Systems and methods of automatically scheduling a workforce

• US 8,315,901 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2007
• Issued: 11/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verint Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Verint Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Cameron, Jeffrey Scott, Kilinc, Ufuk, Desai, Abhyuday
• Primary Examiner(s): LOFTIS, JOHNNA RONEE
• Application Number:
  US11/831,250
• Publication Number:
  US 20080300954A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,939 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7.12, 705/7.13
• US Class Current: 705/7.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063116 Schedule adjustment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1097 Task assignment

Abstract

Systems and methods of workforce scheduling are disclosed. One example embodiment, among others, comprises a computer-implemented method of scheduling workers. Each worker is associated with one of a set of flexibility classifications, which include non-flex-time and at least one flex-time. The method includes generating a set of shift instances to cover forecasted demand over a planning period, and assigning the shift instances to the set of workers by iterating through the each of the workers to assign at least a portion of the shift instances to a selected one of the workers. The assigning is such that total hours assigned to the selected worker depends on a number associated with the classification of the selected worker.

Claims

1. A system of scheduling a set of workers, each worker associated with one of a set of flexibility classifications, the set including a flex-time classification, comprising:

a processor comprising;

logic configured to generate a set of shift instances to cover forecasted demand over a planning period;

logic configured to produce a set of staff mix enumerations to cover the shift instances, the set of enumerations varying from a first enumeration including zero workers of at least one non-flex-time classification and a first computed number of workers of the flex-time classification, to a last enumeration including a maximum number of workers of the at least one non-flex-time classification and a last computed number of workers of the flex-time classification; and

logic configured to assign the shift instances to the set of workers by iterating through the each of the workers to assign at least a portion of the shift instances to a selected one of the workers, such that total hours assigned to the selected worker depends on a per-interval maximum number and a per-interval minimum number of hours associated with the classification of the selected worker.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein workers having a classification other than flex-time are assigned shift instances before workers having a classification of flex-time.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the total hours assigned to the selected worker approach, but do not exceed, the per-interval maximum associated with the classification of the selected worker.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic configured to assign uses dynamic programming to assign the shift instances to the set of workers.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising logic configured to adjust shift assignments, wherein the logic configured to adjust shift assignments comprises:

logic configured to determine the presence of an unassigned shift instance on a given day;

logic configured to determine the presence of an underutilized worker as compared to the per-interval maximum associated with the classification of the corresponding worker; and

logic configured to assign the unassigned shift instance to the underutilized worker.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the logic configured to adjust further comprises:

logic configured to determine the presence of a shift instance assigned to the underutilized worker on the given day; and

logic configured to swap the shift instance assigned to the underutilized worker on the given day with another shift instance assigned to another worker on a different day.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising logic configured to adjust shift assignments, performed conditionally based on a number of unassigned shifts, wherein the logic configured to adjust shift assignments comprises:

logic configured to determine the presence of an unassigned shift instance on a given day;

logic configured to determine the presence of an underutilized worker as compared to the per-interval maximum associated with the classification of the corresponding worker; and

logic configured to assign the unassigned shift instance to the underutilized worker.