Patent Publication Number: US-11657348-B2

Title: System for dynamic exception prioritization

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates generally to automated teller machines. More particularly, in certain embodiments, the present disclosure is related to a system for dynamic exception prioritization. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Automated teller machines (ATMs) are devices that allow certain financial transactions to be performed without interacting with a human (e.g., a bank teller or other staff at a financial institution). ATMs may be used for a range of services such as cash withdrawals, cash deposits, fund transfers, and the like. ATMs may be serviced by service providers, such that an appropriate amount of cash is available to users. For instance, a service provider may add and/or remove money stored in an ATM. 
     SUMMARY 
     In an embodiment, a device for resolving exceptions associated with automated teller machines (ATMs) includes a memory and a processor. The memory is configured to store contact information for associates tasked with resolving the exceptions and a set of correspondence templates for requesting predefined types of information from one or more service providers. The processor is coupled to the memory. The processor determines a first exception has occurred associated with a first ATM. The first exception corresponds to a discrepancy between transaction information from the first ATM and service information from a service provider tasked with servicing the first ATM. An exception profile is determined for the first exception. The exception profile includes an indicator of the determined first exception, an identifier of a first ATM associated with the first exception, a first service provider tasked with servicing the first ATM, and a first associate tasked with resolving the first exception. The exception profile is provided for viewing in a user interface accessible to the first associate. The processor receives, from the user interface, a request for information associated with resolving the first exception. Using the correspondence templates, correspondence is generated which includes the request for the information associated with resolving the first exception. The correspondence is addressed to the first service provider. The correspondence is provided to the first service provider. A response is received from the first service provider. At least a portion of the information included in the received response is provided for viewing in the user interface accessible to the first associate. A resolution status for the first exception is received from the user interface. The resolution status is determined based at least in part on the provided portion of the information included in the received response. 
     In another embodiment, a system includes a plurality of automated teller machines (ATMs). Each ATM is associated with a service provider tasked with servicing the ATM. A device includes a memory configured to store prioritization thresholds. The prioritization thresholds include one or both of threshold values and threshold ranges associated with an age and an amount of ATM exceptions. Each ATM exception includes a discrepancy between transaction information from an ATM of the plurality of ATMs and service information from the service provider tasked with servicing the ATM. The device includes a processor coupled to the memory. The processor receives ATM exceptions associated with operation of at least a portion of the plurality of ATMs. For each ATM exception of the plurality of ATM exceptions, the processor determines, based on a comparison of an age property of the ATM exception to an age threshold of the prioritization thresholds, an age score for the ATM exception. The age property includes an amount of time that has elapsed since an event associated with the ATM exception. The processor determines, based on a comparison of an amount property of the ATM exception to an amount threshold of the prioritization thresholds, an amount score for the ATM exception. The amount property includes an amount of money associated with the ATM exception. The processor determines, based on the age score and the amount score, a prioritization score for the ATM exception. The prioritization score corresponds to a measure of an order in which action should be taken to resolve the ATM exception. An exception queue is generated which includes each of the received ATM exceptions ordered according to the prioritization score determined for each ATM exception. 
     In yet another embodiment, a system includes a template database configured to store, for each of a plurality of predefined root causes, a corresponding correspondence template and response form template. Each root cause corresponds to a cause of an exception associated with an ATM. An automatic reconciliation tool determines a first exception has occurred associated with a first ATM. The first exception corresponds to a discrepancy between transaction information from the first ATM and service information from a service provider tasked with servicing the first ATM. A first set of exception parameters are determined associated with the first exception. The first set of exception parameters include one or more of an identity of the service provider tasked with servicing the first ATM, an identifier of the first ATM, and an amount associated with the first exception. A party is determined at the first service provider with which to correspond in or order to resolve the first exception. Based on the first set of exception parameters, a first root cause of the first exception is determined. Using the template database, a first correspondence template and a first response form template are identified for the determined first root cause. Using the first correspondence template, a first correspondence is determined which includes a description of the first exception, instructions for one or more actions to take in response to receiving the first correspondence, and a link configured to provide access to a first response form. Using the first response template, the first response form is generated which includes one or more fields for providing at least one response parameter associated with the request for action. The first correspondence is provided to the determined party. 
     When a service provider services an ATM, a certain amount of cash may be added or removed from the ATM. The amount of cash added or removed should be in agreement with the record of transactions recorded at the ATM. For instance, if a service provider removes $20,000 from an ATM and reports that the ATM is storing 50,000, then the record of withdrawals and deposits at the ATM should correspond to a total cash amount of $70,000 at the time the service provider serviced the ATM. Any discrepancy between the ATM&#39;s records and the reporting of the service provider must be resolved. Such discrepancies are referred to in this disclosure as ATM exceptions. Previous systems lack tools for efficiently detecting and resolving such exceptions. Instead, previous technology involves repeated ad hoc communication between ATM analysts and service providers to attempt to resolve ATM exceptions. Certain ATM exceptions may have statutory time limits, such that beyond these time limits (e.g., of about a month or so), it may be impossible to resolve an ATM exception and either recover any funds lost or provide lost funds to clients. 
     Certain embodiments of this disclosure provide unique solutions to technical problems of previous technology used for detecting and resolving ATM exceptions. For example, the disclosed systems provide several technical advantages which include 1) the reliable detection of ATM exceptions and routing of these exceptions and associated information to appropriate analysts for resolution via an easy-to-use user interface; 2) an exception prioritization tool which facilitates the more efficient deployment of resources such that high-priority exceptions are proactively reconciled; and 3) more efficient and reliable reconciliation of certain types of ATM exceptions via an automated web-form tool. As such, this disclosure may improve the function of computer systems used to monitor a number of deployed ATMs and facilitate the resolution of ATM exceptions that arise. The systems described in this disclosure may provide an improved audit trail of correspondence and other resolution actions that are taken. The system described in this disclosure may decrease computing resources used for maintaining ATM records and taking actions to resolve ATM exceptions. The systems may also or alternatively prevent high priority exceptions from being missed when there is a high back log of exceptions to resolve. 
     In some embodiments, the systems and methods described in this disclosure may particularly be integrated into a practical application for providing automated reconciliation of ATM exceptions by automatically providing a user-friendly webform to service providers to request relevant information to resolve the exception (see, e.g.,  FIGS.  2 A-C  and  3  and the corresponding description below). In some embodiments, the systems and methods described in this disclosure may particularly be integrated into a practical application for prioritizing detected ATM exceptions such that, in the absence of sufficient resources to resolve every exception, the exceptions associated with the greatest amount of funds and/or that are most likely to reach statutory time limits are handled first (see, e.g.,  FIGS.  4 - 5    and the corresponding description below). In some embodiments, the systems and methods described in this disclosure may particularly be integrated into a practical application for matching exceptions to appropriate associates and correspondence types to efficiently resolve ATM exceptions (see, e.g.,  FIGS.  6 - 7    and the corresponding description below). 
     Certain embodiments of this disclosure may include some, all, or none of these advantages. These advantages and other features will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a more complete understanding of this disclosure, reference is now made to the following brief description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and detailed description, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts. 
         FIG.  1    is a schematic diagram of an example system for handling ATM exceptions; 
         FIG.  2 A  is a diagram illustrating an example of the automatic reconciliation tool of the system illustrated in  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  2 B  is a diagram illustrating an example correspondence template used by the system of  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  2 C  is a diagram illustrating an example webform generated by the automatic reconciliation tool of  FIG.  2 A ; 
         FIG.  3    is a flowchart illustrating an example method of operating the auto-reconciliation tool of the system illustrated in  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  4    is a diagram illustrating an example of the prioritization tool of the system illustrated in  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  5    is a flowchart illustrating an example method of operating the prioritization tool of the system illustrated in  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  6    is a diagram illustrating an example of the correspondence tool of the system illustrated in  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  7    is a flowchart illustrating an example method of operating the correspondence tool of the system illustrated in  FIG.  1   ; and 
         FIG.  8    is a diagram of an example device configured to implement the system of  FIG.  1   . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As described above, prior to this disclosure, there was a lack of tools for efficiently and reliably monitoring and resolving ATM exceptions. The system described in this disclosure solves the technical problems of previous technology. The system facilitates a customizable approach to automatically reconciling a certain subset of the exceptions, appropriately prioritizing a plurality of detected ATM exceptions, and/or providing efficient correspondence tools for resolving other ATM exceptions. 
