Unified Contact Routing Engine for Agent Resource Optimization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current contact center architectures struggle to efficiently route communications across different service channels, leading to inefficient resource allocation and potential duplication of efforts when customers interact via multiple channels, such as voice and Internet services, resulting in suboptimal customer service and increased maintenance needs.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a common contact routing engine that utilizes a resource optimizer to determine whether communications from different service channels are associated with a common account, allowing for integrated routing and efficient allocation of agents capable of servicing multiple channels, thereby avoiding duplicate tickets and optimizing agent resource utilization.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If separate routing engines are used for each service channel, then each channel can be routed independently, but agent resource allocation becomes inefficient and duplicate efforts occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice channel routing flexibilityVSAvoidagent resource utilization efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple separate routing engines into a single unified routing engine that handles all service channels (voice, Internet, etc.). This unified engine shares a common agent pool and uses centralized logic to route communications, eliminating the inefficiencies of separate routing systems while maintaining the ability to handle different channel types independently.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Ease of operation

If multiple routing engines service different channels, then channel-specific routing is achieved, but duplicate tickets are generated and resources are wasted

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvechannel-specific routing capabilityVSAvoidduplicate ticket generation

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The unified routing engine implements feedback mechanisms that track the state of communications across different channels. When a communication is routed on one channel, the system receives feedback about this state and uses it to prevent duplicate routing on other channels, thereby eliminating duplicate ticket generation while maintaining channel-specific routing capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If separate agent groups are used for each service channel, then channel expertise is maintained, but overall resource allocation becomes suboptimal

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvechannel service qualityVSAvoidrouting system architecture

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a universal routing engine that can handle multiple service channels through a single agent pool. Agents are equipped with multi-channel capabilities, allowing them to service communications across different channels. This universal approach maintains service quality while reducing system complexity compared to having separate dedicated systems for each channel.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS8842820B2Enhanced contact center architecture to support agent resource optimization

Publication Date: 2014.09.23 AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I L P

AI summary

Routing communications at a communications center includes servicing a first communication concurrently with receiving a second communication, at the communications center. It is determined, using a tangible first processor, whether a sender of the first communication and a sender of the second communication are associated with a common account. The second communication is routed to an agent based on the determining.