US 8,019,636 B2Granted

Method, system and program product for planning and managing a call center study

AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation

InventorJohn A. Ricketts

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Abstract

Under the present invention, a call center study is planned and managed. Specifically, a call center study is first designed based on specific parameters such as customer segments, products, call types and population size. Thereafter, target values and assumed resource values are provided so that a target sample size and a required resources value can be computed. The call center study can then be planned based on the target sample size and required resources. As the study is being performed, calls will be tracked and monitored so that actual sample sizes can be determined. These values will be used to compute actual accuracy levels for the study, which will be compared to a previously provided target accuracy level. Based on this comparison, it can be decided whether the study should be terminated or continued.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A method for planning a call center study, comprising:

receiving, on a computer device, a set of customer segments, a plurality of products for each customer segment of the set of customer segments, and a plurality of call types for each product of the plurality of products, and a population size for the call center study for a single call center, wherein the call types include a subject matter of a call chosen from the group consisting of:
account inquiries, sales calls, trouble shooting calls, billing questions, and account activations;
developing, on the computer device, a matrix of cells representing the call center study in a column-row format based on the set of customer segments, products and call types, wherein each of the cells pertains to a single call type for a single customer segment and a single product;
receiving, on the computer device, a target confidence level, a target accuracy level and a target unusable call level for each of the call types for each of the plurality of products of the call center study, and computing on the computer device, a target sample size for each of the call types for each of the plurality of products of the call center study based on the target confidence level, the target accuracy level and the target unusable call level;
receiving, on the computer device, assumed values for calls per hour, hours per day and days in a schedule, and computing required resources to perform the call center study based on the assumed values and the target sample size;
planning, on the computer device, based on each of the receiving steps, a schedule for the call center study based on the required resources and any associated constraints and populating the matrix of cells based on each of the receiving steps;
receiving, on the computer device, at least one actual sample size for each of the call types for each of the plurality of products of the call center study and populating the matrix of cells with the at least one actual sample size;
computing, on the computer device, at least one actual accuracy level for each of the call types for each of the plurality of products of the call center study based on the at least one actual sample size;
comparing, on the computer device, the at least one actual accuracy level to the target accuracy level;
and
individually determining, on the computer device, whether to terminate or continue the call center study for each of the call types for each of the plurality of products based on the comparing.

8 more elements

A computer-implemented method for planning a call center study, comprising:

inputting a set of customer segments, a plurality of associated products for each customer segment of the set of customer segments and a plurality of call types for each of the products of the plurality of products for the call center study for a single call center into a tool on a computer device, wherein the call types include a subject matter of a call chosen from the group consisting of:
account inquiries, sales calls, trouble shooting calls, billing questions, and account activations;
developing a matrix of cells representing the call center study in a column-row format based on the set of customer segments, products and call types, wherein each of the cells pertains to a single call type for a single customer segment and a single product;
inputting a population size for the customer segments and the associated products for each of the call types into the tool;
inputting a target confidence level, a target accuracy level and a target unusable call level for the call center study into the tool, and computing, with the tool on the computer device, target sample sizes for each of the customer segments and the associated products for each of the call types with the tool;
inputting assumed values for calls per hour, hours per day and days in a schedule into the tool, and computing required resources to perform the call center study based on the assumed values and the target sample sizes with the tool;
planning, based on each of the inputting steps, a schedule for the call center study based on the required resources and any associated constraints using the tool;
monitoring actual calls and tracking actual sample sizes for each of the customer segments and associated products for each of the call types, and computing with the tool on the computer device an actual accuracy level for each of the call types for each product for each customer segment based on the actual calls;
and
individually determining whether to terminate or continue the call center study for each of the call types for each of the plurality of products based on the monitoring and computing.

7 more elements

A system for planning a call center study, comprising:

a parameter system for receiving a population size for the call center study for a single call center;
a target system for receiving a target confidence level, a target accuracy level and a target unusable call level for the call center study, and for computing a target sample size for the call center study;
a resource system for receiving assumed values for calls per hour, hours per day and days in a schedule, and for computing required resources to perform the call center study based on the assumed values and the target sample size;
a scheduling system for planning a schedule, based on each of the receiving steps, for the call center study based on the required resources and any associated constraints;
a study management system for receiving at least one actual sample size for call center study;
a study development system for developing a matrix of cells representing the call center study in a column-row format based on a set of customer segments, products and call types, wherein the call types include a subject matter of a call chosen from the group consisting of:
account inquiries, sales calls, trouble shooting calls, billing questions, and account activations, wherein each customer segment is associated with a plurality of products, and each product occupies a column, and each product is associated with a plurality of call types which each occupy a row of the matrix;
and wherein the study development system further includes individually determining whether to terminate or continue the call center study for each of the call types for each of the plurality of products.

5 more elements

A program product stored on a computer-readable medium for planning a call center study, which when executed, comprises:

program code for receiving a population size for the call center study for a single call center;
program code for receiving a target confidence level, a target accuracy level and a target unusable call level for the call center study, and for computing a target sample size for the call center study;
program code for receiving assumed values for calls per hour, hours per day and days in a schedule, and for computing required resources to perform the call center study based on the assumed values and the target sample size;
program code for planning a schedule, based on each of the receiving steps, for the call center study based on the required resources and any associated constraints;
program code for receiving at least one actual sample size for the call center study;
and
program code for developing a matrix of cells representing the call center study in a column-row format based on a set of customer segments, products and call types, wherein the call types include a subject matter of a call chosen from the group consisting of:
account inquiries, sales calls, trouble shooting calls, billing questions, and account activations, wherein each customer segment is associated with a plurality of products, and each product occupies a column, and each product is associated with a plurality of call types which each occupy a row of the matrix, and wherein the program code is used for individually determining, on the computer device, whether to terminate or continue the call center study for each of the call types for each of the plurality of products.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/951,827Filed 28 Sep 2004
Published: US 2006/0074700 A16 Apr 2006
Granted: 13 Sep 2011
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

G06Q 99/00
Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
G06Q 10/063
Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling: operations research,…
G06Q 10/06315
Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations: needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
G06Q 30/0201
Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising: market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data