Systems and methods for automatic scheduling of a workforce

• US 20080004934A1
• Filed: 06/30/2006
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verint Americas Incorporated (Verint Systems Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Verint Americas Incorporated (Verint Systems Incorporated)
• Inventors: Peleg, Uri, Fama, Jason, Lawrence, Richard M., Joshi, Sameet Vasant, Bourke, Michael R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,131,578 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 10/1097 Task assignment

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for scheduling a workforce. In one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of: receiving a shift activity template; receiving an association between the shift activity template and at least one worker; and scheduling a plurality of schedulable objects. The scheduling is performed in accordance with a workload forecast and schedule constraints. Each of the schedulable objects is based on the shift activity template. The shift activity template describes a worker activity performed during a shift. The template has range of start times and a variable length for the activity. The activity is associated with a queue.

Claims

1. A method of workforce scheduling, comprising the steps of:

receiving a shift activity template describing a worker activity performed during a shift, the template having a range of start times and a variable length for the activity, the activity being associated with a queue;

receiving an association between the shift activity template and at least one worker; and

scheduling a plurality of schedulable objects in accordance with a workload forecast and schedule constraints, each of the schedulable objects being based on the shift activity template.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the shift activity template defines the variable length using a period attribute and a count attribute, wherein the count attribute is a range.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the shift activity template defines the variable length using a period attribute and a duration attribute, wherein the duration attribute is a range.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the scheduling step further comprises the steps of:

creating each of the schedulable objects from the shift activity template;

creating a plurality of potential bindings for each of the schedulable objects based on a plurality of timeslots in the schedule;

selecting one of the potential bindings for association with the schedulable object, in accordance with the workload forecast and the schedule constraints; and

producing the schedule by applying the selected one of the bindings to the schedulable object.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the shift activity template defines the variable length using a period attribute and a count attribute, wherein the count of schedulable blocks in the plurality is determined by the count attribute.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the shift activity template defines the variable length using a period attribute and a duration attribute, wherein the count of schedulable blocks in the plurality is determined by the duration attribute and the period attribute.

7. A computer implemented system of scheduling a workforce comprising:

a user interface operative to receive a shift activity template describing a worker activity performed during a shift and to receive an association between the shift activity template and at least one worker, the template having a range of start times and a variable length for the activity, the activity being associated with a queue; and

a scheduler operative to select one of a plurality of bindings for each of a plurality of schedulable objects in accordance with a workload forecast and schedule constraints, each of the schedulable objects being based on the shift activity template.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the scheduler further comprises:

logic for creating each of the schedulable objects from the shift activity template;

logic for creating a plurality of potential bindings for each of the schedulable objects based on a plurality of timeslots in the schedule;

logic for selecting one of the potential bindings for association with the schedulable object, in accordance with the workload forecast and the schedule constraints; and

logic for producing the schedule by applying the selected one of the bindings to the schedulable object.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the shift activity template defines the variable length using a period attribute and a count attribute, wherein the count of schedulable blocks in the plurality is determined by the count attribute.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the shift activity template defines the variable length using a period attribute and a duration attribute, wherein the count of schedulable blocks in the plurality is determined by the duration attribute and the period attribute.

11. The system of claim 7, further comprising an activity collector, the activity collector comprising:

logic for receiving an agent event from a data sub-source, the data sub-source associated with a parent data source; and

logic for mapping the event to one of a plurality of agent activities through a mapping definition associated with the data sub-source,

12. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

logic for receiving a plurality of agent events from a plurality of data sub-sources, each of the agent events associated with the same agent, each of the data sub-sources specific to a queue and associated with a parent data source; and

logic for mapping the event to one of a plurality of agent activities through a mapping definition associated with the data sub-source; and

an agent activity tracking view configured to display the agent activities in conjunction with a timeline, wherein each of the agent activities is associated with a different queue.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the activity collector further comprises:

logic for mapping the event to one of the agent activities through a mapping definition associated with a parent of the data sub-source if no mapping is associated with the data sub-source.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the activity collector further comprises:

logic for creating a new event if the data sub-source has no parent or if no mapping is associated with a parent of the data sub-source.

15. A computer-readable medium having a computer program stored thereon, the computer program comprising computer-executable instructions for performing a computer-executed method for scheduling a workforce in a contact center, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a shift activity template describing a worker activity performed during a shift, the template having range of start times and a variable length for the activity, the activity being associated with a queue;

receiving an association between the shift activity template and at least one worker; and

scheduling a plurality of schedulable objects in accordance with a workload forecast and schedule constraints, each of the schedulable objects being based on the shift activity template.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the shift activity template defines the variable length using a period attribute and a count attribute, wherein the count attribute is a range.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the scheduling step further comprises the steps of:

creating each of the schedulable objects from the shift activity template;

creating a plurality of potential bindings for each of the schedulable objects based on a plurality of timeslots in the schedule;

selecting one of the potential bindings for association with the schedulable object, in accordance with the workload forecast and the schedule constraints; and

producing the schedule by applying the selected one of the bindings to the schedulable object.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein each of the bindings corresponds to at least one of the timeslots.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the bindings correspond to adjacent timeslots.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the bindings correspond to non-adjacent timeslots.