Automated mechanism for populating and maintaining data structures in a queueless contact center

• US 8,670,550 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2010
• Issued: 03/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Flockhart, Andrew D., Steiner, Robert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAUNG, THOMAS H
• Application Number:
  US12/882,955
• Publication Number:
  US 20110255684A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,273 Days
• Field of Search: 379/266.01
• US Class Current: 379/265.02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5232 Call distribution algorithms

Abstract

A queueless contact center is described along with various methods and mechanisms for administering the same. The contact center proposed herein provides the ability to, among other things, achieve true one-to-one matching. Solutions are also provided for managing data structures utilized by the queueless contact center. Furthermore, mechanisms for generating traditional queue-based performance views and metrics for the queueless contact center are proposed to help facilitate a smooth transition from traditional queue-based contact centers to the next generation contact centers described herein.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a Contact Center Algorithm Language (CCAL) module, a first set of rules for controlling behavior of a contact center, the first set of rules being in a first computing language;

after the receiving the first set of rules, executing, by the CCAL module, a set of optimization rules to transform the first set of rules into at least one of a data structure, procedure, task, and event for controlling behavior of a queueless contact center, wherein the transformed first set of rules are in a second computing language; and

implementing the transformed first set of rules to control behavior of the queueless contact center,

wherein the CCAL module is a module in the queueless contact center, and the receiving, the transforming, and the implementing are performed without an interaction with queues,

wherein executing the set of optimization rules creates a resource pool and a work pool, wherein the resource pool comprises a representation of every resource in the contact center, wherein the resource pool comprises an unordered collection of data structures representing every resource in the contact center, wherein the work pool comprises a representation of every work item in the contact center, and wherein the work pool comprises an unordered collection of data structures representing every work item in the contact center, and

wherein the CCAL module considers the first set of rules and, based on the consideration of the first set of rules, identifies a set of attributes which are used to compute bitmaps for the resource and workpools.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of optimization rules are stored in an implementation neutral storage Abstract Syntax Tree.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the implementation neutral storage Abstract Syntax Tree is written in an object-oriented computing language.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the implementation neutral storage Abstract Syntax Tree is written in a compiled computing language.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of optimization rules analyze inputs, outputs, and variables of the first set of rules and then analyzes data dependencies of the first set of rules as a part of transforming the first set of rules.

6. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions that cause a computing system to execute a method, the instructions comprising:

instructions configured to receive a first set of rules for controlling behavior of a contact center, the first set of rules being in a first computing language;

a set of optimization rules that are executed after the first set of rules have been received, and when executed, transform the first set of rules into at least one of a data structure, procedure, task, and event for controlling behavior of a queueless contact center, wherein the transformed first set of rules are in a second computing language; and

instructions configured to implement the transformed first set of rules to control behavior of the queueless contact center,

wherein the computing system is a system in the queueless contact center, and the instructions to receive, the transforming, and the instructions to implement do not interact with queues,

wherein a resource pool and a work pool are created by executing the set of optimization rules, wherein the resource pool comprises a representation of every resource in the contact center, wherein the resource pool comprises an unordered collection of data structures representing every resource in the contact center, wherein the work pool comprises a representation of every work item in the contact center, and wherein the work pool comprises an unordered collection of data structures representing every work item in the contact center, and

wherein the set of optimization rules consider the first set of rules and, based on the consideration of the first set of rules, identifies a set of attributes which are used to compute bitmaps for the resource and work pools.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the set of optimization rules are stored in an implementation neutral storage Abstract Syntax Tree.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the set of optimization rules analyze inputs, outputs, and variables of the first set of rules and then analyzes data dependencies of the first set of rules as a part of transforming the first set of rules.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the first set of rules comprise business objectives and optimization goals, wherein the set of optimization rules transforms the first set of rules into one or more data structures which associate attribute combinations with work items and resources, and wherein attributes in the attribute combinations are selected based on the business objectives and optimization goals.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein an importance of attributes is determined based on the first set of rules and wherein attributes are ordered within the attribute combinations based on their respective importance.

11. A system, comprising:

a work assignment engine including a parser and a Contact Center Algorithm Language (CCAL) module, the CCAL module configured to receive a first set of rules for controlling behavior of a contact center, the first set of rules being in a first computing language, the CCAL module being further configured to execute a set of optimization rules to transform the first set of rules into at least one of a data structure, procedure, task, and event for controlling behavior of a queueless contact center after receiving the first set of rules, wherein the transformed first set of rules are in a second computing language, and wherein the parser is configured to translate the transformed first set of rules to enable the work assignment engine to control behavior of the queueless contact center,

wherein the CCAL module is a module in the queueless contact center, and the receiving, the transforming, and the behavior control are performed without an interaction with queues,

wherein a resource pool and a work pool are created with the transformed first set of rules by the work assignment engine, wherein the resource pool comprises a representation of every resource in the contact center, wherein the resource pool comprises an unordered collection of data structures representing every resource in the contact center, wherein the work pool comprises a representation of every work item in the contact center, and wherein the work pool comprises an unordered collection of data structures representing every work item in the contact center, and

wherein the CCAL module considers the first set of rules and, based on the consideration of the first set of rules, identifies a set of attributes which are used to compute bitmaps for the resource and work pools.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the contact center comprises a distributed contact center and wherein every resource in the distributed contact center is listed in the resource pool.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the CCAL module is provided in a work assignment engine used to distribute work items to resources in a contact center.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the set of optimization rules analyze inputs, outputs, and variables of the first set of rules and then analyzes data dependencies of the first set of rules as a part of transforming the first set of rules.