System and method for preemptive goals based routing of contact records

• US 7,103,173 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2002
• Issued: 09/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Noble Systems Corporation
• Original Assignee: ALI Solutions, Inc. (Noble Systems Corporation)
• Inventors: Rodenbusch, Richard, Duncan, Daniel N.
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BENNY QUOC
• Application Number:
  US10/095,513
• Publication Number:
  US 20030016812A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,638 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.01, 379/266.01, 379/266.04, 379/266.05, 379/266.07, 379/266.08, 379/309
• US Class Current: 379/266.07
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5158 in combination with automated outdialling systems devices for signalling identity of wanted subscriber H04M1/26

Abstract

A method and system is provided for the preemptive goals based distribution of contact records. This method and system includes devices receiving contact records and providing customer contacts to one or more agents. Interfaced with the device is a distribution module including pools and queues. The distribution module places the contact records into the pools and transfers less than all of the contact records to the queues to allow for processing by the devices at peak efficiency. The distribution module transfers the queues to the devices so that the device can place customer contact attempts. A goal module, associated with the distribution module, monitors the performance of the pools. The goal module modifies which queues the pools transfer contact records to based on the performance of the pools thereby allowing the contact records to be distributed in accordance with performance goals for the pools.

Claims

1. A system for distributing contact records utilizing preemptive goals based routing, the system comprising:

a plurality of devices, each device operable to receive a plurality of contact records and to provide a plurality of telephone calls connected to the contact records to a plurality of agents, each of the plurality of agents associated with one of the plurality of devices and operable to connect with calls placed by that device;

a distribution module interfaced with the plurality of devices and including a plurality of pools and a plurality of queues, the distribution module operable to place the contact records into the pools, transfer less than all of the contact records from the pools to the queues, and transfer the queues to the devices; and

a goal module interfaced with the distribution module, the goal module operable to monitor the performance of the pools and modify which queues the pools transfer contact records to based on the performance of the pools.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the goal module organizes the agents into one or more teams.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising one or more performance metrics associated with the pools, the performance metric operable to determine how the performance of the pools is measure.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the goal module selects the performance metric for each pool.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein a user selects the performance metric for each pool.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the goal module modifies which queues the pools transfer contact records to by transferring queues away from one or more pools having unsatisfactory performance.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the goal module modifies which queues the pools transfer contact records to by transferring queues to one or more pools having unsatisfactory performance.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising one or more goal strategies associated with the goal module, the goal strategies operable to control how the goal module modifies which queues the pools transfer contact records to based on the performance of the pools.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the goal module identifies a final goal for each pool.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein when a pool satisfies the final goal for that pool, the goal module transfers the queues from the pool satisfying the final goal to one or more pools not satisfying the final goals.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the goal module prioritizes the pools relative to each other.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the goal module determines one or more goals and one or more goal states for each pool, the goal state operable to indicate the performance of the pools relative to the goals.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the goal module modifies which queues the pools transfer contact records to based on the goal states for each pool.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the goal module modifies which queues the pools transfer contact records to by transferring levels of effort between the pools.

15. A system for distributing contact records utilizing preemptive goals based routing, the system comprising:

a plurality of devices, each device operable to receive a plurality of contact records and to provide a plurality of contact records to a set of plural agents assigned only to that device;

a distribution module interfaced with the plurality of devices and including a plurality of pools and a plurality of queues, the distribution module operable to place the contact records into the pools, transfer less than all of the contact records from the pools to the queues, and transfer the queues to the devices; and

a goal module interfaced with the distribution module, the goal module operable to define one or more levels of effort for each queue, determine a goal for each pool, determine a goal state for each pool, and modify which queues the pools transfer contact records to.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the goal state for a particular pool indicates whether the particular pool satisfies the goal.

17. The system of claim 15 further comprising one or more performance metrics associated with the pools, the performance metric operable to determine how the performance of the pools is measure.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the goal module selects the performance metric for each pool.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein the goal module calculates a goal status for each pool.

20. The system of claim 15 wherein the goal module identifies a final goal for each pool.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein when a pool satisfies the final goal for that pool, the goal module transfers the level of effort from the pool satisfying the final goal to one or more pools not satisfying the final goals.

22. The system of claim 15 wherein the goal module prioritizes the pools relative to each other.

23. The system of claim 15 wherein the goal module modifies which queues the pools transfer contact records to based on the goal states for each pool.

24. The system of claim 15 wherein the goal module modifies which queues the pools transfer contact records to by transferring levels of effort between the pools.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the goal module transfers levels of effort to one or more pools not satisfying the goals.

26. The system of claim 24 wherein the goal module transfers levels of effort away from one or more pools not satisfying the goals.

27. The system of claim 15 further comprising one or more goal strategies associated with the goal module, the goal strategies operable to control which levels of effort are transferred between the pools.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the goal module modifies which queues the pools transfer contact records to based on the goal states for each pool and a selected goal strategy.

29. The system of claim 15 wherein the goal module sets a limit on the level of effort that may be transferred away from each pool to the other pools.

