Apparatus and method for quantifying an automation benefit of an automated response system
First Claim
1. A method of quantifying an automation benefit of an automated call processing center as saved agent-time, a call from a caller to the automated call processing center including an interactive voice response (IVR) portion of the call, and, at the caller'"'"'s option, an agent-caller dialog portion of the call, said method comprising the steps of:
- (i) gathering event-sequence data for a plurality of calls received by the call processing center;
(ii) determining a task capable of being performed by the call processing center during the IVR portion of a call;
(iii) calculating an amount of time the task would take if performed by an agent in the agent-caller dialog portion of a call instead of in the IVR portion of a call;
(iv) examining the event-sequence data to determine whether the task, which is capable of being performed in the IVR portion of a call, actually was performed in the IVR portions of the plurality of calls;
(v) determining an automation rate for the task by calculating what percentage of calls involving the task actually was performed in the IVR portions of those calls; and
(vi) calculating an automation benefit by multiplying the automation rate by an amount of agent-time saved by performing the task in the IVR portion of a call instead of in the agent-caller dialog portion of a call, wherein the amount of agent-time saved corresponds to the amount of time the task would take if performed by an agent.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An automation benefit of an automated call processing center is quantified as saved agent-time by gathering event-sequence data for a plurality of calls received by the call processing center; calculating an amount of time a task would take if performed by an agent instead of by an automated unit, wherein the task is capable of being performed by the automated unit; examining the event-sequence data to determine whether the task, which is capable of being performed in the automated unit, actually was performed in the automated unit for the plurality of calls; determining an automation rate for the task by calculating what percentage of calls involving the task actually was performed by the automated unit; and calculating an automation benefit by multiplying the automation rate by an amount of agent-time saved by performing the task in the automated unit instead of by an agent, wherein the amount of agent-time saved corresponds to the amount of time the task would take if performed by an agent.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method of quantifying an automation benefit of an automated call processing center as saved agent-time, a call from a caller to the automated call processing center including an interactive voice response (IVR) portion of the call, and, at the caller'"'"'s option, an agent-caller dialog portion of the call, said method comprising the steps of:
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(i) gathering event-sequence data for a plurality of calls received by the call processing center;
(ii) determining a task capable of being performed by the call processing center during the IVR portion of a call;
(iii) calculating an amount of time the task would take if performed by an agent in the agent-caller dialog portion of a call instead of in the IVR portion of a call;
(iv) examining the event-sequence data to determine whether the task, which is capable of being performed in the IVR portion of a call, actually was performed in the IVR portions of the plurality of calls;
(v) determining an automation rate for the task by calculating what percentage of calls involving the task actually was performed in the IVR portions of those calls; and
(vi) calculating an automation benefit by multiplying the automation rate by an amount of agent-time saved by performing the task in the IVR portion of a call instead of in the agent-caller dialog portion of a call, wherein the amount of agent-time saved corresponds to the amount of time the task would take if performed by an agent. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. An apparatus for quantifying an automation benefit of an automated call processing center as saved agent-time, a call from a caller to the automated call processing center including an interactive voice response (IVR) portion of the call, and, at the caller'"'"'s option, an agent-caller dialog portion of the call, said apparatus comprising:
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means for gathering event-sequence data for a plurality of calls received by the call processing center;
means for calculating an amount of time a task would take if performed by an agent in the agent-caller dialog portion of a call instead of in the portion of a call, wherein the task is capable of being performed by the call processing center during the IVR portion of a call;
means for examining the event-sequence data to determine whether the task, which is capable of being performed in the IVR portion of a call, actually was performed in the IVR portions of the plurality of calls;
means for determining an automation rate for the task by calculating what percentage of calls involving the task actually was performed in the IVR portions of those calls; and
means for calculating an automation benefit by multiplying the automation rate by an amount of agent-time saved by performing the task in the IVR portion of a call instead of in the agent-caller dialog portion of a call, wherein the amount of agent-time saved corresponds to the amount of time the task would take if performed by an agent. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
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7. A system for quantifying an automation benefit of an automated call processing center as saved agent-time, a call from a caller to the automated call processing center including an interactive voice response (IVR) portion of the call, and, at the caller'"'"'s option, an agent-caller dialog portion of the call, said system being operable to:
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gather event-sequence data for a plurality of calls received by the call processing center;
calculate an amount of time a task would take if performed by an agent in the agent-caller dialog portion of a call instead of in the IVR portion of a call, wherein the task is capable of being performed by the call processing center during the IVR portion of a call;
examine the event-sequence data to determine whether the task, which is capable of being performed in the IVR portion of a call, actually was performed in the IVR portions of the plurality of calls;
determine an automation rate for the task by calculating what percentage of calls involving the task actually was performed in the IVR portions of those calls; and
calculate an automation benefit by multiplying the automation rate by an amount of agent-time saved by performing the task in the IVR portion of a call instead of in the agent-caller dialog portion of a call, wherein the amount of agent-time saved corresponds to the amount of time the task would take if performed by an agent. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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10. A computer program product embodying a computer program for implementing a method of quantifying an automation benefit of an automated call processing center as saved agent-time, call from a caller to the automated call processing center including an interactive voice response (IVR) portion of the call, and, at the caller'"'"'s option, an agent-caller dialog portion of the call, said computer program product comprising:
