Navigational bar

• US 20050147054A1
• Filed: 07/02/2004
• Published: 07/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Jose, Benolin, Zhang, Weiling, Wieser, Markus, Rodgers, Deborah, Kumar, Janaki P., Charnock, Lewis W.B., Loo, Rose Pon
• Application Number:
  US10/884,169
• Publication Number:
  US 20050147054A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/270
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/42 Graphical user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet

Abstract

An agent or customer representative can use a graphical user interface (GUI) when the agent is in contact with one or more customers. In a computer-implemented method for providing navigational aids to the GUI for an interaction center, the method can include displaying the GUI with a work area for an agent and a navigation area. The navigation area can include a standard section with multiple links defined for the agent at a supervisory level and a personalized section of the navigation bar. The personalized section can include one or more links selected by the agent at an agent level from a list of links compiled for the agent in the supervisory level.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing navigational aids to a graphical user interface (GUI) for an interaction center, the method comprising:

displaying a GUI including a work area for an agent and a navigation area, the navigation area including;

a standard section including a plurality of links defined for the agent at a supervisory level; and

a personalized section of the navigation bar, the personalized section including one or more links selected by the agent at an agent level from a list of links compiled for the agent in the supervisory level.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

including links in the standard section that are common to a plurality of agents.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the links in the standard section link to pages include information corresponding to an interaction between the agent and a customer.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the information comprises information related to a sale.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the information comprises customer information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the navigation area includes one or more links to one or more process pages corresponding to processes for servicing a customer.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising one or more topic pages in the one or more process pages, wherein the one or more topic pages refer to one or more items for investigation, information, and research.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

including a link to an index page in the personalized section of the navigation area, wherein the index page comprises a complete list of standard and personalized links for the navigation area.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the personalized section comprises a link to scripts used by the agent.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the personalized section comprises a link to information associated with customers assigned to the agent.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined list is compiled in response to a role assigned to the agent.

12. A system for an interaction center, comprising:

a graphical user interface for an interaction center agent, the graphical user interface including;

a navigation area comprising;

a standard section including links defined for an interaction center agent;

a personalized section including interaction center agent-selectable links; and

a link to an index page that comprises a complete list of standard and personalized links for the navigation area.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the standard section includes links that are common to at least two interaction center agents.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the links defined for the interaction center agent are defined at a supervisory level.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the interaction center agent-selectable links are configured to be selected by the interaction center agent at an agent level from a list of links compiled for the interaction center agent in a supervisory level.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the standard section includes links that are frequently used links.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the navigation area is persistently displayed in the graphical user interface.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the navigation area comprises one or more links to one or more process pages.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the one or more process pages refer to one or more processes that the interaction center agent performs with a customer order.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the one or more process pages comprise one or more topic pages, wherein the one or more topic pages refer to one or more items for investigation, information, and research.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the graphical user interface comprises an interaction center agent'"'"'s workspace, wherein the navigation area comprises links, shortcuts, and headers for the interaction center agent'"'"'s workspace.

22. The system of claim 12, wherein the complete list of standard links for the navigation area comprises a complete list of links defined for one or more interaction center agents.

23. The system of claim 12, wherein the complete list of personalized links for the navigation area comprises a complete list of links to be selected by the interaction center agent.

24. A computer-implemented method, the method comprising:

displaying a navigation area to a user in a graphical user interface (GUI), the navigation area being operative to guide the user through a workflow procedure in an interaction center having a plurality of steps; and

displaying a help section within the navigation area, the help section having links to a plurality of help pages and process pages, wherein at least one of the help pages and process pages comprises links to other pages to provide content and workflow utilities for one or more interaction center agents.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising linking an index page to the navigation area, wherein the index page comprises a complete list of standard and personalized links for the navigation area.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising defining the complete list of standard links for the navigation area for one or more interaction center agents.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the complete list of personalized links for the navigation area comprises a complete list of links to be selected by the interaction center agent.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the help section presents a navigable list of help-related links in the navigation area.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the help section is adapted to allow the interaction center agents to conform to business procedures for a customer'"'"'s order.

30. The method of claim 24, further comprising providing one or more scripts in the navigation area, wherein the script comprises suggested wording for an interaction center agent to use for a customer'"'"'s order.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the suggested wording of the script protects and promotes the interaction center'"'"'s business practices.

32. An article comprising a machine-readable medium storing instructions operable to cause a machine to perform operations for providing navigational aids to a graphical user interface (GUI) for an interaction center, the operations comprising:

display a GUI including a work area for an agent and a navigation area, the navigation area including;

a standard section including a plurality of links defined for the agent at a supervisory level; and

a personalized section of the navigation bar, the personalized section including one or more links selected by the agent at an agent level from a list of links compiled for the agent in the supervisory level.

33. The article of claim 32, wherein the operations further comprise:

include a link to an index page in the personalized section of the navigation area, wherein the index page comprises a complete list of standard and personalized links for the navigation area.