ACD Presence-Based Agent Drafting for Service Level Compliance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automatic call distribution centers face challenges in efficiently managing agent availability and call distribution, leading to potential service level agreement breaches due to inadequate staffing and inefficient resource allocation, especially during peak call volumes.
Innovation Solution
The system utilizes presence information to identify and draft agents who are not in a ready state but can be notified and reassigned to handle incoming calls, including those on lower priority or non-ACD related tasks, thereby optimizing agent availability and productivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If ACD agents are overstaffed to meet SLA requirements, then service level compliance is improved, but labor costs and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts agent availability status based on real-time presence information and call volume conditions. Agents transition between ready and draftable states automatically, allowing the system to optimize staffing levels without manual intervention while maintaining SLA compliance.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameter of agent availability by using presence information to identify agents who can be drafted from non-ACD tasks. This parameter change allows the system to maintain service levels without permanent overstaffing, reducing operational complexity.
2Productivity
If ACD agents perform non-ACD related tasks when call volume is low, then labor efficiency is improved, but response time to incoming calls increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary identification of draftable agents using presence information before call volume spikes occur. Agents are pre-identified as available for drafting, so when call volume increases, they can be quickly transitioned to ACD tasks without delay, maintaining both efficiency and rapid response.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors call volume and agent status, providing feedback to trigger drafting of available agents. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures that agents are drafted in a timely manner when needed, balancing productivity with rapid response requirements.
3Productivity
If agents are drafted from non-ACD tasks during peak call volumes, then agent availability is improved, but disruption to non-ACD tasks increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system drafts only the minimum necessary number of agents from non-ACD tasks to meet call volume requirements. By using presence information to identify exactly which agents are available and needed, the system avoids excessive disruption to ongoing non-ACD tasks while still achieving required agent availability.
Data Source
AI summary
In accordance with a particular embodiment of the present invention, a method using presence information to improve automatic call distribution includes receiving a call for connection with one of a plurality of agents. An indicator of a service level problem is detected, and presence information is used to identify one or more draftable agents that are not in a ready state in response to detecting the indicator. The call is distributed to a selected one of the identified one or more draftable agents.