Techniques for behavioral pairing in a task assignment system

A contact center system comprising:

• at least one computer processor, wherein said at least one computer processor is configured to perform a method comprising:
• (i) determining a set of contacts that are waiting to be paired with agents, wherein the number of contacts included in the set is M;
• (ii) dynamically determining an integer N, wherein N is greater than 1 and is less than M;
• (iii) based on N, establishing a subset of the set of M contacts that are waiting to be paired with an agent, wherein the number of contacts included in the subset of the set of M contacts is S, where S is greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to N;
• (iv) after establishing the subset of S contacts, applying a pairing strategy to the established subset of S contacts waiting to be paired with an agent, wherein applying the pairing strategy to the established subset of S contacts results in at least a first contact from the subset of S contacts being selected to pair with a first agent;
• and
• (v) as a result of selecting the first contact, pairing the selected first contact with the first agent, wherein
• establishing the subset of S contacts comprises:
• establishing an initial subset of N contacts;
• and
• based on a threshold time period, removing a contact from the initial subset of N contacts, thereby forming the subset of S contacts.

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 in a contact center system and thereby cause said at least one computer processor to operate so as to perform a method comprising:
• (i) determining a set of contacts that are waiting to be paired with agents, wherein the number of contacts included in the set is M;
• (ii) dynamically determining an integer N, wherein N is greater than 1 and is less than M;
• (iii) based on N, establishing, by said at least one computer processor, a subset of the set of M contacts that are waiting to be paired with an agent, wherein the number of contacts included in the subset of the set of M contacts is S, where S is greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to N;
• (iv) after establishing the subset of S contacts, applying, by said at least one computer processor, a pairing strategy to the established subset of S contacts waiting to be paired with an agent, wherein applying the pairing strategy to the established subset of S contacts results in at least a first contact from the subset of S contacts being selected to pair with a first agent;
• and
• (v) as a result of selecting the first contact, pairing the selected first contact with the first agent, wherein
• establishing the subset of S contacts comprises:
• establishing an initial subset of N contacts;
• and
• based on a threshold time period, removing a contact from the initial subset of N contacts, thereby forming the subset of S contacts.