Contact Center Routing Using Real-Time Agent Activity Metrics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current contact center routing models are inadequate for Unified Communication environments where agents handle multiple multimedia conversations simultaneously, as they fail to accurately assess agent availability due to simplistic decision-making formulas and limited agent states.
Innovation Solution
A method that utilizes real-time feedback from agent client software to evaluate the relative 'busyness' of agents across different media types, incorporating metrics such as the number of sessions handled and activity levels, to make intelligent routing decisions for new contacts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If agents handle multiple multimedia conversations simultaneously in Unified Communication environments, then agent productivity increases, but the accuracy of agent availability assessment deteriorates due to simplistic routing models
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameters used to assess agent availability from simple binary states (Ready/Not Ready) to multiple Presence states (Available, Busy Away, Do Not Disturb, Offline) and incorporates real-time metrics such as number of active sessions, response time, and activity level. This allows the routing system to accurately assess agent availability even when handling multiple concurrent conversations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements real-time feedback mechanisms where agent client software continuously reports current state and activity metrics to the routing system. This feedback loop enables dynamic adjustment of routing decisions based on actual agent availability, resolving the contradiction between high productivity and accurate availability assessment.
2Device complexity
If simplistic routing formulae are used based on predefined agent capacity, then routing system complexity is reduced, but contact handling efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from static routing decisions based on predefined capacity to dynamic routing that continuously adapts to real-time agent states and performance metrics. The system monitors and responds to changing conditions such as current session count, response time, and activity level, enabling efficient contact routing without excessive system complexity.
3Device complexity
If traditional agent states (Ready, Not Ready, Busy) are used, then the routing model remains simple, but it fails to accurately represent agent availability in multimedia environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the monolithic agent state into multiple distinct Presence states (Available, Busy Away, Do Not Disturb, Offline) and further segments availability assessment into multiple metrics (number of sessions, response time, activity level). This segmentation allows the routing model to accurately represent complex agent availability without requiring a single complex state variable.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for routing communication sessions between a contact and an agent of a contact center is disclosed. The system is arranged to simultaneously connect more than one contact to an agent of the contact center capable of simultaneously handling a plurality of contacts. Typically, the contacts comprise non-voice contacts The system is arranged to obtain a respective time-varying characteristic associated with the various agents indicating an intermediate level of activity for the agents between the agents being unoccupied and the agents being fully occupied with handling contacts. New contacts received at the contact center are routed to an agent based at least partially the time-varying characteristic for the agents.