Method and system for hierarchy based contact routing

• US 8,023,637 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2007
• Issued: 09/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Concentrix CVG Customer Management Delaware LLC (Synnex Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Convergys Corporation
• Inventors: Korimilli, Kishore, Irwin, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, CREIGHTON H
• Application Number:
  US11/865,193
• Publication Number:
  US 20090086959A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,450 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.11, 379/265.12, 379/266.01, 379/266.08
• US Class Current: 379/265.11
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5238 with waiting time or load prediction arrangements

Abstract

Resource allocation in a contact center can be performed using a network of nodes. Such a network of nodes can be organized according into resource nodes, domain nodes, and service nodes, with paths from the domain nodes, through the service nodes, to the resource nodes being used in the allocation.

Claims

1. A method for allocating resources in a contact center comprising:

a) maintaining a network of nodes, wherein said network of nodes is a hierarchical network, said network of nodes comprising;

a plurality of service nodes, wherein each service node from said plurality of service nodes has no more than one parent node and wherein each service node from said plurality of service nodes has one or more child nodes, wherein each of said child nodes is either a service node or a resource node; and

a plurality of resource nodes;

b) enqueuing a first contact at a first service node from the plurality of service nodes based on a routing recommendation for said first contact, wherein said routing recommendation is based at least in part on a set of real time resource availability data stored in a computer readable medium;

c) dequeuing said first contact from said first service node to a first resource node from said plurality of resource nodes based at least in part on a path between said first service node and said first resource node;

d) updating said set of real time resource availability data stored in said computer readable medium to reflect that said first contact has been dequeued to said first resource node;

e) servicing said first contact using a resource corresponding to said first resource node;

f) after the first contact has been serviced, updating said set of real time resource availability data stored in said computer readable medium to reflect that the resource corresponding to the first resource node is no longer servicing said first contact;

g) enqueuing a second contact at the first service node from said plurality of service nodes;

h) determining whether to dequeue said second contact from said first service node based on a first dequeuing strategy;

i) if said second contact is dequeued from said first service node, determining whether to requeue said second contact at;

i) the first resource node;

or

ii) a second service node;

based on;

i) a conflict resolution strategy; and

ii) the set of real time resource availability data and

j) requeuing said second contact at said second service node, wherein said second service node is a parent node of said first service node.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

a) providing a set of context information to a decision engine, wherein said context information comprises a plurality of characteristics of said first contact; and

b) determining the routing recommendation by applying said set of context information to a set of business rules using said decision engine.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the routing recommendation comprises determining a priority for said first contact.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising dequeuing said second contact from said second service node to a second resource node based on a second dequeuing strategy, wherein said second resource node is a descendant of said second service node and wherein said second resource node is not a descendant of said first service node.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said first dequeuing strategy is associated only with said first service node, and wherein said second dequeuing strategy is associated with two or more service nodes from said plurality of service nodes.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said second contact is associated with a stickiness value, wherein said step of determining whether to dequeue said second contact from said first service nodes is further based on said stickiness value, and wherein the stickiness value for said second contact is decreased when said second contact is requeued at said second service node.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

a) evaluating a first wait time associated with said second contact against a second wait time associated with a sweeper routine; and

b) if said first wait time is greater than or equal to said second wait time, dequeuing said second contact and requeuing said second contact at a node selected from the set of nodes consisting of;

i) a service node which is an ancestor of said second service node; and

ii) a service node dedicated to contacts dequeued by said sweeper routine.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium having a set of computer executable instructions stored thereon, said set of computer executable instructions operable to configure a computer to perform a set of acts comprising:

a) maintaining a network of nodes, wherein said network of nodes is a hierarchical network, said network of nodes comprising;

a plurality of service nodes, wherein each service node from said plurality of service nodes has no more than one parent node and wherein each service node from said plurality of service nodes has one or more child nodes, wherein each of said child nodes is either a service node or a resource node; and

a plurality of resource nodes;

b) enqueuing a first contact at a first service node from the plurality of service nodes based on a routing recommendation for said first contact;

c) dequeuing said first contact from said first service node to a first resource node from said plurality of resource nodes based at least in part on a path between said first service node and said first resource node;

