Learning management system for call center agents

• US 8,535,059 B1
• Filed: 09/21/2012
• Issued: 09/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alvaria Cayman
• Original Assignee: Noble Systems Corporation
• Inventors: Noble, James K. Jr., Koster, Karl H.
• Primary Examiner(s): GEBREMICHAEL, BRUK A
• Application Number:
  US13/624,023
• Time in Patent Office: 361 Days
• Field of Search: 434/219, 434/350, 434/322, 434/323, 379/93.12, 379/265.05, 379/265.06, 379/265.12
• US Class Current: 434/219
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/00 Electrically-operated educational appliances working with questions and answers G09B7/00; simulators G09B9/00; advertising or displaying in general G09F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/02 of the type wherein the student is expected to construct an answer to the question which is presented or wherein the machine gives an answer to the question presented by a student

Abstract

A learning management system provides e-learning to call center agents. Agents can receive training provided in various training formats, which are characterized as fixed-time, flex-time, human-initiated, or system-initiated. A training process flow illustrates how the various training formats can be provided using processes involving agent selection, registration, scheduling, content delivery, and post-training reporting. A modular system provides the training flow and coordinates the function of various call center components to provide training in a seamless and integrated manner using existing call center scheduling systems, such as workflow management components.

Claims

1. A system for providing training content during a training session for an agent wherein the training session has either a fixed-time training format or a flex-time training format, the system comprising:

a workforce manager (“

WFM”

) configured to

generate a work schedule for the agent, the work schedule comprising a shift for the agent, the shift comprising a work start time and a work end time,

schedule the training session for the agent during the shift in response to a request for scheduling the training session having the fixed-time training format, wherein the training session having the fixed-time training format is associated with a training session start time and a training session end time,

provide a beginning-of-training session indication associated with the training session start time to a call handler system (“

CHS”

) when the training session has the fixed-time training format, and

provide an end-of-training session indication associated with the training session end time to the CHS when the training session has the fixed-time training format,

wherein the CHS is configured to

process calls involving the agent during the shift for the agent, wherein the CHS is further configured to suspend offering calls associated with the agent in response to receiving the beginning-of-training session indication from the WFM at the beginning of the training session when the training session has the fixed-time training format and resume offering calls associated with the agent in response to receiving the end-of-training session indication received from the WFM after the training session when the training session has the fixed-time training format;

a content delivery system (“

CDS”

) configured to

receive agent identification data identifying the agent and an indication of the training content, and

provide the training content to a computer of the agent during the training session regardless of whether the training session has the fixed-time format or the flex-time format; and

an e-learning module configured to

coordinate delivery of the training content from the CDS to the computer at the training session start time when the training session has the fixed-time training format, and

coordinate delivery of the training content from the CDS to the computer when the training session has the flex-time training format.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the e-learning module comprises:

a selection module configured to receive input from an administrator to select the agent and produce a selected agent list comprising the agent identification data;

a registration module configured to process the selected agent list to produce a registered agent training list comprising the agent identification data;

an interface module configured to provide the indication of the training content and the agent identification data of the agent to the CDS; and

a post-training reporting module configure to update an agent training profile associated with the agent identification data in response to a training completed indication generated by the CDS.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein training context data is maintained by the system and used by a workflow manager to coordinate delivery of training content.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the agent is associated with a record structure comprising the training context data that is maintained by the e-learning module.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the WFM provides the beginning-of-training indication to the computer used by the agent.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the e-learning module provides a URL to the computer used by the agent to access the training content provided by the CDS.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the e-learning module is further configured to coordinate with the CDS the provision of the training session having a flex-time format to the agent at an unscheduled time.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the e-learning module is further configured to coordinate with the CDS the provision of the training session having a fixed-time format to the agent at a scheduled time.