Patent · US Expired

Method and system for skills-based planning and scheduling in a workforce contact center environment

US6970829B1 · kind B1 · utility

137Cited by
18References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 14, 2000
Grant dateNov 29, 2005
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 14, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06Q30/0202
  • WIPO fieldIT methods for management
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method of forecasting, allocating and scheduling in a single or multi-site skills-based contact or call center environment organized into a hierarchy of zero or more business units at a first, upper level, one or more contact types at a second, intermediate level, and one or more management units at a third, lower level. A user creates (a) a set of given contact allocations that define how contacts are distributed from a given business unit to multiple contact types, and (b) a set of given requirement allocations that define how agent requirements are distributed from a contact type to one or more management units. Agent availability by contact type is then predicted to generate agent availability data. Thereafter, forecasted contacts and forecasted agent requirements are allocated based on the given contact and requirement allocations as well as the agent availability data. Preferably, the agent availability data is predicted using a schedule simulator and is characterized by contact type for agents in the same skill group.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.