Web-based technical issue assignments based on technical support groups having handled a highest number of technical requests

• US 10,282,701 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2007
• Issued: 05/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Messer, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Mansfield, Thomas L
• Application Number:
  US11/943,221
• Publication Number:
  US 20090132307A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,186 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

An embodiment relates generally to a method of providing visibility in technical support. The method includes providing for a plurality of technical groups, each group specializing in a technical area and is comprised of a plurality of senior and junior members. The method also includes receiving a technical issue from a user to be resolved by a selected technical group of the plurality of technical groups and providing access to the user in a process of resolving the technical issue by the selected technical group.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

tracking, by a processing device, an amount of technical assistance requests handled by each of a plurality of technical groups, each of the plurality of technical groups to process technical assistance requests relating to technical issues of different types;

generating a user interface comprising a plurality of selectable elements, each associated with at least one of a corresponding product or service;

receiving a selection of at least one of the plurality of selectable elements, the selection representing a request for one of the plurality of technical groups to resolve a technical issue with the corresponding product or service, wherein each of the plurality of technical groups comprises at least one junior member and at least one senior member, the junior member having less experience than the senior member;

obtaining a set of rules that define which of the plurality of technical groups an incoming technical assistance request is to be routed, the rules specifying that the incoming technical assistance request is to be routed to a technical group of the plurality of technical groups having a highest probability of resolving a corresponding technical issue;

selecting, by the processing device, a selected technical group of the plurality of technical groups to resolve the technical issue by evaluating each of the plurality of technical groups against the set of rules to determine the technical group having the highest probability of resolving the technical issue based on a type of the technical issue and a technical group, of the plurality of technical groups, having handled a highest percentage of received technical assistance requests of the type;

assigning the technical issue to a first available junior member of a plurality of members of the selected technical group;

providing a notification to a rest of the plurality of members of the selected technical group, the rest of the plurality of members having not been assigned the technical issue, and the notification to indicate that the technical issue is assigned to the first member;

generating a subscription link corresponding to the technical issue;

providing the subscription link to one or more entities not associated with the technical group, the one or more entities including a user who issued the incoming technical assistance request;

detecting an activation of the subscription link by at least one of the one or more entities; and

providing information to the at least one of the one or more entities, the information comprising at least one of a status update, post, or activity pertaining to resolution of the technical issue.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

logging the technical issue into an issue tracker module; and

instantiating a ticket for the technical issue.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising notifying a rest of the selected technical group with the issue tracker module of the ticket.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising providing at least one comment associated with the technical issue to the ticket from the rest of the technical group and the user.

5. A system comprising:

a logical router to;

generate a user interface comprising a plurality of selectable elements, each associated with at least one of a corresponding product or service,

receive selections of at least one of the plurality of selectable elements, the selections representing requests for technical assistance from a web service and a telephone network for the corresponding product or service,

track an amount of technical assistance requests handled by each group of a plurality of technical groups, each of the plurality of technical groups to process technical assistance requests relating to technical issues of different types, wherein each of the plurality of technical groups comprises at least one junior member and at least one senior member, the junior member having less experience than the senior member,

obtain a set of rules that define which of the plurality of technical groups an incoming technical assistance request is to be routed, the rules specifying that the incoming technical assistance request is to be routed to a technical group of the plurality of technical groups having a highest probability of resolving a corresponding technical issue;

select a selected technical group of the plurality of technical groups to resolve the technical issue by evaluating each of the plurality of technical groups against the set of rules to determine the technical group having the highest probability of resolving a technical issue based on a type of the technical issue and a technical group, of the plurality of technical groups, having handled a highest percentage of received technical assistance requests of the type; and

assign a technical assistance request having a technical issue of the type to a first available junior member of a plurality of members of the selected technical group; and

an issue tracker module, coupled to the logical router, the issue tracker module to;

instantiate a respective ticket for each received request for technical assistance, manage the respective ticket to resolution and provide a notification to a rest of the plurality of members of the selected technical group, the rest of the plurality of members having not been assigned the technical issue, and the notification to indicate that the technical assistance request is assigned to the first member,

generate a subscription link corresponding to the technical issue,

provide the subscription link to one or more entities not associated with the technical group, the one or more entities including a user who issued the incoming technical assistance request,

detect an activation of the subscription link by at least one of the one or more entities, and

