# US 2014/0192970 A1 · System to support contextualized definitions of competitions in call centers > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0192970 A1 - Document ID: US20140192970A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/736,409 - Filed: 2013-01-08 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-08 - Assignees: Xerox Corporation - Applicants: Xerox Corporation - Inventors: Stefania Castellani; Tommaso Colombino; Benjamin Vincent Hanrahan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140192970A1 ## CPC - H04M 3/5175: {Call or contact centers supervision arrangements} - G06Q 10/06375: {Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change} - G06Q 10/06393: {Score-carding, benchmarking or key performance indicator [KPI] analysis} - G06Q 10/06398: {Performance of employee with respect to a job function} - H04M 2203/402: Agent or workforce management - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A system, method, and device for forming contextualized competitions in a work environment are disclosed. The system includes a performance metric computation component which computes performance metrics, a visualization component which generates a visual interface for display to a supervisor, and a processor which implements the components. The method includes receiving information related to a set of agents operating in a work environment. A first aggregated value for a first performance metric and a second aggregated value for a second performance metric are computed. The first and second values are visualized, and a predicted effect on the second performance metric when the first performance metric is altered is visualized. The device serves as a decision-making support tool including a plurality of control mechanisms for altering at least one performance metric and displaying the predicted effect on another. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for forming contextualized competitions in a work environment: a performance metric computation component which receives information related a work environment and computes a first aggregated value for a first performance metric and a second aggregated value for a second performance metric; a visualization component which generates a visual interface for display to a supervisor, the visual interface displaying a representation of the first and second aggregated values at a current time, a control mechanism for altering the first and second values, and a predicted effect on the second value when the first value is altered; and a processor which implements the performance metric computation component and the visualization component. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the visual interface displays a status for the first performance metric which depends on the current time value of the first performance metric relative to a threshold value. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the visual interface displays a representation of a level of difficulty in manipulating the control mechanism for the first aggregated value towards a new aggregated value for that performance metric while maintaining the second performance metric at a fixed value. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising providing for the supervisor to form a competition based on the predicted effect by manipulating the control for the first value displayed on the visual interface. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the visual interface displays the potential contribution of an individual agent within the set of agents towards the competition. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, further comprising a competition component which proposes a new competition based on the potential contribution of individual agents on the visual interface. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the competition component suggests adjustments to an on-going competition on the visual interface. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the visualization component generates an agent visual interface for displaying individualized information to an agent related to the competition. ### Claim 9 A method for forming contextual competitions in a work environment, comprising: receiving information related to a set of agents operating in a work environment; with a processor, computing a first aggregated value for first performance metric and a second aggregated value for a second performance metric, based on the received information; generating an interface for visualizing the first and second values at a current time; and on the interface, visualizing a predicted effect on the second performance metric when the first performance metric is altered. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising providing a control for altering at least one of the first and second performance metrics. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising forming a proposed competition based on the altered at least one of the first and second performance metrics. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising generating an alert when an issue with at least one of the first and second performance metrics is detected. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the issue with the first performance metric is detected when the first aggregated value is trending negatively towards a threshold value for the first performance metric. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the threshold value is defined by at least one of a call center and service level agreement. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising generating a representation on the visual interface of the level of difficulty in altering the first performance metric while maintaining the second performance metric at a fixed value. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the level of difficulty in altering the first performance metric is computed according to the slope of a regression line between the first and second performance metrics. ### Claim 17 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising computing the potential contribution of individual agents towards the competition. ### Claim 18 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising determining computing a correlation measure between the first and second performance metrics, the visualizing of the predicted effect on the second performance metric when the first performance metric is altered being based on the computed correlation measure. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the computing of the correlation measure comprises determining a Pearson coefficient. ### Claim 20 (depends on 9) A computer program product comprising a non-transitory storage medium storing instructions, which when executed by a processor, perform the method of claim 9. ### Claim 21 A decision-making support tool for forming contextual competitions in a work environment, comprising: a display device which displays: at least one region which displays a representation of a plurality of performance metrics that are each aggregated over a population; and a plurality of control mechanisms disposed on the region, each of the plurality of control mechanisms enabling a respective one of the performance metrics to be altered; a user input device which enables a user to adjust one of the control mechanisms to alter a respective one of the performance metrics and cause the display device to display a predicted effect on at least one other of the performance metrics when the first performance metric is altered; and a processor which implements the tool. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The support tool of claim 21, wherein the at least one region indicates the status of at least one performance metric. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The support tool of claim 21, wherein the plurality of performance metric controls comprise sliding members.