Resource management facilitation

• US 6,526,397 B2
• Filed: 06/19/1998
• Issued: 02/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Chopra, Jeannie Lin, Davies, Adrian Richard, Chee, Chuan Khay
• Primary Examiner(s): Metjahic, Safet
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, UYEN T
• Application Number:
  US09/100,011
• Publication Number:
  US 20010029503A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,712 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/100, 707/104, 707/104.1, 705/2, 705/7, 379/221, 379/242, 379/265, 379/266, 379/267, 379/309, 379/219, 379/266.01, 345/333, 345/334, 345/335, 345/339, 345/340, 345/344, 345/790, 345/794, 345/796
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5175 Call or contact centers supervision arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

A method and system for resource management. In particular, a resource management system adapted to manage the resources, both machine and human, in call centers. The system calculates and displays statistics continuously which relate to both resources, machine and human, and objects, such as incoming calls, requiring resources. The statistics displayed are user configurable. Moreover, the system detects and warns a user upon a statistic exceeding a user defined threshold. The resource management system allows users to associate a resource to an object requiring resources. In so associating, the resources of the call center are reconfigured. Moreover, the statistics displayed and the method of display by the system are user configurable.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating management of call center resources, comprising:

repeatedly receiving updates respecting at least one set of at least one call center statistic and, for each of said at least one set of at least one call center statistic, displaying a window containing a set of corresponding data items based on said updates;

where an update in respect of a statistic of a set of at least one call center statistic exceeds a threshold, expanding a corresponding window for a corresponding, set of data items, if said position, if said corresponding window is not displayed in a foreground position.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

repeatedly receiving updates respecting at least one set of resources and, for each of said at least one set of resources, displaying a window containing a set of corresponding resource objects based on said updates; and

repeatedly receiving updates respecting at least one set of resource requiring processes and, for each of said at least one set of resource requiring processes, displaying a window containing a set of corresponding resource requiring objects based on said updates.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

receiving a user input indicating an action in respect of one said window;

undertaking said action in respect of said one said window, wherein said action in respect of said window comprises one of (i) resizing said window;

(ii) minimizing said window;

(iii) moving said window to a foreground position;

(iv) moving said window to a background position; and

(v) repositioning said window.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein a set of at least one statistic comprises a target statistic and wherein the step of displaying comprising displaying a window of data items representing said target statistic for each of a plurality of consecutive time periods.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said target statistic comprises an instantaneous statistic and wherein said step of displaying includes obtaining an average value of said instantaneous statistic for each of said plurality of consecutive time periods.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

constructing a new data item based on received updates;

displaying said new data item as part of said window;

ceasing to display a data item represented by an oldest time period when said new data item is displayed.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein each data item is constructed from a collection of consecutive updates and further comprising:

with each update received, adding said received update to a data item associated with a most recent time period and removing an oldest update from said data item associated with said most recent time period;

for each remaining data item of said window, removing an oldest update and adding an oldest update from a data item for a next consecutive more recent time period.

8. A computer readable medium containing computer readable instructions which, when executed in a processor of a supervisor computer of a call center system, adapt said processor to:

repeatedly receive updates respecting at least one set of at least one call center statistic and, for each of said at least one set of at least one call center statistic, display a window containing a set of corresponding data items based on said updates;

where an update in respect of a statistic of a set of at least one call center statistic exceeds a threshold, expand a corresponding window for a corresponding set of data items, if said corresponding window is not expanded and display said corresponding window in a foreground position, if said corresponding window is not displayed in a foreground position.

9. A system for facilitating management of call center resources, comprising:

means for repeatedly receiving updates respecting at least one set of at least one call center statistic and, for each of said at least one set of at least one call center statistic, displaying a window containing a set of corresponding data items based on said updates;

means for, where an update in respect of a statistic of a set of at least one call center statistic exceeds a threshold, expanding a corresponding window for a corresponding set of data items, if said corresponding window is not expanded and displaying said corresponding window in a foreground position, if said corresponding window is not displayed in a foreground position.