System for optimizing business rule resources

• US 20040193468A1
• Filed: 03/31/2003
• Published: 09/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Firstpoint Contact Technologies, LLC (Alvaria Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Firstpoint Contact Technologies, LLC (Alvaria Incorporated)
• Inventors: Dezonno, Anthony, Hodson, Jeff, Sheridan, Michael, Mosquera, Dave, Bonifazi, Carlo
• Application Number:
  US10/403,583
• Publication Number:
  US 20040193468A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.22
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06312 Adjustment or analysis of established resource schedule, e.g. resource or task levelling, or dynamic rescheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06393 Score-carding, benchmarking or key performance indicator [KPI] analysis

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for allocating a plurality of resources among call types in a call center operated by a business organization. The method includes the steps of providing a plurality of business rules for allocating call handling resources to the call types of the business organization and measuring a metric among the call types for determining a compliance with each business rule of the plurality of business rules. The method further includes the steps of comparing the measured metrics of the plurality of business rules with respective threshold values and adjusting the plurality of resources among the call types when a compared metric of the compared metrics exceeds a respective threshold of the thresholds.

Claims

1. A method of allocating a plurality of resources among call types in a call center operated by a business organization, such method comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of business rules for allocating call handling resources to the call types of the business organization;

measuring a metric among the call types for determining a compliance with each business rule of the plurality of business rules;

comparing the measured metrics of the plurality of business rules with respective threshold values; and

adjusting the plurality of resources among the call types when a compared metric of the compared metrics exceeds a respective threshold of the thresholds.

2. The method of allocating a plurality of resources for handling calls as in claim 1 further comprising prioritizing the plurality of business rules.

3. The method of allocating a plurality of resources for handling calls as in claim 2 further comprising ordering the plurality of resources based upon a value factor for each business rule of the plurality of business rules.

4. The method of allocating a plurality of resources for handling calls as in claim 3 further comprising selecting a business rule of the prioritized plurality of business rules with a highest relative priority as a primary business rule.

5. The method of allocating a plurality of resources for handling calls as in claim 4 further comprising comparing a value of the metric of the selected business rule with a threshold value for the metric of the selected business rule and adding a resource of the plurality of resources to a call type of the selected business rule when the metric exceeds the threshold value.

6. The method of allocating a plurality of resources for handling calls as in claim 5 wherein the step of adding the resource further comprises assigning an available resource of the ordered resources with a highest relative value factor for the selected business rule.

7. The method of allocating a plurality of resources for handling calls as in claim 5 further comprising selecting a business rule of the prioritized plurality of business rules with a lesser relative priority as the selected business rule when the metric of the business rule with the greatest relative priority does not exceed the threshold.

8. The method of allocating a plurality of resources for handling calls as in claim 7 further comprising comparing a value of the metric of the selected lesser priority business rule with a threshold value and adding a resource of the plurality of resources to handle a call type under the selected lesser priority business rule when the metric of the lesser priority business rule exceeds the threshold value.

9. The method of allocating a plurality of resources for handling calls as in claim 8 wherein the step of adding the resource further comprises assigning an available resource of the ordered resources with a highest relative value factor for the selected business rule.

10. The method of allocating a plurality of resources for handling calls as in claim 1 wherein the identified metric further comprises profit per call.

11. The method of allocating a plurality of resources for handling calls as in claim 1 wherein the identified metric further comprises cost per call.

12. An apparatus for allocating a plurality of resources among call types in a call center operated by a business organization, such apparatus comprising:

a plurality of business rules for allocating call handling resources to the call types of the business organization;

means for measuring a metric among the call types for determining a compliance with each business rule of the plurality of business rules;

means for comparing the measured metrics of the plurality of business rules with respective threshold values; and

means for adjusting the plurality of resources among the call types when a compared metric of the compared metrics exceeds a respective threshold of the thresholds.

