Monitoring a response time for a user request

• US 20070136303A1
• Filed: 12/13/2005
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Singh, Satyesh, Singhai, Prashant Kumar
• Granted Patent: US 7,613,281 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A processing system allows for the monitoring of user requests such that a response may be provided within a defined maximum processing time (MPT). The user request relating to issues or concerns with a product or application/usage of the product is received through an input portal, such as a web site. The user request is assigned a response time, typically based on the type of request, where the response time indicates a preferred guideline for how quickly an assistant should provide a response. Once the request has been assigned to an assistant, a notification is generated to inform the assistant about the user request and the corresponding deadline for response. At a pre-determined time prior to the expiration of the response time, it is determined if the response has been provided. If the response has not been provided, a reminder is generated to inform the assistant of the pending deadline.

Claims

1. An apparatus for monitoring a timely response to a user request, the apparatus comprising:

a processing device operative to;

receive the user request;

assign a response time to the user request; and

generate a notification including the user request and a deadline based on the response time;

an output device coupled to the processing device for receiving and displaying the notification; and

the processing device further operative to;

prior to the expiration of the response time, determine if the user request has been processed; and

generate a reminder if the request has not been processed.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

an input device operative to receive the user request from an input portal and provide the user request to the processing device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, the processing device further operative to assign the user request to an assistant, the apparatus further comprising:

a routing device operative to route the notification to the assistant.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a memory device storing a plurality of request types, each type having a request time indicator; and

the processing device further operative to;

determine the request type of the user request; and

retrieve a corresponding request time indicator from the memory device.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a request queue coupled to the processing device such that the user request is stored in the request queue.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the request queue includes a plurality of user requests each having response times such that the users requests are stored in the queue based on the corresponding response times.

7. A method for monitoring a timely response to a user request, the method comprising:

assigning a response time to the user request;

distributing the user request and associated response time to an assistant;

notifying the assistant of the user request and a deadline based on the response time;

at a pre-determined time prior to the expiration of the response time, determining if the user request has been processed; and

if the request has not been processed, reminding the assistant of the user request and the deadline.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

if the request has not been processed at a preset time prior to the expiration of the response time, distributing the user request to a second assistant.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

receiving the user request and the deadline in a remote processing system; and

writing the user request to a request queue.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

writing the response time to a calendar application.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the request queue includes a plurality of user requests having different response times, the method further comprising:

sorting the user requests based on the response times.

12. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

receiving the user request from an input portal; and

processing the user request to determine a request subject.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

assigning the response time to the user request based on the request subject.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

assigning the user request to the assistant based on the request subject.

15. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

prior to distributing the user request to an assistant, displaying the user request in a central display location;

receiving an assignment requests from assistant.

16. A system for monitoring a timely response to a user request, the system comprising:

a first processing device receiving the user request and assigning a response time thereto;

a routing device operative to route the user request and a response time indicator to a second processing device;

the second processing device providing a notification command to an output device to notify an assistant of the user request the response time;

prior to the expiration of the response time, at least one of;

the first processing device and the second processing device is operative to determine if the user request has been processed; and

if the request has not been processed, the second processing device is operative to generate a reminder that is provided to the output device to remind the assistant.

17. The system of claim 16 further comprising:

an input device operative to receive the user request from an input portal and provide the user request to the first processing device.

18. The system of claim 16 further comprising:

a memory device storing a plurality of request types, each type having a request time indicator; and

the first processing device further operative to determine the request type of the user request and retrieve a corresponding request time indicator from the memory device based on the request type.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the routing device routes the user request and response time indicator to the second processing device based on the type of user request.

20. The system of claim 16 further comprising:

a request queue coupled to the second processing device such that the user request is stored in the request queue.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the request queue includes a plurality of user requests each having response times such that the users requests are stored in the queue based on the corresponding response times.