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code for gathering event-sequence data for a plurality of calls received by the call processing center;
code for calculating an amount of time a task would take if performed by an agent in the agent-caller dialog portion of a call instead of in the IVR portion of a call, wherein the task is capable of being performed by the call processing center during the IVR portion of a call;
code for examining the event-sequence data to determine whether the task, which is capable of being performed in the IVR portion of a call, actually was performed in the IVR portions of the plurality of calls;
code for determining an automation rate for the task by calculating what percentage of calls involving the task actually was performed in the IVR portions of those calls; and
code for calculating an automation benefit by multiplying the automation rate by an amount of agent-time saved by performing the task in the IVR portion of a call instead of in the agent-caller dialog portion of a call, wherein the amount of agent-time saved corresponds to the amount of time the task would take if performed by an agent. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. A method of quantifying an automation benefit of an automated contact processing center as saved agent-time, a contact from a contactor to the automated contact processing center including an interactive response (IR) portion of the contact, and, at the contactor'"'"'s option, an agent-contactor dialog portion of the contact, said method comprising the steps of:
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(i) gathering event-sequence data for a plurality of contacts received by the contact processing center;
(ii) determining a task capable of being performed by the contact processing center during the IR portion of a call;
(iii) calculating an amount of time the task would take if performed by an agent in the agent-contactor dialog portion of a contact instead of in the IR portion of a contact;
(iv) examining the event-sequence data to determine whether the task, which is capable of being performed in the IR portion of a contact, actually was performed in the IR portions of the plurality of contacts;
(v) determining an automation rate for the task by calculating what percentage of contacts involving the task actually was performed in the IR portions of those contacts; and
(vi) calculating an automation benefit by multiplying the automation rate by an amount of agent-time saved by performing the task in the IR portion of a contact instead of in the agent-contactor dialog portion of a contact, wherein the amount of agent-time saved corresponds to the amount of time the task would take if performed by an agent.
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14. An apparatus for quantifying an automation benefit of an automated contact processing center as saved agent-time, a contact from a contactor to the automated contact processing center including an interactive response (IR) portion of the contact, and, at the contactor'"'"'s option, an agent-contactor dialog portion of the contact, said apparatus comprising:
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means for gathering event-sequence data for a plurality of contacts received by the contact processing center;
means for calculating an amount of time a task would take if performed by an agent in the agent-contactor dialog portion of a contact instead of in the IR portion of a contact, wherein the task is capable of being performed by the contact processing center during the IR portion of a call;
means for examining the event-sequence data to determine whether the task, which is capable of being performed in the IR portion of a contact, actually was performed in the IR portions of the plurality of contacts;
means for determining an automation rate for the task by calculating what percentage of contacts involving the task actually was performed in the IR portions of those contacts; and
means for calculating an automation benefit by multiplying the automation rate by an amount of agent-time saved by performing the task in the IR portion of a contact instead of in the agent-contactor dialog portion of a contact, wherein the amount of agent-time saved corresponds to the amount of time the task would take if performed by an agent.
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15. A system for quantifying an automation benefit of an automated contact processing center as saved agent-time, a contact from a contactor to the automated contact processing center including an interactive response (IR) portion of the contact, and, at the contactor'"'"'s option, an agent-contactor dialog portion of the contact, said system being operable to:
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gather event-sequence data for a plurality of contacts received by the contact processing center;
calculate an amount of time a task would take if performed by an agent in the agent-contactor dialog portion of a contact instead of in the IR portion of a contact, wherein the task is capable of being performed by the contact processing center during the IR portion of a contact;
examine the event-sequence data to determine whether the task, which is capable of being performed in the IR portion of a contact, actually was performed in the IR portions of the plurality of contacts;
determine an automation rate for the task by calculating what percentage of contacts involving the task actually was performed in the IR portions of those contacts; and
calculate an automation benefit by multiplying the automation rate by an amount of agent-time saved by performing the task in the IR portion of a contact instead of in the agent-contactor dialog portion of a contact, wherein the amount of agent-time saved corresponds to the amount of time the task would take if performed by an agent.
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16. A computer program product embodying a computer program for implementing a method of quantifying an automation benefit of an automated contact processing center as saved agent-time, a contact from a contactor to the automated contact processing center including an interactive response (IR) portion of the contact, and, at the contactor'"'"'s option, an agent-contactor dialog portion of the contact, said computer program product comprising:
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code for gathering event-sequence data for a plurality of contacts received by the contact processing center;
code for calculating an amount of time a task would take if performed by an agent in the agent-contactor dialog portion of a contact instead of in the IR portion of a contact, wherein the task is capable of being performed by the contact processing center during the IR portion of a contact;
code for examining the event-sequence data to determine whether the task, which is capable of being performed in the IR portion of a contact, actually was performed in the IR portions of the plurality of contact;
code for determining an automation rate for the task by calculating what percentage of contacts involving the task actually was performed in the IR portions of those contacts; and
code for calculating an automation benefit by multiplying the automation rate by an amount of agent-time saved by performing the task in the IR portion of a contact instead of in the agent-contactor dialog portion of a contact, wherein the amount of agent-time saved corresponds to the amount of time the task would take if performed by an agent.
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Specification