System and Method to Manage Problems with Network-Based Services

• US 20110072312A1
• Filed: 09/24/2009
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lam, Jennifer K., Fan, James
• Granted Patent: US 8,266,478 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0748 in a remote unit communicating with a single-box computer node experiencing an error/fault remote testing G06F11/2294
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/079 Root cause analysis, i.e. error or fault diagnosis in a hardware test environment G06F11/22; in a software test environment G06F11/36

Abstract

A problem management system can include a system architecture having a first horizontal layer including a plurality of access interfaces, each access interface adapted to receive a problem report from a customer. The problem report indicates that the customer is having a problem with a network-based service of a plurality of network-based services. The architecture also includes a task management domain at the first horizontal layer adapted to obtain a workflow, a problem resolution rule, or any combination thereof, from a second horizontal layer of the problem management system, and provide a diagnostic tool, troubleshooting information, or any combination thereof, via the access interface. The architecture also includes an agent support platform to provide the diagnostic tool, troubleshooting information, a trouble report associated with the customer, a problem history associated with the customer, or any combination thereof, to an agent via another access interface after the customer contacts the agent.

Claims

1. A method of managing problems with network-based services, the method comprising:

receiving a problem report from a customer via an access interface of a plurality of access interfaces at a first horizontal layer of a problem management system, wherein the problem report indicates that the customer is having a problem with one of the network-based services;

receiving a request for self-service problem resolution via the access interface;

identifying a workflow, a problem resolution rule, or any combination thereof, related to the problem and obtaining the workflow, the problem resolution rule, or any combination thereof, from a second layer of the problem management system;

providing a diagnostic tool, troubleshooting information, or any combination thereof, from the second layer to the customer via the access interface, according to the workflow, problem resolution rule, or combination thereof; and

providing the diagnostic tool, troubleshooting information, a trouble report associated with the customer, a problem history associated with the customer, or any combination thereof, to an agent via another access interface after the customer contacts the agent.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a network problem prior to receiving the problem report from the customer;

creating a response related to the network problem; and

providing the response to the customer via the access interface when the problem report includes a problem related to the network problem.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising verifying a customer account before providing the diagnostic tool, troubleshooting information, or any combination thereof, to the customer.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating a customer trouble report and storing data indicating that the customer has reported the problem with the network-based service.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising storing additional data with the trouble report after providing a diagnostic tool, troubleshooting information, or any combination thereof, the additional data indicating the diagnostic tool, troubleshooting information, or any combination thereof, provided to the customer.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising, when the problem is resolved based on the diagnostic tool, troubleshooting information, or any combination thereof, storing data indicating how the problem was resolved at a common knowledge data store, a problem handling domain, a customer tracing domain, or any combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising storing further data with the trouble report after the customer contacts the agent, the further data indicating that the customer has contacted an agent.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising providing the trouble report to the agent after the customer contacts the agent.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising, when the problem is resolved by the agent, storing data indicating how the problem was resolved at a common knowledge data store, a problem handling domain, a customer tracing domain, an agent knowledge data store, or any combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a self-healing application to a customer premises equipment device after the customer premises equipment device detects the problem.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the problem report is received from the customer after the customer premises equipment attempts to resolve the problem using the self-healing application.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising storing information at the problem management system indicating that the customer premises equipment attempt to resolve the problem using the self-healing application, where the information is accessible to the agent after the customer contacts the agent.

13. A problem management system, comprising:

a system architecture that includes;

a first horizontal layer including a plurality of access interfaces, each access interface adapted to receive a problem report from a customer, wherein the problem report indicates that the customer is having a problem with a network-based service of a plurality of network-based services;

a task management domain at the first horizontal layer and adapted to;

obtain a workflow, a problem resolution rule, or any combination thereof, from a second horizontal layer of the problem management system;

provide a diagnostic tool, troubleshooting information, or any combination thereof, from the second layer to the customer via the access interface, according to the workflow, problem resolution rule, or combination thereof; and

an agent support platform to provide the diagnostic tool, troubleshooting information, a trouble report associated with the customer, a problem history associated with the customer, or any combination thereof, to an agent via another access interface after the customer contacts the agent.

14. The problem management system of claim 13, wherein the task management domain is adapted to obtain information from a third horizontal layer to verify customer access to a problem management service before providing the diagnostic tool, troubleshooting information, or any combination thereof, to the customer.

15. The problem management system of claim 13, wherein the first horizontal layer includes a customer tracking domain to store a customer trouble report, the trouble report including data indicating what has previously been done to resolve the problem, wherein the trouble report is accessible to the agent after the customer contacts the agent.

16. The problem management system of claim 13, wherein the first horizontal layer includes a common knowledge domain accessible to the agent, the customer, or any combination thereof, wherein the common knowledge domain stores data indicating how a problem previously reported by another customer was resolved.

17. The problem management system of claim 13, wherein the second horizontal layer includes a problem handling domain to store customer problem and repair records, including complete problem resolution cases, problem histories related to a network, problem histories related to a service, customer contact logs, problem outcomes, or any combination thereof.

18. The problem management system of claim 13, wherein the second horizontal layer includes a reporting domain to compile reports related to problem trends, alerts, service and network performance indicators, agent performance indicators, or any combination thereof.

19. The problem management system of claim 13, wherein the access interface includes a web interface, an interactive voice response interface, an e-mail interface, a messaging interface, or a self-service television channel delivered to the customer via a private access network.

20. The problem management system of claim 13, wherein the other access interface includes a thin client graphical user interface.