Techniques for benchmarking paring strategies in a contact center system

• US 9,692,898 B1
• Filed: 07/27/2016
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Afiniti Ltd
• Original Assignee: Afiniti Europe Technologies Limited (Afiniti Ltd)
• Inventors: Chishti, Zia
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Quynh
• Application Number:
  US15/220,822
• Time in Patent Office: 335 Days
• Field of Search: 37926501, 37926502, 37926511, 37926512, 37926601, 705 713
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/10 Logic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/12 Counting circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5133 Operator terminal details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5141 Details of processing calls and other types of contacts in an unified manner unified messaging in packet-switching networks H04L51/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5175 Call or contact centers supervision arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5183 Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5232 Call distribution algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5233 Operator skill based call distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5236 Sequential or circular distribution

Abstract

Techniques for benchmarking pairing strategies in a contact center system are disclosed. In one particular embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a method for techniques for benchmarking pairing strategies in a contact center system comprising: cycling, by at least one processor, among at least two pairing strategies; and determining, by the at least one processor, a difference in performance between the at least two pairing strategies.

Claims

1. A method for benchmarking contact-agent pairing strategies in a contact center system comprising:

cycling, by at least one computer processor communicatively coupled to and configured to operate in the contact center system, among at least three phases of contact-agent pairing;

a first phase of contact-agent pairing using a first contact-agent pairing strategy,

followed by a benchmarking stabilization phase of contact-agent pairing using a second contact-agent pairing strategy, and

followed by a second phase of contact-agent pairing using the second contact-agent pairing strategy;

determining, by the at least one computer processor, a difference in performance between the first and second contact-agent pairing strategies based on the first and second phases of contact-agent pairing and excluding the benchmarking stabilization phase of contact-agent pairing; and

outputting, by the at least one computer processor, the difference in performance, wherein the performance difference demonstrates that optimizing performance of the contact center system may be realized using the first contact-agent pairing strategy instead of the second contact-agent pairing strategy.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating, by the at least one computer processor, an outcome of each of a plurality of contact-agent pairings with a corresponding indicator of which of the first, second, or benchmarking stabilization phase within which the each of the plurality of contact-agent pairings was paired.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second phases of contact-agent pairings are allocated equal proportions of a cycle time period.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second pairing strategies are allocated equal proportions of a cycle time period.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a duration of a cycle through the at least three phases is less than or equal to an hour.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first pairing strategy is a behavioral pairing strategy.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second pairing strategy is a FIFO pairing strategy or a performance-based routing pairing strategy.

8. A method for benchmarking pairing strategies in a contact center system comprising:

cycling, by at least one computer processor communicatively coupled to and configured to operate in the contact center system, among at least two pairing strategies;

determining, by the at least one computer processor, a difference in performance between the at least two pairing strategies, wherein a first subset of a plurality of contact-agent pairings using a first or second pairing strategy of the at least two pairing strategies is excluded from determining the difference in performance; and

outputting, by the at least one computer processor, the difference in performance, wherein the performance difference demonstrates that optimizing performance of the contact center system may be realized using the first contact-agent pairing strategy instead of the second contact-agent pairing strategy.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

associating, by the at least one computer processor, an outcome of each of a plurality of contact-agent pairings with a corresponding indicator of which of the first or second pairing strategy with which the each of the plurality of contact-agent pairings was paired.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

associating, by the at least one computer processor, an outcome of each of a plurality of contact-agent pairings with a corresponding indicator of whether the each of the plurality of contact-agent pairings is of the first subset of the plurality of contact-agent pairings excluded from determining the difference in performance.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the first and second pairing strategies are allocated equal proportions of a cycle time period.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein a duration of a cycle through the at least two pairing strategies is less than or equal to an hour.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the first pairing strategy is a behavioral pairing strategy.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the second pairing strategy is a FIFO pairing strategy or a performance-based routing pairing strategy.

15. A system for benchmarking 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 at least one computer processor is further configured to;

cycle among at least three phases of contact-agent pairing;

a first phase of contact-agent pairing using a first contact-agent pairing strategy,

followed by a benchmarking stabilization phase of contact-agent pairing using a second contact-agent pairing strategy, and

followed by a second phase of contact-agent pairing using the second contact-agent pairing strategy;

determine a difference in performance between the first and second contact-agent pairing strategies based on the first and second phases of contact-agent pairing and excluding the benchmarking stabilization phase of contact-agent pairing; and

output the difference in performance, wherein the performance difference demonstrates that optimizing performance of the contact center system may be realized using the first contact-agent pairing strategy instead of the second contact-agent pairing strategy.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to:

associate an outcome of each of a plurality of contact-agent pairings with a corresponding indicator of which of the first, second, or benchmarking stabilization phase within which the each of the plurality of contact-agent pairings was paired.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the first and second phases of contact-agent pairings are allocated equal proportions of a cycle time period.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the first and second pairing strategies are allocated equal proportions of a cycle time period.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein a duration of a cycle through the at least three phases is less than or equal to an hour.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the first pairing strategy is a behavioral pairing strategy.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the second pairing strategy is a FIFO pairing strategy or a performance-based routing pairing strategy.

22. A system for benchmarking 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 at least one computer processor is further configured to;

cycle among at least two pairing strategies;

determine a difference in performance between the at least two pairing strategies, wherein a first subset of a plurality of contact-agent pairings using a first or second pairing strategy of the at least two pairing strategies is excluded from determining the difference in performance; and

output the difference in performance, wherein the performance difference demonstrates that optimizing performance of the contact center system may be realized using the first contact-agent pairing strategy instead of the second contact-agent pairing strategy.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to:

associate an outcome of each of a plurality of contact-agent pairings with a corresponding indicator of which of the first or second pairing strategy with which the each of the plurality of contact-agent pairings was paired.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to:

associate an outcome of each of a plurality of contact-agent pairings with a corresponding indicator of whether the each of the plurality of contact-agent pairings is of the first subset of the plurality of contact-agent pairings excluded from determining the difference in performance.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the first and second pairing strategies are allocated equal proportions of a cycle time period.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein a duration of a cycle through the at least two pairing strategies is less than or equal to an hour.

27. The system of claim 22, wherein the first pairing strategy is a behavioral pairing strategy.

28. The system of claim 22, wherein the second pairing strategy is a FIFO pairing strategy or a performance-based routing pairing strategy.