Monitoring a response time for a user request

• US 7,613,281 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2005
• Issued: 11/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Singh, Satyesh, Singhai, Prashant Kumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Vy; Hung T
• Application Number:
  US11/300,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20070136303A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,421 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 379/211.01, 379/100.06, 379/88.12, 379/207.03, 709/204, 719/314
• US Class Current: 379/88.12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A processing system allows for the monitoring of user requests such that a response may be provided within a defined maximum processing time (MPT). The user request relating to issues or concerns with a product or application/usage of the product is received through an input portal, such as a web site. The user request is assigned a response time, typically based on the type of request, where the response time indicates a preferred guideline for how quickly an assistant should provide a response. Once the request has been assigned to an assistant, a notification is generated to inform the assistant about the user request and the corresponding deadline for response. At a pre-determined time prior to the expiration of the response time, it is determined if the response has been provided. If the response has not been provided, a reminder is generated to inform the assistant of the pending deadline.

Claims

1. An apparatus for monitoring a timely response to a user request, the apparatus comprising:

a processing device operative to;

receive the user request;

determine request factors from the user request;

submit a search request based on the request factors to a response time database, wherein the database includes various response times associated with different inquiries where the response times are set by a governing standard relating to customer support guidelines;

assign a response time to the user request from the response time database;

generate a notification including the user request and a deadline based on the response time; and

assign the notification to an assistant to respond to the user request from a plurality of assistants based at least on one of;

the assistant'"'"'s availability, the assistant'"'"'s experience level, and the assistant'"'"'s seniority;

an output device coupled to the processing device for receiving and displaying the notification; and

the processing device further operative to;

prior to the expiration of the response time, determine if the user request has been processed; and

generate a reminder if the request has not been processed; and

a routing device operative to route the notification to the assistant.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

an input device operative to receive the user request from an input portal and

provide the user request to the processing device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a request queue coupled to the processing device such that the user request is stored in the request queue.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the request queue includes a plurality of user requests each having response times such that the users requests are stored in the queue based on the corresponding response times.

5. A computer-implemented method for monitoring a timely response to a user request, the method comprising:

determining by a processing device request factors from the user request;

submitting by the processing device a search request based on the request factors to a response time database, wherein the database includes various response times associated with different inquiries where the response times are set by a governing standard relating to a customer support guidelines;

assigning by the processing device a response time to the user request from the response time database;

assigning by the processing device the user request and associated response time to an assistant to respond to the user request from a plurality of assistants based at least on one of;

the assistant'"'"'s availability, the assistant'"'"'s experience level, and the assistant'"'"'s seniority;

notifying by an output device the assistant of the user request and a deadline based on the response time;

at a pre-determined time prior to the expiration of the response time, determining by the processing device if the user request has been processed; and

if the request has not been processed, reminding by the output device the assistant of the user request and the deadline.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 further comprising:

if the request has not been processed at a preset time prior to the expiration of the response time, distributing by the processing device the user request to a second assistant.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 further comprising:

receiving by the processing device the user request and the deadline in a remote processing system; and

writing by the processing device the user request to a request queue.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 further comprising:

writing by the processing device the response time to a calendar application.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 wherein the request queue includes a plurality of user requests having different response times, the method further comprising:

sorting by the processing device the user requests based on the response times.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 further comprising:

receiving the user request from an input portal; and

processing by the processing device the user request to determine a request subject.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 further comprising:

assigning by the processing device the response time to the user request based on the request subject.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 further comprising:

assigning by the processing device the user request to the assistant based on the request subject.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 further comprising:

prior to distributing the user request to an assistant, displaying the user request in a central display location;

receiving by the processing device an assignment requests from assistant.