Techniques for estimating expected performance in a task assignment system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10972610-B2
Application number	US-202016931101-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 16, 2020
Priority date	Jul 10, 2017
Publication date	Apr 6, 2021
Grant date	Apr 6, 2021

Abstract

Techniques for estimating expected performance of a task assignment strategy in a task assignment system are disclosed. In one particular embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a method comprising receiving, by at least one computer processor communicatively coupled to a task assignment system, a plurality of historical agent task assignments; determining, by the at least one computer processor, a sample of the plurality based on a strategy for pairing agents with tasks; determining, by the at least one computer processor, an expected performance of the strategy based on the sample; outputting, by the at least one computer processor, the expected performance; and optimizing, by the at least one computer processor, the performance of the task assignment system based on the expected performance.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by at least one computer processor communicatively coupled to and configured to operate in a contact center system, a plurality of contact-agent interactions, wherein each of the plurality of contact-agent interactions is associated with a contact type of a plurality of contact types, an agent set of a plurality of agent sets, and an outcome;
assigning, by the at least one computer processor, each of the contact-agent interactions of the plurality of contact-agent interactions to a plurality of interaction sets, wherein each interaction set of the plurality of interaction sets is associated with one of the contact types of the plurality of contact types and one of the agent sets of the plurality of agent sets;
calculating, by the at least one computer processor, for the plurality of interaction sets, a plurality of aggregated outcomes;
determining, by the at least one computer processor, a pairing strategy based on the plurality of aggregated outcomes, wherein the pairing strategy is configured to cause a connection to be established between a contact and an agent in a switch of the contact center system;
determining, by the at least one computer processor, an expected utilization of an agent set from the plurality of agent sets based on the pairing strategy;
determining, by the at least one computer processor, an allocation of a contact type from the plurality of contact types based on the pairing strategy; and
outputting, by the at least one computer processor, an estimated performance of the pairing strategy based on the expected utilization and the allocation,
wherein a size of the plurality of interaction sets is greater than a sum of a size of the plurality of agent sets and a size of the plurality of contact types.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pairing strategy is configured so that each of the agent sets continues to receive a similar number of interactions as under the plurality of contact-agent interactions.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pairing strategy is configured so that each of the contact types continues to receive a similar number of connections to agents as under the plurality of contact-agent interactions.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the pairing strategy is further configured so that each of the agent sets continues to receive a similar number of interactions as under the plurality of contact-agent interactions.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one interaction set of the plurality of interaction sets is an empty set.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of contact-agent interactions comprises historical contact-agent interactions.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein an agent set of the plurality of agents sets consists of exactly one agent.

8. A system comprising:
at least one computer processor communicatively coupled to and configured to operate in a contact center system, wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to:
receive a plurality of contact-agent interactions, wherein each of the plurality of contact-agent interactions is associated with a contact type of a plurality of contact types, an agent set of a plurality of agent sets, and an outcome;
assign each of the contact-agent interactions of the plurality of contact-agent interactions to a plurality of interaction sets, wherein each interaction set of the plurality of interaction sets is associated with one of the contact types of the plurality of contact types and one of the agent sets of the plurality of agent sets;
calculate, for the plurality of interaction sets, a plurality of aggregated outcomes;
determine a pairing strategy based on the plurality of aggregated outcomes, wherein the pairing strategy is configured to cause a connection to be established between a contact and an agent in a switch of the contact center system;
determine an expected utilization of an agent set from the plurality of agent sets based on the pairing strategy;
determine an allocation of a contact type from the plurality of contact types based on the pairing strategy; and
output an estimated performance of the pairing strategy based on the expected utilization and the allocation,

wherein a size of the plurality of interaction sets is greater than a sum of a size of the plurality of agent sets and a size of the plurality of contact types.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the pairing strategy is configured so that each of the agent sets continues to receive a similar number of interactions as under the plurality of contact-agent interactions.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the pairing strategy is configured so that each of the contact types continues to receive a similar number of connections to agents as under the plurality of contact-agent interactions.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the pairing strategy is further configured so that each of the agent sets continues to receive a similar number of interactions as under the plurality of contact-agent interactions.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein at least one interaction set of the plurality of interaction sets is an empty set.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of contact-agent interactions comprises historical contact-agent interactions.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein an agent set of the plurality of agents sets consists of exactly one agent.

15. An article of manufacture comprising:
a non-transitory computer processor readable medium; and
instructions stored on the medium;
wherein the instructions are configured to be readable from the medium by at least one computer processor communicatively coupled to and configured to operate in a contact center system and thereby cause the at least one computer processor to operate so as to:
receive a plurality of contact-agent interactions, wherein each of the plurality of contact-agent interactions is associated with a contact type of a plurality of contact types, an agent set of a plurality of agent sets, and an outcome;
assign each of the contact-agent interactions of the plurality of contact-agent interactions to a plurality of interaction sets, wherein each interaction set of the plurality of interaction sets is associated with one of the contact types of the plurality of contact types and one of the agent sets of the plurality of agent sets;
calculate, for the plurality of interaction sets, a plurality of aggregated outcomes;
determine a pairing strategy based on the plurality of aggregated outcomes, wherein the pairing strategy is configured to cause a connection to be established between a contact and an agent in a switch of the contact center system;
determine an expected utilization of an agent set from the plurality of agent sets based on the pairing strategy;
determine an allocation of a contact type from the plurality of contact types based on the pairing strategy; and
output an estimated performance of the pairing strategy based on the expected utilization and the allocation,

wherein a size of the plurality of interaction sets is greater than a sum of a size of the plurality of agent sets and a size of the plurality of contact types.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 15 , wherein the pairing strategy is configured so that each of the agent sets continues to receive a similar number of interactions as under the plurality of contact-agent interactions.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 15 , wherein the pairing strategy is configured so that each of the contact types continues to receive a similar number of conn

Assignees

• Afiniti Europe Tech Ltd
• Afiniti Ltd

Inventors

• Chishti Zia
• Kan Ittai
• Khatri Vikash

Classifications

• H04M3/5232 Primary

  Call distribution algorithms · CPC title

• H04M2203/402

  Agent or workforce management · CPC title

• G06Q10/06311 Primary

  Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group · CPC title

• H04M2203/401

  Performance feedback · CPC title

• G06Q10/04 Primary

  Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" (market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202) · CPC title