Telephone call center management system which supports multi-user and separate private applications

• US 5,790,650 A
• Filed: 04/18/1996
• Issued: 08/04/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aspect Software Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Davox Corporation (Aspect Software Incorporated)
• Inventors: Smith, B. Scott, Dunn, Judith A., Carney, Michael S.
• Primary Examiner(s): MATAR, AHMAD
• Application Number:
  US08/634,473
• Time in Patent Office: 838 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265, 379/266, 379/309, 379/214, 379/201, 379/269, 379/268
• US Class Current: 379/265.03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/46 Arrangements for calling a number of substations in a predetermined sequence until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5158 in combination with automated outdialling systems devices for signalling identity of wanted subscriber H04M1/26
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5175 Call or contact centers supervision arrangements

Abstract

A telephone call center management system capable of simultaneously operating at least two separate telephony applications. A first group of agents is assigned to service a first telephone application. A first telephony center supervisor is assigned to at least view the operation of at least the first telephone application and at least the first group of agents. A second group of agents is assigned to service a second telephone application, while a second telephony center supervisor is assigned to at least view the operation of the second telephone application and the second group of agents. A supervisor can not view or control the agents or resources of an application not assigned to that supervisor. Supervisors may be assigned different application access levels, which control how much supervision supervisors have over the agents in applications the supervisors may access.

Claims

1. A telephone call center management system, comprising:

a telephony resource server on which is simultaneously operable at least first and second telephony applications;

at least a first group of agent workstations, coupled to said telephony resource server, for use by a first group of agents assigned to said first telephony application for servicing said first telephony application;

at least a first telephony center supervisor workstation coupled to said telephony resource server, for use by a first supervisor assigned to said first telephony application, for at least viewing the operation of said first telephony application and accessing information relative to said first group of agents assigned to said first telephony application;

at least a second group of agent workstations, coupled to said telephony resource server, for use by a second group of agents assigned to said second telephony application for servicing said second telephony application;

at least a second telephony center supervisor workstation coupled to said telephony resource server, for use by a second supervisor assigned to said second telephony application, for at least viewing the operation of said second telephony application and accessing information relative to said second group of agents assigned to said second telephony application; and

a telephony resource server controller, coupled to said agent workstations and said supervisor workstations, for allowing said respective first and second telephony center supervisors at said first and second telephony center supervisor workstations to at least view the operation of only respective assigned said first and second telephony applications, and to access only information relative to respective assigned said first and second groups of agents.

2. The telephone call center management system of claim 1, wherein said telephony resource server controller allows said at least a first telephony center supervisor to view only the operation of at least said first telephony application and at least said first group of agents.

3. The telephone call center management system of claim 1, wherein said telephony resource server controller allows said at least a first telephony center supervisor to control the operation of at least said first telephony application and at least said first group of agents.

4. The telephone call center management system of claim 1, wherein said telephony resource server controller allows said at least a second telephony center supervisor to view only the operation of at least said second telephony application and at least said second group of agents.

5. The telephone call center management system of claim 1, wherein said telephony resource server controller allows said second telephony center supervisor to control the operation of at least said second telephony application and at least said second group of agents.

6. The telephone call center management system of claim 1, wherein said group of agents includes at least one agent.

7. The telephone call center management system of claim 1, wherein said telephony resource server controller allows said first and second telephony center supervisors at said first and second telephony center supervisor workstations to respectively view and control the operation of only said respective assigned said first and second telephony applications and servicing results of said respective assigned said first and second groups of agents.

8. The telephony call center management system of claim 1, wherein said telephony resource controller includes an agent data structure, said agent data structure for providing an indication that each agent at an agent workstation in said first and second groups of agent workstations is assigned to respective said first and second telephony applications.

9. The telephony call center management system of claim 1, wherein said telephony resource server controller includes a supervisor data structure, said supervisor data structure for providing an indication that at least said first and second telephony center supervisors at said first and second telephony center supervisor workstations are assigned to respective said first and second telephony applications.

10. The telephony call center management system of claim 1, wherein said telephony resource server includes a historical information data structure, said historical information data structure for providing historical information on said first and second groups of agents and said first and second applications in said telephone call center management system.

11. The telephony call center management system of claim 9, wherein said supervisor data structure provides an indication of an application access level defining access by each of said at least a first and second telephony center supervisors respectively to said first and second applications and said first and second groups of agents.

12. The telephone call center management system of claim 1 further including at least one system administrator workstation, coupled to said telephony resource server, for use by a system administrator assigned to both of said first and second telephony applications, and wherein said telephony resource server controller allows said at least one system administrator at said at least one system administrator workstation to view the operation of said first and second telephony applications and to access information relative to said first and second groups of agents and said first and second supervisors.

