Techniques for benchmarking performance in a contact center system
Techniques for benchmarking performance in a contact center system are disclosed. In one particular embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a method for benchmarking contact center system performance comprising cycling, by at least one computer processor configured to perform contact center operations, between a first contact-agent pairing strategy and a second contact-agent pairing strategy for pairing contacts with agents in the contact center system; determining an agent-utilization bias in the first contact-agent pairing strategy comprising a difference between a first agent utilization of the first contact-agent pairing strategy and a balanced agent utilization; and determining a relative performance of the second contact-agent pairing strategy compared to the first contact-agent pairing strategy based on the agent-utilization bias in the first contact-agent pairing strategy.
1. A method for behavioral pairing in a contact center system comprising:
obtaining, by at least one computer processor communicatively coupled to and configured to operate in a contact center system, a plurality of agents;
obtaining, by the at least one computer processor, a contact-agent pairing strategy for the contact center system for a time period, wherein the contact-agent pairing strategy comprises a parameter, wherein a first value of the parameter affects a likelihood of selection for pairing of each agent of the plurality of agents, wherein a larger difference in bandwidth between a higher-performing agent and a lower-performing agent corresponds to a larger bias toward skewed agent utilization;
pairing, by the at least one computer processor, during a first subset of time of the time period, contacts of a plurality of contacts to agents of the plurality of agents based on the contact-agent pairing strategy and a first value for the parameter;
determining, by the at least one computer processor, a second value for the parameter of the contact-agent pairing strategy based on an amount of remaining time in the time period after the first subset of time has elapsed; and
pairing, by the at least one computer processor, during a second subset of time of the time period, contacts of the plurality of contacts to agents of the plurality of agents based on the contact-agent pairing strategy, the second value of the parameter, and a corresponding likelihood of selection for pairing of each agent of the plurality of agents.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the contact-agent pairing strategy is a behavioral pairing (BP) strategy.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the parameter is a Kappa parameter.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first value of the Kappa parameter targets an unbalanced agent utilization to compensate for benchmark pollution caused by another contact-agent pairing strategy.
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the second value of the Kappa parameter targets a balanced agent utilization after recovering from benchmark pollution caused by another contact-agent pairing strategy.
6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the second value of the Kappa parameter targets an unbalanced agent utilization.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first value of the Kappa parameter increases a likelihood of selection for pairing higher-performing agents of the plurality of agents and decreases a likelihood of selection for pairing for lower-performing agents.
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:
obtain a plurality of agents;
obtain a contact-agent pairing strategy for the contact center system for a time period, wherein the contact-agent pairing strategy comprises a parameter, wherein a first value of the parameter affects a likelihood of selection for pairing of each agent of the plurality of agents, wherein a larger difference in bandwidth between a higher-performing agent and a lower-performing agent corresponds to a larger bias toward skewed agent utilization;
pair, during a first subset of time of the time period, contacts of a plurality of contacts to agents of the plurality of agents based on the contact-agent pairing strategy and a first value for the parameter;
determine a second value for the parameter of the contact-agent pairing strategy based on an amount of remaining time in the time period after the first subset of time has elapsed; and
pair, during a second subset of time of the time period, contacts of the plurality of contacts to agents of the plurality of agents based on the contact-agent pairing strategy, the second value of the parameter, and a corresponding likelihood of selection for pairing of each agent of the plurality of agents.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the contact-agent pairing strategy is a behavioral pairing (BP) strategy.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the parameter is a Kappa parameter.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first value of the Kappa parameter targets an unbalanced agent utilization to compensate for benchmark pollution caused by another contact-agent pairing strategy.
12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the second value of the Kappa parameter targets a balanced agent utilization after recovering from benchmark pollution caused by another contact-agent pairing strategy.
13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the second value of the Kappa parameter targets an unbalanced agent utilization.
14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the first value of the Kappa parameter increases a likelihood of selection for pairing higher-performing agents of the plurality of agents and decreases a likelihood of selection for pairing for lower-performing agents.
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:
obtain a plurality of agents;
obtain a contact-agent pairing strategy for the contact center system for a time period, wherein the contact-agent pairing strategy comprises a parameter, wherein a first value of the parameter affects a likelihood of selection for pairing of each agent of the plurality of agents, wherein a larger difference in bandwidth between a higher-performing agent and a lower-performing agent corresponds to a larger bias toward skewed agent utilization;
pair, during a first subset of time of the time period, contacts of a plurality of contacts to agents of the plurality of agents based on the contact-agent pairing strategy and a first value for the parameter;
determine a second value for the parameter of the contact-agent pairing strategy based on an amount of remaining time in the time period after the first subset of time has elapsed; and
pair, during a second subset of time of the time period, contacts of the plurality of contacts to agents of the plurality of agents based on the contact-agent pairing strategy, the second value of the parameter, and a corresponding likelihood of selection for pairing of each agent of the plurality of agents.
16. The article of manufacture of claim 15 , wherein the contact-agent pairing strategy is a behavioral pairing (BP) strategy.
17. The article of manufacture of claim 16 , wherein the parameter is a Kappa parameter.
18. The article of manufacture of claim 17 , wherein the first value of the Kappa parameter targets an unbalanced agent utilization to compensate for benchmark pollution caused by another contact-agent pairing strategy.
19. The article of manufacture of claim 17 , wherein the second value of the Kappa parameter targets a balanced agent utilization after recovering from benchmark pollution caused by another contact-agent pairing strategy.
20. The article of manufacture of claim 17 , wherein the second value of the Kappa parameter targets an unbalanced agent utilization.