Telephonic communications – Centralized switching system – Call distribution to operator
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-23
2001-12-04
Smith, Creighton (Department: 2742)
Telephonic communications
Centralized switching system
Call distribution to operator
C379S266070, C379S309000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06327362
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to the processing of work items and, more particularly, to processing of work flows and customer care treatments.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In computer and telecommunication systems workflow control processes are employed to control the flow of work items. A workflow is a specification of how a class of object instances (contacts), for example, insurance claims, orders for parts or service, requests for a change in status of an account, requests for transfer of funds or the like, should be handled. A special kind of workflow arises in customer care centers, in the handling of customer contacts that arrive to the customer care center (inbound contacts) or depart from a customer care center (outbound contacts); these workflows are called contact flows or contact treatments. A specific kind of contact flow involves call treatment centers in handling calls either arriving or departing from the call treatment center; i.e., call flows or call treatments.
In prior known systems, workflows (contact flows, respectively) permit the specification of alternative treatments for instances (contacts), based on their relevant properties, on external inputs associated with the instances, and the system environment (e.g., load, status of connectivity or the like). However, these known prior systems do not provide support for giving different treatments to instances (contacts) that have identical properties, identical external inputs, and that enter the system at times where the system environment is substantially the same.
A particular problem in call centers concerns switching the call handling policy from one call flow to another one. In prior known call centers this is typically accomplished only by a discreet, complete transfer from the currently deployed call flow to a new call flow. If there is a bug or inefficiency in the new call flow, then the switchover to the new call flow might cause problems that irritate many customers, or cause the system to come down.
Any such occurrences are extremely unsatisfactory from a system provider's viewpoint.
Another problem with prior systems concerns the reaction of a customer contact center to changing load and environmental conditions. Indeed, in the prior systems, changing the customer contact treatment for a given percentage of the customer contacts in response to load or condition changes had been performed entirely by manual procedures. Use of such manual procedures is inefficient.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The problems and limitations of prior known computer and telecommunication systems employing workflow (contact flow) processes are addressed by employing dynamically controlled differential treatment of so-called object instances (contacts) entering the workflow (contact flow). This is realized, for example, by associating a prescribed distinguishing function with the workflow (contact flow), and to use a value given by this prescribed distinguishing function in one or more decisions relating to how the object instance (contact) should be processed. Each decision is essentially a choice between two or more paths in a workflow (contact flow), or a choice between two or more workflows (contact flows). For example, the prescribed distinguishing function could associate a distinguishing value having an integer value between 1 and 100 with object instances (contacts), and a selection function for making a decision to use one or more of a plurality of workflows (contact flows) is related to a prescribed parameter “x” that has a value from 0 to 100. For example, each object instance (contact) with a prescribed distinguishing value≦x is routed to a first of the plurality of possible treatments and each object instance (contact) with distinguishing value>x is routed to at least another of the plurality of possible treatments. Additionally, dynamic control is utilized over the parameters employed by the selection function that control whether object instances (contacts) are routed to the first treatment or to some other treatment. For the preceding example, this is accomplished by permitting dynamic control over the value of prescribed parameter x. This dynamic control is effected either manually or automatically.
In summary, a dynamically controlled differentiation functionality is realized by employing three logical components: component (1) a distinguishing function which, for example, assigns a distinguishing value between 0 and 100 to each relevant object instance (call) entering the workflow (call flow); component (2) a selection function, that maps the events to two or more distinct treatments, based on a case statement involving the distinguishing value; and component (3) a parameter control function that permits either manual or automatic real-time modification of the parameters used in the selection function.
In a particular embodiment of the invention, dynamically controlled differentiation is realized by associating a random number (or other randomly chosen value) with each object instance (contact), and to use this random number in one or more decisions relating to how the object instance (contact) should be processed. That is a randomized differentiator is utilized as the dynamically controlled differentiator.
To this end, the randomized differentiator functionality is realized by employing three logical components: component (1) generates a random number for each object instance (call) entering the workflow (call flow); component (2) evaluates a selection function involving the random number, and routes the object instance (contact) to the appropriate choice; and component (3) permits real-time modification of the parameters used in the selection function.
In a specific embodiment of the invention, so-called “incremental phase-in” is employed to incrementally replace a first workflow (call flow) treatment with some other workflow (call flow) treatment.
In another embodiment of the invention the distinguishing function is based on some aggregate quality or usefulness of the object instance (contact) to the handling enterprise, e.g., the “business priority” of the object instance (contact).
In still another embodiment of the invention, automatic load balancing is employed between workflow (call flow) treatments.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, the impact or value is compared of two (or more) different treatments for incoming instances (calls).
In one more embodiment of the invention, the selection function between workflow (call flow) treatments does not occur at the initiation of object instances (contacts), but instead occurs at some point in time after initiation of the object instance (contact) and only for a selected class of object instances (contacts), e.g., only for gold card holders living in New Jersey.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4503499 (1985-03-01), Mason et al.
patent: 5535322 (1996-07-01), Hecht
patent: 5581691 (1996-12-01), Hsu et al.
patent: 5684872 (1997-11-01), Flockhart et al.
patent: 5710921 (1998-01-01), Hirose
patent: 5754639 (1998-05-01), Flockhart et al.
patent: 6088444 (2000-07-01), Walker et al.
patent: 6163607 (2000-12-01), Bogart et al.
Hull Richard B.
Kumar Bharat
Zhou Gang
Lucent Technologies - Inc.
Smith Creighton
LandOfFree
System and method including dynamic differential treatment... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with System and method including dynamic differential treatment..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and System and method including dynamic differential treatment... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2588472