Simulated Call Center Network for Load Balancing Testing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing load balancing algorithms for multiple call centers are difficult to test and modify without disrupting customer service, as they are typically tested one call center at a time, rather than across the entire network, leading to inefficiencies and potential service impacts.
Innovation Solution
A simulated call center network environment is created with a load balancer that generates call scores based on caller attitude and issue information, dynamically routes calls across call centers using proprietary protocols, and logs performance metrics, allowing for testing and modification of load balancing algorithms without affecting actual customer service operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If load balancing algorithms are tested one call center at a time, then testing complexity is reduced, but the reliability of load balancing across the entire network deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual replica of the entire call center network environment, including multiple call centers and load balancers, to perform comprehensive testing. This virtual environment allows testing of load balancing algorithms across all call centers simultaneously without affecting actual operations, thus maintaining high reliability while managing testing complexity through isolation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a virtual call center environment as an intermediary layer between the testing process and the actual call center network. This intermediary allows comprehensive load balancing testing to occur without directly impacting the reliability of the production system, enabling both thorough testing and maintained operational reliability.
2Productivity
If load balancing algorithms are modified in the production environment, then the optimization of call distribution is improved, but the service disruption to customers worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables load balancing algorithm modifications to be tested in advance in a virtual call center environment before deployment to production. This preliminary testing and validation ensures that optimizations can be implemented with confidence that they will improve call distribution without causing service disruptions to customers.
Solution Approach 2:
By maintaining a virtual replica of the call center network, the patent allows optimization testing in a safe copying environment. This enables productivity improvement through algorithm refinement while preventing service disruption, as failures or issues can be identified in the virtual environment before affecting actual customer service operations.
3Reliability
If comprehensive testing across all call centers is performed, then the reliability of load balancing is improved, but the complexity of the testing environment worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the entire call center network infrastructure, including multiple call centers and load balancers. This copying approach enables comprehensive testing across all call centers to improve load balancing reliability, while the virtual nature of the copy isolates the testing complexity from the production environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The virtual call center environment serves as an intermediary testing ground that enables comprehensive reliability testing across all call centers. This intermediary layer manages the complexity of comprehensive testing by providing an isolated environment that doesn't add complexity to the actual production system.
4Adaptability or versatility
If load balancing settings are adjusted in real-time in production, then the adaptability to changing call traffic is improved, but the risk of service disruption worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables real-time load balancing adjustments to be tested and validated in the virtual call center environment before implementation in production. This preliminary validation ensures that adaptability improvements can be made with confidence that they will not cause service disruptions, maintaining both adaptability and service stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The virtual call center environment provides a feedback mechanism for testing load balancing adjustments before production deployment. This feedback loop allows the system to evaluate potential adaptability improvements safely, ensuring that real-time adjustments enhance call traffic handling without compromising service stability.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods simulate call centers networks and call loads to test load balancing and routing. Performance can be logged to memorialize the load balancing and routing techniques' handling of different loads. This allows the testing of new algorithms or architectures and stress testing of existing architectures in non-production environments. Load balancing can be based on a call score, and routing can invoke proprietary routing protocols.