Systems and methods for scheduling of outbound agents

• US 8,126,134 B1
• Filed: 03/30/2006
• Issued: 02/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verint Americas Incorporated (Verint Systems Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Verint Americas Incorporated (Verint Systems Incorporated)
• Inventors: Fama, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): ADDY, THJUAN KNOWLIN
• Application Number:
  US11/393,286
• Time in Patent Office: 2,161 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.01, 379/266.1, 379/265.06, 379/265.02, 379/265.05, 379/265.11, 379/266.07, 379/266.08, 379/265.08, 379/265.07, 379/265.12, 379/265.13, 379/265.14, 705 8- 10
• US Class Current: 379/265.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5158 in combination with automated outdialling systems devices for signalling identity of wanted subscriber H04M1/26

Abstract

Systems, methods and computer-readable media for scheduling outbound agents are provided. A representative system incorporates a user interface and scheduling software that receives scheduling data, at least some of which is provided via the user interface, and generates scheduling constraints. The scheduling data includes historical call connect rates related to time intervals for which a schedule is to be generated and information corresponding to a desired service goal for the schedule. The desired service goal indicates a level of service to be provided by the schedule. The search engine uses the scheduling constraints to generate potential schedules for outbound agents. The push forward discrete modeler analyzes the potential schedules to compute at least one of overstaffing and understaffing with respect to the potential schedules.

Claims

1. A method for scheduling outbound agents, said method comprising:

receiving historical call connect rates related to time intervals for which an outbound schedule is to be generated;

generating scheduling constraints, the scheduling constraints comprising a desired service goal for the outbound schedule, the desired service goal comprising a connection rate for a contact list associated with the outbound schedule;

generating potential schedules involving outbound agents based on the historical call connect rates and the scheduling constraints, wherein the time intervals corresponding to higher historical call connect rates are weighted higher than others of the time intervals;

analyzing the potential schedules to generate estimated service goal scores for each of the potential schedules;

selecting the outbound schedule from among the potential schedules based on the estimated service goal scores;

combining the outbound schedule with an inbound schedule, resulting in a combined outbound and inbound schedule; and

evaluating the combined outbound and inbound schedule based on an interchangeable unit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the potential schedules to generate the estimated service goal scores for each of the potential schedules comprises analyzing the potential schedules to generate the estimated service goal scores for each of the potential schedules by identifying overstaffing or understaffing for each of the time intervals with respect to each of the potential schedules.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein wherein analyzing the potential schedules to generate the estimated service goal scores for each of the potential schedules by identifying the overstaffing comprises identifying additional connects in excess of the desired service goal for at least one of the potential schedules and responsively reducing the estimated service goal score for the at least one of the potential schedules based on the additional connects in excess of the desired service goal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the desired service goal comprises a number of right party connects to be achieved for the call list.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the scheduling constraints additionally comprise a maximum dial rate per schedule interval.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the scheduling constraints additionally comprise, for each schedule interval, information corresponding to agent handling times per right party connects and non-right party connects.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the estimated service goal scores provide an indication of optimization of each of the potential schedules with respect to staffing.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising normalizing the estimated service goal scores into full-time equivalents for each time interval of the time intervals, wherein each of the full-time equivalents corresponds to a dedicated, fully trained agent that is scheduled for handling calls.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the potential schedules to generate the estimated service goal scores for each of the potential schedules comprises computing a dialing plan based on the contact list.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein generating the potential schedules comprises weighting connects occurring during an interval of the dialing plan with a weighting based on the historical call connect rates during corresponding historical intervals.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein weighting the connects occurring during the interval of the dialing plan comprises not weighting the connects that are achieved in excess of a number of connects required during the interval.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the scheduling constraints comprise an amount of retry attempts allowed per contact on the contact list.

12. A system for scheduling outbound agents, said system comprising:

an instruction execution system configured to receive historical call connect rates related to time intervals for which an outbound schedule is to be generated, generate scheduling constraints comprising a desired service goal for the outbound schedule, the desired service goal comprising a connection rate for a contact list associated with the outbound schedule, generate potential schedules for outbound agents based on the historical call connect rates and the scheduling constraints, wherein the time intervals corresponding to higher historical call connect rates are weighted higher than others of the time intervals, analyze the potential schedules to generate estimated service goal scores for each of the potential schedules, select the outbound schedule from among the potential schedules based on the estimated service goal scores, combine the outbound schedule with an inbound schedule, resulting in a combined outbound and inbound schedule, and evaluate the combined outbound and inbound schedule based on an interchangeable unit.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the instruction execution system configured to analyze the potential schedules to generate the estimated service goal scores for each of the potential schedules comprises the instruction execution system configured to analyze the potential schedules to generate the estimated service goal scores for each of the potential schedules by identifying overstaffing and understaffing for each of the time intervals with respect to each of the potential schedules.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the instruction execution system configured to analyze the potential schedules to generate the estimated service goal scores for each of the potential schedules by identifying the overstaffing comprises the instruction execution system configured to identify additional connects in excess of the desired service goal for at least one of the potential schedules and responsively reduce the estimated service goal score for the at least one of the potential schedules based on the additional connects in excess of the desired service goal.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the desired service goal comprises a number of right party connects to be achieved.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the scheduling constraints additionally comprise a maximum dial rate per schedule interval.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the scheduling constraints additionally comprise agent handling times per right party connects and non-right party connects.

18. A computer-readable medium having a computer program stored thereon, the computer program being executable on a computer to perform a computer-implemented method for scheduling outbound agents, the method comprising:

receiving historical call connect rates related to time intervals for which an outbound schedule is to be generated;

generating scheduling constraints, the scheduling constraints comprising a maximum dial rate per schedule interval, agent handling times per right party connects and non-right party connects, and a desired service goal for the outbound schedule, the desired service goal comprising a connection rate for a contact list associated with the outbound schedule;

generating potential schedules involving outbound agents based on the historical call connect rates and the scheduling constraints, wherein the time intervals corresponding to higher historical call connect rates are weighted higher than others of the time intervals;

analyzing the potential schedules to generate estimated service goal scores for each of the potential schedules;

selecting the outbound schedule from among the potential schedules based on the estimated service goal scores;

combining the outbound schedule with an inbound schedule, resulting in a combined outbound and inbound schedule; and

evaluating the combined outbound and inbound schedule based on an interchangeable unit.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein analyzing the potential schedules to generate the estimated service goal scores for each of the potential schedules comprises analyzing the potential schedules to generate the estimated service goal scores for each of the potential schedules by identifying overstaffing or understaffing for each of the time intervals with respect to each of the potential schedules.