Abstract:
A method and apparatus of maintaining time information for a multi-tasking customer service agent is disclosed. One example method of operation may include maintaining time information allocated to a plurality of tasks. The method may include receiving a first task and starting a first timer at a computing device corresponding to the beginning of work performed on the first task. The method may also include receiving a second task and starting a second timer different from the first timer, which corresponds to the beginning of work performed on the second task. The method may further include transferring a total time allocation record representing a total time counted by the first timer and a total time counted by the second timer to a data record stored in memory, wherein the data record associates the total time counted by the first timer with a corresponding task, and associates the total time counted by the second timer with a different corresponding task.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates to a method and apparatus of providing a time tracking interface to a worker who performs multiple tasks in succession and/or simultaneously, and, more specifically, to an application that offers tools and options for agents to keep records of time spent on each task performed. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    In the evolving technology world today, various computer-based information technology (IT) applications, advanced technology devices, and new technology products require constant technical support. Both at home and in the workplace, the need for competent, available and professional support services continues to grow as products and services continue to evolve with new and improved technology. 
         [0003]    Most technical support services include a live agent who talks directly with a customer over the telephone or through a live online chat session. Other examples include automated recordings which can provide basic information and can reduce the amount of time spent between a customer and a live agent. Speaking directly with a live agent is expensive and can create financial burdens for corporations. 
         [0004]    One way to reduce the costs and increase the efficiency associated with technical support, may be to offer the agent various interface tools to provide options for the agent to talk with more than one person at a time. The agent may also be assigned to complete more than one task at a time (multi-tasking), and answer more than one inquiry at a time. The typical agent has a headset microphone and speaker combination to allow the agent&#39;s hands to be free. 
         [0005]    Other tools offered to agents would include a personal computer or other computing device that could be used to access customer records, account information, technical manuals, and provide a portal to communicate with online customers. The computer may also provide a medium for the agent to keep copious records of customer interactions for future reference and for internal management purposes. 
         [0006]    Managers and business leaders must keep track of a customer support agent&#39;s time allocated to helping customers so that the agent&#39;s productivity can be observed for optimized work management procedures. One variable that may provide accurate productivity records may be a timeline or a record of the time spent on each task and/or with each customer. As agents become increasingly busy, the amount of time spent assisting customers may be increasingly difficult to track and record. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    One embodiment of the present invention may include a method of maintaining time information allocated to a plurality of tasks. The method may include receiving a first task and starting a first timer at a computing device corresponding to the beginning of work performed on the first task. The method may also include receiving a second task and starting a second timer different from the first timer, which corresponds to the beginning of work performed on the second task. The method may further include transferring a total time allocation record representing a total time counted by the first timer and a total time counted by the second timer to a data record stored in memory, wherein the data record associates the total time counted by the first timer with a corresponding task, and associates the total time counted by the second timer with a different corresponding task. 
         [0008]    Another example embodiment of the present invention may include an apparatus configured to maintain time information allocated to a plurality of tasks. The apparatus may include a receiver configured to receive a first task and a second task. The apparatus may also include a processor configured to start a first timer corresponding to the beginning of work performed on the first task, and configured to start a second timer different from the first timer, which corresponds to the beginning of work performed on the second task. The apparatus may further include a transmitter configured to transfer a total time allocation record representing a total time counted by the first timer and a total time counted by the second timer to a data record stored in memory, wherein the data record associates the total time counted by the first timer with a corresponding task, and associates the total time counted by the second timer with a different corresponding task. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  illustrates an example network configuration, according to example embodiments of the present invention. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  illustrates an example agent interface, according to example embodiments of the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  illustrates an example timeline toolbar interface application, according to example embodiments of the present invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  illustrates an example new timer interface application, according to example embodiments of the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  illustrates another example timer interface application, according to example embodiments of the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  illustrates an example method flow diagram, according to example embodiments of the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  illustrates an example network entity configured to store and execute any of the example applications described in the specification, according to example embodiments of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0016]    It will be readily understood that the components of the present invention, as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein, may be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Thus, the following detailed description of the embodiments of a method, apparatus, and system, as represented in the attached figures, is not intended to limit the scope of the invention as claimed, but is merely representative of selected embodiments of the invention. 
         [0017]    The features, structures, or characteristics of the invention described throughout this specification may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. For example, the usage of the phrases “example embodiments”, “some embodiments”, or other similar language, throughout this specification refers to the fact that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases “example embodiments”, “in some embodiments”, “in other embodiments”, or other similar language, throughout this specification do not necessarily all refer to the same group of embodiments, and the described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. 
         [0018]    In addition, while the term “message” has been used in the description of embodiments of the present invention, the invention may be applied to many types of network data, such as packet, frame, datagram, etc. For purposes of this invention, the term “message” also includes packet, frame, datagram, and any equivalents thereof. Furthermore, while certain types of messages and signaling are depicted in exemplary embodiments of the invention, the invention is not limited to a certain type of message, and the invention is not limited to a certain type of signaling. 
