Terminal Management System Agent Coordination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automated terminals, such as ATMs, often fail to communicate effectively with agents when users require assistance due to the terminals' automated nature and lack of direct monitoring, leading to unresolved issues like card read errors or suspicious account activity.
Innovation Solution
A terminal management system that monitors terminal activities, identifies operations requiring agent assistance, selects available agent devices based on application session statuses, and transmits notifications to enable agents to provide support remotely.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If automated terminals are used to provide self-service, then productivity and service availability are improved, but the ability to communicate with agents and resolve issues deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
A centralized server acts as an intermediary between automated terminals and human agents. The server receives operation records from terminals, determines whether agent assistance is needed, identifies appropriate agents based on location and availability, and transmits notifications to agent devices. This mediator enables communication between the automated system and human support without requiring direct terminal-agent connections.
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If direct monitoring of terminals is implemented, then issue detection capability is improved, but device complexity and computing resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple terminal monitoring functions are merged into a single centralized server. The server consolidates record logging, operation analysis, agent identification, and notification transmission capabilities. This eliminates the need for each terminal to have independent monitoring and communication infrastructure, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining comprehensive issue detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The centralized server performs multiple functions: maintaining record logs, analyzing operation types, determining agent availability, identifying appropriate agents based on location, and transmitting notifications. This multi-functional approach replaces what would otherwise require separate systems at each terminal location.
3Reliability
If individual terminal configurations are implemented for agent communication, then communication reliability is improved, but ease of manufacture and deployment deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of configuring each terminal to communicate directly with agents, the system inverts the approach by having terminals send records to a centralized server, which then manages agent communication. The server determines agent availability, selects appropriate agents, and initiates contact through agent devices. This reversal simplifies terminal configuration while maintaining reliable communication through the centralized coordination.
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 1C
AI summary
In some implementations, a system may receive a record associated with an operation of the terminal. The system may determine that the operation is associated with a service involving a user of the terminal. The system may determine, based on the service and from location information in the record, a location of the terminal. The system may determine that an agent device is available in association with providing the service for the user, wherein the agent device is determined to be available based on a status of an application session of the agent device. The system may perform an action associated with the application session to enable the agent device to facilitate performance of the service for the user.