Method and system for accessing CRM data via voice

A method for accessing customer relationship management (CRM) data via a telephone connection, comprising:

• defining a set of grammars comprising a language and syntax describing a phonetic format in which data are stored;
• retrieving selected CRM data from a CRM data storage system;
• pre-compiling the CRM data into a form corresponding to the set of grammars;
• storing the pre-compiled data in a local database that is apart from the enterprise data system
• enabling a user to establish a telephone connection with the voice access system;
• enabling the user to request an ad hoc query be performed to receive CRM data using a spoken natural language query;
• processing the natural language query to determine CRM data the user desires to retrieve;
• generating a data query to retrieve data from the CRM data storage system, said data query including selection criteria that references pre-compiled data stored in the local database;
• executing the data query to retrieve CRM data from the CRM data storage system;
• and
• providing CRM data that are retrieved to the user in a verbal format.

A voice access system for enabling voice access to a customer relationship management (CRM) database, comprising:

• a voice recognition unit, including:
• a processor;
• a telephony interface coupled to the processor to enable the voice recognition unit to receive user input via a telephone connection;
• and
• a network interface coupled to the processor to enable the voice recognition unit to be linked in communication with the enterprise data system via a computer network;
• and
• a memory in which a plurality of machine executable instructions are stored comprising a plurality of software modules;
• and
• a speech processing server, including:
• a processor;
• a network interface coupled to the processor to enable the voice recognition unit to be linked in communication with the voice recognition unit via a computer network;
• and
• a memory in which a plurality of machine executable instructions are stored comprising a plurality of software modules,
• wherein the software modules when executed by the processors of the voice recognition unit and the speech processing server interact with each other to perform operations comprising:
• enabling a user to establish a telephone connection with the voice recognition unit;
• providing a voice user interface that enables the user to navigate a plurality of domains using voice commands, each domain comprising data corresponding to a type of object in a CRM data storage system;
• enabling the user to request an ad hoc query be performed against CRM data in the CRM data storage system using a spoken natural language query;
• converting the spoken natural language query into a database query and executing the database query to retrieve any data in the CRM data storage system corresponding to the ad hoc query;
• providing feedback data corresponding to data retrieved from the CRM data storage system in a verbal format to the user via the telephone connection.

A voice access system for enabling voice access to a customer relationship management (CRM) database, comprising:

• a voice recognition unit, including:
• a processor;
• a telephony interface coupled to the processor to enable the voice recognition unit to receive user input via a telephone connection;
• and
• a network interface coupled to the processor to enable the voice recognition unit to be linked in communication with the enterprise data system via a computer network;
• and
• a memory in which a plurality of machine executable instructions are stored comprising a plurality of software modules;
• and
• a speech processing server, including:
• a processor;
• a network interface coupled to the processor to enable the voice recognition unit to be linked in communication with the voice recognition unit via a computer network;
• and
• a memory in which a plurality of machine executable instructions are stored comprising a plurality of software modules,
• wherein the software modules when executed by the processors of the voice recognition unit and the speech processing server interact with each other to perform operations comprising:
• defining a set of grammars comprising a language and syntax describing a phonetic format in which data are stored;
• retrieving selected CRM data from a CRM data storage system;
• pre-compiling the CRM data into a form corresponding to the set of grammars;
• storing the pre-compiled data in a local database that is apart from the enterprise data system
• enabling a user to establish a telephone connection with the voice access system;
• enabling the user to request an ad hoc query be performed to receive CRM data using a spoken natural language query;
• processing the natural language query to determine CRM data the user desires to retrieve;
• generating a data query to retrieve data from the CRM data storage system, said data query including selection criteria that references pre-compiled data stored in the local database;
• executing the data query to retrieve CRM data from the CRM data storage system;
• and
• providing CRM data that are retrieved to the user in a verbal format.