Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for scheduling a workforce. In one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of: receiving a shift activity template; receiving an association between the shift activity template and at least one worker; and scheduling a plurality of schedulable objects. The scheduling is performed in accordance with a workload forecast and schedule constraints. Each of the schedulable objects is based on the shift activity template. The shift activity template describes a worker activity performed during a shift. The template has range of start times and a variable length for the activity. The activity is associated with a queue.

Abstract: Systems, methods and computer-readable media for scheduling outbound agents are provided. A representative system incorporates a user interface and scheduling software that receives scheduling data, at least some of which is provided via the user interface, and generates scheduling constraints. The scheduling data includes historical call connect rates related to time intervals for which a schedule is to be generated and information corresponding to a desired service goal for the schedule. The desired service goal indicates a level of service to be provided by the schedule. The search engine uses the scheduling constraints to generate potential schedules for outbound agents. The push forward discrete modeler analyzes the potential schedules to compute at least one of overstaffing and understaffing with respect to the potential schedules.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for an optimizing operations at a contact center. In one embodiment, an integrated contact center comprises: a content recorder configured to record content of plurality of agent interactions; an analytics component configured to perform speech analysis on at least a portion of the agent interactions, and further configured to evaluate the interactions based on a plurality of criteria, producing a score; and a quality monitor configured to associate the analyzed interactions with interaction metadata.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for an integrated process for optimizing operations at a contact center. In one embodiment, the method comprises: defining contact center business goals; planning at least one campaign to implement the goals; scheduling and deploying a workforce in accordance with the campaign to produce agent-customer interactions; measuring agent performance on the interactions to produce quality metrics; analyzing the metrics to produce a rating; combining quality metrics to produce performance indicators; and using the performance indicators in the planning step of a second campaign or another iteration of the first campaign.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for an optimizing operations at a contact center. In one embodiment, an integrated contact center comprises: a workforce manager comprising a scheduler and a tracking function; and a lesson assignment function configured to receive at least one indicator of performance of the agent, and further configured to assign a lesson to the agent based on the at least one indicator.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing workforce optimization are provided. A representative method includes: planning a first campaign to implement business goals; scheduling and deploying a workforce in accordance with the campaign to produce a plurality of interactions, at least one of the interactions involving a customer and a first agent of a contact center, at least another of the interactions involving a customer and a second agent of a branch office or back office; measuring performance of the first agent and the second agent on at least a portion of the interactions to produce a set of quality metrics for the agents; combining at least a portion of quality metrics to produce performance indicators; and using the performance indicators in the planning step of a second campaign or another iteration of the first campaign.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for scheduling a workforce. In one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of: collecting an agent activity of a first class and an agent activity of a second class; and displaying the agent activity of the first class and the agent activity of the second class along the same timeline axis. The agent activities are collected from a contact center data source. The second class is different from the first class. Both activities are associated with the same agent. Each activity is derived from a different virtual data source.

Abstract: Systems and methods for long-range simulation are provided. A representative method includes: defining at least one resource description, wherein a resource description comprises a group of resources that have similar characteristics, and wherein defining comprises specifying the characteristics, including at least one capability and at least one performance measure; defining at least one work load; and specifying at least one criteria to be satisfied by a long-range staffing plan; and calculating an effect of applying the at least one resource description to the at least one work load using discrete event based simulation, wherein the calculated effect includes at least one performance measure for the at least one work load.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for scheduling a workforce. In one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of: collecting an agent activity of a first class and an agent activity of a second class; and displaying the agent activity of the first class and the agent activity of the second class along the same timeline axis. The agent activities are collected from a contact center data source. The second class is different from the first class. Both activities are associated with the same agent. Each activity is derived from a different virtual data source.

Abstract: A method for managing a workforce is provided. The method includes identifying customer interactions corresponding to an initial work volume handled by a workforce, and identifying comments within the customer interactions related to at least one performance goal used to generate the initial work schedule. The method also includes generating feedback information based on the comments to be used when generating a subsequent schedule.

Abstract: A system and method for collecting work volume data where a work process is modeled into work queues. A link is created between one of the modeled work queues and an implied work queue. Upon the receipt of a first work event, information is updated that is associated with the first work queue. Based upon the receipt of the fist work event and the link, a first implied work event is generated. Based on the first implied work event, information associated with the first implied work queue is updated.

