Method and apparatus for supporting individualized selection rules for resource allocation

• US 20060015388A1
• Filed: 07/13/2004
• Published: 01/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Flockhart, Andrew D., Steiner, Robert C., Roybal, Larry John
• Granted Patent: US 8,738,412 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063112 Skill-based matching of a person or a group to a task

Abstract

The present invention relates to the matching of resources to work entries. In particular, the present invention allows work items to be assigned to a particular resource based on the characteristics of the work item and on the qualifications and preferences of the resource. Furthermore, the present invention does not rely on queues, thereby allowing characteristics of a work item other than or in addition to the amount of time that a work item has been waiting for service to be considered in assigning the work item to a resource. The types of work items that may be validly assigned to a resource, or the preference rules used to select a valid work item for handling by a resource, may be altered by altering the validation rules and preference rules associated with the resource and/or work item. Accordingly, the rules for allocating work may be adjusted easily and quickly, including at run-time, and may represent any attribute desired for use in allocating work.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

applying at least one validation rule to each work item of a pool of a plurality of currently-available work items to select only those work items from the pool that may be served by a currently-available resource;

applying at least one preference rule to each of only the selected work items to determine a preference score for each of only the selected Work items; and

assigning the available resource to serve one of only the selected work items that has a best said preference score.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

applying at least one validation rule comprises;

either applying at least one work validation rule of the resource to each said work item in the pool to select only those work items in the pool which the resource is allowed to serve;

or

applying at least one resource validation rule of each said work item in the pool to the resource to select only those work items in the pool which are allowed to be served by the resource.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

applying at least one preference rule comprises;

applying at least one work preference rule of the resource to a resource preference rule of each one of the selected work items to determine the preference score for each of the work items.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

applying at least one validation rule comprises;

applying at least one work validation rule of the resource to each said work item in the pool; and

applying at least one preference rule comprises;

applying at least one work preference rule of the resource to each of the selected work items.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

applying at least one preference rule comprises;

applying a different one of a plurality of work preference rules of the resource to different ones of the selected work items.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

applying at least one preference rule comprises;

applying a current version of a preference rule that changes over time.

7. A method, comprising:

applying at least one validation rule to each resource of a pool of a plurality of currently-available resources to select only those resources from the pool that may serve a currently-available work item;

applying at least one preference rule to each of only the selected resources to determine a preference score for each of only the selected resources; and

assigning the available work item for servicing by one of only the selected resources that has a best said preference score.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

applying at least one validation rule comprises;

either applying at least one resource validation rule of the work item to each said resource in the pool to select only those resources in the pool which are allowed to serve the work item;

or

applying at least one work validation rule of each said resource in the pool in the work item to select only those resources in the pool which are allowed to serve the work item.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein:

applying at least one preference rule comprises;

applying at least one resource preference rule of the work item to a work item preference rule of each of the selected resources to determine the preference score for each of the resources.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein:

applying at least one validation rule comprises applying at least one resource validation rule of the work item to each said resource in the pool; and

applying at least one preference rule comprises;

applying at least one resource preference rule of the work item to each of the selected resources.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein:

applying at least one preference rule comprises;

applying a different one of a plurality of resource preference rules of the work item to different ones of the selected resources.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein:

applying at least one preference rule comprises;

applying a current version of a preference rule that changes over time.

13. A method for matching a work item to a resource, comprising:

applying a first validation rule to each work item included in a pool of work items to select only those work items from the pool that may be served by a currently available first resource;

applying a first preference rule to determine a preference score for at least a first one of said selected work items;

applying a second preference rule to determine a preference score for at least a second one of said selected work items; and

assigning the first resource to a selected work item having a best preference score.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

applying a second validation rule to each work item included in said pool of work items to select only those work items from the pool that may be served by a currently available second resource; and

applying a preference rule to determine a preference score for at least one of said selected work items.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein a plurality of selected work items are determined to have said best preference score, wherein said assigning the first resource to a selected work item comprises assigning each of said plurality of work items to said first resource, wherein said first resource selects one of said assigned work items.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein a work item not selected by said first resource is returned to said pool of work items.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said resource comprises a human agent.

18. A method for matching a resource to a work item, comprising:

applying a first validation rule to each resource included in a pool of resources to select only those resources from the pool that may serve a currently available work item;

applying a first preference rule to determine a preference score for at least one of said selected resources;

applying a second preference rule to determine a preference score for at least a second one of said selected work items; and

assigning the available work item to a selected resource having a best preference score for service.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

applying a second validation rule to each resource included in said pool of resources to select only those resources from the pool that may serve a currently available work item;

applying a preference rule to determine a preference score for said at least one of said selected resources.

