System and method for collecting and processing real-time events in a heterogeneous system environment

• US 8,135,610 B1
• Filed: 10/12/2007
• Issued: 03/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Answer Financial Incorporated (Allstate Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Answer Financial Incorporated (Allstate Corporation)
• Inventors: Bryce, Daniel John, Schaedle, Walter Lee Jr., Sterba, Randall Leonard, Sue, Randal Cameron, Williams, Todd Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): DIXON, THOMAS A
• Application Number:
  US11/871,785
• Time in Patent Office: 1,614 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7.41
• US Class Current: 705/7.41
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06395 Quality analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

A method and process according to the invention supports at least two distinct activities. A first activity relates to system analysis—the ability to collect, measure, track, monitor and report on health and performance of individual systems within a complex environment of highly interdependent and/or loosely coupled systems. Another activity relates to customer experience tracking—the ability to capture and track an entire customer'"'"'s experience as that person interacts with multiple technologies such as a web site, telephony system and a set of agent tools. According some aspects, a system according to the invention provides the backbone for monitoring production systems and for enabling integrated, real-time reporting of a company (e.g. insurance agency) website, telephony system and agent desktop suite. In one example, the system uses specialized probes embedded in key processes to collect extensive, targeted information in a non-intrusive manner and to relay that information back to a centralized service for processing and further analysis. The key pieces of captured information are known as checkpoints.

Claims

1. A method of analyzing a same transaction that is supported by a plurality of different processes, comprising:

embedding probes in the plurality of different processes, wherein the plurality of different processes are respectively running on one or more computers;

providing a service that is adapted to communicate with the embedded probes;

automatically detecting, by the embedded probes, events related to how the corresponding processes work to handle the same transaction; and

automatically collecting checkpoint data corresponding to the detected events and including information relating to handling of the same transaction at the service.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

reconstructing the checkpoint data into an ordered time sequence.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

augmenting the checkpoint data with supplemental information; and

aligning the checkpoint data, including any augmented data, in de-normalized tables.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

mining the checkpoint data for alert conditions.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the processes include:

a first process supporting a first customer interaction associated with the transaction; and

a second different process supporting a second different customer interaction associated with the transaction.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the first and second customer interactions occur at different times.

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein the first and second customer interactions occur using different communication technologies.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the different communication technologies include two or more of a web application, a telephony application and an agent application.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of different processes include at least a first process supporting a website accessible over the public Internet and a second process supporting a PSTN telephony application.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the transaction is a financial services product purchase.

11. A system for analyzing a same transaction that is supported by a plurality of different processes, comprising:

embedded probes in the plurality of different processes, the probes being adapted to automatically detect events related to how the corresponding processes work to handle the same transaction, wherein the plurality of different processes are respectively running on one or more computers;

a service that is adapted to communicate with the embedded probes, and to thereby automatically collect checkpoint data corresponding to the detected events and including information relating to handling of the same transaction.

12. A system according to claim 11, wherein the service includes a reconstructor adapted to arrange the collected checkpoint data into an ordered time sequence.

13. A system according to claim 11, wherein the service includes:

an augmenter adapted to supplement the checkpoint data with supplemental information, and align the checkpoint data, including any augmented data; and

de-normalized tables for storing the aligned checkpoint data.

14. A system according to claim 11, wherein the service includes a miner adapted to analyze the checkpoint data for alert conditions.

15. A system according to claim 11, wherein the processes include:

a first process supporting a first customer interaction associated with the transaction; and

a second different process supporting a second different customer interaction associated with the transaction.

16. A system according to claim 15, wherein the first and second customer interactions occur at different times.

17. A system according to claim 15, wherein the first and second customer interactions occur using different communication technologies.

18. A system according to claim 17, wherein the different communication technologies include two or more of a web application, a telephony application and an agent application.

19. A system according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of different processes include at least a first process supporting a website accessible over the public Internet and a second process supporting a PSTN telephony application.

20. A system according to claim 11, wherein the transaction is a financial services product purchase.

21. A system according to claim 11, wherein the embedded probes comprise native code included together with other native code associated with the processes.

22. A method of analyzing a same purchase of a financial services product, comprising:

identifying a plurality of different processes used to support interactions with a customer associated with the same purchase;

embedding probes in the identified plurality of different processes, wherein the plurality of different processes are respectively running on one or more computers;

respectively associating a type of checkpoint with each of the embedded probes, each type corresponding to a different stage of the purchase;

providing a service that is adapted to communicate with the embedded probes;

automatically detecting, by the embedded probes, events related how the corresponding processes work to handle to the same purchase;

automatically collecting checkpoint data corresponding to the detected events and including information relating to handling of the same purchase at the service; and

determining how and when the different stages of the purchase were fully or partially completed using the collected checkpoint data.

23. A method according to claim 22, wherein the processes include:

a first process supporting a first customer interaction associated with the purchase; and

a second different process supporting a second different customer interaction associated with the purchase.

24. A method according to claim 23, wherein the first and second customer interactions occur using different communication technologies.

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein the different communication technologies include two or more of a web application, a telephony application and an agent application.