Systems and methods for determining allocations for distributed multi-site contact centers

• US 7,734,783 B1
• Filed: 03/21/2006
• Issued: 06/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verint Americas Incorporated (Verint Systems Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Verint Americas Incorporated (Verint Systems Incorporated)
• Inventors: Josefsberg, Gal, Bourke, Mike, Fama, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Hamza; Faruk
• Application Number:
  US11/385,499
• Time in Patent Office: 1,540 Days
• Field of Search: 709223-224, 709/226, 379/265.01, 379/265.02, 379/265.05, 379/266.05, 379/266.06, 379/266.01, 705 8- 10
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1021 based on client or server locations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/402 Agent or workforce management
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing

Abstract

Systems and methods for allocating resources, such as contact center agents, computer servers and recorders, among geographically distributed sites are provided. In this regard, a representative method comprises: creating a workload forecast, such as contact volume, and resource utilization, such as average interaction time, of events for a specified time frame as if the geographically distributed sites were co-located, performing discrete event-based simulation to assign or allocate the events to the resources as if the resources were co-located, and determining recommended allocations of the resources among the geographically distributed sites based on a relative distribution of events assigned to resources at each of the geographically distributed sites.

Claims

1. A method for allocating contact center resources among geographically distributed sites, comprising:

in an allocation system, creating a workload forecast of events for a specified time frame, wherein, in creating the workload forecast, the allocation system assumes that the geographically distributed sites are co-located;

in the allocation system, performing a discrete event-based simulation utilizing virtual contact centers to allocate the events to the contact center resources, wherein, in performing the discrete event-based simulation, the allocation system assumes that the contact center resources are co-located;

in the allocation system, analyzing results of the discrete event-based simulation to determine a relative distribution of the events allocated to the contact center resources at each of the geographically distributed sites;

in the allocation system, creating at least one distributed campaign, wherein each distributed campaign includes at least two sub-centers geographically dispersed from a contact center, and wherein each sub-center includes at least one of the contact center resources;

in the allocation system, creating at least one distributed queue for each distributed campaign, wherein each distributed queue comprises at least a portion of the events as an input stream to the contact center; and

in the allocation system, determining recommended allocations of the contact center resources among the geographically distributed sites based on the relative distribution of the events allocated to contact center resources at each of the geographically distributed sites.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the workload forecast is derived from statistics regarding resources utilized for the specified time frame for each of the geographically distributed sites.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising randomly distributing the events within the specified time frame to create the workload forecast.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating schedules for the contact center resources wherein, in creating the schedules, the allocation system assumes that the contact center resources are co-located, and wherein creating the schedules occurs prior to performing the discrete event-based simulation.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating at least one training event, wherein at least one contact center resource is scheduled for the at least one training event, and wherein creating the at least one training event occurs prior to performing the discrete event-based simulation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the workload forecast comprises a contact volume for a period of time and an average interaction time forecast.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one distributed campaign involves a particular product, and the at least one distributed queue comprises a stream of events associated with the particular product.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating at least one sub-campaign for each distributed campaign, wherein the sub-campaign comprises one of the sub-centers and the contact center resources assigned to that sub-center.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising creating at least one sub-queue for each distributed campaign, wherein the sub-queue is derived from one of the distributed queues, the sub-queue further comprising at least a portion of the events as an input stream to one of the sub-centers.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising treating a contact center resource as skilled to handle events of the at least one distributed queue if the contact center resource is skilled to handle any event in any sub-queue deriving from the at least one distributed queue.

11. A system for allocating contact center agents among geographically distributed sites, comprising:

a processing device configured to execute a forecasting system configured to create a contact volume and average interaction time forecast of events for a specified time frame, wherein the forecasting system, to create the contact volume and average interaction time forecast of events, assumes that the geographically distributed sites are co-located;

the processing device configured to execute a simulation system configured to perform a discrete event-based simulation utilizing virtual contact centers to assign the events to the contact center agents, wherein the simulation system, to perform the discrete event-based simulation, assumes that the contact center agents are co-located;

the processing device configured to execute an analysis system configured to analyze results of the discrete event-based simulation to determine a relative distribution of the events allocated to the contact center resources at each of the geographically distributed sites;

the processing device configured to create at least one distributed campaign, wherein each distributed campaign includes at least two sub-centers geographically dispersed from a contact center, and wherein each sub-center includes at least one of the contact center agents;

the processing device configured to create at least one distributed queue for each distributed campaign, wherein each distributed queue comprises at least a portion of the events as an input stream to the contact center; and

the processing device configured to execute the analysis system configured to determine recommended allocations of contact center agents among the geographically distributed sites based on the relative distribution of events assigned to contact center agents at each of the geographically distributed sites.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the contact volume and average interaction time forecast is derived from statistics regarding contact volume for the specified time frame for each of the geographically distributed sites.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising means for randomly distributing the events within the specified time frame to create the contact volume and average interaction time forecast.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising means for creating schedules for the contact center agents, wherein the means for creating the schedules for the contact center agents assumes that the contact center agents are co-located.

15. The system of claim 11, further comprising means for creating at least one training event, wherein at least one contact center agent is scheduled for the at least one training event, and wherein creating the at least one training event occurs prior to the simulation system performing the discrete event-based simulation.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one distributed campaign involves a particular product, and the at least one distributed queue comprises a stream of events associated with the particular product.

17. The system of claim 11, further comprising means for creating at least one sub-campaign for each distributed campaign, wherein the sub-campaign comprises one of the sub-centers and the contact center agents assigned to that sub-center.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising means for creating at least one sub-queue for each distributed campaign, wherein the sub-queue is derived from one of the distributed queues, the sub-queue further comprising at least a portion of the events as an input stream to one of the sub-centers.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising means for treating a contact center agent as skilled to handle events of the at least one distributed queue if the contact center agent is skilled to handle any event in any sub queue deriving from the at least one distributed queue.

20. A memory having a computer program stored thereon, the computer program comprising computer-executable instructions which are executed by a processor to perform steps comprising:

in an instruction execution system, creating a contact volume and average handle times forecast of events for a specified time frame, wherein, in creating the contact volume and average handle times forecast of events, the instruction execution system assumes that the geographically distributed sites are co-located;

in the instruction execution system, performing a discrete event-based simulation utilizing virtual contact centers to assign the events to the contact center agents, wherein, in performing the discrete event-based simulation, the instruction execution system assumes that the contact center agents are co-located;

in the instruction execution system, analyzing results of the discrete event-based simulation to determine a relative distribution of the events assigned to the contact center agents at each of the geographically distributed sites;

in the instruction execution system, creating at least one distributed campaign, wherein each distributed campaign includes at least two sub-centers geographically dispersed from a contact center, and wherein each sub-center includes at least one of the contact center resources;

in the instruction execution system, creating at least one distributed queue for each distributed campaign, wherein each distributed queue comprises at least a portion of the events as an input stream to the contact center; and

in the instruction execution system, determining recommended allocations of the contact center agents among the geographically distributed sites based on the relative distribution of the events assigned to the contact center agents at each of the geographically distributed sites.