Abstract: Embodiments provide systems and methods for a team-based approach to skills-based agent assignment in task routing systems. According to one embodiment, performing skills-based task assignments in a task routing system can comprise identifying a team of agents. The team of agents can comprise a plurality of agents handling a currently assigned task but expected to become available for assignment of a new task. Each agent of the team of agents can be earmarked to one of a plurality of new tasks selected from a queue of tasks. At some point, one of the agents of the team can be detected as being available and the agent detected as being available can be assigned to one of the plurality of new tasks based at least in part on consideration of the earmarking of the agents of the team to the plurality of new tasks.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for a team-based approach to skills-based agent assignment in task routing systems. According to one embodiment, performing skills-based task assignments in a task routing system can comprise identifying a team of agents. The team of agents can comprise a plurality of agents handling a currently assigned task but expected to become available for assignment of a new task. Each agent of the team of agents can be earmarked to one of a plurality of new tasks selected from a queue of tasks. At some point, one of the agents of the team can be detected as being available and the agent detected as being available can be assigned to one of the plurality of new tasks based at least in part on consideration of the earmarking of the agents of the team to the plurality of new tasks.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for an eService ecosystem that provides a common trouble ticket platform for creating and handling trouble tickets generated by and received from an “Internet of Things (IoT).” More specifically, many product vendors are moving to make all of their products internet connected. This move includes not only products that are typically considered to be technology-type products such as personal computers, cellphones, media players, etc., but any and all types of products including but not limited to household appliances, automobiles, medical devices, and a variety of other devices which are increasingly available with processing and communications abilities. Embodiments of the present invention provide a common trouble ticket management platform that all Internet of Things vendors can use.

Abstract: Embodiments provide systems and methods for providing customer insights across multiple channels based on cross-channel interactions with the customer. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention are directed to a customer insight hub that leverages data sources across a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) product suite of a plurality of different CRM applications to generate rich customer insights that can be easily leveraged across customer channels including but not limited to web, telephony, chat, emails, social, etc. These insights can be used by different processes and/or provided on an agent desktop to facilitate the delivery of a personalized, efficient, and consistent end customer experience across customer touch points or channels. Embodiments include defining and generating commonly used customer insights, including but not limited to customer identity, customer intent, customer priority, and customer preferences, as well as custom insights.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for dynamically selecting a customer agent workflow for handling a customer contact in a contact center based on current contact center load. According to one embodiment, managing agent workflows in a contact center can comprise receiving a customer contact and selecting an agent from a plurality of agents to handle the customer contact. A current load of the contact center can be determined and a workflow for the selected agent to handle the customer contact can be dynamically selected from a plurality of workflows based on the determined current contact center load.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for an eService ecosystem that provides a common trouble ticket platform for creating and handling trouble tickets generated by and received from an “Internet of Things (IoT).” More specifically, many product vendors are moving to make all of their products internet connected. This move includes not only products that are typically considered to be technology-type products such as personal computers, cellphones, media players, etc., but any and all types of products including but not limited to household appliances, automobiles, medical devices, and a variety of other devices which are increasingly available with processing and communications abilities. Embodiments of the present invention provide a common trouble ticket management platform that all Internet of Things vendors can use.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer-program product for communicating within a messaging architecture using a structured data object are disclosed. The method includes identifying a structured data object configured to represent structured data, receiving the structured data at a messaging system, generating a message that includes the structured data, and sending the message. The structured data object is configured to be accessed by an application and the messaging system, and includes a request element and a response element. The sending includes transferring the message via the messaging system.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein provide an efficient multi-dimensional routing algorithm that takes into account decision factors including but not limited to skills of the agents, a channel to be used for a particular contact, personal preferences and other contact specific information, a balance between inbound and outbound contacts, the relative expense of agents for a particular contact, etc. This routing algorithm can be adapted to handle mandatory conditions as well as soft conditions. Each of the various possible conditions can be weighted by the entity implementing the contact center based on a relative importance of the factor to that entity. Embodiments can also include a set of analytics that provides insight into the correlation between the decision factors and desired outcomes which can be used, for example, for proper tuning of the algorithm based on an adjustment of the weight applied to these various factors.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for facilitating collaboration in a contact center by providing a roster of recommended subject matter experts on a topic related to an ongoing customer contact session. For example, embodiments can use a modification of the skills matching algorithm of the CRM system used to initially select an agent to also evaluate the needs of the service incident, and match those needs with people who would be able to contribute to a conversation and help the agent. The system can then recommend these possible contributors in a ranked order based on how well each collaborator's skills match the requirements of the incident. When the agent requires assistance and creates a conversation, the system can recommend to the agent a list of users that can help, based on the strength of the match to the skill that would equate to the incident.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for facilitating collaboration in a contact center by providing a roster of recommended subject matter experts on a topic related to an ongoing customer contact session. For example, embodiments can use a modification of the skills matching algorithm of the CRM system used to initially select an agent to also evaluate the needs of the service incident, and match those needs with people who would be able to contribute to a conversation and help the agent. The system can then recommend these possible contributors in a ranked order based on how well each collaborator's skills match the requirements of the incident. When the agent requires assistance and creates a conversation, the system can recommend to the agent a list of users that can help, based on the strength of the match to the skill that would equate to the incident.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer-program product for communicating within a messaging architecture using a structured data object are disclosed. The method includes receiving an execution-enabled object and receiving a selection of the execution-enabled element. Such an execution-enabled object is configured to be included in a message sent by a messaging system. The execution-enabled object includes a response element and an execution-enabled element. The response element and the execution-enabled element are associated with one another. The execution-enabled element is configured to post an event to the messaging system upon the execution-enabled element being activated. The selection of the execution-enabled element activates the execution-enabled element.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer-program product for communicating within a messaging architecture using a structured data object are disclosed. The method includes identifying a structured data object configured to represent structured data, receiving the structured data at a messaging system, generating a message that includes the structured data, and sending the message. The structured data object is configured to be accessed by an application and the messaging system, and includes a request element and a response element. The sending includes transferring the message via the messaging system.