Abstract: Systems and methods for scheduling call center agents are provided. An exemplary system for scheduling call center agents includes an agent computing device that is capable of obtaining quality scores of agents. The quality score is a measurement of quality that the agents provide to a call center. The Agent computing device is capable of transmitting the quality scores of agents over a network. The system further includes a manager computing device that is capable of: receiving the quality scores of agents over the network, receiving a scheduled interval, receiving a quality goal for the scheduled interval, the quality goal being a desired measurement of quality that the agents collectively provide to the call center, determining a quality goal for the scheduled interval based on the received quality scores of agents, and determining a schedule for the agents based on the quality goal, the quality goal score, and the scheduled interval.

Abstract: Systems and methods for visualization of call center performance are provided. An exemplary method includes the steps of: obtaining quality performance of agents data that includes information on the quality of service and quality characteristics of the agent, obtaining call center operations data that includes information on statistics and details of a call center, correlating the quality performance of agents data and the call center operations data, identifying correlation-based discovery, and optimizing call center performance based on the correlation-based discovery.

Abstract: Systems and methods for determining workforce staffing statistics in a contact center are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of: receiving activity records associated with agents; and producing queue-specific staff counts for an interval. The counts are based on an activity record subset, and an agent skill, and a contact queue skill set. In one embodiment, the system comprises: an activity collector operative to receive events; and a staff statistics calculator operative to determine a staff count for a specified staffing interval. Each of the events describes a worker activity. In this embodiment, the calculator comprises: logic for receiving activity records derived from one of the events; logic for identifying contact queues for each worker in the activity records; and logic for incrementing a contact queue staff count if at least one skill for the respective worker is included in the respective contact skill set.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating an agent schedule for a multi-contact center that has immediate queues and deferred queues. In one embodiment, a method includes scheduling software receiving a plurality of scheduling data from a user interface, and the scheduling software generating a plurality of scheduling constraints. The method further includes a search engine using the plurality of scheduling constraints to generate a plurality of potential schedules including first potential schedules for immediate queues, and second potential schedules for deferred queues. The method further includes performing a first analysis on the first potential schedules to generate first estimated service levels, and performing a second analysis on the second potential schedules to generate second estimated service levels, wherein the first estimated service levels and the second estimated service levels are expressed in interchangeable units.

Abstract: A system for allocating contact center resources among geographically distributed sub-centers of an enterprise comprises a processing system.

Abstract: A method and system for handling real-time indications of resource scheduling conflicts. In one embodiment, the method includes a computer system including a user interface, display, processor, and some form of memory. Contained within the memory is a resource scheduling process that analyzes resource data, scheduling criteria, and work parameters to create a working schedule. In conjunction with the creation of a working schedule, the scheduling process detects resource conflicts that can inhibit the schedule's functionality. Once detected an identification process conveys the error to the user concurrently with the schedule process to provide the user with a real-time indication of resource conflicts. The indication is presented in an unobtrusive manner so as to not interfere or impede the scheduling process. In addition, should the specific resource causing the conflict be identifiable, the indication process conveys that information in a similar real-time methodology.

Abstract: Systems and methods for allocating resources, such as contact center agents, computer servers and recorders, among geographically distributed sites are provided. In this regard, a representative method comprises: creating a workload forecast, such as contact volume, and resource utilization, such as average interaction time, of events for a specified time frame as if the geographically distributed sites were co-located, performing discrete event-based simulation to assign or allocate the events to the resources as if the resources were co-located, and determining recommended allocations of the resources among the geographically distributed sites based on a relative distribution of events assigned to resources at each of the geographically distributed sites.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for scheduling overtime and time-off for a workforce. In one embodiment, a method of workforce scheduling to handle an expected workload comprises, in an instruction execution system, receiving a first workforce schedule describing existing assignments of a plurality of workers to a plurality of shifts, each of the shifts being associated with a time range and a day; in response to a variance in the expected workload, selecting a modification to the first workforce schedule required to handle the variance in the expected workload during the day; and producing a second workforce schedule that modifies the length of at least one of the plurality of shifts to accommodate the modification to the first workforce schedule.

Abstract: Systems and methods for scheduling workforces are provided.