Patent ID: 8799049

Claim:
A method to perform contact volume forecasting for a tax software support center, the method comprising: performing, by a computer processor, an initial contact volume forecast for a tax season using a time series model based on historical contact volume from previous tax seasons, wherein the tax season begins on a predetermined date for receipt of tax forms and the tax season ends on a deadline set by a tax authority; and revising, by the computer processor, the initial contact volume forecast during the tax season, wherein revising the initial contact volume forecast comprises: receiving information indicating contact volume data for a pre-determined historic time period; determining a first predicted contact volume using the time series model for the pre-determined historic time period; determining a second predicted contact volume using a trend-based model for the pre-determined historic time period based on a trend of receiving W-2 forms by taxpayers; determining the trend-based model as predicting a most accurate contact volume for the pre-determined historic time period by at least comparing the first predicted contact volume, the second predicted contact volume, and information indicating the contact volume for the pre-determined historic time period; and revising the initial contact volume forecast based at least in part on a future contact volume predicted by the trend-based model.