Forecasting and scheduling campaigns involving different channels of communication
First Claim
1. A method for generating an applicable roster template for use in scheduling agent resources for a contact center to conduct a first campaign and a second campaign, the method comprising the steps of:
- generating by a workforce management system a first forecast based on a first set of campaign parameters and a first historical dataset, in which the first set of campaign parameters comprises (1) a first channel of communication to be used in conducting the first campaign and (2) a first time period during which the first campaign is to be conducted, the first historical dataset comprises historical data on handling communications involving the first channel of communication, and the first forecast identifies a first number of agent resources needed to handle the first campaign;
generating by the workforce management system a second forecast based on a second set of campaign parameters and a second historical dataset, in which the second set of campaign parameters comprises (1) a second channel of communication to be used in conducting the second campaign, the second channel of communication being different than the first channel of communication, and (2) a second time period during which the second campaign is to be conducted, in which at least a corresponding portion of each of the second time period and the first time period overlap each other, the second historical dataset comprises historical data on handling communications involving the second channel of communication, and the second forecast identifies a second number of agent resources needed to handle the second campaign;
generating the applicable roster template by the workforce management system, the applicable roster template comprising one or more shifts identifying agent resources to schedule based on the first number of agent resources identified in the first forecast needed to handle the first campaign;
evaluating the applicable roster template by the workforce management system to identify a first deficiency in which the agent resources to schedule identified in the applicable roster template do not meet the second number of agent resources needed to handle the second campaign;
determining by the workforce management system whether the first deficiency causes one or more parameters not to be met, the one or more parameters defining relationships between agent resources to schedule identified in a roster template and a number of agent resources needed to handle a campaign identified in a forecast; and
based on the first deficiency causing at least one of the one or more parameters not to be met, revising the one or more shifts identifying the agent resources to schedule for the applicable roster template by the workforce management system to address the first deficiency so that a second deficiency in which the agent resources to schedule based on the revised one or more shifts do not meet at least one of the first number of agent resources needed to handle the first campaign and the second number of agent resources needed to handle the second campaign is not created that causes at least one of the one or more parameters not to be met.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Various embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems, and computer program products for generating a roster template used in scheduling agent resources to conduct a first campaign and a second campaign involving two different channels of communication. Specifically, forecasts are generated for the first and second campaigns and agent resources needed to handle communications forecasted for each campaign are identified. A roster template is generated that includes one or more shifts to schedule based on the agent resources identified for the first campaign and evaluated to identify whether a deficiency exists with respect to the one or more shifts not meeting the agent resources identified for the second campaign. If so, the one or more shifts are revised so as not to cause a second deficiency with respect to the first campaign.
47 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method for generating an applicable roster template for use in scheduling agent resources for a contact center to conduct a first campaign and a second campaign, the method comprising the steps of:
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generating by a workforce management system a first forecast based on a first set of campaign parameters and a first historical dataset, in which the first set of campaign parameters comprises (1) a first channel of communication to be used in conducting the first campaign and (2) a first time period during which the first campaign is to be conducted, the first historical dataset comprises historical data on handling communications involving the first channel of communication, and the first forecast identifies a first number of agent resources needed to handle the first campaign; generating by the workforce management system a second forecast based on a second set of campaign parameters and a second historical dataset, in which the second set of campaign parameters comprises (1) a second channel of communication to be used in conducting the second campaign, the second channel of communication being different than the first channel of communication, and (2) a second time period during which the second campaign is to be conducted, in which at least a corresponding portion of each of the second time period and the first time period overlap each other, the second historical dataset comprises historical data on handling communications involving the second channel of communication, and the second forecast identifies a second number of agent resources needed to handle the second campaign; generating the applicable roster template by the workforce management system, the applicable roster template comprising one or more shifts identifying agent resources to schedule based on the first number of agent resources identified in the first forecast needed to handle the first campaign; evaluating the applicable roster template by the workforce management system to identify a first deficiency in which the agent resources to schedule identified in the applicable roster template do not meet the second number of agent resources needed to handle the second campaign; determining by the workforce management system whether the first deficiency causes one or more parameters not to be met, the one or more parameters defining relationships between agent resources to schedule identified in a roster template and a number of agent resources needed to handle a campaign identified in a forecast; and based on the first deficiency causing at least one of the one or more parameters not to be met, revising the one or more shifts identifying the agent resources to schedule for the applicable roster template by the workforce management system to address the first deficiency so that a second deficiency in which the agent resources to schedule based on the revised one or more shifts do not meet at least one of the first number of agent resources needed to handle the first campaign and the second number of agent resources needed to handle the second campaign is not created that causes at least one of the one or more parameters not to be met. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for generating an applicable roster template for use in scheduling agent resources for a contact center to conduct a first campaign and a second campaign that when executed cause at least one computer processor to:
