Telephone Call Processing Apparatus for Contact Centre Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Contact centres face inefficiencies and high costs due to the need for one-to-one mapping of agent workstations to third-party software applications, leading to redundancy and increased PCI compliance risks during financial transactions and other interactions that require sensitive data handling.
Innovation Solution
A telephone call processing apparatus and method that allows seamless call routing to external applications while maintaining a connection with the agent workstation, using an on-demand application module to set up and manage transaction calls, and excluding sensitive data to reduce compliance burdens.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If one-to-one mapping of agent workstations to third-party software applications is implemented, then call functionality is provided to all callers, but hardware and software redundancy increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a shared software application instance that serves multiple agent workstations simultaneously. Instead of dedicating separate application instances to each agent, a single universal instance handles transactions for all agents, eliminating the need for one-to-one mapping and reducing hardware/software redundancy while maintaining full call functionality coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual copy mechanism where a single software application instance is virtually instantiated for each caller through call routing, rather than requiring physical separate instances. This allows multiple agents to access the same application resources concurrently, reducing redundancy while preserving adaptability.
2Reliability
If third-party hosted software application is employed for financial transactions, then security risk is limited, but PCI compliance burden increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts sensitive financial transaction data from the contact centre environment and routes it exclusively through a third-party hosted software application. By removing sensitive data processing from the contact centre system and keeping only non-sensitive call routing functions, the PCI compliance burden on the contact centre is significantly reduced while maintaining security through the specialized hosted application.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a third-party hosted software application as an intermediary between the contact centre and sensitive financial data. This intermediary handles all PCI-regulated operations, acting as a buffer that protects the contact centre from direct PCI compliance requirements while maintaining secure transaction processing.
3Ease of operation
If agent remains connected to call during financial transaction, then caller can be guided through transaction, but call routing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the third-party hosted software application as an intermediary that manages the transaction call independently. The agent remains connected to the original call for guidance, while the hosted application handles the transaction-specific call routing and interactions, simplifying the overall call routing architecture by separating guidance functions from transaction processing functions.
Data Source
AI summary
A telephone call processing apparatus for a telephone system includes an exchange for receiving incoming telephone calls and switching said calls to selected respective agent workstations. The apparatus includes a routing function for connecting an incoming call from a caller to an agent workstation, and initiating a call from said apparatus to an external application platform, said call including data to enable a transaction call to be set up between said caller and said external application platform. A holding function maintains a call leg connection with said agent workstation whilst said call from said apparatus to said external application platform is initiated. A connection function connects a call from said external application platform to said agent workstation and establishing or maintaining a connection between said caller and said agent workstation for use whilst said transaction call is connected.