Automatic contact distributor with workflow system integration

• US 20060233345A1
• Filed: 04/18/2005
• Published: 10/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Electronics Commerce Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Electronics Commerce Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Mancuso, Richard, Kalayil, Sales, Frediani, Michael, Michelson, Mark
• Application Number:
  US11/108,555
• Publication Number:
  US 20060233345A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/265.20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5232 Call distribution algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5238 with waiting time or load prediction arrangements

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for operating an automatic contact distributor by an organization having a plurality of agents. The method includes the steps of detecting receipt of a plurality of contacts and a plurality of workflow projects, determining a contact type of each contact of the plurality of contacts and a workflow type of each workflow project of the plurality of workflow projects and assigning a contact of the plurality of contacts to a first agent of the plurality of agents and a workflow project of the plurality of workflow projects to a second agent of the plurality of agents where the assignment of the contact and of the workflow project to the first and second agent is based upon a set of enterprise rules of the organization.

Claims

1. A method of operating an automatic contact distributor by an organization having a plurality of agents, such method comprising:

detecting receipt of a plurality of contacts and a plurality of workflow projects by the automatic contact distributor; and

the automatic contact distributor assigning a contact of the plurality of contacts to a first agent of the plurality of agents and a workflow project of the plurality of workflow projects to a second agent of the plurality of agents where the assignment of the contact and of the workflow project to the first and second agent is based upon a set of enterprise rules of the organization.

2. The method of operating an automatic contact distributor as in claim 1 further comprising determining a contact type of each contact of the plurality of contacts and a workflow type of each workflow project of the plurality of workflow projects.

3. The method of operating the automatic call distributor as in claim 2 wherein the step of assigning the workflow project to the agent further comprises selecting the agent from the plurality of agents based upon a comparison between a skills list of each of the plurality of agents and the determined type of the workflow project.

4. The method of operating the automatic call distributor as in claim 1 wherein the step of assigning the workflow project to the second agent further comprises sending a workflow project identifier to the second agent.

5. The method of operating the automatic call distributor as in claim 1 further comprising a terminal of the second agent retrieving a record of the assigned workflow project from a database based upon the workflow project identifier.

6. The method of operating the automatic call distributor as in claim 1 further comprising preferentially assigning contacts to agent over workflow projects when a contact queue exceeds a predetermined threshold level.

7. The method of operating the automatic call distributor as in claim 1 further comprising opening a workflow file for each workflow project that includes at least an identifier of the agent and an identifier of the workflow type.

8. The method of operating the automatic call distributor as in claim 7 further comprising measuring a time that each agent spends on an assigned workflow project and adding the measured time to the workflow file.

9. The method of operating the automatic call distributor as in claim 8 further comprising determining a total number of workflow projects by workflow type that each agent of the plurality of agents has handled per time period.

10. The method of operating the automatic call distributor as in claim 9 further comprising determining an average handling time by workflow type for workflow projects assigned to each agent of the plurality of agents.

11. The method of operating the automatic call distributor as in claim 10 further comprising generating an agent performance report per time period for a supervisor that shows the total number of workflow projects by workflow type handled by each agent of the plurality of agents.

12. The method of operating the automatic call distributor as in claim 10 further comprising generating an agent performance report per time period for a supervisor that includes the average handling time for each workflow type per agent of the plurality of agents.

13. The method of operating the automatic call distributor as in claim 10 further comprising generating an agent performance report per time period for a supervisor that includes side-by-side reporting on contacts and workflow projects handled by the plurality of agents.

14. A apparatus for operating an automatic contact distributor by an organization having a plurality of agents, such apparatus comprising:

means for detecting receipt of a plurality of contacts and a plurality of workflow projects; and

means for assigning a contact of the plurality of contacts to a first agent of the plurality of agents and a workflow project of the plurality of workflow projects to a second agent of the plurality of agents where the assignment of the contact and of the workflow project to the first and second agent is based upon a set of enterprise rules of the organization.

15. The apparatus for operating an automatic contact distributor as in claim 14 further comprising means for determining a contact type of each contact of the plurality of contacts and a workflow type of each workflow project of the plurality of workflow projects.

