comprise a sales value and an indication of an ability to provide a service associated with at least one demanded offer, accessing sales resource data comprising at least one or more sales resources and an associated capacity for contacting one or more merchants, assigning one or more sales resources an assignment probability number, wherein an assignment probability number represents a probability that a sales resource will be randomly assigned a next supply source in an assignment process, adjusting an assignment probability number based on the associated capacity, and assigning at least a portion of the one or more merchants according to at least the assignment probability number of the one or more sales resource and the sales value of the one or more merchants.

Claims

1. A method for assigning one or more merchants to one or more sales resources, the method comprising:

receiving, by a promotion and marketing system comprising one or more processors, a list of merchant data,

wherein the list of merchant data comprises;

one or more merchants; and

for each of the one or more merchants, (i) a sales value score that is based on an expected booking amount, (ii) a list of one or more virtual offers for which the merchant is identified as able to meet, (iii) a quantity of each of the one or more virtual offers that the merchant is able to meet, and (iv) contact information;

accessing, by the one or more processors, sales resource data from a sales resource database utilizing a lead assignment module, the sales resource data indicative of a plurality of sales resources responsible for closing contracts with the one or more merchants, the sales resource data comprising at least the plurality of sales resources and an associated capacity for contacting one or more merchants;

performing, by the one or more processors, an iterative assignment process, the iterative assignment process comprising;

calculating, for each of the plurality of sales resources, an assignment probability number based on the associated capacity, wherein the assignment probability number represents a probability that a sales resource will be randomly assigned a next merchant from the one or more merchants in the iterative assignment process in an assignment process, and wherein calculation, for each of the plurality of resources, of the assignment probability number comprises determining whether the associated capacity of a sales resource meets a predetermined threshold, and in an instance in which the determination yields a result indicative of the associated capacity of the sales resource failing ti meet the predetermined threshold, increasing the assignment probability number;

determining the next merchant from the one or more merchants to be assigned, the one or more merchants being prioritized by sales value score;

assigning merchant data associated with the next merchant from the one or more merchants to a unique prioritized call list associated with a first sales resource at random in accordance with at least the assignment probability number of each of the one or mire sales resources;

adjusting the associated rapacity of the first resource while maintaining the associated capacity of each remaining sales resource of the plurality of resources;

generating, by the one or more processors, a prioritized call list for each of the plurality of sales resources,

wherein the prioritized call list comprises merchant data associated with each merchant assigned to a respective sales resource during the iterative assignment process, each merchant unique to the respective sales resource, and corresponding merchant data comprising at least the corresponding list of one or more virtual offers for which the merchant is identified as able to meet, the quantity of each of the one or more virtual offers that the merchant is able to meet, and the contact information;

causing, by the one or more processors, display of the unique prioritized call list associated with the first sales resource upon access to the promotion and marketing system by the first sales resource; and

systematically and dynamically modifying, by the one or more processors, one or more assignments and thus each of a plurality of the unique prioritized call lists, based on ore sales resource closing a contract and an update to a current inventory, and a re-calculation a demand, and a determination that there is no longer the demand for a particular service, good or experience provided by a particular merchant.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

assigning a first supply source to a first sales resource at random based on the assignment probability of the first sales resource;

decreasing the assignment probability number of the first sales resource; and

adjusting the capacity of the first sales resource.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein sales resource data further comprises a sales resource expertise score for at least one of:

category, sub-category, or location, and further comprising;

adjusting the sales resource probability based on a supply source and an associated targeted offer.

4. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

assigning a second lead to a second sales resource at random based on the assignment probability number of the second sales resource; and

decreasing the assignment probability of the second sales resource; and

adjusting the capacity of the second sales resource.

5. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the one or more merchants are assigned sequentially at random based on the assignment probability number of each sales resource.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

receiving supply source information or inventory information, wherein the prioritized call list is updated based on the supply source information or inventory information.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting the assignment probability number of each sales resource based on a predetermined portfolio mix and assigned merchants.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting the assignment probability number of one or more sales resources based on supply source relationship information.

25. The method according to claim 1, wherein calculation, for each of the plurality of sales resources, of the assignment probability number is further based on at least one of an associated experience, an associated expertise, an associated merchant mix of a sales resource, or any combination thereof.

9. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:

receive a list of merchant data,

wherein the list of merchant data comprises;

one or more merchants; and

for each of the one or more merchants, (i) a sales value score that is based on an expected booking amount, (ii) a list of one or more virtual offers for which the merchant is identified as able to meet, (iii) a quantity of each of the one or more virtual offers that the merchant is able to meet, and (iv) contact information;

access sales resource data from a sales resource database utilizing a lead assignment module, the sales resource data indicative of a plurality of sales resources responsible for closing contracts with the one or more merchants, the sales resource data comprising at least the plurality of sales resources and an associated capacity for contacting one or more merchants;

perform an iterative assignment process, the iterative assignment process comprising;

calculate, for each of the plurality of sales resources, an assignment probability number based on the associated capacity, wherein the assignment probability number represents a probability that a sales resource will be randomly assigned a next merchant from the one or more merchants in an assignment process, and wherein calculation, for each of the plurality of sales resources, of the assignment probability number comprises determining whether the associated capacity of a sales resource meets a predetermined threshold, and in an instance in which the determination yields a result indicative of the associated capacity of the sales resource failing to meet the predetermined threshold, increasing the assignment probability number;

assign merchant data associated with the next merchant from the one or more merchants to a prioritized call list associated with a first sales resource at random in accordance with at least the assignment probability number of each of the one or more sales resources;

determine the next merchant from the one or more merchants to be assigned, the one or more merchants being prioritized by sales valued score;

