Dynamic skill-based call routing
First Claim
1. A method of assigning agents of an automatic call distributor to incoming calls of a plurality of call types handled by the automatic call distributor, such method comprising the steps of:
- determining a target occupancy matrix including a target occupancy for each agent of the agents of the automatic call distributor for each call type of the plurality of call types and where the total occupancies among at least some of the agents are not equal;
in an overstaffed situation, processing a call of a first type of the types determined in the target occupancy matrix; and
assigning the processed call to an agent of the agents of the automatic call distributor with a largest relative difference between an actual occupancy of calls of the first type handled by the agent and the target occupancy of calls of the first type determined for the agent in the target occupancy matrix; and
in an understaffed situation, when an agent of the agents becomes available, selecting a call from a queue of a work type of the plurality of work types having a largest relative difference between actual occupancy and target occupancy among the work types of the available agent; and
assigning the selected call to the available agent.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus are provided for assigning agents of an automatic call distributor to incoming calls of a plurality of call types handled by the automatic call distributor. The method includes the steps of determining a target occupancy matrix including a target occupancy for each agent of the agents of the automatic call distributor for each call type of the plurality of call types. The method further includes the steps of processing a call of a first type of the types determined in the target occupancy matrix and assigning the call to an agent of the agents of the automatic call distributor with a largest relative difference between an actual occupancy of calls of the first type handled by the agent and the target occupancy of calls of the first type determined for the agent in the target occupancy matrix.
41 Citations
38 Claims
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1. A method of assigning agents of an automatic call distributor to incoming calls of a plurality of call types handled by the automatic call distributor, such method comprising the steps of:
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determining a target occupancy matrix including a target occupancy for each agent of the agents of the automatic call distributor for each call type of the plurality of call types and where the total occupancies among at least some of the agents are not equal; in an overstaffed situation, processing a call of a first type of the types determined in the target occupancy matrix; and assigning the processed call to an agent of the agents of the automatic call distributor with a largest relative difference between an actual occupancy of calls of the first type handled by the agent and the target occupancy of calls of the first type determined for the agent in the target occupancy matrix; and in an understaffed situation, when an agent of the agents becomes available, selecting a call from a queue of a work type of the plurality of work types having a largest relative difference between actual occupancy and target occupancy among the work types of the available agent; and assigning the selected call to the available agent. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. Apparatus for assigning agents of an automatic call distributor to incoming calls of a plurality of call types handled by the automatic call distributor, such apparatus comprising:
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means for determining a target occupancy matrix including a target occupancy for each agent of the agents of the automatic call distributor for each call type of the plurality of call types and where total occupancies among at least some of the agents are not equal; means in the overstaffed situation for processing a call of a first type of the types determined in the target occupancy matrix; and means for assigning the processed call to an agent of the agents of the automatic call distributor with a largest relative difference between an actual occupancy of calls of the first type handled by the agent and the target occupancy of calls of the first type determined for the agent in the target occupancy matrix; means in an understaffed situation, when an agent of the agents becomes available, for selecting a call from a queue of a work type of the plurality of work types having a largest relative difference between actual occupancy and target occupancy among the work types of the available agent; and means for assigning the selected call to the available agent. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. Apparatus for assigning agents of an automatic call distributor to incoming calls of a plurality of call types handled by the automatic call distributor, such apparatus comprising:
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a matrix processor adapted to determine a target occupancy matrix including a target occupancy for each agent of the agents of the automatic call distributor for each call type of the plurality of call types and where total occupancies among at some of the agents are not equal; a call processor adapted to process a call of a first type of the types determined in the target occupancy matrix; and a call distributor adapted to assign the call in an overstaffed situation to an agent of the agents of the automatic call distributor with a largest relative difference between an actual occupancy of calls of the first type handled by the agent and the target occupancy of calls of the first type determined for the agent in the target occupancy matrix; the call distributor, in an understaffed situation when an agent of the agents becomes available, being further adapted to select and assign a call to the available agent from a queue of a work type of the plurality of work types having a largest relative difference between actual occupancy and target occupancy among the work types of the available agent. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A method of assigning a plurality of agents to incoming calls by an automatic call distributor, such method comprising the steps of:
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determining a target matrix specifying a mix and proportion of call types to be handled by each agent of the plurality of agents and where a total occupancy of call types handled among at least some of the agents are not equal; in the overstaffed situation, receiving and assigning calls based upon the mix and proportion of call types specified in the target matrix with agent selection based upon an actual occupancy of the target matrix by the agent and a largest relative difference between the actual occupancy and the target matrix; in an understaffed situation, when an agent of the agents becomes available, selecting and assigning a call to the available agent from a queue of a work type of the plurality of work types having a largest relative difference between actual occupancy and target occupancy among the work types of the available agent.
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Specification