Abstract: An analyzer system for sensing a chemical characteristic of a fluid sample according to one embodiment includes a sample inlet configured to receive the sample via the sample inlet, a reagent inlet configured to receive a reagent via the reagent inlet, a reaction zone in fluid communication with the sample inlet and the reagent inlet and being configured to receive the sample from the sample inlet and the reagent from the reagent inlet for mixing the sample with the reagent; and a sensor zone in fluid communication with the reaction zone, wherein the sensor zone comprises a sensor configured to sense the chemical characteristic of the mixed sample and reagent, and further wherein the sensor zone is configured to allow automatic drainage of the mixed sample and reagent away from the sensor after the sensor has sensed the chemical characteristic of the mixed sample and reagent.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer-program product for communicating within a messaging architecture using a structured data object are disclosed. The method includes assembling a dynamic form object and submitting dynamic form information, associated with the dynamic form object, into a messaging session. The assembling includes an assembly operation, which, in turn, includes identifying an input field of an interface of an application, transferring input field information to a messaging system, and generating an element of the dynamic form object. The input field information is associated with the input field, and the generating uses the input field information. Further, the submitting includes transferring a message via the messaging system, the message including the dynamic form information.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for handling a customer contact in a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system by defining one or more channel models, each channel model mapping one or more contact purposes or one or more contact types to one or more of the plurality of channels. Real-time information about a received customer contact can be collected and one or more of a plurality of channels can be selected to handle the customer contact based at least in part on a predictive analysis of the collected real-time information. A contact purpose or a contact type for the received customer contact can be determined based on the collected real-time information. In such cases, selecting one or more of the plurality of channels can be further based on the determined contact purpose or contact type for the received customer contact and the defined one or more channel models.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for an eService ecosystem that provides a common trouble ticket platform for creating and handling trouble tickets generated by and received from an “Internet of Things (IoT).” More specifically, many product vendors are moving to make all of their products internet connected. This move includes not only products that are typically considered to be technology-type products such as personal computers, cellphones, media players, etc., but any and all types of products including but not limited to household appliances, automobiles, medical devices, and a variety of other devices which are increasingly available with processing and communications abilities. Embodiments of the present invention provide a common trouble ticket management platform that all Internet of Things vendors can use.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for modeling of agent skills based on or more closely matching categorization structures of the CRM system. According to one embodiment, defining skills of each of a plurality of customer service agents in a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system can comprise defining a set of product information representing products or services for which support is available through the CRM system. A set of incident information representing incidents handled by the CRM for one or more of the products or services can also be defined and a structure of the incident information can be based on a structure of the product information. A set of skills information for each of the plurality of customer service agents can also be defined. A structure of the skills information can be based on the structure of the product information and the structure of the incident information.

Abstract: Embodiments provide systems and methods for providing customer insights across multiple channels based on cross-channel interactions with the customer. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention are directed to a customer insight hub that leverages data sources across a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) product suite of a plurality of different CRM applications to generate rich customer insights that can be easily leveraged across customer channels including but not limited to web, telephony, chat, emails, social, etc. These insights can be used by different processes and/or provided on an agent desktop to facilitate the delivery of a personalized, efficient, and consistent end customer experience across customer touch points or channels. Embodiments include defining and generating commonly used customer insights, including but not limited to customer identity, customer intent, customer priority, and customer preferences, as well as custom insights.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for managing workflows in a contact center. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention are directed to dynamically influencing workflows based on learned insights into those workflows. With end-to-end Customer Relationship Management (CRM) suites, which manage the entire customer service journey from consumer website to knowledge base to escalation to a live agent via a communication channel to incident creation and incident resolution, it is possible to provide an out-of-the-box, simple-to-use solution to the above problems that offers unique advantages over the expensive, custom, bolt-on solutions.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for dynamically selecting a customer agent workflow for handling a customer contact in a contact center based on current contact center load. According to one embodiment, managing agent workflows in a contact center can comprise receiving a customer contact and selecting an agent from a plurality of agents to handle the customer contact. A current load of the contact center can be determined and a workflow for the selected agent to handle the customer contact can be dynamically selected from a plurality of workflows based on the determined current contact center load.