13. A telephone call center management system, for managing agents in a telephone call center, said telephone call center management system comprising:

a telephony resource server, for initiating a plurality of telephony applications;

a plurality of agent workstations, coupled to said telephony resource server, for use by a plurality of agents, wherein each of said plurality of agents at said plurality of agent workstations are assigned to at least one of said plurality of telephony applications, forming a plurality of groups of agents assigned to a respective plurality of assigned telephony applications;

a plurality of supervisor workstations, coupled to said telephony resource server, for use by a plurality of supervisors, wherein each of said plurality of supervisors at said plurality of supervisor workstations are assigned to at least one of said plurality of groups of agents and at least one of said respective plurality of assigned telephony applications;

an agent data structure including a plurality of agent identifiers, for identifying each of said plurality of agents, and at least one application identifier associated with each of said plurality of agent identifiers, for identifying said assigned telephony applications to which each of said plurality of agents is assigned;

a supervisor data structure including a plurality of supervisor identifiers, for identifying each of said plurality of supervisors, and at least one application identifier associated with each of said plurality of supervisor identifiers, for identifying said assigned telephony applications to which each of said plurality of supervisors is assigned, said supervisor data structure further including an access level identifier associated with each of said plurality of supervisor identifiers, for identifying an access level of each of said plurality of supervisors with respect to said plurality of telephony applications and said plurality of groups of agents; and

a telephony resource server controller, responsive to said supervisor data structure and said agent data structure, for allowing each of said plurality of supervisors to access, at said access level defined by said access level identifier, at least one of said plurality telephony applications and at least one of said plurality of groups of agents.

14. The telephone call center management system of claim 13 wherein said access level is selected from the group consisting of an administrative access level, a supervisory access level, and a view only access level, wherein said administrative access level allows access to and control over all of said plurality of telephony applications and all of said plurality of groups of agents and said plurality of supervisors assigned to said plurality of telephony applications, wherein said supervisor access level allows access to and control over only said assigned telephony applications identified by said at least one application identifier and respective ones of said plurality of groups of agents assigned to said assigned telephony applications identified by said at least one application identifier, and wherein said view only access level allows view only access to only said assigned applications identified by said at least one application identifier and respective ones of said plurality of groups of agents assigned to said assigned applications identified by said at least one application identifier.

15. A method of managing agents in a telephone call center including a telephony resource server, for controlling telephone calls in said telephone call center and handing of said telephone calls by said agents, a plurality of agent workstations, coupled to said telephony resource server, for use by a plurality of agents, and a plurality of supervisor workstations, coupled to said telephony resource server, for use by a plurality of supervisors, said method comprising:

initiating at least first and second telephony applications on said telephone call center;

assigning at least one of said plurality of agents at said plurality of agent workstations to each of said first and second telephony applications;

assigning at least one of said plurality of supervisors at said plurality of supervisor workstations to each of said first and second telephony applications;

assigning an access level to each of said plurality of supervisors assigned to said first and second telephony applications, wherein said access level defines an ability of each of said plurality of supervisors to access said first and second telephony applications and said at least one agent assigned to said first and second telephony applications; and

allowing each of said plurality of supervisors at said plurality of supervisor workstations to access said first and second telephony applications and said at least one agent assigned to said first and second telephony applications based upon said access level assigned to each of said first and second supervisors.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said access level is selected from a group consisting of an administrative access level, a supervisory access level, and a view only access level, wherein said administrative access level allows access to and control over at least said first and second telephony applications and said plurality of agents and said plurality of supervisors assigned to said first and second telephony applications, wherein said supervisor access level allows access to and control over only an assigned one of said first and second telephony applications and respective said at least one said plurality of agents assigned to said assigned one of said first and second telephony applications, and wherein said view only access level allows view only access to only an assigned one of said first and second telephony applications and respective said at least one of said plurality of agents assigned to said assigned one of said first and second telephony applications.

17. The method of claim 15 further including the step of:

providing an agent data structure including a plurality of agent identifiers, for identifying each of said plurality of agents, and at least one application identifier associated with each of said plurality of agent identifiers, for identifying an assigned one of said plurality of telephony applications to which each of said plurality of agents is assigned; and

wherein the step of assigning at least one of said plurality of agents to each of said first and second telephony applications includes modifying said agent data structure by providing an application identifier corresponding to each of said first and second telephony applications to which said at least one of said plurality of agents is assigned.

18. The method of claim 15 further including the step of:

providing a supervisor data structure including a plurality of supervisor identifiers, for identifying each of said plurality of supervisors, and at least one application identifier associated with each of said plurality of supervisor identifiers, for identifying an assigned one of said plurality of telephony applications to which each of said plurality of supervisors is assigned, said supervisor data structure further including an access level identifier associated with each of said plurality of supervisor identifiers, for identifying said access level of each of said plurality of supervisors with respect to said plurality of telephony applications and said plurality of agents;

wherein the step of assigning at least one of said plurality of supervisors to each of said first and second telephony applications includes modifying said supervisor data structure by providing an application identifier corresponding to each of said first and second telephony applications to which said at least one of said plurality of supervisors is assigned; and

wherein the step of assigning said access level to each of said plurality of supervisors includes modifying said supervisor data structure by providing an access level identifier corresponding to said access level assigned to each of said plurality of supervisors.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein assigning at least one of said plurality of agents includes assigning a group of agents to each of said first and second telephony applications.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein assigning at least one of said plurality of supervisors includes assigning first and second supervisors to respective said first and second telephony applications, and assigning a third supervisor to both said first and second telephony applications.