Trading Shifts Module Automates Agent Ranking

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current Workforce Management (WFM) systems in contact centers require manual selection and notification of target agents for shift trades, leading to inefficiencies, potential understaffing, and reduced employee satisfaction due to missed opportunities and redundant requests, especially in large centers.

Innovation Solution

A computerized system that calculates a trading rank for agents based on their historical trade actions and automatically matches source agents with available, flexible target agents, using a trading-shifts module to facilitate shift trades and reduce manual intervention.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If manual selection of target agents is used in current WFM systems, then agents can trade shifts, but the process becomes inefficient and results in redundant trade requests to uninterested target agents

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveshift trade efficiencyVSAvoidtime for manual selection and notification

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables target agents to self-select and indicate their interest in receiving trade requests through the interface, eliminating the need for manual selection by source agents. Target agents can independently manage their availability and preferences, reducing the time and effort required for shift trade matching.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The manual mechanical process of selecting and notifying target agents is replaced with an automated electronic system that uses interface selections and algorithms to identify and notify appropriate target agents, significantly improving efficiency and reducing redundant notifications.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Productivity

If manual selection of target agents is used, then trade requests can be submitted, but missed opportunities occur to target agents who could be interested in shift trade

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveshift trade success rateVSAvoidinformation about agent availability and interest

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback mechanisms where target agents indicate their interest and availability through the interface. This feedback is captured and used to improve future matching, ensuring that trade requests are directed to agents who are actually interested and available, thereby reducing missed opportunities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

Target agents perform preliminary actions by indicating their interest and availability in advance through the interface. This preliminary information is stored and used when trade requests are generated, ensuring that interested agents are notified promptly without missing opportunities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If none of the target agents accepts the shift trade request, then the source agent may take a day off, but this results in the scheduled-working-shift being understaffed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveagent flexibility to trade shiftsVSAvoidstaffing levels for scheduled shifts

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system serves multiple functions: it facilitates shift trades between agents, maintains staffing levels by identifying backup agents, and provides flexibility for agent preferences. By integrating these functions into a single platform, the system ensures that shift trades can occur while maintaining reliable staffing coverage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Quantity of substance

If the contact center size increases to 30K-40K agents, then more agents are available for trading, but the manual selection process becomes even more inefficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of available agentsVSAvoidcomplexity of manual selection process

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The manual selection process is completely replaced with an automated electronic system that can efficiently handle large numbers of agents. The system uses interface selections, algorithms, and automated notifications to manage shift trades across 30K-40K agents, making the process scalable and efficient regardless of center size.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS20240428150A1System and method for improved trading with agent ranking and schedule tagging

Publication Date: 2024.12.26 NICE LTD

AI summary

A computerized-method for trading a scheduled-working-shift, is provided herein. The computerized-method includes operating a trading-shifts module. The module includes: communicating with a computerized-device of a source-agent, to receive a trade-request for a scheduled-working-shift, via a trading-shift-interface; retrieving from a database, adequate target-agents, which have tagged a period including the scheduled-working shift as tradable and having a day off, during the scheduled-working-shift; calculating a trading-rank to each agent of the adequate target-agents, based on a number of trading actions in a preconfigured period of time in which the adequate target-agent has accepted a trade request, sorting the adequate target-agents, in descending order according to the calculated trading-rank of each agent of the adequate target-agents, to yield a sorted list of target-agents having a top-rated target-agent; and automatically updating the database, by assigning the scheduled-working-shift of the source-agent to the top-rated target-agent and the scheduled-working-shift of the top-rated target-agent to the source-agent.