System and method for facilitating triggers and workflows in workforce optimization

Abstract

The systems and methods described herein provide a notification engine that facilitates integration of solutions for performing workforce management, quality monitoring, e-learning, performance management, and analytics functionality. The notification engine facilitates combining quality monitoring/call recording with performance management and e-learning functionality as a unified integrated solution. The combination can be delivered through a single platform and enables users to gain more insight and make smarter decisions faster about sales, service, and overall operations. This takes customer center tools beyond the traditional “suite” approach to a true single workforce optimization platform.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a customer center environment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of an embodiment of an integrated process for optimizing operations at a customer center.

FIG. 3 is a high-level view of components in an embodiment of an integrated customer center system that includes a notification engine.

FIG. 4 shows a point of integration between a work force manager (WFM) and a quality monitor, such as shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 shows a point of integration between WFM and quality monitor, such as shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 shows several points of integration between WFM and a learning component, such as shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 shows several points of integration between a performance manager and a learning component, such as shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 8 shows a point of integration between WFM and a performance manager, such as shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 9 shows a point of integration between a WFM and a performance manager, such as shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 10 shows components of the analytics function of FIG. 3.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a general-purpose computer that can be used to implement one or more of the components of the integrated customer center systems, processes or methods.

FIG. 12 is a flow diagram that illustrates high-level operation of a notification engine, such as shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 13 is a flow diagram that illustrates operation of a notification engine that facilitates integration between a WFM and a quality monitor, such as shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 14 is a flow diagram that illustrates operation of a notification engine that facilitates integration between a WFM and a quality monitor, such as shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 15 is a flow diagram that illustrates operation of a notification engine that facilitates integration between a WFM and a learning component, such as shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 16 is a flow diagram that illustrates operation of a notification engine that facilitates integration between a performance manager and a learning component, such as shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 17 is a flow diagram that illustrates operation of a notification engine that facilitates integration between a performance manager and a learning component, such as shown in FIG. 8.

FIG. 18 is a flow diagram that illustrates operation of a notification engine that facilitates integration between a WFM and a performance manager, such as shown in FIG. 9.

FIG. 19 is an exemplary display diagram that illustrates a setup of notification messages to a user.

FIG. 20 is an exemplary display diagram that illustrates a notification message from a notification engine, such as shown in FIG. 3.

Claims

1. A notification process for optimizing operations at a customer center, the process comprising the steps of: defining at least one business goals to satisfy at least one business goal;planning a campaign to implement the goals;scheduling and deploying a workforce in accordance with the campaign to produce a plurality of agent-customer interactions;measuring performance of an agent on at least a portion of the agent-customer interactions to produce a set of quality metrics for the agent;monitoring the above steps to determine whether the steps were achieved according to the business rules; andresponsive to any one of the above steps having not achieved its business rules, provide to a user a notification message indicative thereof.

2. The process of claim 1, further comprising: analyzing the quality metrics to produce a rating of the measured interactions;combining at least a portion of quality metrics to produce performance indicators; andusing the performance indicators to plan a second campaign or another iteration of the first campaign.

3. The process of claim 1, further comprising providing instructions to address the notification message and notifying the user whether problems indicated in the notification have been resolved.

4. The process of claim 1, further comprising logging the notification message into a database.

5. A notification process for optimizing operations at a customer center, the method comprising the steps of: monitoring for an event trigger that includes an occurrence of an exception to agent adherence, the agent adherence being determined from agent activities at the customer center;determining whether the triggering event is received;responsive to receiving the trigger event, associating the exception to the agent adherence with the agent activity at the customer center; andprovide to an agent a notification message that the exception to the agent adherence occurred.

6. The notification process as defined in claim 5, wherein the notification message includes a pop-up screen or a text message.

7. The notification process as defined in claim 5, wherein the notification message includes a date and time that the exception occurred.

8. The notification process as defined in claim 5, wherein the exception to agent adherence includes poor interaction with customers, no-showing of a training lesson, poor test scores from a training lesson, and poor attendance.

9. The notification process as defined in claim 5, further comprising providing the agent activity that produced the exception to the agent adherence stored in an interaction database.

10. The notification process as defined in claim 9, wherein the providing the agent activities include: obtaining a list of agent activities stored in the interaction database,selecting from the list the agent activity that produced the exception to the agent adherence, andretrieving the agent activity from the interaction database.

11. The notification process as defined in claim 5, further comprising: monitoring for a malfunction event from a tracking application that provides information about the agent activities to an adherence application; andresponsive to receiving the malfunction event, providing to an agent a notification message that the tracking application malfunctioned.

12. The notification process as defined in claim 5, further comprising: monitoring for a malfunction event from an adherence application that communicates with an interaction database to obtain a list of recorded interactions, play back recorded interactions, and instruct the database to record interaction; andresponsive to receiving the malfunction event, providing to an agent a notification message that the adherence application malfunctioned.

13. The notification process as defined in claim 12, further comprising: monitoring for a malfunction event from interaction database that communicates with adherence application; andresponsive to receiving the malfunction event, providing to an agent a notification message that the interaction database malfunctioned.

14. A notification process for optimizing operations at a customer center, the method comprising the steps of: receiving business rules of a campaign, the campaign including the schedule of agents;monitoring quality scores of the agents during the campaign based on the business rules;determining whether the quality scores are below a quality threshold; andresponsive to the quality scores being below the quality threshold, providing to the agents notification messages that their quality scores fell below the quality threshold.

15. The notification process as defined in claim 14, wherein the notification message includes a pop-up screen or a text message.

16. The notification process as defined in claim 14, further comprising allocating training classes to the agents to improve their quality scores.

17. The notification process as defined in claim 14, further comprising providing the agent activity that produced the quality scores of the agent.

18. The notification process as defined in claim 14, further comprising: monitoring for a malfunction event from an interaction database that receives recording parameters from a schedule application;determining whether the interaction database achieved the recording parameters; andresponsive to the interaction database not achieving the recording parameters, providing to the agents notification messages that the recording parameters were not achieved.

19. The notification process as defined in claim 18, further comprising: monitoring for a malfunction event between the interaction database and the schedule application; andresponsive to receiving the malfunction event, providing to an agent a notification message that the interaction database or the schedule application malfunctioned.

20. The notification process as defined in claim 18, wherein the recording parameters include trigger or select recording based on relative elapsed time from the beginning of the shift, trigger or select recording before or after specific activities; and trigger or select recording based on adherence data.