Lucinda M Sanders

US Patent:

6453038, Sep 17, 2002

Filed:

Jun 1, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/586168

Inventors:

Keith R. McFarlane - Denver CO
Andrew Derek Flockhart - Thornton CO
Lucinda M. Sanders - Boulder CO
Paul L. Richman - Boulder CO
Darryl J. Maxwell - Lafayette CO

Assignee:

Avaya Technology Corp. - Basking Ridge NJ

International Classification:

H04M 300

US Classification:

37926505, 37926605

Abstract:

The system for integrating agent database access skills in call center agent assignment applications dynamically generates data indicative of an agents effective skill level by mapping the agents acquired skills into their augmented skills representative of their ability to use the various automated resources that are required to satisfy the customers request. The determined effective skill level is automatically updated as changes in the agents effective skills are measured. In order to distribute work among the agents based upon agent skill levels, there must be a measure of each agents competence with a particular skill. The pool of agents is divided into categories of those who must use guided problem solving tools to service a customer request, those who can address issues beyond the scope of the guided problem solving tool, and those who exhibit various levels of efficacy in using the guided problem solving tool. The system for integrating agent database access skills in call center agent assignment applications automatically computes an agents effective skill level, which is a term used herein to describe a metric indicative of the agents overall knowledge management ability consisting of both acquired skills and augmented skills.

US Patent:

6463346, Oct 8, 2002

Filed:

Oct 8, 1999

Appl. No.:

09/415577

Inventors:

Andrew D. Flockhart - Thornton CO
Darryl J. Maxwell - Lafayette CO
Keith Robert McFarlane - Aurora CO
Paul L. Richman - Boulder CO
Lucinda M. Sanders - Boulder CO

Assignee:

Avaya Technology Corp. - Basking Ridge NJ

International Classification:

G06F 1900

US Classification:

700102, 700100, 705 8, 37926601

Abstract:

The flow of work items ( ) through a workflow process ( ) is optimized by repeatedly reordering (FIG. ) work items enqueued in inbox queues ( ) of workflow process tasks ( ) to maximize results according to a given business strategy expressed through target times. Each enqueued work item has an associated in-queue rating (IQR ) that represents the number of queue positions ( ) that the work item can be retarded or needs to be advanced to meet its target time. When a work item enters a queue and whenever a work item changes its queue position, its IQR is computed. An optimization function is then performed ( ) on the queue to determine an order of the enqueued work items that optimizes a metric of those work items that may fail to meet their target times. The work items in the queue are then reordered ( ) accordingly.

US Patent:

6690788, Feb 10, 2004

Filed:

Sep 15, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/662294

Inventors:

David L. Bauer - Cherry Hills Village CO
Keith R. McFarlane - Pleasanton CA
Andrew Derek Flockhart - Thornton CO
Lucinda M. Sanders - Boulder CO
Gary S. King - Broomfield CO
Darryl J. Maxwell - Lafayette CO
Steve R. Russell - Sausalito CA
Robert Alan Stewart - Oakland CA
Wendy S. Cook - Oakland CA

Assignee:

Avaya Inc. - Basking Ridge NJ

International Classification:

H04M 300

US Classification:

379242, 37926509, 709100, 709201

Abstract:

The present integrated work management engine for customer care orchestrates all forms of work relating to the servicing of customer requests across the entire business enterprise. This integrated work management engine brings together all types of disparate communication system components, applications and information storage systems so the business which provides the customer care via these systems can respond to their customer requests in a unified, efficient and effective manner. The integrated work management engine also integrates the real time operation of the front office customer communications and the batch data processing mode of the back office. The integrated work management engine accepts work through multiple access channels, where each work request is automatically mapped to a process flow that specifies the task associated with the handling of the particular work item. The integrated work management engine uses resource selection algorithms to select the customer agent who is best equipped to handle the next step of the work request where customer data is accessed, and customer case files are updated through the fulfillment process. The selected customer agent views the customer information, process information, forms, and performance statistics on their desktop terminal device through an API set that is tightly coupled to the integrated work management engine.

US Patent:

6704410, Mar 9, 2004

Filed:

Jun 1, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/586174

Inventors:

Keith R. McFarlane - Denver CO
Andrew Derek Flockhart - Thornton CO
Lucinda M. Sanders - Boulder CO
Paul L. Richman - Boulder CO
Darryl J. Maxwell - Lafayette CO

Assignee:

Avaya Inc. - Lincroft NJ

International Classification:

H04M 300

US Classification:

37926505, 37926605

Abstract:

The system for integrating agent database access skills in call center agent assignment applications dynamically generates data indicative of an agents effective skill level by mapping the agents acquired skills into their augmented skills representative of their ability to use the various automated resources that are required to satisfy the customers request. The determined effective skill level is automatically updated as changes in the agents effective skills are measured. In order to distribute work among the agents based upon agent skill levels, there must be a measure of each agents competence with a particular skill. The pool of agents is divided into categories of those who must use guided problem solving tools to service a customer request, those who can address issues beyond the scope of the guided problem solving tool, and those who exhibit various levels of efficacy in using the guided problem solving tool. The system for integrating agent database access skills in call center agent assignment applications automatically computes an agents effective skill level, which is a term used herein to describe a metric indicative of the agents overall knowledge management ability consisting of both acquired skills and augmented skills.

US Patent:

6766014, Jul 20, 2004

Filed:

Jan 9, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/756955

Inventors:

Andrew D. Flockhart - Thornton CO
Keith Robert McFarlane - Pleasanton CA
Lucinda M. Sanders - Boulder CO

Assignee:

Avaya Technology Corp. - Basking Ridge NJ

International Classification:

H04M 3523

US Classification:

37926512, 37920201, 37920701

Abstract:

In a customer contact center ( ), a plurality of customers communications are serviced simultaneously by one resource ( ) (agent or port). A conferencing function ( ) connects the plurality of customers ( ) to the one resource and/or to each other. When a resource becomes available, a batch service function ( ) determines ( ), for each skill of the resource, the value to the contact center of having the resource presently serve communications needing that skill, and uses the conferencing function to conference ( ) a plurality of communications needing the skill having the highest value with the resource. The conference connection may be listen-only, listen-and-talk, or listen-only/then listen-and-talk.

US Patent:

62333321, May 15, 2001

Filed:

Jun 3, 1998

Appl. No.:

9/089788

Inventors:

Gregory Lane Anderson - Dallas TX
Lucinda M. Sanders - Boulder CO
Robert W. Donnelly - New Brunswick NJ
Eugene Mathews - Barrington IL
Mark Landers - Fair Haven NJ

Assignee:

Avaya Technology Corp. - Basking Ridge NJ

International Classification:

H04M 300

US Classification:

379265

Abstract:

The present media independent communications processing system functions to provide business useful services to customers with the anymedia resources that are required to satisfy the customer's request. In particular, the system carries call information across the entirety of a transaction with the call being managed as an anymedia multi-transactional event. The model used for the present media independent communications processing system, as embodied in a call center, comprises a hallways and rooms paradigm that enables the customer to dynamically navigate their anymedia communications connection to a desired information providing source. As the customer's call is routed during the duration of the communication session, the call context information is stored and used by the rules-based call routing process to identify a source of information/services that is best adapted to serve the needs of this customer. The communication connection is viewed as one segment of a potentially long-term interaction between customer and service provider, with the present media independent communications processing system providing both the customer and serving agent with access to relevant customer and service provider data. In this example, the customer context information includes, but is not limited to: customer data, customer profile/preferences/history, environment data; while the corresponding agent context information includes, but is not limited to: agent skills and job function, agent queue length, fairness of call routing.