WO2001001662A1 - Systeme et procede de distribution d'appels telephoniques echelonnables - Google Patents

Systeme et procede de distribution d'appels telephoniques echelonnables Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2001001662A1
WO2001001662A1 PCT/US2000/017702 US0017702W WO0101662A1 WO 2001001662 A1 WO2001001662 A1 WO 2001001662A1 US 0017702 W US0017702 W US 0017702W WO 0101662 A1 WO0101662 A1 WO 0101662A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
call
call processing
distribution system
incoming telephone
processing module
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2000/017702
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Jason Andersson
Original Assignee
Ericsson Inc.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Ericsson Inc. filed Critical Ericsson Inc.
Priority to AU62008/00A priority Critical patent/AU6200800A/en
Publication of WO2001001662A1 publication Critical patent/WO2001001662A1/fr

Links

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M3/00—Automatic or semi-automatic exchanges
    • H04M3/42—Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers
    • H04M3/50—Centralised arrangements for answering calls; Centralised arrangements for recording messages for absent or busy subscribers ; Centralised arrangements for recording messages
    • H04M3/51—Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention, e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
    • H04M3/523—Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention, e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing with call distribution or queueing
    • H04M3/5232—Call distribution algorithms
    • H04M3/5233—Operator skill based call distribution

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a call distribution system for managing incoming telephone calls, and particularly to a call distribution system whose call capacity may be selectively incrementally increased.
  • Call distribution systems In order to effectively handle incoming telephone calls from callers having varying needs, many companies now employ call distribution systems. Call distribution systems typically process incoming voice telephone calls to determine the information requested by the caller, determine the type and/or level of skills or capabilities required of an agent to suitably serve the caller, identify those agents who possess the necessary skills and capabilities to serve the caller and route the caller to an identified agent who is available to serve the caller.
  • Low capacity call distribution systems such as enterprise PBX-based systems
  • PBX-based systems provide for a very low call volume.
  • hardware may be added within the core of the PBX, the call capacity nonetheless can only be marginally increased because the PBX infrastructure is simply incapable of handling a high volume of
  • High capacity call distribution systems primarily are only capable of efficiently handling a high volume of telephone calls. Applications which require a higher call capacity than the call capacity provided by low capacity call distribution systems but which do not approach the high capacity levels provided in typical high capacity call distribution systems are not efficiently served by a rather steeply priced, high capacity call distribution system. Additionally, an application which requires an even higher call capacity than the maximum call capacity available in the high capacity call distribution systems results in an even more costly solution involving a network of switches and a complex set of routing rules for routing telephone calls between the switches and agents associated with the system.
  • CT applications connect several switches together at a higher level and perform routing which allows for a call load to be relatively evenly distributed. Because CT applications are primarily directed to an efficient distribution of calls within a system, CT applications fail to suitably address the handling of higher call volumes.
  • the present invention overcomes the shortcomings of prior and existing call distribution systems and satisfies a significant need for a call distribution system having a call capacity that is scalable to efficiently match customer requirements.
  • the present invention is directed to a call distribution system in which one or more call processing modules, each of which includes the necessary hardware and software for carrying a number of telephone calls, is partitioned from the system configuration component which defines the operational parameters of the system. Additional call processing modules may be added to the system in parallel arrangement with each other. The call capacity of the system is thus based upon the number of call processing modules connected into the system. In this way, the call handling capacity of the system may be incrementally increased to closely match the call capacity requirements of a company, without changing the routing structure of the system.
  • Figure 1 is a block diagram of a call distribution system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
  • Figure 2 is a flow chart of an operation of the system of Figure 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
  • Call distribution system 1 preferably utilizes a skills-based methodology for routing incoming telephone calls 2 to available agents 3 associated with call distribution system 1.
  • Call distribution system 1 includes a system configuration component
  • System configuration component 4 defines the operational parameters under which call distribution system 1 handles, processes and/or serves incoming telephone calls 2. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, system configuration component 4 is configured to perform a skills-based analysis to identify an available agent 3 that is suitably capable of serving an incoming telephone call 2. System configuration component 4 receives call information from any of the call processing modules 5 relating to an incoming telephone call 2 received thereby, identifies the appropriate available agent 3 based upon the received call information, and transmits routing information to the call processing module 5 which sent the call information so that the call processing module 5 may route the incoming telephone call 2 to the identified available agent 3.
  • system configuration component includes a first database 6 containing rules 7 for routing an incoming telephone call to any of a number of potentially capable agents 3.
  • the routing rules 7 may include a listing of agent skills and/or capabilities that are necessary for serving an incoming telephone call 2 of that type.
  • database 6 includes a listing of agent definitions 8.
  • agent definitions 8 preferably include a listing of the skills and/or capabilities possessed by the agent 3.
  • system configuration component 4 is able to identify an available agent 3 which can best serve the incoming telephone call 2.
  • System configuration component 4 may further include a second database 9 containing messages information which is transferrable to a call processing module 5 for subsequent playback to an incoming caller served thereby.
  • a message may be provided to the corresponding call processing module 5 which informs the incoming caller of the status of the service provided thereto, particularly if no capable agent 3 is readily available to serve the incoming caller.
  • Each call processing module 5 includes necessary hardware and software for cooperating with system configuration component 4 to route incoming telephone calls 2 to suitably capable agents 3.
  • call processing module 5 is capable of receiving a number of incoming telephone calls 2, generating call information based upon the received incoming telephone calls 2, sending the generated call information to system configuration component 4, receiving routing information therefrom, and routing the incoming telephone calls
  • each call processing module 5 is capable of handling up to a predetermined number of incoming telephone calls 2. Further, each call processing module 5 is individually connectible into call distribution system 1 so as to cooperate with system configuration component 4 in handling incoming telephone calls 2. When operably connected into call distribution system 1 , call processing modules 5 are preferably arranged in parallel with each other such that a plurality of connected call processing modules 5 form a single unitary call processing unit capable of handle a relative large number of telephone calls 2.
  • a remotely located call processing module 5a may, for instance, be adapted to receive incoming telephone calls 2 which originate from the remote area where call processing module 5a is located and/or a different geographical area from the other call processing modules 5.
  • the system configuration component 4 may be configured such that call processing module 5a not only receives incoming telephone calls 2 from the geographical area in which call processing module 5a is located, but also routes such incoming telephone calls 2 only to remotely located agents 3, as directed by system configuration component 4.
  • the present invention may be adapted for efficiently providing worldwide service.
  • call distribution system 1 The operation of call distribution system 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure
  • a call processing module 5 receives an incoming telephone call 2 at step 20. Information relating to the incoming telephone call 2 is gathered and sent from call processing module 5 to system configuration component 4 at step 21.
  • system configuration component 4 determines the skills and/or capabilities which are necessary to sufficiently serve the incoming caller and identifies an available agent 3 having such capabilities.
  • system configuration component 4 In the event that system configuration component 4 cannot immediately identify an available agent 3 having the necessary capabilities to suitably serve the incoming caller, system configuration component 4 at step 23 retrieves an appropriate message from database 9 and sends the message to call processing module 5, whereupon call processing module 5 may play the message for the incoming caller.
  • system configuration component 4 Upon identifying a suitably capable agent 3, at step 24 system configuration component 4 sends to call processing module 5 information pertaining to the available agent 3 identified during step 22. Upon receiving the information relating to the agent 3 identified during step 22, call processing module 5 routes the incoming telephone call 2 to the identified agent 3 at step 25.

