Synchronization of agent skill data

• US 20060123060A1
• Filed: 07/15/2003
• Published: 06/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Allen, Christopher J., Rodgers, Ervan D., Barry, Beth S. Miles
• Granted Patent: US 8,112,391 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5175 Call or contact centers supervision arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5233 Operator skill based call distribution

Abstract

A method and system for automatically updating and synchronizing contact center agent skill data maintained in a central agent skill database with a routing system based upon skill-changing events triggered in skill-impacting systems. Contact center agent skills may be maintained in a skill database for a set of agents. A skill-impacting system (such as an education system, a satisfaction system or a metrics system) may send skill/capability data for an agent. The agent'"'"'s profile in the skill database may be updated based on the received skill data. Either immediately, when triggered by an event, or at a predetermined interval, a routing system'"'"'s routing logic may be synchronized with the new data in the agent'"'"'s profile. When the contact center receives a contact (such as a phone call, an email, a web chat, an instant message, or a fax) from a customer, processing logic in the routing system may select a best-fit agent based on availability and skill data from the agent profiles.

Claims

1. A method of maintaining skills for agents of a contact center, the method comprising:

providing profiles in a central skill database for a plurality of agents;

receiving skill data from a skill-impacting system for a first agent;

updating a first profile in the central skill database for the first agent based on the skill data received; and

synchronizing a routing system with skill-based information from the first profile in the central skill database.

2. The method from claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a contact from a customer;

processing routing logic in the routing system to select a second agent from the plurality of agents; and

routing the contact to the second agent;

wherein the routing logic depends on agent availability and the skill-based information in the routing system.

3. The method from claim 1, wherein synchronizing the routing system is accomplished for a plurality of profiles in the central skill database.

4. The method from claim 1, wherein updating the first profile is triggered when skill data is received from the skill-impacting system.

5. The method from claim 1, wherein synchronizing the routing system is automatically run when triggered by an event.

6. The method from claim 1, wherein synchronizing the routing system is automatically run at a predetermined time interval.

7. The method from claim 1, wherein the skill data is received from a plurality of skill-impacting systems.

8. A method for synchronizing skill data in a contact center, comprising:

maintaining a plurality of profiles in a central skill database corresponding to a plurality of contact center agents, wherein the plurality of profiles comprise skill-based ratings for a plurality of skills;

using data from at least one skill-impacting system to update the plurality of profiles in the central skill database;

maintaining source data in a routing system for the contact center, wherein the source data is based on agent skills and is leveraged by routing logic to make routing decisions; and

updating the source data based on agent skills with skill-based ratings in the central skill database.

9. The method from claim 8, further comprising:

identifying at least one contact characteristic for a customer; and

selecting an agent from the plurality of agents for the customer;

wherein selecting comprises processing the routing logic to consider the skill-based ratings of the plurality of agents in view of the at least one contact characteristic.

10. The method from claim 9, wherein selecting further comprises choosing an agent who is a best-fit.

11. The method from claim 8 wherein maintaining the plurality of profiles is triggered by the occurrence of a skill-changing event indicated by the at least one skill-impacting system.

12. A system for maintaining skills for agents of a contact center, the system comprising:

a profile module for providing profiles in a central skill database for a plurality of agents;

a skill receiver for receiving skill data from a skill-impacting system for a first agent;

an updating module updating a first profile in the central skill database for the first agent based on the skill data received; and

a synchronization module for synchronizing a routing system with skill-based information from the first profile in the central skill database.

13. The system from claim 12, further comprising:

a contact receiver for receiving a contact from a customer;

a routing processor for processing routing logic in the routing system to select a second agent from the plurality of agents; and

a contact router for routing the contact to the second agent;

wherein the routing logic depends on agent availability and the skill-based information in the routing system.

14. The system from claim 12, wherein the synchronization module synchronizes the routing system with a plurality of profiles in the central skill database.