16. The apparatus for operating the automatic call distributor as in claim 15 wherein the means for assigning the workflow project to the agent further comprises means for selecting the agent from the plurality of agents based upon a comparison between a skills list of each of the plurality of agents and the determined type of the workflow project.

17. The apparatus for operating the automatic call distributor as in claim 14 wherein the means for assigning the workflow project to the second agent further comprises means for sending a workflow project identifier to the second agent.

18. The apparatus for operating the automatic call distributor as in claim 14 further comprising means within a terminal of the second agent for retrieving a record of the assigned workflow project from a database based upon the workflow project identifier.

19. The apparatus for operating the automatic call distributor as in claim 14 further comprising means for preferentially assigning contacts to agent over workflow projects when a contact queue exceeds a predetermined threshold level.

20. The apparatus for operating the automatic call distributor as in claim 14 further comprising means for opening a workflow file for each workflow project that includes at least an identifier of the agent and an identifier of the workflow type.

21. The apparatus for operating the automatic call distributor as in claim 20 further comprising means for measuring a time that each agent spends on an assigned workflow project and adding the measured time to the workflow file.

22. The apparatus for operating the automatic call distributor as in claim 21 further comprising means for determining a total number of workflow projects by workflow type that each agent of the plurality of agents has handled per time period.

23. The apparatus for operating the automatic call distributor as in claim 22 further comprising means for determining an average handling time by workflow type for workflow projects assigned to each agent of the plurality of agents.

24. The apparatus for operating the automatic call distributor as in claim 23 further comprising means for generating an agent performance report per time period for a supervisor that includes the total number of workflow projects by workflow type handled by each agent of the plurality of agents.

25. The apparatus for operating the automatic call distributor as in claim 24 further comprising means for generating an agent performance report per time period for the supervisor that includes the average handling time for each workflow type per agent of the plurality of agents.

26. The apparatus for operating the automatic call distributor as in claim 25 further comprising means for generating an agent performance report per time period for the supervisor that includes side-by-side reporting on contacts and workflow projects handled by the plurality of agents.

27. A apparatus for operating an automatic contact distributor by an organization having a plurality of agents, such apparatus comprising:

a project processor that detects receipt of a plurality of contacts and a plurality of workflow projects; and

an agent selection application that assigns a contact of the plurality of contacts to a first agent of the plurality of agents and a workflow project of the plurality of workflow projects to a second agent of the plurality of agents where the assignment of the contact and of the workflow project to the first and second agent is based upon a set of enterprise rules of the organization.

28. The apparatus for operating an automatic contact distributor as in claim 27 further comprising a comparison processor that determines a contact type of each contact of the plurality of contacts and a workflow type of each workflow project of the plurality of workflow projects.

29. The apparatus for operating the automatic call distributor as in claim 28 wherein the agent selection application further comprises a skills list for selecting the agent from the plurality of agents based upon the determined type of the workflow project.

30. The apparatus for operating the automatic call distributor as in claim 27 further comprising that threshold values that causes the agent selection application to preferentially assign contacts to agent over workflow projects when a contact queue exceeds a predetermined threshold level.

31. The apparatus for operating the automatic call distributor as in claim 27 further comprising a workflow file that is opened for each workflow project that includes at least an identifier of the agent and an identifier of the workflow type.

32. The apparatus for operating the automatic call distributor as in claim 31 further comprising a timer that measures a time that each agent spends on an assigned workflow project and adding the measured time to the workflow file.

33. The apparatus for operating the automatic call distributor as in claim 32 further comprising a statistics processor that determines an average handling time by workflow type for workflow projects assigned to each agent of the plurality of agents.

34. The apparatus for operating the automatic call distributor as in claim 33 further comprising a supervisors workstation that displays the average handling time by workflow type for workflow projects assigned to each agent of the plurality of agents.

35. The apparatus for operating the automatic call distributor as in claim 34 further comprising a report displayed on the supervisor terminal that provides a side-by-side report of a total number, averages and identifiers of contacts and workflow projects handled by each agent and group averages.