L3 Pairing Strategy for Contact Center Agent Assignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing contact center pairing strategies, such as FIFO and PBR, are inefficient when choosing among multiple possible pairings, leading to suboptimal performance in balancing agent utilization and minimizing contact hold and idle times.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an L3 pairing strategy, which involves identifying waiting contacts and available agents, applying behavioral and diagonal pairing strategies, and potentially postponing assignments until additional contacts or agents become available, thereby creating an L3 environment with multiple choices for pairing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional pairing strategies (FIFO or PBR) are used to assign contacts to agents, then the system operates with simple assignment logic, but the efficiency and performance of pairing strategies deteriorate when choosing among multiple possible pairings
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by transitioning from static pairing strategies (FIFO, PBR) to a dynamic L3 pairing strategy that adapts based on real-time system state. The system dynamically evaluates multiple pairing options and selects optimal pairings based on current agent and contact characteristics, allowing the pairing strategy to evolve and improve efficiency as more information becomes available.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameters of the pairing strategy by introducing multiple dimensions for evaluation beyond simple arrival time or performance metrics. The L3 pairing strategy considers additional parameters such as agent skill matches, contact priorities, and system state (L1, L2, L3 environments), transforming the pairing decision from a single-parameter process to a multi-parameter optimization problem.
2Loss of time
If the system chooses the first available pairing to minimize contact hold time or agent idle time, then assignment speed is improved, but the amount of choice available for optimization deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by proactively building a pool of candidate pairings before making the final assignment decision. The system pre-identifies multiple potential agent-contact matches and evaluates them against optimization criteria, allowing the system to select the best pairing from multiple options rather than being forced to accept the first available match.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces another dimension to the pairing decision by creating a multi-dimensional evaluation space that considers both time-based metrics (contact hold time, agent idle time) and quality-based metrics (skill matching, pairing compatibility). This dimensional expansion allows the system to optimize across multiple objectives simultaneously rather than sacrificing choice for speed.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the system waits for additional contacts or agents to become available to increase pairing choices, then the amount of choice for optimization is improved, but assignment delay increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by waiting for a limited, predetermined period or until a specific threshold number of candidates are available before making the pairing decision. The system does not indefinitely delay assignment but rather waits partially (for a controlled duration or until minimum thresholds are met), balancing the benefit of increased choice against the cost of assignment delay.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses feedback mechanisms to monitor the pairing pool in real-time and make dynamic decisions about when to proceed with assignment. The system continuously evaluates whether additional candidates have become available and compares this against the cost of continued waiting, using feedback from system state changes (transitions between L1, L2, L3 environments) to determine the optimal moment to execute the pairing.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for L3 pairing in a contact center system are disclosed. In one particular embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a method for L3 pairing in a contact center system comprising identifying a plurality of contacts waiting for assignment, identifying a plurality of agents available for assignment, and selecting at least one of the plurality of agents with at least one of the plurality of contacts for assignment and connection within the contact center system.