     In some embodiments (see  FIGS.  2 A-C  and  3  and corresponding description below), an automatic reconciliation tool may facilitate the automated resolution of certain ATM exceptions. For instance, the automatic reconciliation tool may identify a root cause of a given exception based on properties of the exception (e.g., the identity of the associated ATM machine, the service provider tasked with servicing the ATM, etc.). For certain root causes, predefined correspondence may be prepared for certain root causes. This correspondence may be automatically provided to the service provider to initiate resolution of the exception. The correspondence may include a link to a special webform which allows the service provider to input the needed information in the correct format for efficiently resolving the exception. 
     In some embodiments (see  FIGS.  4  and  5    and corresponding description below), a prioritization tool determines an appropriate order for efficiently and effectively resolving exceptions. The prioritization tool generally determines a priority score for each exception (e.g., based on the age, monetary amount, type, etc.) and generates a queue with the exceptions ordered according to these scores. The prioritization tool helps ensure that high priority (e.g., exceptions associated with large amounts of money, exceptions that have aged near a statutory deadline, and/or exceptions impacting client-facing services) are handled first. In situations where resources for resolving exceptions are limited, the prioritization tool may particularly prevent statutory deadlines from expiring before high priority exceptions are resolved. 
     In some embodiments (see  FIGS.  6  and  7    and corresponding description below), a correspondence tool facilitates resolution of ATM exceptions via a user-interface provided to an associate. The correspondence tool may map detected ATM exceptions to the correct associates (e.g., ATM analysts tasked with resolving ATM exceptions). Information about the exception is viewable alongside other reference materials for researching the exception, thereby facilitating the efficient identification of the information needed to resolve the exception. Once this information is identified, the associate may provide an input (e.g., via drop down menu) to provide an indication of information needed to resolve the exception. This information is provided to the correspondence tool which automatically generates and sends the appropriate correspondence to the appropriate party (e.g., a service provider or a financial center) to resolve the exception. When a response is received, the correspondence tool passes the relevant information to the user-interface so that the associate can perform further review to determine the status of the exception (i.e., whether it is resolved based on the information provided in the response or whether further information is needed). 
     ATM Management System 
       FIG.  1    is a schematic diagram of an example system  100  for managing ATMs  102 . The system  100  includes the ATMs  102 , an exception management system  104 , one or more databases  118 , one or more service providers  124 , one or more financial centers  126 , and a network  128 . The ATMs  102  are generally any type of automated teller machines. The ATMs  102  generally include an interface (e.g., a screen and keys and/or a touchscreen) for interacting with a user, such as a client of a financial center  126  performing a transaction (e.g., withdrawal of cash, deposit of cash, etc.). The ATMs  102  typically include a card reader for scanning a card associating a user to one or more corresponding accounts accessible via the ATM  102 . Each ATM  102  generally stores cash, for example, in a cash drawer which may be accessed by a service provider  124  or a financial center  126  to remove excess cash and/or restock with cash. The system  100  may include any number of ATMs  102  from one to hundreds or more. The ATMs may be deployed at different locations. For instance, a subset of the ATMs  102  may be located at businesses, public spaces, and/or any other locations. These ATMs  102  may be serviced by a third-party service provider  124 . Another subset of the ATMs  102  may be located at financial centers  126  (e.g., banks). These ATMs  102  may be serviced by the financial center  126  where (e.g., inside or outside of which) the ATMs  102  are located. Each of the ATMs  102  may be implemented using the device  800  described below with respect to  FIG.  8   . 
     The exception management system  104  may be any computing device, or collection of computing devices, configured to receive information with the ATMs  102 . The exception management system  104  may be implemented using the processor, memory, and interface of device  800  described with respect to  FIG.  8    below. The exception management system  104  is generally configured to detect ATM exceptions  110  based on a comparison of ATM data  106  to service data  108  provided by the service provider(s)  124  and financial center(s)  126  tasked with servicing the ATMs  102 . The ATM data  106  generally corresponds to information about transactions (e.g., withdrawals, deposits, etc.) performed using the ATMs  102 . The service data  108  corresponds to information about cash added to or removed from the ATMs  102  when serviced by a service provider  124  or financial center  126 . Generally, any discrepancy detected between the transaction record associated with the ATM data  106  and the service record associated with the service data  108  is determined to be an ATM exception  110 . For instance, an ATM exception  110  may correspond to a case where a service provider  124  or financial center  126  has reported that an ATM  102  was not storing the same amount of cash expected based on the transaction record of the ATM data  106 . An ATM exception  110  may be associated with a particular transaction (e.g., with a particular user withdrawing cash from or depositing cash in an ATM  102 ) or with a service event for an ATM  102  (e.g., a particular service event where cash is added to or removed from the ATM  102  by a service provider  124  or financial center  126 ). 
     The ATM exceptions  110  may be provided to any one or more of an automatic reconciliation tool  112 , a prioritization tool  114 , and a correspondence tool  116 . Each of these various tools  112 ,  114 ,  116  solves technical problems of previous technology for resolving ATM exceptions, as described further below. In various embodiments, one, two, or all three of the tools may be implemented within the exception management system  104 . 
     The automatic reconciliation tool  112  facilitates the automated resolution of certain ATM exceptions  110 . The automatic reconciliation tool  112  may be implemented using the processor, memory, and network interface of the device  800  described with respect to  FIG.  8    below. For example, instructions (e.g., reconciliation instructions  808  of  FIG.  8   ) may be stored in a memory (e.g., memory  804  of  FIG.  8   ) and executed by a processor (e.g., processor  802  of  FIG.  8   ) to implement the automatic reconciliation tool  112 . The automatic reconciliation tool  112  may identify a root cause of a given exception  110  based on properties of the exception (e.g., the identity of the associated ATM  102 , the service provider  124  or financial center  126  tasked with servicing the ATM  102 , etc.). Predefined correspondence templates  122  may be used to automatically prepare correspondence for certain root causes. This correspondence may be automatically provided to the service provider  124  or financial center  126  to initiate resolution of the ATM exception  110 . The correspondence may include a link to a special webform which allows the service provider to input information in the correct format for efficiently resolving the exception  110 . The automatic reconciliation tool  112  and its operation are described in greater detail with respect to  FIGS.  2 A-C  and  3  below. 
     The prioritization tool  114  generally determines an appropriate order for efficiently and effectively resolving ATM exceptions  110  and generates a queue for handling these exceptions  110 . The prioritization tool  114  may be implemented using the processor, memory, and network interface of the device  800  described with respect to  FIG.  8    below. For example, instructions (e.g., prioritization instructions  816  of  FIG.  8   ) may be stored in a memory (e.g., memory  804  of  FIG.  8   ) and executed by a processor (e.g., processor  802  of  FIG.  8   ) to implement the prioritization tool  114 . The prioritization tool  114  generally determines a priority score for each exception  110  (e.g., based on the age, amount, type, etc.) of the exception  110  and generates a queue with the ATM exceptions  110  ordered according to these scores. The prioritization tool  114  helps ensure that higher priority exceptions  110  (e.g., exceptions associated with large amounts of money, exceptions that have aged near a statutory deadline, and exceptions impacting client services) are handled before lower priority exceptions (e.g., small dollar amount exceptions, new exceptions, etc.). The prioritization tool  114  and its operation are described in greater detail with respect to  FIGS.  4  and  5    below. 
     The correspondence tool  116  facilitates resolution of ATM exceptions  110  via a user-interface provided to an associate. The correspondence tool  116  may be implemented using the processor, memory, and network interface of the device  800  described with respect to  FIG.  8    below. For example, instructions (e.g., correspondence instructions  818  of  FIG.  8   ) may be stored in a memory (e.g., memory  804  of  FIG.  8   ) and executed by a processor (e.g., processor  802  of  FIG.  8   ) to implement the correspondence tool  116 . The correspondence tool may use contact data  120  (described further below and with respect to  FIGS.  6  and  7   ) to map detected ATM exceptions  110  to correct associates (e.g., ATM analysts tasked with resolving ATM exceptions  110 ). Information about the ATM exception  110  is made viewable alongside other reference materials for researching the ATM exception  110 , thereby facilitating the efficient identification of which information is needed to resolve the ATM exception  110 . Once this information is identified, the associate may provide an input (e.g., via drop down menu) to provide an indication of the information needed to resolve the ATM exception  110 . For example, the associate may indicate that a recount or resettlement of cash collected from one or more ATMs  102  is needed to resolve a given exception  110 . This information is provided to the correspondence tool  116  which generates and sends correspondence (e.g., an email or other electronic communication) to the appropriate service provider  124  or financial center  126  to resolve the ATM exception  110 . When a response is received, the correspondence tool  116  passes the relevant information to the user-interface so that the associate can perform further review to identify the status of the ATM exception  110 . The correspondence tool  116  and its operation are described in greater detail with respect to  FIGS.  6  and  7    below. 
