System for scheduling routing rules in a contact center based on forcasted and actual interaction load and staffing requirements
View Patent ↗A system for scheduling resources and rules for routing includes a server connected to a network, a scheduling application executable from the server, and at least one programmable software agent for scheduling routing rules. The scheduling application receives statistics about forecast arrival rates for incoming interactions and current resource availability data and schedules resources and routing rules according to the forecast requirements the software agent propagating the portion of scheduling relative to the routing rules.
1. A routing system, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory, wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
receive statistics data for generating forecast data for incoming interactions, and resource availability data for resources, wherein the resource availability data includes agent work schedules;
schedule, based on the forecast data and the resource availability data, the resources for use during a first work period in which a first routing strategy is configured to be run, the scheduling including generating agent work assignments for the first work period,
wherein the first routing strategy comprises first instructions used to route interactions;
route a first interaction based on the first routing strategy during a first portion of the first work period;
receive updated interaction data and updated resource availability data;
modify the first routing strategy based on at least one of the updated interaction data and the updated resource availability data, wherein the modified first routing strategy includes second instructions different from the first instructions; and
route a second interaction based on the second instructions in the modified first routing strategy during a second portion of the first work period.
2. The routing system of claim 1 , wherein the first routing strategy is modified by decomposing the first routing strategy and assembling a second routing strategy.
3. The routing system of claim 2 , wherein the second routing strategy is executed during the first work period.
4. The routing system of claim 2 , wherein the second routing strategy is scheduled to be executed during a second work period.
5. The routing system of claim 1 , wherein the first routing strategy is modified by decomposing the first routing strategy into a plurality of rules and assembling a second routing strategy using the same plurality of rules.
6. The routing system of claim 1 , wherein the first routing strategy comprises a plurality of rules, and the first routing strategy is modified by inserting or changing a time variable of at least one of the rules.
7. The routing system of claim 6 , wherein the time variable comprises a callback time period.
8. The routing system of claim 1 , wherein the incoming interactions comprise at least one of voice interactions, text interactions, Web requests, and emails.
9. The routing system of claim 1 , wherein the resources comprise at least one of live agents and automated attendants.
10. The routing system of claim 1 , wherein the forecast data comprises predicted arrival rates for incoming interactions and is based on historical averages.
11. The routing system of claim 1 , wherein the resource availability data comprises resource work schedules, log-in and log-out times, job descriptions, and skill levels.
12. The routing system of claim 1 , wherein the updated interaction data comprises real-time interaction load data and the updated resource availability information comprises real-time resource availability data.
13. A method for routing incoming interactions, the method comprising:
receiving statistics data for generating forecast data for the incoming interactions, and resource availability data for resources, wherein the resource availability data includes agent work schedules;
scheduling, based on the forecast data and the resource availability data, the resources for use during a first work period in which a first routing strategy is configured to be run, the scheduling including generating agent work assignments for the first work period,
wherein the first routing strategy comprises a set of instructions used to route interactions;
routing a first interaction based on the first routing strategy during a first portion of the first work period;
receiving updated interaction data and updated resource availability data;
modifying the first routing strategy based on at least one of the updated interaction data and the updated resource availability data, wherein the modified first routing strategy includes second instructions different from the first instructions; and
routing a second interaction based on the second instructions in the modified first routing strategy during a second portion of the first work period.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the modifying the first routing strategy comprises decomposing the first routing strategy and assembling a second routing strategy.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the second routing strategy is executed during the first work period.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the second routing strategy is scheduled to be executed during a second work period.
17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first routing strategy comprises a plurality of rules, and the modifying the first routing strategy comprises inserting or changing a time variable of at least one of the rules.
18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the updated interaction data comprises real-time interaction load data and the updated resource availability information comprises real-time resource availability data.