15. The system from claim 12, wherein updating the first profile is triggered when skill data is received from the skill-impacting system.

16. The system from claim 12, wherein the synchronization module is automatically run when triggered by an event.

17. The system from claim 12, wherein the synchronization module is automatically run at a predetermined time interval.

18. The system from claim 12, wherein the skill receiver receives skill data from a plurality of skill-impacting systems.

22. The system from claim 18 wherein the profile module for maintaining a plurality of profiles is triggered by the occurrence of a skill-changing event indicated by the at least one skill-impacting system.

19. A system for synchronizing skill data in a contact center, comprising:

a profile module for maintaining a plurality of profiles in a central skill database corresponding to a plurality of contact center agents, wherein the plurality of profiles comprise skill-based ratings for a plurality of skills;

a profile maintenance module for using data from at least one skill-impacting system to update the plurality of profiles in the central skill database;

a source data module for maintaining source data in a routing system for the contact center, wherein the source data is based on agent skills and is leveraged by routing logic to make routing decisions; and

an update module for updating the source data based on agent skills with skill-based ratings in the central skill database.

20. The system from claim 19, further comprising:

an identification module for identifying at least one contact characteristic for a customer; and

an agent selector for selecting an agent from the plurality of agents for the customer;

wherein the agent selector comprises a processor module for processing the routing logic to consider the skill-based ratings of the plurality of agents in view of the at least one contact characteristic.

21. The system from claim 20, wherein the agent selector further comprises a agent chooser for choosing an agent who is a best-fit.

23. A computer program on a computer readable medium, for execution by a computer for maintaining skills for agents of a contact center, the computer program comprising:

a code segment for providing profiles in a central skill database for a plurality of agents;

a code segment for receiving skill data from a skill-impacting system for a first agent;

a code segment for updating a first profile in the central skill database for the first agent based on the skill data received; and

a code segment for synchronizing a routing system with skill-based information from the first profile in the central skill database.

24. The computer program from claim 23, further comprising:

a code segment for receiving a contact from a customer;

a code segment for processing routing logic in the routing system to select a second agent from the plurality of agents; and

a code segment for routing the contact to the second agent;

wherein the code segment for routing logic depends on agent availability and the skill-based information in the routing system.

25. The computer program from claim 23, wherein the code segment for synchronizing the routing system synchronizes a plurality of profiles in the central skill database.

26. The computer program from claim 23, wherein updating the first profile is triggered when skill data is received from the skill-impacting system.

27. The computer program from claim 23, wherein the code segment for synchronizing is automatically run when triggered by an event.

28. The computer program from claim 23, wherein the code segment for synchronizing is automatically run at a predetermined time interval.

29. The computer program from claim 23, wherein the skill data is received from a plurality of skill-impacting systems.

30. A computer program on a computer readable medium, for execution by a computer for synchronizing skill data in a contact center, the computer program comprising:

a code segment for maintaining a plurality of profiles in a central skill database corresponding to a plurality of contact center agents, wherein the plurality of profiles comprise skill-based ratings for a plurality of skills;

a code segment for using data from at least one skill-impacting system to update the plurality of profiles in the central skill database;

a code segment for maintaining source data in a routing system for the contact center, wherein the source data is based on agent skills and is leveraged by routing logic to make routing decisions; and

a code segment for updating the source data based on agent skills with skill-based ratings in the central skill database.

31. The computer program from claim 30, further comprising:

a code segment for identifying at least one contact characteristic for a customer; and

a code segment for selecting an agent from the plurality of agents for the customer;

wherein the code segment for selecting comprises a code segment for processing the routing logic to consider the skill-based ratings of the plurality of agents in view of the at least one contact characteristic.

32. The computer program from claim 31, wherein the code segment for selecting further comprises a code segment for choosing an agent who is a best-fit.

33. The computer program from claim 30 wherein the code segment for maintaining a plurality of profiles is triggered by the occurrence of a skill-changing event indicated by the at least one skill-impacting system.