     Database(s)  118  are generally one or more devices (e.g., data repositories, data warehouses, etc.) operable to receive, store, and/or transmit contact data  120  and correspondence templates  122 . A database  118  may store contact data  120  and correspondence templates  122  in any appropriate format. As described in greater detail below with respect to  FIGS.  2 - 3   , the contact data  120  generally includes contact information (e.g., email addresses, business addresses, phone numbers, names, etc.) for various ATM analysts, service providers  124 , financial centers  126 , and the like. The contact data  120  is generally used by the exception management system  104  to facilitate the routing of correspondence and other information to the appropriate parties. As described in greater detail below with respect to  FIGS.  2 - 3  and  6 - 7   , the correspondence templates  122  may include predefined text for providing information and instructions to a service provider  124  or financial center  126  in order to initiate the process of resolving an exception  110 . The predefined text of the correspondence templates  122  may include placeholders for providing properties (e.g., dates, amounts of money, etc.) of an exception  110 . Certain correspondence templates  122  are used by the correspondence tool  116  to generate correspondence for an analyst to communicate with a service provider  124  or financial center  126  to resolve a given ATM exception  110 . The database(s)  118  may further include any other information used by the exception management system  100 . The database(s)  118  may be implemented using the processor, memory, and interface of device  800  described with respect to  FIG.  8    below. 
     The service provider(s)  124  are generally any entities tasked with servicing the ATMs  102 . For example, the service provider(s)  124  may include businesses which operate armored car services that transport cash to and from ATMs  102 . The financial center(s)  126  may be banks where a portion of the ATMs  102  are located. A financial center  126  may be associated with the same business or entity that operates the exception management system  104 . For example, ATMs  102  located at or near a financial center  126  may be serviced by the financial center  126  rather than using a third-party service provider  124 . Each of the service provider(s)  124  and the financial center(s)  126  may operate devices which facilitate communication with the exception management system  104  (e.g., via network  122 ). For instance, personal computers, smartphones, and the like may be operated by individuals affiliated with the service provider(s)  124  and financial center(s)  126  and used to provide service data  108  and any other information requested to resolve ATM exceptions  110 . Devices used by the service provider(s)  124  and financial center(s)  126  may be implemented using the processor, memory, and interface of device  800  described with respect to  FIG.  8    below. 
     Network  128  facilitates communication between and amongst the various components of the system  100 . This disclosure contemplates network  128  being any suitable network operable to facilitate communication between the components of the system  100 . Network  128  may include any interconnecting system capable of transmitting audio, video, signals, data, messages, or any combination of the preceding. Network  128  may include all or a portion of a public switched telephone network (PSTN), a public or private data network, a local area network (LAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a wide area network (WAN), a local, regional, or global communication or computer network, such as the Internet, a wireline or wireless network, an enterprise intranet, or any other suitable communication link, including combinations thereof, operable to facilitate communication between the components. 
     In an example operation of the system  100 , ATM data  106  and service data  108  are received for an ATM  102 . In this example, the ATM data  106  indicates that the ATM  102 , as of the date that the ATM  102  was serviced, held $ 80 , 000  in cash (i.e., based on the record of withdrawals and deposits at the ATM  102 ). In this example, the service data  108  indicates that the ATM held $ 70 , 000  on the date that the ATM  102  was serviced. The exception management system  104  compares the values (i.e., $80,000 and $70,000) associated with the ATM data  106  and the service data  108  and determines that an ATM exception  110  is detected because of the difference in these values. In other words, the ATM exception  110  in this example case is a shortage of $10,000. A similar process is repeated to detect any other ATM exceptions  110  associated with the other ATMs  102 . 
     In this example case, the ATM exceptions  110  are provided to the automatic reconciliation tool  112  where a subset of the ATM exceptions are reconciled automatically. As described further below with respect to  FIGS.  2  and  3   , the automatic reconciliation tool  112  may identify a root cause of a given exception  110  based on properties of the exception  110 . For instance, for the example exception  110  described above, the root cause may be identified as a possible miscount of cash by the service provider  124  or financial center  126 . A predefined correspondence template  122  may be used to automatically prepare and send correspondence (e.g., an email) to request action and/or information to resolve the ATM exception  110 . The correspondence may, for example, include a link to a special webform which allows the service provider  124  or financial center  126  to input an updated amount of cash counted for the ATM  102  after a review has been performed. If the information provided in the webform solves the discrepancy associated with the ATM exception  110 , then the automatic reconciliation tool  112  may automatically determine that the exception  110  is resolved. 
     Any remaining ATM exceptions  110  that were not resolvable using the automatic reconciliation tool  112 , may be provided to the prioritization tool  114 . As described with respect to  FIGS.  4  and  5    below, the prioritization tool  114  may determine a priority score for each ATM exception  110  (e.g., based on the age, amount, type, etc.) of each exception  110  and generate a queue with the ATM exceptions  110  ordered according to these scores. This queue helps to ensure that exceptions  110  that higher priority exceptions (e.g., exceptions  110  associated with larger dollar amounts, that are about to expire, and/or that impact client experience) are resolved first. 
     The queue of ATM exceptions  110  may then be presented to the correspondence tool  116 . As described further with respect to  FIGS.  6  and  7    below, the correspondence tool  116  use contact data  120  to map detected ATM exceptions  110  to correct ATM analysts tasked with resolving ATM exceptions  110 . Information about the ATM exceptions  110  is made viewable alongside reference materials for researching the ATM exception  110 , thereby facilitating the efficient identification of which information is needed to resolve the ATM exceptions  110 . Once this information is identified, the associate may provide an input (e.g., via drop down menu) to provide an indication of the information needed to resolve the ATM exception  110 . This information is provided to the correspondence tool which generates and sends correspondence (e.g., an email or other electronic communication) to the appropriate person at the service provider  124  or financial center  126  to resolve the ATM exception  110 . When a response is received, the correspondence tool  116  passes the relevant information to the user interface so that the analyst can perform further review to identify the status of the ATM exception  110 . 
     While the example described above, describes exceptions  110  passing sequentially to the automatic reconciliation tool  112 , the prioritization tool  114 , and the correspondence tool  116 , it should be understood that ATM exceptions  110  may be processed by one or more of these tools  112 ,  114 ,  116  in any order. For example, in some cases, one or more of the tools  112 ,  114 ,  116  may not be used. For instance, in some cases, the automatic reconciliation tool  112  may be used to resolve a portion of detected ATM exceptions  110  automatically, while other exceptions  110  are handled using any other approach. In other cases (e.g., when there are not a great number of ATMs  102  managed by the exception management system  104 ), the prioritization tool  114  may generate a queue of ATM exceptions  110 , and any approach (e.g., including previous approaches) may be employed to resolve the ATM exceptions  110  in the order specified by the queue. In some cases, all exceptions  110  may be handled in a first-in-first-out fashion using the correspondence tool  116  alone. 
     Automatic Reconciliation Tool 
       FIG.  2    is a diagram  200  illustrating an example of the automatic reconciliation tool  112  of  FIG.  1    and its operation in more detail. As described above, the automatic reconciliation tool  112  generally facilitates automated resolution of certain ATM exceptions  110 . As illustrated in  FIG.  2   , the automatic reconciliation tool  112  may include a root cause determination module  204  which uses associated party information  202  to determine an exception profile  206  for an exception  110 . The associated party information  202  generally includes information about which service provider  124  or financial center  126  services the ATM  102  associated with the exception  110 . For example the associated party information  110  may include an identifier of the service provider  124  or financial center  126  tasked with servicing the ATM  102  associated with the ATM exception  110 . The associated party information  202  may be determined from or may include a portion of the ATM data  106  and/or service data  108  of  FIG.  1   . As described above with respect to  FIG.  1   , the automatic reconciliation tool  112  may be implemented using the processor, memory, and network interface of the device  800  of  FIG.  8   , which is described below. 
