System and method for maintaining real-time agent information for multi-channel communication queuing

• US 7,315,616 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2001
• Issued: 01/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Siebel Systems Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Chen, Mingtse, Jay, Henry D., Pak, Wai H., Annadata, Anil K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Quynh H.
• Application Number:
  US09/823,770
• Publication Number:
  US 20070201674A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,467 Days
• Field of Search: 379/266.01, 379/266.06, 379/266.1
• US Class Current: 379/266.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5175 Call or contact centers supervision arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing

Abstract

An apparatus and method for maintaining data for multi-channel communication queuing associated with different media formats such as telephone, email, and fax. A list of agent data includes information related to types of communication media an agent can access. The data can further include information related to an agent'"'"'s skills, a list of media routes, statistics for communication channels of specified media types, statistics for an agent, and journals for work items. Priority values for the media routes, the maximum number of queued items for the media routes, and times for escalating a work item can also be included.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

maintaining real-time data for multi-channel communication queuing, wherein the maintaining comprises;

forming one list of agent data, wherein the agent data comprises authorization information and status information, wherein

the authorization information each type of media to which an agent has access, the agent having access to a plurality of types of media, and

the status information is a corresponding status of the agent for each of the types of communication media.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the agent data further includes information related to the agent'"'"'s skills.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining a list of media routes.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

compiling statistics for the media routes including at least one of;

waiting time during a period, handling time during a period, number of abandon requests, longest waiting time, percentage of available agents, number of work items, and number of work items delivered to an agent.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

compiling statistics for a communication channel of a specified media type including at least one of;

start time, end time, average wait time, average time spent handling a work item, number of abandon requests, longest waiting time, percentage of available agents, number of work items, number of work items delivered to an agent, and number of unassigned work items.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

compiling statistics for the agent including at least one of;

start time, end time, availability percent, busy percent, aux_work percent, and number of work items served.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

compiling a journal for a work item including at least one of;

the route for the work item, escalation history of the work item, start time, end time, and journal state history.

8. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

assigning a priority value to the media routes.

9. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

setting a maximum number of queued items for the media routes.

10. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

setting a time for escalating a work item.

11. A computer readable storage media comprising:

computer instructions to implement the method of claim 1.

12. A signal in a carrier medium comprising:

computer instructions to implement the method of claim 1.

33. The method of claim 1, wherein the corresponding status is one of a plurality of corresponding statuses for the agent, wherein each corresponding status of the plurality of corresponding statuses corresponds to a different type of communication media.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the agent data further includes an amount of time the agent has worked on an active work item using each communication media.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein each corresponding status of the agent is maintained in real-time.

13. An apparatus comprising:

means for maintaining real-time data for multi-channel communication queuing, wherein the means for maintaining comprises;

means for forming one list of agent data, wherein the agent data comprises authorization information and status information, wherein

the authorization information is each type of media to which an agent has access, the agent having access to a plurality of types of media, and

the status information is a corresponding status of the agent for each of the types of communication media.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the agent data further includes information related to the agent'"'"'s skills.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

means for maintaining a list of media routes.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

means for compiling statistics for the media routes including at least one of;

waiting time during a period, handling time during a period, number of abandon requests, longest waiting time, percentage of available agents, number of work items, and number of work items delivered to an agent.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

means for compiling statistics for a communication channel of a specified media type including at least one of start time, end time, average wait time, average time spent handling a work item, number of abandon requests, longest waiting time, percentage of available agents, number of work items, number of work items delivered to an agent, and number of unassigned work items.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

means for compiling statistics for the agent including at least one of;

start time, end time, availability percent, busy percent, aux work percent, number of work items served.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

means for compiling a journal for a work item including at least one of;

the route for the work item, escalation history of the work item, start time, end time, and journal state history.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

means for assigning a priority value to the media routes.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

means for setting a maximum number of queued items for the media routes.

22. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

means for setting a time for escalating a work item.

36. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the corresponding status is one of a plurality of corresponding statuses for the agent, wherein each corresponding status of the plurality of corresponding statuses corresponds to a different type of communication media.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the agent data further includes an amount of time the agent has worked on an active work item for each communication media.

38. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein each corresponding status of the agent is maintained in real-time.

23. A database structure comprising:

a set of real-time data for a multi-channel communication queuing system; and

a list of agent data, wherein the agent data comprises authorization information and status information, wherein

the authorization information is each type of media to which an agent has access, the agent having access to a plurality of types of media, and

the status information is a corresponding status of the agent for each of the types of communication media.

24. The database structure of claim 23, wherein the agent data further includes information related to the agent'"'"'s skills.

25. The database structure of claim 23, further comprising:

a list of media routes.

26. The database structure of claim 25, further comprising:

a statistics table for the media routes including at least one of;

waiting time during a period, handling time during a period, number of abandon requests, longest waiting time, percentage of available agents, number of work items, and number of work items delivered to an agent.

27. The database structure of claim 23, further comprising:

a statistics table for a communication channel of a specified media type including at least one of;

start time, end time, average wait time, average time spent handling a work item, number of abandon requests, longest waiting time, percentage of available agents, number of work items, number of work items delivered to an agent, and number of unassigned work items.

28. The database structure of claim 23, further comprising:

a statistics table for the agent including at least one of;

start time, end time, availability percent, busy percent, aux_work percent, and number of work items served.

29. The database structure of claim 23, further comprising:

a journal table for a work item including at least one of;

the route for the work item, escalation history of the work item, start time, end time, and journal state history.

30. The database structure of claim 25, further comprising:

priority values for the media routes.

31. The database structure of claim 25, further comprising:

a maximum number of queued items for the media routes.

32. The database structure of claim 25, further comprising:

a time for escalating a work item.

39. The database structure of claim 23, wherein the corresponding status is one of a plurality of corresponding statuses for the agent, wherein each corresponding status of the plurality of corresponding statuses corresponds to a different type of communication media.

40. The database structure of claim 39, wherein the agent data further includes an amount of time that the agent has worked on an active work item for each communication media.

41. The database structure of claim 39, wherein each corresponding status of the agent is maintained in real-time.