Incorporating interactive voice response functions into a work assignment engine script

• US 8,953,773 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2012
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arlington Technologies, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Steiner, Robert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huynh, Van D
• Application Number:
  US13/622,550
• Publication Number:
  US 20140079193A1
• Time in Patent Office: 874 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.01, 379/88.04, 379/88.18, 379/265.01, 379/265.13
• US Class Current: 379/265.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends

Abstract

A contact center is described along with various methods and mechanisms for administering the same. In general, methods and mechanisms are disclosed that are configured to provide interactive voice response (IVR) functionality as one or more distributed resources capable of being assigned work items via a work assignment engine. Assigning work items may be performed via the work assignment engine running an IVR script. This IVR script may be configured to determine information associated with a work item such that an efficient work assignment can be made. In some cases, business rules and the information associated with the work item can affect the work assignment.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

analyzing, via a work assignment engine, a work item for work assignment information, wherein the work item represents a contact received at a contact center;

determining, via the work assignment engine, whether the work assignment information includes customer information for assigning the work item to a resource of the contact center other than an interactive voice response (IVR) resource;

determining, via the work assignment engine, a first IVR resource of a plurality of IVR resources that is capable of obtaining a first portion of the customer information when the work assignment information does not include the customer information; and

assigning, via the work assignment engine, the work item to the first IVR resource when it is determined that the work assignment information does not include the customer information, wherein the first IVR resource is configured to execute a first IVR function configured to obtain the first portion of the customer information, wherein the first IVR function represents an individual IVR function that is separate and apart from an IVR unit and other IVR functions, and wherein the first IVR resource is configured to automatically return the work item to the work assignment engine after executing the first IVR function.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each determination is made by applying an IVR script in the work assignment engine.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the IVR script is configured to run automatically upon completion of the analyzing step.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the work assignment information comprises information associated with a customer.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the information associated with a customer includes at least one of a customer number, customer name, IP address, MAC address, customer grade, and paid-for service level.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

processing the work item via the first IVR resource, wherein processing the work item includes executing the first IVR function; and

returning the processed work item to the work assignment engine.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the processing step further comprises:

following processing of the work item via the first IVR resource, updating the work assignment information and the customer information for the processed work item.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

analyzing, via the work assignment engine, the processed work item for updated work assignment information;

detecting, via the work assignment engine, that the updated work assignment information does not include the customer information for assigning the work item to the resource of the contact center other than the IVR resource;

determining, via the work assignment engine, a second IVR resource of the plurality of IVR resources that is capable of obtaining a second portion of the customer information when the work assignment information does not include the customer information; and

assigning, via the work assignment engine, the processed work item to the second IVR resource of a plurality of IVR resources that is capable of obtaining the second portion of the customer information, wherein the second IVR resource is configured to execute a second IVR function separate and apart from an IVR unit and the first IVR resource, and wherein the second IVR function is different from the first IVR function, and wherein the second IVR resource is configured to automatically return the work item to the work assignment engine after executing the second IVR function.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

analyzing, via the work assignment engine, the processed work item for updated work assignment information and updated customer information;

detecting, via the work assignment engine, that the updated work assignment information includes the customer information to assign the work item to the resource of the contact center other than the IVR resource; and

routing the processed work item to resource of the contact center, wherein the resource of the contact center is a human agent.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the work assignment information includes customer information further comprises:

referring, via the work assignment engine, to an identifier associated with the work item, wherein the identifier indicates whether the work item includes the customer information.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform a method comprising:

analyzing, via a work assignment engine, a work item for work assignment information, wherein the work item represents a contact received at a contact center;

determining, via the work assignment engine, whether the work assignment information includes customer information for assigning the work item to a resource of the contact center other than an interactive voice response (IVR) resource;

determining, via the work assignment engine, a first IVR resource of a plurality of IVR resources that is capable of obtaining a first portion of the customer information when the work assignment information does not include the customer information; and

assigning, via the work assignment engine, the work item to the first IVR resource when it is determined that the work assignment information does not include the customer information, wherein the first IVR resource is configured to execute a first IVR function configured to obtain the first portion of the customer information, wherein the first IVR function represents an individual IVR function that is separate and apart from an IVR unit and other IVR functions, and wherein the first IVR resource is configured to automatically return the work item to the work assignment engine after executing the first IVR function.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the method is performed via an IVR script in the work assignment engine.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the IVR script is configured to run automatically upon completion of the analyzing step.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the work assignment information comprises information associated with a customer.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the information associated with a customer includes at least one of a customer number, customer name, IP address, MAC address, customer grade, and paid-for service level.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

processing the work item via the first IVR resource, wherein processing the work item includes executing the first IVR function; and

returning the processed work item to the work assignment engine.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises:

following processing of the work item via the first IVR resource, updating the work assignment information and the customer information for the processed work item.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

analyzing, via the work assignment engine, the processed work item for updated work assignment information;

detecting, via the work assignment engine, that the updated work assignment information does not include the customer information for assigning the work item to the resource of the contact center other than the IVR resource;

determining, via the work assignment engine, a second IVR resource of the plurality of IVR resources that is capable of obtaining a second portion of the customer information when the work assignment information does not include the customer information; and

assigning, via the work assignment engine, the processed work item to the second IVR resource of a plurality of IVR resources that is capable of obtaining the second portion of the customer information, wherein the second IVR resource is configured to execute a second IVR function separate and apart from an IVR unit, and wherein the second IVR function is different from the first IVR function, and wherein the second IVR resource is configured to automatically return the work item to the work assignment engine after executing the second IVR function.

19. A contact center, comprising:

a work assignment mechanism contained in memory and executed by a processor, the work assignment mechanism including;

a work assignment engine configured to compare attributes of work items in a work pool with attributes of resources in a resource pool and match the work items to resources based on the comparison of attributes; and

an IVR script configured to analyze a work item for work assignment information, wherein the work item represents a contact received at a contact center, determine whether the work assignment information includes customer information for assigning the work item to a resource of the contact center other than an interactive voice response (IVR) resource, determine a first IVR resource of a plurality of IVR resources that is capable of obtaining a first portion of the customer information when the work assignment information does not include the customer information, and assign the work item to the first IVR resource when it is determined that the work assignment information does not include the customer information, wherein the first IVR resource is configured to execute a first IVR function configured to obtain the first portion of the customer information, wherein the first IVR function represents an individual IVR function that is separate and apart from an IVR unit and other IVR functions, and wherein the first IVR resource is configured to automatically return the work item to the work assignment engine after executing the first IVR function.

20. The contact center of claim 19, wherein the work assignment engine includes the IVR script.