         [0019]      FIG. 1  illustrates an example communication network, according to example embodiments of the present invention. Referring to  FIG. 1 , a live agent  101  is situated in a working environment with a hands-free headset that provides flexibility to answer calls and work on a computer device. The live agent  101  is positioned near a computer display  102  which is coupled to a desktop or laptop computer  103 . Alternatively, the desktop computer  103  may be a handheld computer with an integrated display. 
         [0020]    A network  104  provides a backbone for short messaging service messages (SMS), email messages, digital voice calls, PSTN phone calls etc. The network  104  may include a local loop subscriber line, public switched telephone network (PSTN), a digital data network providing voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) and/or Internet access. Customers  106 A and  106 B represent two different customers which may be calling a service center to report a problem with their service or product (e.g., cable, Internet, computer support, software, hardware device troubleshooting, etc.). 
         [0021]    In operation, a first user  106 A may call the customer service department employing live agent  101 . The user may be eventually connected directly to the live agent  101  via his or her telephone and/or through the agent&#39;s computer  103  or telephone. While assisting the first customer  106 A, the agent  101  must maintain records of his or her time allocated to the customers to properly acknowledge the tasks performed throughout the day. 
         [0022]    This time related task information may be used to provide feedback to the agent  101  from management, and may also provide offer promotions and advancements in career opportunities, and, may be used for internal billing procedures to bill the proper clients for time spent on certain tasks. Live agent data centers are commonly outsourced to remote countries. The agents may provide support for multiple different corporations and thus need to keep accurate records of their time spent on each task to ensure adequate business records. 
         [0023]    Once the customer  106 A is connected with the live agent  101 , a timer must be started to keep track of the time spent on the present task. During the connection between the customer  106 A and the live agent  101 , another customer  106 B may be connected to the live agent  101  simultaneously, or, the customer call may be placed in a queue operated by a database server  105 . The live agent  101  may receive an acknowledgment of the second customer  106 B via his or her phone system or through the display interface  102 . The live agent  101  may be waiting for information to assist the first customer  106 A, or, may be finished talking with the first customer  106 A, and may decide to accept the call from customer  106 B even though the agent  101  is still performing work on the first task. 
         [0024]    The live agent  101  must keep track of his or her time spent with each customer, writing down the time and keeping records of the starting and stopping of time spent with customers can be arduous and subject to human error.  FIG. 2  illustrates an example graphical user interface (GUI) according to example embodiments of the present invention. Referring to  FIG. 2 , the display  201  provides the live agent  101  with a view of a customer time tracking application  202 . The interface may include a unique set of customer colors for example a set of customers # 1 -# 5  is presented at section  202 - 1 . The customer numbers may be selected in the order that they are presented to the live agent  101  or at the live agent&#39;s discretion. A toolbar  202 - 3  may provide a time selection feature that corresponds to the time spent with each customer. The live agent  101  may start a particular timer (# 1 -# 5 ) by pressing play or start on the colored button corresponding to the customer presently being assisted. 
         [0025]      FIG. 3  illustrates a timer toolbar application, according to example embodiments of the present invention. Referring to  FIG. 3 , the multiple timers  303 - 308  may be started and stopped at any time corresponding to the live agent&#39;s present customer and/or task. The timers  303 - 308  may be created, started, stopped, and/or closed at any time. Creating a new timer may be performed with a single click of a button. The time spent on a particular task may be tracked and associated with a project, such as, a particular contract, billing procedure, task name and/or account. The task may be instantly associated with the project by selecting the project when the timer is first created/initiated. The association of the data may be performed at a later time and stored in a remote database. 
         [0026]    In operation, the live agent  101  may initiate a timer for a first customer related task. When the agent  101  encounters another task or customer, the timer may be instantly paused on the first task manually by the agent&#39;s actions or automatically by the agent selecting a second timer for the second customer. Alternatively, if the agent is handling both tasks simultaneously, both timers may be active at the same time. A third task may create a predetermined task pausing operation that forces the first task to be paused since the agent&#39;s may not be permitted to perform three simultaneous tasks depending on the limitations imposed by the management. 
         [0027]      FIG. 3  illustrates various different timers  303 - 308 , according to example embodiments of the present invention. The presently selected timer may include time information  309  to indicate the amount of time spent on all of the pending tasks. A project name may be included to indicate the name of the project  315 . A color window may be used to show the present timer and task being performed in window  316 . A clock timer may be used to resume a present timer  301  and a pause timer  302  may be used to pause the present task. Additional features, such as, play  310 , add  311 , refresh  312  and remove  313  may provide easy shortcuts to create new timers and manipulate their operations. Another timer  314  may indicate the amount of time spent on a current task. 