     The exception profile  206  determined by the root cause determination module  204  includes a root cause  208  of the exception  110  and exception parameters or characteristics  210 . The root cause determination module  204  may be implemented by executing corresponding instructions (e.g., the root cause identification instructions  810  of  FIG.  8   ) using a processor (e.g., the processor  802  of  FIG.  8   ). The root cause  208  generally corresponds to the underlying cause of the discrepancy or error associated with the exception  110 . For example, the root cause  208  may be that the service provider  124  or financial center  126  has an unsettled ATM deposit, an ATM event (e.g., dispensing cash) is reported incorrectly, that information about multiple ATMs  102  have been combined into a single record entry, that cash has been moved between different ATMs  102 , that an ATM  102  has been settled with a cash shortage greater than a predefined amount, and the like. The exception parameters  210  generally include the items of information which should be provided and/or which are needed to resolve the exception  110  with the root cause  208 . For example, the exception parameters  210  may include an amount of money by which the transaction data  106  of  FIG.  1    indicates an ATM  102  is short or in excess following a servicing event by a service provider  124  or financial center  126  and the action that should be taken to resolve the exception  110 . For instance, the exception parameters  210  may include an amount of money in excess following servicing of an ATM  102  and an indication that the cash removed from the ATM  102  should be recounted, records should be reviewed, and results should be reported. 
     The exception profile  206  is provided to a correspondence generation module  212  which automatically generates correspondence  214  for resolving the exception  110 . The correspondence generation module  212  may be implemented by executing corresponding instructions (e.g., the correspondence generation instructions  812  of  FIG.  8   ) using a processor (e.g., the processor  802  of  FIG.  8   ). The correspondence  214  is generally an email or other electronic communication. The correspondence  214  may include a link  216  to a response form  224 . The correspondence  214  is generated using the correspondence templates  122 , which may be stored in the database(s)  118  described above with respect to  FIG.  1   . The correspondence templates  122  include for each predefined root cause  218   a,b  a corresponding correspondence template  220   a,b  and response form template  222   a,b . Each correspondence template  220   a,b  includes an email or other electronic communication to provide to a service provider  124  or financial center  126  for resolving an exception  110  associated with the corresponding root cause  218   a,b . For example, a correspondence template  220   a,b  may include language to provide to the service provider  124  or financial center  126  with placeholders for inserting specific exception parameters  210  associated with the exception  110 . 
     An example of a correspondence template  220   a,b  is illustrated in  FIG.  2 B . As illustrated in  FIG.  2 B , the correspondence template  220   a,b  may include a “to line” with a contact information placeholder  252  which is automatically populated with contact information (e.g., an email address) for the service provider  124  or financial center  126  to which the correspondence  214  is to be sent. A “from line” includes a contact information placeholder  254  which is automatically populated with contact information associated with the automatic reconciliation tool  112  (e.g., an email address of an operator or analyst associated with the ATM exception management system  104  of  FIG.  1   ). The “subject line” includes text from the correspondence template  220   a,b  used to generate the correspondence  214  along with an identifier placeholder  256  for inserting the name of the service provider  124  of financial center  126 , an ATM identifier placeholder  258  for inserting a name, serial number of other identifier of the ATM  102  associated with the exception  110 , and a case number placeholder  260  for inserting an identifier assigned to the exception  110 . The body of the correspondence  214  includes predefined text from the correspondence template  220   a,b  used to generate the correspondence  214  along with additional information such as a settlement date placeholder  262 , the ATM identifier placeholder  258 , an amount placeholder  264 , and a resolution deadline placeholder  266 . Each of the contact information placeholders  252 ,  254 , servicer identifier placeholder  256 , ATM identifier placeholder  258  case identifier placeholder  260 , settlement date placeholder  262 , amount placeholder  264 , and deadline placeholder  266  may be linked to particular entries of the exception parameters  210  such that the appropriate information may be automatically incorporated into the correspondence template  220   a,b  for the exception&#39;s root cause  208  in order to generate correspondence  214 . The correspondence template  220   a,b  also includes a link placeholder  268  for inserting a link  216  to a webform  224  for providing information to resolve the exception  110 . The webform  224  is described further below and an example webform  224  is illustrated in  FIG.  2 C . 
     Returning to  FIG.  2 A , correspondence  214  generated from a given template  220   a,b  includes text from the template  220   a,b  with placeholder information (e.g., the information associated with the contact information placeholder  252 ,  254 , servicer identifier placeholder  256 , ATM identifier placeholder  258 , case identifier placeholder  260 , settlement date placeholder  262 , amount placeholder  264 , deadline placeholder  266 , and link placeholder  268  of  FIG.  2 B ) inserted based on the exception parameters  210 . The response form link  216  may be an html link, or any other appropriate information, for accessing a webform  224  to provide requested information to resolve the exception  110 . The correspondence  214  is provided to the appropriate service provider  124  or financial center  126  that is associated with the exception  110 . An individual at the service provider  124  or financial center  126  may review the correspondence  214  and access the webform  224 . The webform  224  is generated based on the webform template  222   a,b  for the root cause  206  of the exception  110 . An example of a webform  224  is illustrated in  FIG.  2 C . As illustrated in  FIG.  2 C , the webform  224  may include a number of fields  272 ,  274 ,  276  for providing information to resolve the exception  110 . In this example, the webform  224  includes a first field  272  for providing a residual reporting date, a second field  274  for providing an amount to report, and a field  276  for providing an indication (e.g., a selection of yes or no) of whether information is confirmed. The example webform  224  also includes a submit button  278 . Upon selection the submit button  278 , the response information associated with the values provided in fields  272 ,  274 ,  276  is provided to the automatic reconciliation tool  112 . In some embodiments, a webform  224  may include only a field  276  for confirming receipt of the webform  224  and associated correspondence  214   
     Returning to  FIG.  2 A , a response evaluation module  230  of the automatic reconciliation tool  112  compares the response parameters  226  to predefined reconciliation criteria  228  for resolving the exception  110  to determine reconciliation results  232  (i.e., a determination of whether the exception  110  is resolved or not). The response evaluation module  230  may be implemented by executing corresponding instructions (e.g., the response evaluation instructions  814  of  FIG.  8   ) using a processor (e.g., the processor  802  of  FIG.  8   ). Generally the reconciliation criteria  228  for resolving the exception include values or characteristics which should be included in the response parameters  226  in order for the exception  110  to be considered resolved. For instance, if the webform  224  requested an amount of money counted in a review of a service, the response parameters  226  may include the amount counted and the reconciliation criteria  228  may include a requirement that the amount have a certain value or be within a certain range of values in order for the exception  110  to be resolved. 
     If the exception  110  is not resolved according to the reconciliation results  232 , a further correspondence  214  may be generated and provided based on information needed to resolve the exception  110 . For example, the further correspondence  214  may include an indication that the previously provided response parameters  226  were not as expected and provide instructions for sending further information to resolve the exception  110 . If an exception  110  is not satisfactorily resolved using the automatic reconciliation tool  112  (e.g., within a predefined amount of time), the exception may be handled manually or using the correspondence tool  116  described further below with respect to  FIGS.  6  and  7   . The correspondence tool  112  generally maintains a record of all correspondence  214  provided and response parameters  226  received. This record may facilitate improved audits in the future and improved tracking of performance of various service providers  124  and financial centers  126 . 
     In some embodiments, correspondence  214  may not include a request for any response parameters  226 . In such embodiments, the correspondence  214  may not include a response form link  216 , and the service provider  124  or financial center  126  is not expected to provide any information. For example, the exception  110  may have needed some sort of reporting to occur (e.g., for regulatory purposes or the like). The correspondence  214  may include this reporting, and no further review is needed for the exception  110  to be considered resolved. Generally a subset of all detected exceptions  110  from  FIG.  1    may be amenable to root cause analysis and automatic reconciliation using the automatic reconciliation tool  112 . Another subset of the exceptions  110  may require at least some decision by a human (e.g., using the correspondence tool  116  described below with respect to  FIGS.  6  and  7   ). 
       FIG.  3    is a flowchart of an example method  300  for automatically resolving, or reconciling, certain ATM exceptions  110 . The automatic reconciliation tool  112  described in  FIGS.  1  and  2 A -C may implement method  300 . Method  300  may begin at step  302  where an exception  110  is detected or received. For example, the exception  110  may be detected as described above with respect to  FIG.  1    through the comparison of ATM data  106  to service data  108 . A discrepancy between these data  106 ,  108  is generally identified as an ATM exception  110 . 
