IVR Server Routing for Contact Centers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional contact center systems face high administrative loads and inflexibility due to centralized routing controllers, which struggle with increased call volumes and dynamic changes in contact center membership, leading to inefficiencies in managing and synchronizing data across distributed contact centers.
Innovation Solution
A method that involves receiving and holding communications sessions externally, sending requests to a contact center interface specifying requirements, and directing sessions to network addresses determined by the contact center itself, reducing processing power and allowing for adaptable interaction between different contact center architectures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a central controller is used to make routing decisions for distributed contact centers, then routing control is centralized and consistent, but the administrative load and processing requirements on the controller become very high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the routing decision-making capability from the central controller and places it at the contact center level. Each contact center autonomously evaluates incoming sessions and determines optimal endpoints without requiring centralized analysis, thereby reducing the controller's processing burden while maintaining routing effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
Contact centers are empowered to make their own routing decisions independently. The system enables contact centers to self-evaluate session requirements against available endpoints and autonomously select optimal routing targets, eliminating the need for the central controller to process and decide on every routing scenario
2Productivity
If a central controller is configured to communicate with specific contact centers, then routing decisions can be made, but the system is not readily adaptable to dynamic changes in contact center membership
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from a static, pre-configured controller model to a dynamic architecture where contact centers can autonomously join and leave the distributed network. The decentralized decision-making framework allows the system to adapt in real-time to changes in contact center membership without requiring reconfiguration of a central controller
Solution Approach 2:
The centralized control function is segmented into distributed decision-making units at each contact center. This segmentation allows individual contact centers to operate independently and join or leave the network dynamically, as each unit maintains the capability to make routing decisions without relying on a fixed central configuration
3Ease of operation
If routing decisions are made externally before directing sessions to contact centers, then session direction can be controlled, but the processing power required at the external controller increases with call volume
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an interface layer between external session sources and contact centers. This interface receives session information, forwards it to contact centers for autonomous evaluation, and relays routing decisions back. The interface simplifies external control operations while preventing external controllers from bearing the processing burden of detailed routing analysis
Data Source
AI summary
A communications session directed at a group of contact centers is held outside the contact centers at an IVR server, while the requirements of the session are determined. A request is formulated specifying the requirements, and this request is sent to a web services provider agent exposed by the group of contact centers. The request is forwarded to the contact centers which collectively respond with an identification of an address associated with a specific endpoint to which the communications session should be sent in order that it will receive the specified handling. The IVR server holding the call can thereby direct the session to a suitable endpoint without having any need to remain aware of the state of the contact centers or the agents within those centers.