Contact Center Agent Schedule Rescheduling for Transaction Handling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Contact centers face challenges in managing agent schedules, as fixed events are often treated as immovable, leading to suboptimal solutions when agents are needed to handle transactions during these times, such as rescheduling or assigning different agents.
Innovation Solution
A system that determines the best agent to handle a transaction and reschedules movable events in their schedule to accommodate the transaction time, allowing for dynamic allocation of resources without continuously moving break times or other movable events.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If all events in an agent's schedule are treated as fixed and immovable, then schedule stability is maintained, but transaction handling flexibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments schedule events into two distinct categories: fixed events (training sessions, meetings, lunch breaks) that maintain schedule stability, and movable events (scheduled breaks) that provide flexibility for transaction handling. This segmentation allows the system to maintain overall schedule stability while enabling adaptive responses to transaction needs by selectively modifying only movable events.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic characteristics to specific portions of the schedule by allowing movable events to be rescheduled based on real-time transaction needs. The system dynamically evaluates whether to move a break event when a transaction requires the agent's availability, transforming a static schedule into a dynamically adaptable one that balances stability with flexibility.
2Productivity
If movable events are rescheduled to accommodate transactions, then transaction handling efficiency is improved, but schedule complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by selectively rescheduling only movable events (breaks) rather than the entire schedule. When a transaction requires agent availability, the system moves only the specific break event that conflicts with the transaction, leaving the rest of the schedule unchanged. This minimizes the complexity increase while achieving transaction handling efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the temporal parameter of movable events by adjusting their start and end times to accommodate transactions. The system modifies the time parameters of break events dynamically, allowing them to be shifted to non-conflicting time slots while maintaining their duration and essential characteristics, thereby improving transaction handling without excessive complexity.
3Reliability
If agents are reassigned to handle transactions during fixed events, then transaction coverage is maintained, but service quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by proactively rescheduling movable events (breaks) before transactions are assigned to agents. The system anticipates potential conflicts by checking agent availability against both fixed and movable events, and moves breaks in advance to ensure agents are available for important transactions, thereby maintaining both coverage and service quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces the concept of movable events as intermediaries between fixed schedule constraints and transaction requirements. These break events serve as flexible buffers that can be adjusted to accommodate transactions without disrupting fixed events, allowing the system to maintain transaction coverage while preserving service quality by keeping agents available for high-priority interactions.
Data Source
AI summary
A transaction is received in a contact center. The transaction can be an email, an incoming call, an outgoing call, a video call, a text message, and/or the like. A best agent is determined to handle the transaction. A time is determined for the best agent to handle the transaction. The time can be based on a projected time that the agent will be able to handle the transaction, based on a callback time or any criteria. A schedule of the best agent is searched. The schedule of the best agent contains a movable event. A movable event can be any event that can be rescheduled, such as a break. When it is determined that the time for the best agent to handle the transaction is during and/or close to the movable event, the movable event is rescheduled to allow the best agent to handle the transaction.