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generate a first forecast based on a first set of campaign parameters and a first historical dataset, in which the first set of campaign parameters comprises (1) a first channel of communication to be used in conducting the first campaign and (2) a first time period during which the first campaign is to be conducted, the first historical dataset comprises historical data on handling communications involving the first channel of communication, and the first forecast identifies a first number of agent resources needed to handle the first campaign; generate a second forecast based on a second set of campaign parameters and a second historical dataset, in which the second set of campaign parameters comprises (1) a second channel of communication to be used in conducting the second campaign, the second channel of communication being different than the first channel of communication, and (2) a second time period during which the second campaign is to be conducted, in which at least a corresponding portion of each of the second time period and the first time period overlap each other, the second historical dataset comprises historical data on handling communications involving the second channel of communication, and the second forecast identifies a second number of agent resources needed to handle the second campaign; generate the applicable roster template comprising one or more shifts identifying agent resources to schedule based on the first number of agent resources identified in the first forecast needed to handle the first campaign; evaluate the applicable roster template to identify a first deficiency in which the agent resources to schedule identified in the applicable roster template do not meet the second number of agent resources needed to handle the second campaign; determine whether the first deficiency causes one or more parameters not to be met, the one or more parameters defining relationships between agent resources to schedule identified in a roster template and a number of agent resources needed to handle a campaign identified in a forecast; and based on the first deficiency causing at least one of the one or more parameters not to be met, revise the one or more shifts identifying the agent resources to schedule for the applicable roster template to address the first deficiency so that a second deficiency in which the agent resources to schedule based on the revised one or more shifts do not meet at least one of the first number of agent resources needed to handle the first campaign and the second number of agent resources needed to handle the second campaign is not created that causes at least one of the one or more parameters not to be met. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A system for generating a roster template for use in scheduling agent resources for a contact center to conduct a first campaign and a second campaign comprising:
a workforce management component configured to; generate a first forecast based on a first set of campaign parameters and a first historical dataset, in which the first set of campaign parameters comprises (1) a first channel of communication to be used in conducting the first campaign and (2) a first time period during which the first campaign is to be conducted, the first historical dataset comprises historical data on handling communications involving the first channel of communication, and the first forecast identifies a first number of agent resources needed to handle the first campaign; generate a second forecast based on a second set of campaign parameters and a second historical dataset, in which the second set of campaign parameters comprises (1) a second channel of communication to be used in conducting the second campaign, the second channel of communication being different than the first channel of communication, and (2) a second time period during which the second campaign is to be conducted, in which at least a corresponding portion of each of the second time period and the first time period overlap each other, the second historical dataset comprises historical data on handling communications involving the second channel of communication, and the second forecast identifies a second number of agent resources needed to handle the second campaign; generate the applicable roster template comprising one or more shifts identifying agent resources to schedule based on the first number of agent resources identified in the first forecast needed to handle the first campaign;
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evaluate the applicable roster template to identify a first deficiency in which the agent resources to schedule identified in the applicable roster template do not meet the second number of agent resources needed to handle the second campaign;determine whether the first deficiency causes one or more parameters not to be met, the one or more parameters defining relationships between agent resources to schedule identified in a roster template and a number of agent resources needed to handle a campaign identified in a forecast; and based on the first deficiency causing at least one of the one or more parameters not to be met, revise the one or more shifts identifying the agent resources to schedule for the applicable roster template to address the first deficiency so that a second deficiency in which the agent resources to schedule based on the revised one or more shifts do not meet at least one of the first number of agent resources needed to handle the first campaign and the second number of agent resources needed to handle the second campaign is not created that causes at least one of the one or more parameters not to be met. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
Specification