     At step  304 , a party associated with the exception  110  is identified (i.e., associated party information  202  of  FIG.  2 A  is determined or received). For example, the ATM data  106  and/or the service data  108  for the ATM  102  associated with the exception  110  may include the identity of the service provider  124  or financial center  126  tasked with servicing the ATM  102 . 
     At step  306 , the root cause  208  of the exception  110  is determined. The root cause  206  is generally determined based on the exception parameters  210 . For example, if the exception parameters  210  include characteristics (e.g., a discrepancy between ATM data  106  and service data  108 ) associated with a service provider  124  or financial center  126  having an unsettled ATM deposit, a corresponding unsettled-deposit root cause  208  is determined. As another example, if the exception parameters  210  include characteristics (e.g., a discrepancy between ATM data  106  and service data  108 ) associated with an ATM event (e.g., dispensing cash) being reported incorrectly, a corresponding incorrect-reporting root cause  208  is determined. Generally, the event parameters  210  for the exception  110  may be associated with one or more root causes  208 . However, for clarity and conciseness a single root cause  208  is described in the example of  FIG.  3   . 
     At step  308 , a correspondence template  220   a,b  is identified for the root cause  208  determined at step  306 . For example, the template  220   a,b  may be selected for the root cause  218   a,b  that matches the root cause  208  determined at step  306 . The response form template  220   a,b  is similarly identified for the root cause  208  at step  312 . 
     At step  312 , the correspondence  214  is generated for the root cause  208  using the correspondence template  220   a,b  identified at step  308  and the exception parameters  210  to fill in information in the template  220   a,b , as described above with respect to  FIGS.  2 A and  2 B . The correspondence  214  is provided to the service provider  124  or financial center  126  at step  314 . For example, the correspondence  214  may be sent as an email or any other form of electronic communication. As described above with respect to  FIGS.  2 A and  2 B , the correspondence  214  may include a link  216  for accessing the response webform  224 . 
     At step  316 , response parameters  226  are received from the service provider  124  or financial center  126 . The response parameters  226  may include any appropriate information needed to resolve the exception  110 . For example, the response parameters  226  may include information provided in the fields  272 ,  274 ,  276  of the example webform  224  described above with respect to  FIG.  2 C . 
     At step  318 , the automatic reconciliation tool  112  (e.g., the response evaluation module  230  described above with respect to  FIG.  2 A ) determines whether the response parameters  226  received at step  316  satisfy the predefined reconciliation criteria  228 . For instance, if the webform  224  requested an amount of money determined in a resettlement (e.g., provided in an amount field  274  of the example webform  224  of  FIG.  2 C ), the response parameters  226  may include the amount counted and the reconciliation criteria  228  may include a requirement that the amount have a certain value or be within a certain range of values in order for the exception  110  to be resolved. If the reconciliation criteria  228  are satisfied at step  318 , the exception  110  is determined to be resolved or reconciled at step  320 . Otherwise, if the reconciliation criteria  228  are not satisfied at step  318 , the method  300  proceeds to step  322  and determines that the exception is not resolved or reconciled. 
     At step  324 , the automatic reconciliation tool  112  may generate an updated correspondence  214 . The updated correspondence  214  may be based on the same or a different correspondence template  220   a,b  and is generally configured to request any information still needed to resolve the exception  110 . For example, if an amount provided in the response parameters  226  is not within a range indicated by the reconciliation criteria  228 , the updated correspondence  214  may include a request for further review and/or explanation of the discrepancy. Updated correspondence  214  may be escalated such that it is provided to a related party associated with the exception  110  (e.g., a manager or management group of the service provider  124  or financial center  126  tasked with servicing the ATM  102  associated with the exception  110 ). The automatic reconciliation tool  112  may return to step  314  and provide this correspondence  214  to the service provider  124  or financial center  126 , as described above, and the subsequent steps described above may be repeated (e.g., either until the exception  110  is reconciled at step  320  or the exception  110  is considered unreconciled at step  322  and no further attempts at automatic reconciliation are appropriate). 
     Prioritization Tool 
       FIG.  4    is a diagram  400  illustrating an example of the prioritization tool  114  of  FIG.  1    and its operation in more detail. Previous technology generally relied on a first-in-first-out approach to handling ATM exceptions. Thus, using previous technology, an analyst may be working to resolve an exception from several weeks ago (e.g., because of a large back log of exceptions to resolve). This relatively old exception may be associated with a relatively low priority issue such as a $10 out-of-balance exception, while a more recently received exception may be associated with a larger amount of money (e.g., an exception associated with $50,000). Previous technology may allow this more recently received and higher value exception to go unresolved for a long period of time. In some cases, the higher value exception may reach a statutory time limit beyond which a resolution is not possible. The prioritization tool  114  solves these and other problems of previous technology by dynamically prioritizing which ATM exceptions  110  should be handled first (i.e., using queue  414  illustrated in  FIG.  4   ). As described above with respect to  FIG.  1   , the prioritization tool  114  may be implemented using the processor, memory, and network interface of the device  800  of  FIG.  8   , which is described below (e.g., using prioritization instructions  816 ). 
     The prioritization tool  114  determines a priority score  422   a - d  for each exception  110 - d  of a set of ATM exceptions  110  provided to the prioritization tool  114  and generates a queue  414  of the ATM exceptions  110   a - d  ordered according to these scores  422   a - d . The prioritization tool  114  helps ensure that a higher priority exception such as exception  110   a  is resolved before lower priority exceptions  110  such as an n th  exception  416   d.    
     The prioritization tool  114  compares outstanding exceptions  110  to a predefined set of prioritization thresholds  402  in order to determine a prioritization score  422   a - d  for each exception  110 . Each exception  110   a - d  is characterized by an age  416   a - d  (i.e., an amount of time, e.g., in days, since an event that triggered the exception  110   a - d  has occurred), an amount  418   a - d  (i.e., an amount of money associated with the exception  110   a - d ), and a type  420   a - d  (e.g., whether the exception  110   a - d  is associated with a credit or debit transaction, what service provider  124  or financial center  126  is associated with the exception  110   a - d , and the like). 
     For example, an age  416   a - d  of an exception  110   a - d  associated with a particular transaction between a client and the ATM  102  associated with the exception  110   a - d  may be the amount of time (e.g., in days) since the transaction was performed. As another example, an age  416   a - d  of an exception  110   a - d  associated with a service provider  124  or financial center  126  servicing an ATM  102  may be the amount of time (e.g., in days) since the service was performed (e.g., since cash was added to and/or removed from the ATM  102 ). As an example, an amount  418   a - d  of an exception  110   a - d  associated with a transaction between a client and an ATM  102  may be the amount of cash withdrawn and/or deposited in the transaction. An amount  418   a - d  of an exception  110   a - d  associated with a service provider  124  or financial center  126  servicing an ATM  102  may be the amount of cash added to and/or removed from the ATM  102  when the service was performed. A type  420   a - d  of a transaction may be whether a transaction between a client and the ATM  102  was a credit transaction or a debit transaction. The type  420   a - d  of an exception  110   a - d  may also include the identity of the service provider  124  or financial center  126  tasked with servicing the ATM  102  associated with the exception  110   a - d.    
     The age  416   a - d , amount  418   a - d , and type  420   a - d  of each exception  110   a - d  is generally compared to the prioritization thresholds  402  in order to determine an appropriate prioritization score  422   a - d  for each exception  110   a - d . The prioritization thresholds  402  generally include predefined values and/or rules for generating, based on these comparisons, the prioritization scores  422   a - d  for the exceptions  110   a - d . The prioritization thresholds  402  may include a maximum age threshold  404 , a maximum amount threshold  406 , an age threshold  408 , an amount range threshold  410 , and an exception type threshold  412 . The maximum age threshold  404  is generally a predefined age (e.g., of thirty days or greater) of an exception  110   a - d  above which the exception  110   a - d  should be given a higher priority score  422   a - d . If an exception  110   a - d  has an age  416   a - d  that is equal to or greater than the maximum age threshold  404 , then a predefined age score  424   a - d  is added to the prioritization score  422   a - d . The age score  424   a - d  added to the prioritization score  422   a - d  may be proportionate to the age  416   a - d  of the exception  110   a - d , such that an exception  110   a - d  with a greater age  416   a - d  will have a higher age score  424   a - d  included in the prioritization score  422   a - d  based on the maximum age threshold  404 . In some cases, exceptions  110   a - d  may have a statutory deadline (e.g., of several weeks or months), such that beyond this deadline no resolution is possible (i.e., because of relevant rules or laws). Such statutory deadlines may be used as a cutoff such that if the age  416   a - d  of an exception  110   a - d  is greater than a statutory deadline age, the prioritization score  422   a - d  may be set to a zero or another relatively low value. Such an exception  110   a - d  may not be included in the queue  414  because the exception  110   a - d  cannot be resolved. 