13. The apparatus for allocating a plurality of resources for handling calls as in claim 12 further comprising means for prioritizing the plurality of business rules.

14. The apparatus for allocating a plurality of resources for handling calls as in claim 13 further comprising means for ordering the plurality of resources based upon a value factor for each business rule of the plurality of business rules.

15. The apparatus for allocating a plurality of resources for handling calls as in claim 14 further comprising means for selecting a business rule of the prioritized plurality of business rules with a highest relative priority as a primary business rule.

16. The apparatus for allocating a plurality of resources for handling calls as in claim 15 further comprising means for comparing a value of the metric of the selected business rule with a threshold value for the metric of the selected business rule and adding a resource of the plurality of resources to a call type of the selected business rule when the metric exceeds the threshold value.

17. The apparatus for allocating a plurality of resources for handling calls as in claim 16 wherein the means for adding the resource further comprises means for assigning an available resource of the ordered resources with a highest relative value factor for the selected business rule.

18. The apparatus for allocating a plurality of resources for handling calls as in claim 16 further comprising means for selecting a business rule of the prioritized plurality of business rules with a lesser relative priority as the selected business rule when the metric of the business rule with the greatest relative priority does not exceed the threshold.

19. The apparatus for allocating a plurality of resources for handling calls as in claim 18 further comprising means for comparing a value of the metric of the selected lesser priority business rule with a threshold value and adding a resource of the plurality of resources to handle a call type under the selected lesser priority business rule when the metric of the lesser priority business rule exceeds the threshold value.

20. The apparatus for allocating a plurality of resources for handling calls as in claim 19 wherein the means for adding the resource further comprises means for assigning an available resource of the ordered resources with a highest relative value factor for the selected business rule.

21. The apparatus for allocating a plurality of resources for handling calls as in claim 12 wherein the identified metric further comprises profit per call.

22. The apparatus for allocating a plurality of resources for handling calls as in claim 12 wherein the identified metric further comprises cost per call.

23. An apparatus for allocating a plurality of resources among call types in a call center operated by a business organization, such apparatus comprising:

a plurality of business rules for allocating call handling resources to the call types of the business organization;

a metric processor adapted to measure a metric among the call types for determining a compliance with each business rule of the plurality of business rules;

a metric comparator adapted to compare the measured metrics of the plurality of business rules with respective threshold values; and

an allocation processor adapted to adjust the plurality of resources among the call types when a compared metric of the compared metrics exceeds a respective threshold of the thresholds.

24. A method of allocating a plurality of resources for handling calls in a call center operated by a business organization, such method comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of business rules for handling calls and call types of the business organization;

identifying a metric for measuring compliance with each of the plurality of business rules;

determining a change in the identified metric of each of the plurality of business rules provided by each resource of the plurality of resources; and

allocating the plurality of resources to calls based upon the plurality of business rules and the determined change in the identified metric provided by the respective resources for at least some of the plurality of business rules.

25. A method of allocating resources in a call center operated by a business organization, such method comprising the steps of:

allocating a plurality of resources under a first business rule of the business organization; and

re-allocating at least some of the plurality of resources based upon a second business rule of the organization.

26. A method of allocating resources in a call center operated by a business organization, such method comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of business rules for allocating a plurality of resources to calls within the call center;

identifying at least some resources of the plurality of resources that are associated with each business rule; and

balancing the plurality of resources among a plurality of calls based upon the plurality of business rules.

27. A method of allocating resources in a call center operated by a business organization, such method comprising the steps of:

allocating a plurality of resources under a first business rule of the business organization; and

re-allocating at least some of the plurality of resources based upon a second business rule of the organization.

28. A method of allocating resources in a call center operated by a business organization, such method comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of business rules for allocating a plurality of resources to calls within the call center;

identifying at least some resources of the plurality of resources that are associated with each business rules; and

balancing the plurality of resources among a plurality of calls based upon the plurality of business rules.