d) enqueuing a second contact at the first service node from said plurality of service nodes;

e) determining whether to dequeue said second contact from said first service node based on a first dequeuing strategy;

f) if said second contact is dequeued from said first service node, determining whether to requeue said second contact at;

i) the first resource node;

or

ii) a second service node;

based on;

i) a conflict resolution strategy; and

ii) an availability for said first resource node; and

g) requeuing said second contact at said second service node, wherein said second service node is a parent node of said first service node.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8 wherein the set of acts further comprises:

a) providing a set of context information to a decision engine, wherein said context information comprises a plurality of characteristics of said first contact; and

b) determining the routing recommendation by applying said set of context information to a set of business rules using said decision engine.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein determining the routing recommendation comprises determining a priority for said first contact.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein said set of acts further comprises dequeuing said second contact from said second service node to a second resource node based on a second dequeuing strategy, wherein said second resource node is a descendant of said second service node and wherein said second resource node is not a descendant of said first service node.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11 wherein said first dequeuing strategy is associated only with said first service node, and wherein said second dequeuing strategy is associated with two or more service nodes from said plurality of service nodes.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein said second contact is associated with a stickiness value, wherein said step of determining whether to dequeue said second contact from said first service node is further based on said stickiness value, and wherein the stickiness value for said second contact is decreased when said second contact is requeued at said second service node.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the set of acts further comprises:

a) evaluating a first wait time associated with said second contact against a second wait time associated with a sweeper routine; and

b) if said first wait time is greater than or equal to said second wait time, dequeuing said second contact and requeuing said second contact at a node selected from the set of nodes consisting of;

i) a service node which is an ancestor of said second service node; and

ii) a service node dedicated to contacts dequeued by said sweeper routine.

15. A machine comprising:

a) a decision engine;

b) a contact flow manager; and

c) a queue manager;

wherein;

a) said contact flow manager is configured to, upon receipt of a contact, provide a set of context data regarding said contact to said decision engine, and to receive, from said decision engine, an initial routing recommendation for said contact;

b) said decision engine is configured to determine an initial routing recommendation for said contact based at least in part on said set of context data provided by said contact flow manager;

c) said queue manager is configured to;

i) receive said initial routing recommendation for said contact;

ii) maintain a hierarchical network of nodes, wherein said hierarchical network of nodes comprises a plurality of service nodes and a plurality of resource nodes;

iii) enqueue said contact at a first service node from the plurality of services nodes based on said initial routing recommendation;

iv) dequeue said contact from said first service node based at least in part on a dequeueing strategy for said first service node;

v) if a resource node below said first service node in said hierarchical network of nodes is available, enqueue said contact at said resource node, otherwise, enqueue said contact at a second service node, said second service node above the first service node in the hierarchical network of nodes;

vi) when said contact has been dequeued to node from the plurality of resource nodes, said an indication of the node to which the contact was dequeued to the contact flow manager; and

d) said contact flow manager is configured to receive the indication of the node to which the contact was dequeued from the contact flow manager, and to cause the contact to be allocated to a resource corresponding to the node to which the contact was dequeued.

16. The machine of claim 15, wherein the hierarchical network of nodes maintained by the queue manager comprises a pre-existing queue resource node corresponding to a pre-existing queue, wherein the contact flow manager is configured such that it is operable to cause the contact to be allocated to the pre-existing queue if the node to which the contact was dequeued was the pre-existing queue resource node, and wherein the pre-existing queue is a call center queue which was implemented and operational prior to the deployment of the machine of claim 15.

17. The machine of claim 16, wherein the hierarchical network of nodes maintained by the queue manager comprises an agent resource node corresponding to an agent, wherein said contact flow manager is configured such that it is operable to cause the contact to be allocated to the agent if the node to which the contact was dequeued was the agent resource node.

18. The machine of claim 15, wherein the hierarchical network of nodes maintained by the queue manager comprises a plurality of domain nodes corresponding to a reason for contact initiation, wherein each service node from said plurality of service nodes is uniquely traceable to a single domain node from said plurality of domain nodes, wherein the initial routing recommendation determined by said decision engine is based at least in part on a reason the contact was initiated.