     The maximum amount threshold  406  is generally a predefined amount (e.g., of one million dollars or more) of an exception  110   a - d  above which the exception  110   a - d  should be given a higher priority score  422   a - d . If an exception  110   a - d  has an amount  418   a - d  (e.g., an amount of money withdrawn or deposited in a transaction, an amount of money added or removed from an ATM  102  by a service provider  124  or financial center  126 , or the like) that is equal to or greater than the maximum amount threshold  406 , then a predefined amount score  426   a - d  is added to the prioritization score  422   a - d . The amount score  426   a - d  added to the prioritization score  422   a - d  may be proportionate to the amount  418   a - d  of the exception  110   a - d , such that an exception  110   a - d  with a greater amount  418   a - d  will have a higher amount score  426   a - d  included in the prioritization score  422   a - d  based on the maximum amount threshold  406 . 
     The age range threshold  408  is generally a predefined range of ages of exceptions  110   a - d  (e.g., a range from 16 to 30 days). If an exception  110   a - d  has an age  416   a - d  that is within the age range threshold  408 , then a predefined age range score  428   a - d  is added to the prioritization score  422   a - d . The age range score  428   a - d  added to the prioritization score  422   a - d  may be proportionate to, or otherwise based on, the age  416   a - d  of the exception  110   a - d , such that an exception  110   a - d  with a greater age  416   a - d  will have a higher age range score  428   a - d  included in the prioritization score  422   a - d  based on the age range threshold  408 . Similarly, the amount range threshold  410  is generally a predefined range of amounts of exceptions  110   a - d . If an exception  110   a - d  has an amount  418   a - d  that is within the amount range threshold  410 , then a predefined amount range score  430   a - d  is added to the prioritization score  422   a - d . The amount range score  430   a - d  added to the prioritization score  422   a - d  may be proportionate to, or otherwise based on, the amount  418   a - d  of the exception  110   a - d , such that an exception  110   a - d  with a greater amount  418   a - d  will have a higher amount range score  430   a - d  included in the prioritization score  422   a - d  based on the amount range threshold  410 . 
     The type threshold  412  generally includes predefined exception characteristics which should be prioritized above others. For example, the type threshold  412  may indicate that an exception  110   a - d  associated with a credit transaction should be given a higher prioritization score  422   a - d  than an exception  110   a - d  associated with a debit transaction. As another example, the type threshold  412  may include a type score  432   a - d  that should be included in a prioritization score  422   a - d  based on the service provider  124  or financial center  126  associated with an exception  110   a - d . For example, a service provider  124  that has been observed to responds slowly with requested information to resolve an exception, may be associated with a higher priority score  422   a - d . This may cause actions needed for the resolution of exceptions  110   a - d  associated with this service provider  124  to be started sooner such that the exceptions  110   a - d  may still be resolved despite anticipated delays from the service provider  124 . 
     The prioritization score  422  may be determined from the sum of the scores  424   a - d ,  426   a - d ,  428   a - d ,  430   a - d ,  432   a - d  determined for each of the prioritization thresholds  402  described above. The total prioritization score  422   a - d  (P) may be determined according to:
 
 P=P   maximum age   +P   maximum amount   +P   age range   +P   amount range   +P   type  
 
where P maximum age  is the age score  424   a - d  determined for the maximum age threshold  404 , P maximum amount  is the amount score  426   a - d  determined for the maximum amount threshold  408 , P age range  is the age range score  428   a - d  determined for the age range threshold  408 , P amount range  is the amount range score  430   a - d  determined for the amount range threshold  410 , and P type  is the type score  432   a - d  determined for the exception type threshold  412 .
 
     The ATM exceptions  110   a - d  are arranged in a queue  414  such that the exceptions  110   a - d  may be provided in an appropriate order to the correspondence tool  116  in order from highest to lowest priority. The queue  414  may reduce or eliminate cases where high priority exceptions  110  are not resolved in a timely manner (e.g., before a predefined statutory deadline). The prioritization tool  114  may generate and/or update the queue  414  at a predefined interval (e.g., daily, after a certain number of new exceptions  110  are detected, or the like), thereby facilitate the dynamic population of the queue  414  with new inbound ATM exceptions  110 . 
     Generally, each threshold  404 ,  406 ,  408 ,  410 ,  412  may be weighted to have a larger or smaller impact on the resulting prioritization score  422   a - d  as appropriate. In an example embodiment, the scores  424   a - d ,  426   a - d ,  428   a - d ,  430   a - d ,  432   a - d  determined from each of the thresholds are weighted from greatest to least in the order of maximum age threshold  404 , maximum amount threshold  406 , age range threshold  408 , amount range threshold  410 , and exception type threshold  412 . For instance, in an example embodiment, the exceptions  110   a - d  are arranged in order from greatest age  416   a - d  to smallest age  416   a - d.    
     In another example embodiment, the first exception  110   a  does not have the greatest age  416   a  but has an amount  418   a  that is larger than that of the other exceptions  110   b - d . In this embodiment, the prioritization score  422   a  is largest for the first exception  110   a  because of the large value of the amount  418   a . In another example embodiment, two exceptions  110   a,b  may have the same or similar ages  416   a,b  and amounts  418   a,b . In this case, the ordering of the exceptions  110   a,b  may be based on the types  420   a,b  of the exceptions  110   a,b . For example, the first exception  110   a  (with the higher ranking in the queue  414 ) may have a type  420   a  that is associated with a credit transaction, while the second exception  110   b  (with the lower ranking in the queue  414 ) may have a type  420   b  that is associated with a debit transaction. It may be beneficial to prioritize credit transactions, which may have a greater impact on client experience, over debit transaction. 
     As another example, the first exception  110   a  may have a type  420   a  that indicates that the ATM  102  associated with the exception  110   a  is serviced by a service provider  124  or financial center  126  that is known to have a delayed response time when resolving exceptions  110 , while the second exception  110   b  may have a type  420   b  that indicates that the ATM  102  associated with the exception  110   b  is serviced by a service provider  124  or financial center  126  that is known to have a relatively fast response time for resolving exceptions  110  (e.g., as determined based on performance metrics  618  described with respect to  FIG.  6    below). Thus, irrespective of the order in which the exceptions  110   a - d  may have been identified or otherwise provided to the prioritization tool  114 , the queue  414  presents the exceptions  110   a - d  in an order that is more suited for reliably ensuring that the most important exceptions  110   a - d  are acted upon first (e.g., using the correspondence tool  116  described further below with respect to  FIGS.  6  and  7   ). 
       FIG.  5    is a flowchart of an example method  500  for generating a queue  414  for resolving ATM exceptions  110 . The prioritization tool  114  of  FIGS.  1  and  4    may implement method  500 . The method  500  generally ensures that actions are taken to resolve higher priority ATM exceptions  110  before lower priority exceptions  110 , thereby reducing or eliminating instances where high priority exceptions  110  are not timely resolved. Method  500  may begin at step  502  where exceptions  110  are received by the prioritization tool  114 . The exceptions  110  may be detected as described above with respect to  FIG.  1    through the comparison of ATM data  106  to service data  108 . A discrepancy between these data  106 ,  108  is generally identified as an ATM exception  110 . 
     At step  504 , the prioritization tool  114  determines prioritization scores  422   a - d  for the received exceptions  110 . As described above with respect to  FIG.  2   , the prioritization scores  422   a - d  are determined by comparing, for each exception  110   a - d , the age  416   a - d , amount  418   a - d , and type  420   a - d  of the exception  110   a - d  to the corresponding prioritization thresholds  402 . A score  424   a - d ,  426   a - d ,  428   a - d ,  430   a - d ,  432   a - d  may be determined for each of the prioritization thresholds  402 , and these scores  424   a - d ,  426   a - d ,  428   a - d ,  430   a - d ,  432   a - d  may be summed to determine the prioritization score  422   a - d . At step  506 , the exception queue  414  is generated. The exception queue  414  includes the received exceptions  110   a - d  in an order determined by the prioritization scores  422   a - d . The ATM exceptions  110   a - d  are generally ordered in the queue from highest prioritization score  422   a - d  to lowest prioritization score  422   a - d.    