20. A work allocation system, comprising:

at least a first resource entry, wherein each resource entry is associated with a system resource;

at least a first work entry, wherein each work entry is associated with a work item;

a first work entry pool associated with a first service;

a second work entry pool associated with a second service;

a first resource entry pool associated with said first service;

a second resource entry pool associated with said second service;

a matchmaker, wherein each work entry included in said first work entry pool is considered with respect to each resource entry included in said first resource entry pool, and wherein in response to a work entry in said first work entry pool and a resource entry in said first resource entry pool, each work entry in said first work entry pool is evaluated against each resource entry in said first resource entry pool, to determine whether a prospective work item and resource pair is valid, wherein each valid prospective work item and resource pair is scored, and wherein a first valid prospective work item and resource pair is scored according to first criteria and wherein a second valid prospective work item and resource pair is scored according to a second criteria.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

in response to a work entry in said second work entry pool and a resource entry in said second resource entry pool, each work entry in said second work entry pool is evaluated against each resource entry in said second resource entry pool.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein a second resource entry in said second resource entry pool is associated with said first resource, and wherein a resource associated with a resource entry in said second work entry pool is not allocated to said first resource as a result of said evaluation of each work entry in said second work entry pool against each resource entry in said second resource entry pool.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said first resource entry associated with said first resource includes a first service validity rule, wherein said first resource entry is associated with said first resource entry pool, and wherein said second resource entry associated with said first resource includes a second service validity rule, wherein said second resource entry is associated with said second resource entry pool.

24. The system of claim 20, further comprising a switch, wherein said first resource is placed in communication with said first work item through said switch.

25. The system of claim 20, wherein said first resource is interconnected to said system by a local area network.

26. The system of claim 20, wherein said first resource is interconnected to said system by a private branch exchange.

27. The system of claim 20, wherein said first resource comprises a human agent.

28. The system of claim 20, wherein said first work item comprises a customer requiring assistance.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein said customer is interconnected to said system by a public switched telephone network.

30. A computational component for performing a method, the method comprising:

receiving a first one of a work entry and a resource entry;

receiving a plurality of a second one of a work entry and a resource entry;

comparing a validation rule associated with said first one of a work entry and a resource entry to a characteristic of said plurality of a second one of a work entry and a resource entry to identify each of said plurality of said second one of a work entry and a resource entry that can be validly matched with said first one of a work entry and a resource entry; and

comparing a preference rule associated with said first one of a work entry and a resource entry to a characteristic of each of said plurality of a second one of a work entry and a resource entry that can be validly matched to said first one to generate a score, wherein said first one of a work entry and a resource entry is matched to at least one entry included in said plurality of a second one of a work entry and a resource entry.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein a first work entry is received, wherein a first plurality of resource entries are received, wherein a first validation rule associated with said first work entry is compared to a characteristic of said resource entries, said method further comprising:

receiving a second work entry;

receiving a second plurality of resource entries;

comparing a second validation rule associated with said second work entry to a characteristic of each of said second plurality of resource entries to identify each of said second plurality of resource entries that can be validly matched with said second work entry.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein a first work entry is received, wherein a first plurality of resource entries are received, wherein a first preference rule associated with said first work entry is compared to a characteristic of said resource entries, said method further comprising:

receiving a second work entry;

receiving a second plurality of resource entries;

comparing a second preference rule associated with said second work entry to a characteristic of each of said second plurality of resource entries to generate a score.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein a first resource entry is received, wherein a first plurality of work entries are received, wherein a first validation rule associated with said first resource entry is compared to a characteristic of a first one of said work entries, said method further comprising:

receiving a second resource;

receiving a second plurality of work entries;

.

comparing a second validation rule associated with said second resource entry to a characteristic of each of said second plurality of work entries to identify each of said second plurality of resource entries that can be validly matched with said second resource.

34. The method of claim 30, wherein a first resource entry is received, wherein a first plurality of work entries are received, wherein a first preference rule associated with said first resource entry is compared to a characteristic of a first one of said work entries, said method further comprising:

receiving a second resource;

receiving a second plurality of work entries;

comparing a second preference rule associated with said second resource entry to a characteristic of each of said second plurality of work entries to generate a score.

35. The method of claim 30, wherein at least one of said work validation rule and said preference rule is other than a characteristic.

36. The method of claim 30, detecting a change in an environmental condition wherein at least one of said validation rule and said preference rule is changed.

37. The method of claim 30, wherein said second one comprises a plurality of work entries, and wherein said step of comparing preference rules matches said resource entry to more than one of said plurality of work entries, said method further comprising:

allowing a resource associated with said resource entry to select from more than one of said plurality of work entries.

38. The method of claim 30, wherein at least one work entry includes one of a unique resource validation rule and a unique resource preference rule.

39. The method of claim 30, wherein at least one resource entry includes one of a unique work validation rule and a unique work preference rule.

40. The method of claim 30, wherein said computational component comprises a computer readable storage medium containing instructions for performing the method.

41. The method of claim 30, wherein said computational component comprises a logic circuit.

42. A system for matching available resources to available work items, comprising:

means for generating resource entries;

means for generating work entries;

means for storing said resource entries;

means for storing said work entries;

means for pooling at least a first plurality of said resource entries;

means for pooling at least a first plurality of said work entries;

means for comparing each resource entry included in said first plurality of resource entries to each work entry included in said first plurality of work entries, wherein at least one of a) a first status is assigned to each work entry that has at least a minimum qualification required to service a resource associated with a resource entry under consideration, and b) a first status is assigned to each resource entry that has a minimum requirement that is met by a resource entry under consideration; and

means for scoring at least one of a) a first work entry assigned said first status, and b) a first resource assigned said first status.

43. The system of claim 42, wherein a resource entry is generated for each available resource, and wherein a work entry is generated for each available work item.

44. The system of claim 42, further comprising:

means for establishing communications between a work item associated with a work entry and a resource associated with a resource entry, one of said work entry and said resource entry being a high scoring entry.