30. The system of claim 15 further comprising an effort map associated with the goal module, the effort map operable to identify the pools from which the queues and agents receive contact records and to identify the levels of effort for each pool.

31. The system of claim 30 further comprising one or more routing tables associated with the pools and the effort map, the routing tables operable to determine how the goal module transfers levels of effort between the pools based on the goal states for each pool.

32. A method for preemptive goals based routing of contact records, the method comprising:

organizing a plurality of contact records into a plurality of pools;

transferring less than all of the contact records from the pools to a plurality of queues;

transferring the queues to a plurality of devices, each device having an associated set of a plurality of agents, each set operable to connect with contacts made by the device associated with the set;

contacting the contact records at each device front a queue transferred to the device;

monitoring the performance of the pools; and

modifying the queues to which the pools transfer contact records to based on the performance of the pools.

33. The method of claim 32 further comprising organizing the agents into one or more teams.

34. The method of claim 32 wherein monitoring the performance of the pools comprises determining how to measure the performance of each pool.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein determining how to measure the performance of the pools comprises selecting a performance metric for each pool.

36. The method of claim 32 wherein monitoring the performance of the pools comprises establishing a final goal for each pool.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein modifying the queues to which the pools transfer contact records to comprises transferring one or more of the queues from a pool satisfying the final goal to one or more of pools not satisfying the final goal.

38. The method of claim 32 wherein modifying the queues to which the pools transfers contact records to comprises transferring additional contact records from one or more pools having satisfactory performance to the queues.

39. The method of claim 32 wherein modifying the queues to which the pools transfers contact records to comprises transferring additional contact records from one or more pools having unsatisfactory performance to the queues.

40. The method of claim 32 wherein monitoring the performance of the pools comprises cycling through the pools to locate a pool having unsatisfactory performance.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein cycling through the pools to locate a pool having unsatisfactory performance comprises selecting the pool having the unsatisfactory performance.

42. The method of claim 40 wherein modifying the queues to which the pools transfers contact records to comprises transferring the queues away from the pool having unsatisfactory performance.

43. The method of claim 40 wherein modifying the queues to which the pools transfers contact records to comprises transferring the queues to the pool having unsatisfactory performance.

44. The method of claim 32 wherein organizing the contact records into a plurality of pools comprises prioritizing the pools relative to each other.

45. The method of claim 32 wherein modifying the queues to which the pools transfer contact records to comprises controlling which queues are transferred between the pools.

46. A method for preemptive goals based routing of contact records, the method comprising:

organizing a plurality of contact records into a plurality of pools;

determining a goal for each pool;

transferring less than all of the contact records from the pools to a plurality of queues, each queue including one or more levels of effort;

transferring the queues to a plurality of devices, each device having a plurality of agents;

contacting with each device the contact records from a queue transferred to the device for connection with an agent associated with the device;

determining a goal state for each pool; and

modifying the queues to which the pools transfer contact records to based on the goal states for each pool.

47. The method of claim 46 wherein determining a goal for each pool comprises determining how to measure the performance of each pool.

48. The method of claim 47 wherein determining how to measure the performance of the pools comprises selecting a performance metric for each pool.

49. The method of claim 46 further comprising calculating a goal status for each pool.

50. The method of claim 46 wherein determining a goal for each pool comprises establishing a final goal for each pool.

51. The method of claim 50 wherein modifying the queues to which the pools transfer contact records to comprises transferring the level of effort from a pool satisfying the final goal to one or more of pools not satisfying the final goal.

52. The method of claim 46 wherein organizing the contact records into a plurality of pools comprises prioritizing the pools relative to each other.

53. The method of claim 46 wherein modifying the queues to which the pools transfer contact records to comprises transferring the levels of effort between the pools.

54. The method of claim 53 wherein transferring the levels of effort between the pools comprises determining the pools that receive the levels of effort from the other pools and the pools that transfer levels of effort to the other pools.

55. The method of claim 53 wherein transferring the levels of effort between the pools comprises transferring the levels of effort to one or more pools not satisfying the goals.

56. The method of claim 53 wherein transferring the levels of effort between the pools comprises transferring the levels of effort away from one or more pools not satisfying the goals.

57. The method of claim 53 wherein transferring the levels of effort between the pools comprises limiting the levels of effort that may be transferred from a particular pool to a different pool based upon the goal state of the particular pool.

58. The method of claim 46 wherein determining a goal state for each pool comprises determining if the pools are satisfying the goals.

59. The method of claim 46 wherein determining a goal state for each pool comprises cycling through the pools to locate a pool having a desired goal state.

60. The method of claim 59 wherein cycling through the pools to locate a pool having a desired goal state comprising selecting the pool having the desired goal state.

61. The method of claim 60 wherein modifying the queues to which the pools transfer contact records to comprises transferring levels of effort away from the pool having the desired goal state.

62. The method of claim 60 wherein modifying the queues to which the pools transfer contact records to comprises transferring levels of effort to the pool having the desired goal state.