Call mapping systems and methods using variance algorithm (VA) and/or distribution compensation

• US 9,686,411 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2015
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Afiniti Ltd
• Original Assignee: Afiniti International Holdings, Ltd.
• Inventors: Chishti, Zia, Spottiswoode, S. James P.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, QUYNH H
• Application Number:
  US14/788,442
• Publication Number:
  US 20150326724A1
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 37926511, 705 713
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/23 Updating
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 Performance of employee with respect to a job function
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2061 Language aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/401 Performance feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/556 Statistical analysis and interpretation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5175 Call or contact centers supervision arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5232 Call distribution algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5233 Operator skill based call distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5234 Uniform load distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5235 Dependent on call type or called number [DNIS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5238 with waiting time or load prediction arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/50 Systems or methods supporting the power network operation or management, involving a certain degree of interaction with the load-side end user applications

Abstract

Method, system and program product, comprising obtaining agent performance data; ranking, agents based the agent performance data; dividing agents into agent performance ranges; partitioning callers based on criteria into a set of partitions; determining for each partition an outcome value for a first agent performance range and a second agent performance range; calculating for the partitions a respective outcome value difference indicator based on the outcome value for the first agent performance range and the outcome value for the second agent performance range for the partition; matching a respective agent to a respective caller in one of the partitions, based on the outcome value difference indicators for the partitions.

Claims

1. A method for handling contacts and agents in a contact center system comprising:

determining, by at least one computer processor communicatively coupled to and configured to operate in the contact center system, a rank for each of a plurality of available agents using a model based on outcomes of previous agent-contact pairings;

adjusting, by the at least one computer processor and before an arrival of a next available contact, a first agent-selection likelihood that a higher-ranked agent of the plurality of available agents will be selected for connection to the next available contact in the contact center system relative to a second agent-selection likelihood that a lower-ranked agent of the plurality of available agents will be selected for connection to the next available contact in the contact center system; and

selecting, by the at least one computer processor and after the arrival of the next available contact, the lower-ranked agent or the higher-ranked agent for connection to the next available contact in the contact center system to optimize performance of the contact center system without necessarily optimizing performance of each contact-agent connection selection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein an expected utilization of each of the plurality of available agents is substantially uniform before adjusting the first agent-selection likelihood and the second agent-selection likelihood.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting further comprises:

adjusting, by the at least one computer processor, an expected utilization of each of the plurality of available agents by rescaling the rank of each of the plurality of available agents.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the first agent-selection likelihood relative to the second agent-selection likelihood further comprises:

adjusting, by the at least one computer processor, the rank of each of the plurality of available agents using an exponential function of the substantially uniformly distributed percentile ranking.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising decreasing, by the at least one computer processor, a first expected wait time of the higher-ranked agent relative to a second expected wait time of the lower-ranked agent.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the at least one computer processor, an agent utilization requirement of the contact center system; and

decreasing, by the at least one computer processor, a uniformity of an expected utilization for each of the plurality of available agents while complying with the agent utilization requirement of the contact center system.

7. A system for handling contacts and agents in a contact center system comprising:

at least one computer processor communicatively coupled to and configured to operate in the contact center system, wherein the computer processor is further configured to;

determine a rank for each of a plurality of available agents using a model based on outcomes of previous agent-contact pairings;

adjust, before an arrival of a next available contact, a first agent-selection likelihood that a higher-ranked agent of the plurality of available agents will be selected for connection to the next available contact in the contact center system relative to a second agent-selection likelihood that a lower-ranked agent of the plurality of available agents will be selected for connection to the next available contact in the contact center system; and

select, after the arrival of the next available contact, the lower-ranked agent or the higher-ranked agent for connection to the next available contact in the contact center system to optimize performance of the contact center system without necessarily optimizing performance of each contact-agent connection selection.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein an expected utilization of each of the plurality of available agents is substantially uniform before adjusting the first agent-selection likelihood and the second agent-selection likelihood.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to adjust an expected utilization of each of the plurality of available agents by rescaling the rank of each of the plurality of available agents.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein adjusting the first agent-selection likelihood relative to the second agent-selection likelihood comprises adjusting the rank of each of the plurality of available agents using an exponential function of the substantially uniformly distributed percentile ranking.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to decrease a first expected wait time of the higher-ranked agent relative to a second expected wait time of the lower-ranked agent.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to:

determine an agent utilization requirement of the contact center system; and

decrease a uniformity of an expected utilization for each of the plurality of available agents while complying with the agent utilization requirement of the contact center system.

13. An article of manufacture for handling contacts and agents in a contact center system comprising:

a non-transitory computer processor readable medium; and

instructions stored on the medium;

wherein the instructions are configured to be readable from the medium by at least one computer processor communicatively coupled to and configured to operate in the contact center system and thereby cause the at least one computer processor to operate so as to;

determine a rank for each of a plurality of available agents using a model based on outcomes of previous agent-contact pairings;

adjust, before an arrival of a next available contact, a first agent-selection likelihood that a higher-ranked agent of the plurality of available agents will be selected for connection to the next available contact in the contact center system relative to a second agent-selection likelihood that a lower-ranked agent of the plurality of available agents will be selected for connection to the next available contact in the contact center system; and

select, after the arrival of the next available contact, the lower-ranked agent or the higher-ranked agent for connection to the next available contact in the contact center system to optimize performance of the contact center system without necessarily optimizing performance of each contact-agent connection selection.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein an expected utilization of each of the plurality of available agents is substantially uniform before adjusting the first agent-selection likelihood and the second agent-selection likelihood.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the at least one computer processor is further caused to operate so as to adjust an expected utilization of each of the plurality of available agents by rescaling the rank of each of the plurality of available agents.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein adjusting the first agent-selection likelihood relative to the second agent-selection likelihood comprises adjusting the rank of each of the plurality of available agents using an exponential function of the substantially uniformly distributed percentile ranking.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the at least one computer processor is further caused to operate so as to decrease a first expected wait time of the higher-ranked agent relative to a second expected wait time of the lower-ranked agent.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the at least one computer processor is further caused to operate so as to:

determine an agent utilization requirement of the contact center system; and

decrease a uniformity of an expected utilization for each of the plurality of available agents while complying with the agent utilization requirement of the contact center system.