Transaction Routing System with Agent Presence Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current contact center systems lack reliable methods for routing transactions to special agents who operate part-time and are not always available at their workstations, leading to potential delays and compromised service level objectives due to the inability to accurately assess their availability and engagement status.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that involve queuing transactions and sending invitations to agents who are ready to receive them, with status updates and pacing computations to optimize invitation rates based on incoming transaction rates and agent availability, ensuring that only available agents handle transactions, and providing information to aid in interaction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If transactions are routed to special agents who operate part-time and are not always at their workstations, then agent versatility and skill utilization are improved, but reliability of transaction completion and service level objectives deteriorate due to inability to accurately assess agent availability
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements presence information feedback mechanisms where agents voluntarily provide their availability status to the contact center system. This feedback loop allows the system to accurately assess agent availability and make informed routing decisions, resolving the contradiction between utilizing versatile special agents and maintaining reliable transaction completion.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary assessment of agent availability through presence information before routing transactions to special agents. By checking agent status in advance and only routing to available agents, the system ensures both versatile skill utilization and reliable transaction completion.
2Measurement precision
If the system waits for special agents to be available at their extensions, then agent availability accuracy is improved, but loss of time increases as customers may drop out while waiting
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary checks of agent presence information and availability status before placing customers in queue or routing transactions. By proactively identifying available special agents in advance, the system minimizes customer wait time while maintaining accurate availability assessment.
Solution Approach 2:
Agents voluntarily provide their own presence information and availability status to the system through self-service mechanisms. This eliminates the need for the system to continuously monitor or wait for agent status, reducing time loss while maintaining precise availability measurement.
3Reliability
If the system applies tight monitoring to special agents, then service level objectives are improved, but ease of operation deteriorates because special agents have varying responsibilities and work schedules
Solution Approach 1:
Special agents independently manage and report their own availability status and presence information to the contact center system. This self-service approach maintains service level objectives through accurate availability data while preserving agent flexibility and ease of operation, as agents are not subjected to rigid monitoring despite their varying schedules.
Data Source
AI summary
A system is provided for routing transactions to individual ones of a group of agents, comprising, a queue wherein transactions to be routed are placed, a transmission facility sending invitations to interact with a transaction from the queue to agents, and a router routing transactions from the queue to individual agents who accept the invitation.