     At step  508 , the prioritization tool  114  may determine whether new exceptions  110  have been received or detected. For example, each day or at any other appropriate interval, the prioritization tool  114  may determine whether other ATM exceptions  110  need to be added to the queue  414 . If no new exceptions  110  have been received, the method  500  ends. If new exceptions  110  have been received, the prioritization tool  114  returns to step  504  to determine prioritization scores  422   a - d . Prioritization scores  422   a - d  are determined for both the newly received exceptions  110  and those already in the queue  414  because priority scores  422   a - d  may change over time (e.g., as the ages  416   a - d  of the exceptions  110   a - d  increase over time, the age scores  424   a - d  and/or age range scores  428   a - d  may also increase). 
     Correspondence Tool 
       FIG.  6    is a diagram  600  illustrating an example of the correspondence tool  116  of  FIG.  1    and its operation in more detail. The correspondence tool  116  determines an exception profile  602  based on the contact data  120 , ATM data  106 , and/or service data  108  for each exception  110 . The correspondence tool  116  may automatically identify portions of the contact data  120  and ATM data  106  to include in the exception profile  602 . The ATM data  106  includes information about transactions (e.g., withdrawals, deposits, etc.) performed using the ATMs  102 . The service data  108  corresponds to information about cash added to or removed from the ATMs  102 . The ATM data  106  and service data  108  may be used to identify the ATM identifier  604  and the service identifier  606 . The ATM identifier  604  is an identifier (e.g., a serial number or the like) of the ATM  102  associated with the exception  110 . The service identifier  606  is an identifier of the service provider  124  or financial center  126 . The contact data  120  includes contact information (e.g., email addresses, business addresses, phone numbers, etc.) for various ATM analysts, service providers  124 , financial centers  126 , and the like. The contact data  120  is used to associate the ATM exception  110  to a corresponding associate identifier (e.g., an identifier, such as a name or email address of the ATM analyst tasked with resolving the ATM exception  110 ). As described above with respect to  FIG.  1   , the correspondence tool  116  may be implemented using the processor, memory, and network interface of the device  800  of  FIG.  8   , which is described below (e.g., using correspondence instructions  818 ). 
     The exception profile  602  is provided to a user interface  610  which is viewable to the associate or analyst who corresponds to the associate identifier  608 . The user interface  610  thus facilitates review of the exception  110  by the appropriate associate (e.g., an ATM analyst or other user). The user interface  610  may include research tools  612  for facilitating this review. The research tools  612  may facilitate review of information associated with the exception  110 , the ATM  102  associated with the exception  110 , the service provider  124  or financial center  126  tasked with servicing the ATM  102 , and the like (e.g., for review of the performance metrics  618  described below). For example, the research tools  612  may facilitate review of information about the ATM  102  associated with the exception  110  such as the location of the ATM  102 , records of past service of the ATM  102 , transaction information for the ATM  102 . 
     The user interface  610  includes a resolution status switch/indicator  614 . The resolution status switch/indicator  614  generally identifies the status of the exception to the associate operating the correspondent tool  116 . For example, the resolution status switch/indicator  614  may indicate whether or not the exception is resolved. The resolution status switch/indicator  614  may optionally include other information about the exception  110 , such as an age of the exception, an amount of the exception  110 , and the like. The user interface  610  may include a cancellation button  616 . The associate operating the user interface  610  may select the cancellation button  616  to cancel the exception  110 , for example, if information external to the correspondence tool  116  (e.g., provided through a phone call or other communication external to the correspondence tool  116 ) indicates that the exception  110  is resolved or requires no further action. The user interface  610  may facilitate the collection and review of performance metrics  618 . The performance metrics  618  may include, for example, information about how often exceptions  110  are detected for different service providers  124  and/or financial centers  126  and how reliably and rapidly these service providers  124  and/or financial centers  126  react (e.g., by providing responses  624 ) to resolve exceptions  110 . 
     The associate generally interacts with the user interface  610  to indicate which information  620  should be requested from the service provider  124  or financial center  126  in order to resolve the exception  110 . For example, the requested information  620  may include any information needed to resolve the exception  110  (e.g., a confirmation of resettlement of cash collected from one or more ATMs  102 , an amount determined during such a resettlement, and/or the like). The requested information  620  may be the same as or similar to the information provided in the webform  224  described above with respect to  FIGS.  2 A and  2 C . The correspondence tool  116  receives the requested information  620  and generates correspondence  622  to provide to the service provider  124  or financial center  126  associated with the exception  110 . The correspondence  622  may be generated as described above with respect to  FIGS.  2 A and  2 B . For example, the correspondence tool  116  may identify a response template  122  that corresponds to the requested information  620  and automatically generate and send the correspondence  622  to the appropriate person at the service provider  124  or financial center  126 . 
     When a response  624  (e.g., an email or electronic communication from the service provider  124  or financial center  126 ) to the correspondence  622  is received by the correspondence tool  116 , corresponding response data  626  is provided for review in the user interface  610 . The response data  626  may include the response  624  (i.e., a copy of correspondence from the service provider  124  or financial center  126 ). The response data  626  may include information extracted from response  620 . For example, the portion of the response  624  that is associated with the requested information  620  (e.g., an amount of settled cash or confirmation of one or more actions taken) may be included in the response data  626 . The response data  626  may be based on a comparison of keywords included in the received response  624  (e.g., “a resettlement amount of $XXX was determined”) and the information  620  requested to resolve the exception  110  (e.g., a request for a resettlement amount). The associate operating the user interface  610  may review the response data  626  and determine whether the exception  110  has been resolved. If the exception  110  has been resolved, the associate may operate the user interface  610  to change the status switch/indicator  614  to a “resolved” setting. Otherwise, if the exception  110  is not resolved, the associate may operate the user interface  610  to identify further information  620  to request. the process described above may be repeated until the exception  110  is resolved. 
     The correspondence tool  16  may generate reporting  628 . The reporting  628  may include information about the exceptions  110  currently needing resolution, the performance of analysts handling the exceptions  110 , and/or the responsiveness of service providers  124  or financial centers  126  associated with the exceptions  110 . For example, the reporting  628  may include records of exceptions  110  currently assigned to different analysts, records of exceptions  110  handled by different analysts, records of responses  624  provided by service providers  124  and financial centers  126 , and the like. The reporting  628  may include descriptions and/or visual representations (e.g., graphs, tables, etc.) of the performance metrics  618  that are also available via the user interface  610 . 
       FIG.  7    is a flowchart of an example method  700  for generating correspondence  622  and facilitating review to resolve ATM exceptions  110 . The correspondence tool  116  of  FIGS.  1  and  6    may implement method  700 . Method  700  may begin at step  702  where an exception  110  is detected or received. The exception  110  may be detected as described above with respect to  FIG.  1    through the comparison of ATM data  106  to service data  108 . A discrepancy between these data  106 ,  108  is generally identified as an ATM exception  110 . 
     At step  704 , an exception profile  602  is determined for the exception  110 . The correspondence tool  116  determines or generates the exception profile  602  based on the contact data  120 , ATM data  106 , and/or service data  108  associated with the exception  110 . For example, the correspondence tool  116  may identify portions of the contact data  120 , ATM data  106 , and/or service data  108  to include in the exception profile  602 . For instance, the correspondence tool  116  may extract an ATM identifier  604  from the ATM data  106  associated with the exception  110  and a service identifier  606  from the service data  108  associated with the exception  110 . The correspondence tool  116  may use the contact data  120  to associate the ATM exception  110  with the correct associate identifier  608  (e.g., an identifier, such as a name or email address of the ATM analyst tasked with resolving the ATM exception  110 ). This allows the exception  110  and relevant information included in the exception profile  602  to be provided to the appropriate analyst who is tasked with resolving the exception  110 . 
     At step  706 , the exception profile  602  is provided to the user interface  610  that is accessible to the appropriate associate. The user interface  610  is viewable to the associate who corresponds to the associate identifier  608 . The user interface  610  facilitates review of the exception  110  by the appropriate associate (e.g., an ATM analyst or other user). As described above with respect to  FIG.  6   , the user interface  610  may include research tools  612  for facilitating this review. For example, the research tools  612  may facilitate review of information about the ATM  102  associated with the exception  110  such as the location of the ATM  102 , records of past service of the ATM  102 , transaction information for the ATM  102 , and the like. 