         [0028]      FIG. 4  illustrates a screenshot of a new timer setup interface, according to example embodiments of the present invention. A new timer menu heading is displayed in the new window  401 . The new timer window may be loaded by a single button selection operation of the menu items in toolbar  300 . A timer color  402  is offered for selection by the agent  101 . The color displayed may be a new color not currently being used and/or the color may be modified per the agent&#39;s discretion. A “Hint” menu  403  may be offered to provide the agent with an opportunity to create a shortcut or data menu used to identify the task or customer associated with the new color. A “start at save” feature  404  may be selected by the agent to create an automatic save feature that saves information periodically once the timer is started. A separate work information button  405  may be used to view additional information related to the task. Finally, the new timer may be saved at menu option  406 , or, saved and a new timer menu may be presented at menu option  407  or the operation may be cancelled by selecting menu option  408 . 
         [0029]      FIG. 5  illustrates another example user interface, according to example embodiments of the present invention. Referring to  FIG. 5 , a time frame that includes multiple days may be accessed and viewed by the agent  101 . A period of days represented by menu item  501  may be modified or viewed by selecting a drop down menu. The amount of time worked on a particular project for the stated period of time may be viewed at menu item  502 . The type of work may be selected to correspond to the type of work being performed, such as, “project tasks” associated with specific projects at menu item  503 . Predetermined projects may include tasks that are assigned to the agent  101  and the time spent on those tasks may be designated by selecting “project tasks” to identify the work performed. 
         [0030]      FIG. 5  further illustrates other options, such as, project name  504 , which may include a drop down menu to select any of the presently assigned agent projects which should be associated with the time worked. Another option may include viewing all tasks or just the tasks assigned to the agent at menu item  505 . Notes may be made to correspond to the projects and time spent at menu option  506 . The specific activity performed by the agent may also be designated for the time spent by the agent, such as, coding, support, Q&amp;A, sales, etc., at menu option  507 . The timesheet information generated may be sent to a central repository remote server where the agent&#39;s work efforts are linked to activity records for management record keeping. 
         [0031]      FIG. 6  illustrates an example method according to example embodiments of the present invention. Referring to  FIG. 6 , an agent  101  may begin working on a first task by selecting a specific color timer button to designate the first task and the time associated with the first task, at operation  601 . According to one example, the agent  101  may receive a call initiating a second task and select a second color to start a timer for the second task on his or her user interface at operation  602 . As the phone call for the second task expires, the first task may be re-selected to restart the first timer which was automatically paused when the second task was initiated, at operation  603 . Alternatively, both clocks may be running simultaneously depending on the agent&#39;s present working condition and preference. 
         [0032]    Next, an email may be received which requires an immediate response, receiving the email may automatically initiate a third task and a corresponding third timer to begin counting automatically, at operation  604 . This third timer may be counting simultaneously with the second and/or third timer, may pause one and not the other timer, or, may pause both the first and second timers. Lastly, the third task may be completed and the task time may be committed to memory. The timer may be closed and the first color may be automatically re-started to resume the first task, at operation  605 . 
         [0033]    The operations of a method or algorithm described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in a computer program executed by a processor, or in a combination of the two. A computer program may be embodied on a computer readable medium, such as a storage medium. For example, a computer program may reside in random access memory (“RAM”), flash memory, read-only memory (“ROM”), erasable programmable read-only memory (“EPROM”), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (“EEPROM”), registers, hard disk, a removable disk, a compact disk read-only memory (“CD-ROM”), or any other form of storage medium known in the art. 
         [0034]    An exemplary storage medium may be coupled to the processor such that the processor may read information from, and write information to, the storage medium. In the alternative, the storage medium may be integral to the processor. The processor and the storage medium may reside in an application specific integrated circuit (“ASIC”). In the alternative, the processor and the storage medium may reside as discrete components. For example  FIG. 7  illustrates an example network element  700 , which may represent any of the above-described network components  102 ,  103 ,  104  and  105 . 
         [0035]    As illustrated in  FIG. 7 , a memory  710  and a processor  720  may be discrete components of the network entity  700  that are used to execute an application or set of operations. The application may be coded in software in a computer language understood by the processor  720 , and stored in a computer readable medium, such as, the memory  710 . The computer readable medium may be a non-transitory computer readable medium that includes tangible hardware components in addition to software stored in memory. Furthermore, a software module  730  may be another discrete entity that is part of the network entity  700 , and which contains software instructions that may be executed by the processor  720 . In addition to the above noted components of the network entity  700 , the network entity  700  may also have a transmitter and receiver pair configured to receive and transmit communication signals (not shown). 
         [0036]    While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described, it is to be understood that the embodiments described are illustrative only and the scope of the invention is to be defined solely by the appended claims when considered with a full range of equivalents and modifications (e.g., protocols, hardware devices, software platforms etc.) thereto.