adjust the associated capacity of the first resource while maintaining the associated capacity of each remaining sales resource of the plurality of resources;

generate the prioritized call list for each of the plurality of sales resources,

wherein the prioritized call list comprises merchant data associated with each merchant assigned to a respective sales resource during the iterative assignment process, each merchant unique to the respective sales resource, and corresponding merchant data comprising at least the corresponding list of one or more virtual offers for which the merchant is identified as able to meet, the quantity of each of the one or more virtual offers that the merchant is able to meet, and the contact information; and

cause display of the prioritized call list associated with the first sales resource upon access to the promotion and marketing system by the first sales resource.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

assign a first supply source to a first sales resource at random based on the assignment probability of the first sales resource;

decrease the assignment probability number of the first sales resource; and

adjust the capacity of the first sales resource.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein sales resource data further comprises a sales resource expertise score for at least one of:

category, sub-category, or location, and the at least one memory and computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to adjust the sales resource probability based on a supply source and an associated targeted offer.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

assign a second lead to a second sales resource at random based on the assignment probability number of the second sales resource;

decrease the assignment probability of the second sales resource; and

adjust the capacity of the second sales resource.

13. The apparatus of claim 9,

wherein the one or more merchants are assigned sequentially at random based on the assignment probability number of each sales resource.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

receive supply source information or inventory information, wherein the prioritized call list is updated based on the supply source information or inventory information.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to adjust the assignment probability number of each sales resource based on a predetermined portfolio mix and assigned merchants.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, the at least one memory and computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to adjust the assignment probability number of one or more sales resources based on supply source relationship information.

26. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein calculation, for each of the plurality of sales resources, of the assignment probability number is further based on at least one of an associated experience, an associated expertise, an associated merchant mix of a sales resource, or any combination thereof.

17. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code instructions stored therein, the computer-executable program code instructions comprising program code instructions for:

Receiving a list of merchant data,

wherein the list of merchant data comprises;

one or more merchants; and

for each of the one or more merchants, (i) a sales value score that is based on an expected booking amount, (ii) a list of one or more virtual offers for which the merchant is identified as able to meet, (iii) a quantity of each of the one or more virtual offers that the merchant is able to meet, and (iv) contact information;

accessing sales resource data from a sales resource database utilizing a lead assignment module, the sales resource data indicative of a plurality of sales resources responsible for closing contracts with the one or more merchants, the sales resource data comprising at least the plurality of sales resources and an associated capacity for contacting one or more merchants;

performing an iterative assignment process, the iterative assignment process comprising;

calculating, for each of the plurality of sales resources, an assignment probability number based on the associated capacity, wherein the assignment probability number represents a probability that a sales resource will be randomly assigned a next merchant from the one or more merchants in an assignment process, and wherein calculation, for each of the plurality of sales resources, of the assignment probability number comprises determining whether the associated capacity of a sales resource meets a predetermined threshold, and in an instance in which the determination yields a result indicative of the associated capacity of the sales resource failing to meet the predetermined threshold, increasing the assignment probability number;

determining the next merchant from the one or more merchants to be assigned, the one or more merchants being prioritized by sales valued score;

assigning merchant data associated with the next merchant from the one or more merchants to a prioritized call list associated with a first sales resource at random in accordance with at least the assignment probability number of each of the one or more sales resources;

adjusting the associated capacity of the first resource while maintaining the associated capacity of each remaining sales resource of the plurality of resources;

generating the prioritized call list for each of the plurality of sales resources,

wherein the prioritized call list comprises merchant data associated with each merchant assigned to a respective sales resource during the iterative assignment process, each merchant unique to the respective sales resource, and corresponding merchant data comprising at least the corresponding list of one or more virtual offers for which the merchant is identified as able to meet, the quantity of each of the one or more virtual offers that the merchant is able to meet, and the contact information; and

causing display of the prioritized call list associated with the first sales resource upon access to the promotion and marketing system by the first sales resource.

18. A computer program product according to claim 17, wherein the computer-executable program code portions further comprise program code instructions for:

assigning a first supply source to a first sales resource at random based on the assignment probability of the first sales resource;

decreasing the assignment probability number of the first sales resource; and

adjusting the capacity of the first sales resource.

19. A computer program product according to claim 17, wherein sales resource data further comprises a sales resource expertise score for at least one of:

category, sub-category, or location, and further comprising;

adjusting the sales resource probability based on a supply source and an associated targeted offer.

20. A computer program product according to claim 18, wherein the computer-executable program code portions further comprise program code instructions for:

assigning a second lead to a second sales resource at random based on the assignment probability number of the second sales resource;

decreasing the assignment probability of the second sales resource; and

adjusting the capacity of the second sales resource.

21. A computer program product according to claim 17,

wherein the one or more merchants are assigned sequentially at random based on the assignment probability number of each sales resource.

22. A computer program product according to claim 21, wherein the computer-executable program code portions further comprise program code instructions for:

receiving supply source information or inventory information, wherein the prioritized call list is updated based on the supply source information or inventory information.

23. A computer program product according to claim 17, wherein the computer-executable program code portions further comprise program code instructions for:

adjusting the assignment probability number of each sales resource based on a predetermined portfolio mix and assigned merchants.

24. A computer program product according to claim 17, wherein the computer-executable program code portions further comprise program code instructions for:

adjusting the assignment probability number of one or more sales resources based on supply source relationship information.

27. The computer program product according to claim 17, wherein calculation, for each of the plurality of sales resources, of the assignment probability number is further based on at least one of an associated experience, an associated expertise, an associated merchant mix of a sales resource, or any combination thereof.