     At step  708 , the correspondence tool  116  determines if a request for information  620  is received from the user interface  610 . For example, if the associate provides an input to request information  620  in the user interface  610 , this information is provided to the correspondence tool  116 . If a request for information  620  is received, the correspondence tool  116  generates and sends correspondence  622  at step  710 . Generation of the correspondence  622  may involve correspondence tool  116  may identifying a response template  122  that corresponds to the requested information  620  and an appropriate recipient at the service provider  124  or financial center  126  to which the correspondence  622  should be provided, as described above with respect to  FIG.  6   . Automatic generation of correspondence  622  may proceed as described above with respect to  FIGS.  2 A-C . 
     At step  712 , the correspondence tool  116  determines if a response  624  is received. For example, the correspondence tool  116  may intermittently review records to determine whether the response  624  has been received. If the response  624  is not received, the correspondence tool  116  proceeds to step  714  to determine if greater than a threshold response time has passed. If the threshold response time has not passed, the correspondence tool  116  generally continues to wait for the response  624  to be received (i.e., by returning to step  712 ). However, if the response  624  is not received within the threshold response time, the correspondence tool  116  may flag the service provider  124  or financial center  126  as being unresponsive to the exception  110 . Flagged service providers  124  or financial centers  126  may be provided to analysts or managers for higher level action to resolve the exception  110 . 
     If, at step  712 , the response  624  is determined to have been received, the correspondence tool  116  proceeds to step  718 . Receipt of the response  624  may trigger initiation of step  718 . At step  718 , the response data  626  associated with the response  624  is provided for viewing in the user interface  610 . As described above with respect to  FIG.  6   , the response data  626  may include the response  624  (i.e., a copy of correspondence from the service provider  124  or financial center  126 ) and/or information extracted from response  620 . For example, the portion of the response  624  that is associated with the requested information  620  (e.g., an amount of settled cash or confirmation of one or more actions taken) may be included in the response data  626 . The associate operating the user interface  610  may review the response data  626  and determine whether the exception has been resolved. 
     The correspondence tool  116  may return to step  708  to determine if further information  620  is requested from the associate. If a request for information  620  is not received at step  708 , the correspondence tool  116  may check whether the exception&#39;s status switch/indicator  614  indicates that the exception  110  is resolved at step  720 . If the exception is resolved, the method  700  generally ends. If the exception  110  is still unresolved, the correspondence tool  116  may flag the exception  110  at step  722  such that actions may be elevated to particular associates or management to potentially resolve the exception  110 . 
     While the system  100  and its components are described in this disclosure with respect to the example use case of resolving ATM exceptions  110 , it should be understood that the various systems and methods described in this disclosure may be employed for managing and automating actions associated with other events. For instance, the automatic reconciliation tool  112  may be employed to facilitate automated correspondence and response processing related to any issue of interest. Similarly, the prioritization tool  114  may be employed to generate an actionable queue of any items requiring user attention or review. The correspondence tool  116  may facilitate the generation or correspondence related to any issue and is not limited to the example of ATM exceptions  110  described in this disclosure. 
     Example Device 
       FIG.  8    is an embodiment of a device  800  configured to implement the system  100 . The device  800  includes a processor  802 , a memory  804 , and a network interface  806 . The device  800  may be configured as shown or in any other suitable configuration. The device  800  may be and/or may be used to implement the ATMs  102 , the exception management system  104 , automatic reconciliation tool  112 , root cause determination module  204 , correspondence generation module  212 , correspondence evaluation module  230 , prioritization tool  114 , correspondence tool  116 , database(s)  118 , and any communication systems operated by the service provider(s)  124  and/or financial center(s)  126  of  FIG.  1   . 
     The processor  802  comprises one or more processors operably coupled to the memory  804 . The processor  802  is any electronic circuitry including, but not limited to, state machines, one or more central processing unit (CPU) chips, logic units, cores (e.g. a multi-core processor), field-programmable gate array (FPGAs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or digital signal processors (DSPs). The processor  802  may be a programmable logic device, a microcontroller, a microprocessor, or any suitable combination of the preceding. The processor  802  is communicatively coupled to and in signal communication with the memory  804  and the network interface  806 . The one or more processors are configured to process data and may be implemented in hardware or software. For example, the processor  802  may be 8-bit, 16-bit, 32-bit, 64-bit or of any other suitable architecture. The processor  802  may include an arithmetic logic unit (ALU) for performing arithmetic and logic operations, processor registers that supply operands to the ALU and store the results of ALU operations, and a control unit that fetches instructions from memory and executes them by directing the coordinated operations of the ALU, registers and other components. The one or more processors are configured to implement various instructions. For example, the one or more processors are configured to execute instructions (e.g., instructions  808 ,  810 ,  812 ,  814 ,  816 ,  818 ) to implement the function disclosed herein, such as some or all of those described with respect to the methods  300 ,  500 , and  700  of  FIGS.  3 ,  5 , and  7   , respectively. In an embodiment, the function described herein is implemented using logic units, FPGAs, ASICs, DSPs, or any other suitable hardware or electronic circuitry. 
     The memory  804  is operable to store reconciliation instructions  808 , root cause identification instructions  810 , correspondence generation instructions  812 , response evaluation instructions  814 , prioritization instructions  816 , and correspondence instructions  818  along with any other information used to execute the function described herein. The reconciliation instructions  808  generally include any data, instructions, logic, rules, or code operable to execute the function of the automatic reconciliation tool  112  described above with respect to  FIGS.  1 ,  2 A -C, and  3 . The root cause identification instructions  810  generally include any data, instructions, logic, rules, or code operable to execute the function of the root cause identification module  204  described above with respect to  FIG.  2   . The correspondence generation instructions  812  generally include any data, instructions, logic, rules, or code operable to execute the function of the correspondence generation module  212  described above with respect to  FIG.  2   . The response evaluation instructions  814  generally include any data, instructions, logic, rules, or code operable to execute the function of the response evaluation module  230  described above with respect to  FIG.  2   . The prioritization instructions  816  generally include any data, instructions, logic, rules, or code operable to execute the function of the prioritization tool  114  described above with respect to  FIGS.  1 ,  4 , and  5   . The correspondence instructions  818  generally include any data, instructions, logic, rules, or code operable to execute the function of the correspondence tool  818  described above with respect to  FIGS.  1 ,  6 , and  7   . The memory  804  comprises one or more disks, tape drives, or solid-state drives, and may be used as an over-flow data storage device, to store programs when such programs are selected for execution, and to store instructions and data that are read during program execution. The memory  804  may be volatile or non-volatile and may comprise read-only memory (ROM), random-access memory (RAM), ternary content-addressable memory (TCAM), dynamic random-access memory (DRAM), and static random-access memory (SRAM). 
     The network interface  806  is configured to enable wired and/or wireless communications. The network interface  806  is configured to communicate data between the device  800  and other network devices, systems, or domain(s). For example, the network interface  806  may comprise a WIFI interface, a local area network (LAN) interface, a wide area network (WAN) interface, a modem, a switch, or a router. The processor  802  is configured to send and receive data using the network interface  806 . The network interface  806  may be configured to use any suitable type of communication protocol as would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art. 
     While several embodiments have been provided in this disclosure, it should be understood that the disclosed systems and methods might be embodied in many other specific forms without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure. The present examples are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive, and the intention is not to be limited to the details given herein. For example, the various elements or components may be combined or integrated in another system or certain features may be omitted, or not implemented. 
     In addition, techniques, systems, subsystems, and methods described and illustrated in the various embodiments as discrete or separate may be combined or integrated with other systems, modules, techniques, or methods without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Other items shown or discussed as coupled or directly coupled or communicating with each other may be indirectly coupled or communicating through some interface, device, or intermediate component whether electrically, mechanically, or otherwise. Other examples of changes, substitutions, and alterations are ascertainable by one skilled in the art and could be made without departing from the spirit and scope disclosed herein. 
     To aid the Patent Office, and any readers of any patent issued on this application in interpreting the claims appended hereto, applicants note that they do not intend any of the appended claims to invoke 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) as it exists on the date of filing hereof unless the words “means for” or “step for” are explicitly used in the particular claim.