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  • Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
  • Marketing (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Telephonic Communication Services (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un système de distribution d'appels téléphoniques pour l'acheminement d'appels téléphoniques d'arrivée, comprenant un composant de configuration du système qui régit l'acheminement des appels téléphoniques d'arrivée à des agents associés audit système. Le système comprend en outre une pluralité de modules de traitement des appels, chacun d'eux étant capable de recevoir une pluralité d'appels téléphoniques d'arrivée, de collecter des informations relatives aux appels téléphoniques d'arrivée, d'émettre les informations collectées au composant de configuration du système et d'acheminer les appels d'arrivée à des agents identifiés par ledit composant de configuration du système. Chaque module de traitement des appels est connecté individuellement au système. De cette façon, la capacité du système de distribution d'appels téléphoniques pour l'acheminement des appels téléphoniques d'arrivée est échelonnable en vue de satisfaire sensiblement toute exigence de capacité d'appels.
PCT/US2000/017702 1999-06-29 2000-06-27 Systeme et procede de distribution d'appels telephoniques echelonnables WO2001001662A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AU62008/00A AU6200800A (en) 1999-06-29 2000-06-27 Scalable call distribution system and method

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US34255899A 1999-06-29 1999-06-29
US09/342,558 1999-06-29

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2001001662A1 true WO2001001662A1 (fr) 2001-01-04

Family

ID=23342346

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US2000/017702 WO2001001662A1 (fr) 1999-06-29 2000-06-27 Systeme et procede de distribution d'appels telephoniques echelonnables

Country Status (2)

Country Link
AU (1) AU6200800A (fr)
WO (1) WO2001001662A1 (fr)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1411708A2 (fr) * 2002-10-15 2004-04-21 Marketel Multiline Dialing Systems Ltd. Appareil de numérotation multiligne extensible

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0701358A1 (fr) * 1994-09-12 1996-03-13 Rockwell International Corporation Méthode et système pour acheminer des coups de téléphone arrivants aux opérateurs disponibles basé sur les habilités des opérateurs
US5825869A (en) * 1995-04-24 1998-10-20 Siemens Business Communication Systems, Inc. Call management method and system for skill-based routing

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0701358A1 (fr) * 1994-09-12 1996-03-13 Rockwell International Corporation Méthode et système pour acheminer des coups de téléphone arrivants aux opérateurs disponibles basé sur les habilités des opérateurs
US5825869A (en) * 1995-04-24 1998-10-20 Siemens Business Communication Systems, Inc. Call management method and system for skill-based routing

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1411708A2 (fr) * 2002-10-15 2004-04-21 Marketel Multiline Dialing Systems Ltd. Appareil de numérotation multiligne extensible
EP1411708A3 (fr) * 2002-10-15 2005-04-27 Marketel Multiline Dialing Systems Ltd. Appareil de numérotation multiligne extensible

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AU6200800A (en) 2001-01-31

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