Predictive Dialing System Optimizes Agent Occupancy

Solution Overview

Problem

Automated dialing systems in contact centers face challenges in determining the optimal number of outbound calls to generate, balancing agent occupancy and minimizing abandonment rates, as generating too few calls leads to underutilization while too many calls result in customer dissatisfaction due to backlogs.

Innovation Solution

The system employs a predictive dialing method that estimates future agent occupancy by analyzing the status of calls in the dialer, queue, and agent pool, using a dialing call calculator to determine the optimal number of calls based on agent availability and abandonment rates, adjusting for stochastic dialing times and varying campaign requirements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the number of outbound calls is increased to improve agent utilization, then agent occupancy is improved, but abandonment rate increases causing customer dissatisfaction

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveagent occupancyVSAvoidabandonment rate

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by predicting future agent occupancy and call completion rates before determining the number of calls to generate. The dialing call calculator uses current system state to forecast future conditions and pre-determines the optimal call generation rate, preventing both underutilization and excessive abandonment before they occur.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring the actual state of the dialer, queue, and agent pool, comparing it with predicted values, and adjusting the call generation rate accordingly. This closed-loop control ensures agent occupancy is maintained within target boundaries while keeping abandonment rates low.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If the number of outbound calls is decreased to reduce abandonment rate, then abandonment rate is improved, but agent utilization decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveabandonment rateVSAvoidagent occupancy

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by predicting future agent occupancy and call completion rates before determining the number of calls to generate. The dialing call calculator uses current system state to forecast future conditions and pre-determines the optimal call generation rate, preventing both underutilization and excessive abandonment before they occur.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring the actual state of the dialer, queue, and agent pool, comparing it with predicted values, and adjusting the call generation rate accordingly. This closed-loop control ensures agent occupancy is maintained within target boundaries while keeping abandonment rates low.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Ease of operation

If the dialing system generates calls without considering future agent availability, then call generation is simplified, but agent occupancy cannot be optimized

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedialing system complexityVSAvoidagent occupancy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by predicting future agent occupancy and call completion rates before determining the number of calls to generate. The dialing call calculator uses current system state to forecast future conditions and pre-determines the optimal call generation rate, preventing both underutilization and excessive abandonment before they occur.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The dialing system serves itself by automatically determining the optimal number of calls to generate based on its own internal state and predicted future conditions. The dialing call calculator autonomously forecasts occupancy and adjusts call generation without external intervention, simplifying operation while optimizing productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS8948373B2System and methods for outbound dialing in multi-campaign and blended environment of virtual contact center

Publication Date: 2015.02.03 FIVE9 INC

AI summary

A method for determining a number of calls to generate for a specific outbound campaign in an automated contact center based upon a prediction of agent occupancy in a future time period, wherein the automated contact center processes one or more outbound campaigns. The estimates a total number of outbound agents available to the one or more outbound campaigns. By using the total number of outbound agents, an effective number of agents for the specific outbound campaign is determined according to a ratio. The effective number of agents is used to determine a number of outbound calls to generate for the specific outbound campaign according to a dialing method. Calls are then generated for the specific outbound campaign based upon the determined number of outbound calls to generate.