provide information to the at least one of the one or more entities, the information comprising at least one of a status update, post, or activity pertaining to resolution of the technical issue.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the issue tracker module to broadcast a notification message to notify the members of the selected technical group and the user and to request a resolution of a request for assistance.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the issue tracker module to receive a post from an interested party and broadcast the post to the members of the selected technical group and the user.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the issue tracker module to receive the post from a member of the selected technical group.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the issue tracker module to broadcast the post to the members of the selected technical group and the user, and wherein the issue tracker module to provide visibility to the user requesting technical assistance from the selected technical group from the plurality of technical groups.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a routing module to;

generate a user interface comprising a plurality of selectable elements, each associated with at least one of a corresponding product or service,

receive selections of at least one of the plurality of selectable elements, the selections representing requests for technical assistance from a web site and a telephone network for the corresponding product or service,

track an amount of technical assistance requests handled by each group of a plurality of technical groups, each of the plurality of technical groups to process technical assistance requests relating to technical issues of different types, wherein each of the plurality of technical groups comprises at least one junior member and at least one senior member, the junior member having less experience than the senior member,

obtain a set of rules that define which of the plurality of technical groups an incoming technical assistance request is to be routed, the rules specifying that the incoming technical assistance request is to be routed to a technical group of the plurality of technical groups having a highest probability of resolving a corresponding technical issue,

select a selected technical group of the plurality of technical groups to resolve the technical issue by evaluating each of the plurality of technical groups against the set of rules to determine the technical group having the highest probability of resolving a technical issue based on a type of the technical issue and a technical group, of the plurality of technical groups, having handled a highest percentage of received technical assistance requests of the type, and

assign a technical assistance request having a technical issue of the type to a first available junior member of a plurality of members of the selected technical group; and

a case management system to;

instantiate a respective ticket for each received request for technical assistance, manage the respective ticket to resolution, and provide a notification to a rest of the plurality of members of the selected technical group, the rest of the plurality of members having not been assigned the technical issue, and the notification to indicate that the technical assistance request is assigned to the first member, wherein the case management system is coupled to the routing module

generate a subscription link corresponding to the technical issue,

provide the subscription link to one or more entities not associated with the technical group, the one or more entities including a user who issued the incoming technical assistance request,

detect an activation of the subscription link by at least one of the one or more entities, and

provide information to the at least one of the one or more entities, the information comprising at least one of a status update, post, or activity pertaining to resolution of the technical issue.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the case management system to broadcast a notification message to notify the members of the selected group and the user and to request a resolution of a request for assistance.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the case management system to receive the post from an interested party and broadcast the post to the members of the selected group and the user.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the case management system to receive the post from a member of the selected technical group.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the case management system to broadcast the post to the members of the selected group and the user.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to:

track, by the processing device, an amount of technical assistance requests handled by each of a plurality of technical groups, each of the plurality of technical groups to process technical assistance requests relating to technical issues of different types;

generate a user interface comprising a plurality of selectable elements, each associated with at least one of a corresponding product or service;

receive a selection of at least one of the plurality of selectable elements, the selection representing a request for one of the plurality of technical groups to resolve a technical issue with the corresponding product or service, wherein each of the plurality of technical groups comprises at least one junior member and at least one senior member, the junior member having less experience than the senior member;

obtain a set of rules that define which of the plurality of technical groups an incoming technical assistance request is to be routed, the rules specifying that the incoming technical assistance request is to be routed to a technical group of the plurality of technical groups having a highest probability of resolving a corresponding technical issue;

select a selected technical group of the plurality of technical groups to resolve the technical issue by evaluating each of the plurality of technical groups against the set of rules to determine the technical group having the highest probability of resolving the technical issue based on a type of the technical issue and a technical group, of the plurality of technical groups, having handled a highest percentage of received technical assistance requests of the type;

assign the technical issue to a first available junior member of a plurality of members of the selected technical group;

provide a notification to a rest of the plurality of members of the selected technical group, the rest of the plurality of members having not been assigned the technical issue, and the notification to indicate that the technical issue is assigned to the first member;

generate a subscription link corresponding to the technical issue;

provide the subscription link to one or more entities not associated with the technical group, the one or more entities including a user who issued the incoming technical assistance request;

detect an activation of the subscription link by at least one of the one or more entities, and

provide information to the at least one of the one or more entities, the information comprising at least one of a status update, post, or activity pertaining to resolution of the technical issue.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, the processing device further to:

log the technical issue into an issue tracker module; and

instantiate a ticket for the technical issue.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, the processing device further to:

notify the rest of the selected technical group with the issue tracker module of the ticket.