Method and apparatus for meeting an on-site enterprise service level objective

• US 20040203878A1
• Filed: 10/22/2002
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Thomson, Rodney A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,558,739 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data

Abstract

The present invention is related to the maintenance of on-site enterprise service level objectives. In particular, wait times experienced by individual consumers are monitored. Wait time monitoring may be in response to a request for assistance made by a consumer. The monitoring of wait times may also begin when the consumer enters a particular area of an enterprise site, for example a checkout area. Request for assistance and location information may be obtained from a consumer wireless device in communication with a wireless network infrastructure at the enterprise site. Requests for assistance, including check-out assistance, may be placed in queues maintained by applications on an enterprise server for distributing resources at the enterprise site.

Claims

1. A method of maintaining on-site service level objectives, comprising:

detecting at an enterprise site a consumer wireless device;

detecting a need for assistance associated with said consumer wireless device;

monitoring an amount of time elapsed since said need for assistance was detected; and

in response to detecting an amount of elapsed time since said need for assistance was detected in excess of at least a first predetermined amount, assigning a resource to address at least one of said need for assistance detected in connection with said consumer wireless device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a location of said consumer wireless device within said enterprise site.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said need for assistance comprises a need for at least one of live assistance, physical assistance and in-person assistance.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein assigning a resource comprises deploying additional cashiers/customer service representatives.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

monitoring a number of consumers waiting for assistance.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said need for assistance comprises a need to check out with a cashier, said method further comprising:

monitoring with respect to each cash register associated with said enterprise site a number of consumers waiting to check out.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an expected wait time for each cash resource associated with said enterprise site, wherein a resource having a shortest wait time is identified.

8. The method of claim 7, comprising:

using a message delivered to said consumer wireless device to direct a consumer to said resource having a shortest wait time.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

maintaining a queue comprising consumers waiting for said resource, wherein said message delivered to said consumer wireless device is associated with a consumer who has been in said queue longer than any other consumer.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said need for assistance comprises a need for a supervisor.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning a resource comprises directing an associate to a consumer associated with said consumer wireless device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein instructions directing said associate to said consumer are delivered to said associate by an associate wireless device.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said associate directed to said consumer is reassigned from a previous task.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising establishing a queue of consumers awaiting a resource, wherein an associate is directed to a consumer that has been in said queue longer than any other consumer.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting movement of said consumer; and

initiating communications with said consumer through said consumer wireless device.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least a first predetermined amount of time comprises a service level objective.

17. A computer readable medium comprising instructions to perform the steps of claim 1.

18. A logic circuit operable to perform the steps of claim 1.

19. A system for maintaining on-site service level objectives, comprising:

an enterprise site;

a wireless network deployed at said enterprise site;

a server interconnected to said wireless network;

a plurality of site resources; and

software operative on said server for allocating said site resources, wherein an assignment of said site resources to tasks within said site is made in consideration of an expected consumer wait time for a resource.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said site resources comprise associates, said system further comprising:

an associate wireless device, wherein an assignment of an associate to a task is communicated to said associate by said associate wireless device.

21. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

a consumer wireless device, wherein said consumer wireless device is in communication with said wireless network, and wherein a location of said consumer wireless device within said enterprise site can be determined.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said consumer wireless device comprises an output device, wherein information directing a consumer to a resource is communicated to said consumer.

23. A system for maintaining service level objectives at an enterprise site, comprising:

means for wirelessly communicating;

means for monitoring a service level provided to consumers at said enterprise site, wherein said means for monitoring receive information indicative of a service level from said means for wirelessly communicating; and

means for allocating resources to said consumers.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein an allocation of resources is communicated to a resource by said means for wirelessly communicating.

25. The system of claim 23, further comprising:

means for determining the location of a consumer within said enterprise site.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein a token associated with a consumer located within an area of said enterprise site is placed in a queue.

27. The system of claim 23, further comprising:

means for determining the location of a resource within said enterprise site.