METHOD AND COMPUTER FOR CREATING COMMUNICATOR'S SCHEDULE

• US 20100088145A1
• Filed: 01/25/2008
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: P&W Solutions Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: P&W Solutions Company Limited
• Inventors: Omiya, Toshiyuki
• Application Number:
  US12/524,851
• Publication Number:
  US 20100088145A1
• 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 10/063112 Skill-based matching of a person or a group to a task
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063116 Schedule adjustment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063118 Staff planning in a project environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

A computer (server 10) stores at least data describing the skills of each of a plurality of communicators in a storage unit (120). The computer receives, from a manager at a contact center, an input for specifying the number of communicators to be assigned to each of a plurality of skills of communicators for each time period of a task, and further stores data describing the number of personnel designated by the received input into the storage unit (120) for each time period of the task. According to the stored data describing the number of personnel, the computer creates the schedules of the plurality of communicators for each time period of the task.

Claims

1. A method of creating schedules for a plurality of communicators of a contact center by a computer,

wherein the computer stores at least data indicating a skill of each of the plurality of communicators in a storage unit;

the method comprising steps of;

accepting a designated input of a number of the communicators to be placed, for each of a plurality of skills of the communicators for each of the time periods of a task, from a manager of the contact center;

further storing, in the storage unit, data indicating a number of personnel who have accepted the designated input for each time period of the task; and

creating a schedule of the plurality of communicators, based on data indicating the stored number of personnel for each time period of the task.

2. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the computer stores, in the storage unit, each skill of the plurality of communicators by dividing into a plurality of levels;

the computer further accepts designated input of the level from the manager, in the step of accepting the designated input;

the computer further stores, in the storage unit, the level for which the designated input was accepted, in the step of storing; and

the schedule is created based on the level further stored, in the step of creating the schedule.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the computer further stores in the storage unit data indicating a job title for each of the plurality of communicators;

the computer further accepts a designated input of the number of the communicators to be placed for each of the plurality of job titles of the communicators for each of the time periods of the task from the manager, in the step of accepting the designated input;

the computer further stores in the storage unit data indicating the number of personnel for which the designated input was accepted, in the step of storing; and

the computer creates the schedule based on data indicating the job title further stored, in the step of creating the schedule.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising steps of the computer:

accepting input of data indicating a desired weekly holiday and a desired shift of the communicator; and

adjusting the created schedule based on data indicating the desired weekly holiday and desired shift for which the input was accepted, in the step of creating the schedule.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising

a step of the computer further storing, in the storage unit, a past absence rate of the communicator by day of week or by time period,

wherein the computer creates the schedule based on the stored absence rate, in the step of creating the schedule.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising

a step of the computer calculating and displaying a rate of filled vacancy based on the number of personnel for whom the specific input was accepted, and the number of personnel actually placed.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising steps of the computer:

accepting an input from the manager converting a portion of a vacation period of the communicator to a work period in relation to the created schedule;

accepting a designation of a predetermined period; and

calculating and displaying a period which can be set for a compensation vacation period of the communicator in relation to the created schedule in the predetermined period for which a designation was accepted.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the computer:

further stores, in the storage unit, early shift and overtime availability data indicating whether each communicator is available for an early shift and/or overtime, and maximum overtime hour data indicating available maximum overtime hours, respectively; and

creates the schedule based on the early shift and overtime availability data and the maximum overtime hour data further stored, in the step of creating the schedule.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising steps of the computer:

accepting from the manager designated input of each service target upon designation of the skill for each time period of each task; and

further storing, in the storage unit, data indicating the service target for which the designated input has been accepted upon designation of the skill for each time period of the task,

wherein the computer creates the schedule based on data indicating the service target further stored, in the step of creating the schedule.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the computer:

further stores, in the storage unit, early shift and overtime availability data indicating whether each communicator is available for one of an early shift and overtime, and maximum overtime hour data indicating available maximum overtime hours, respectively; and

creates the schedule based on the early shift and overtime availability data and the maximum overtime hour data further stored, in the step of creating the schedule.

10. A computer that creates a schedule for a plurality of communicators of a contact center,

wherein at least data indicating a skill for each of the plurality of communicators is stored in a storage unit;

the computer comprising;

a unit configured to accept a designated input of a number of the communicators to be placed for each of a plurality of skills of the communicators for each time period of the task from the manager of the contact center;

a unit configured to store further, in the storage unit data indicating the number of personnel for whom the designated input was accepted for each time period of the task; and

a unit configured to create a schedule for the plurality of communicators based on data indicating the stored number of personnel for each time period of the task.