Method and apparatus for multi-contact scheduling

US6952732B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Blue Pumpkin Software, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Illah Nourbakhsh · Pittsburgh, US
• Ofer Matan · Palo Alto, US
• Jason Fama · Foster City, US
• Scott Veach · Los Angeles, US
• Edward Hamilton · San Jose, US
• Alex Fukunaga · Lomita, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 30, 2001
• Grant date: Oct 4, 2005
• Expiry date: Sep 8, 2023

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04M3/5233
• WIPO field: Telecommunications
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A method and apparatus for generating an agent schedule for a multi-contact center that has immediate queues and deferred queues. In one embodiment, a method includes scheduling software receiving a plurality of scheduling data from a user interface, and the scheduling software generating a plurality of scheduling constraints. The method further includes a search engine using the plurality of scheduling constraints to generate a plurality of potential schedules including first potential schedules for immediate queues, and second potential schedules for deferred queues. The method further includes performing a first analysis on the first potential schedules to generate first estimated service levels, and performing a second analysis on the second potential schedules to generate second estimated service levels, wherein the first estimated service levels and the second estimated service levels are expressed in interchangeable units.