A call selection process in a call center is configured to utilize a continuum
of skill levels, in one or more categories, for a given multi-skill agent. In an
illustrative embodiment, categories of levels are associated with skills supported
by the given agent, with each of the categories including a level, e.g., a numerical
value, for each of the skills. The levels are used in a call selection computation
that determines which of a number of waiting calls should be delivered to the agent.
The categories may include, for example, a speed category including levels indicative
of the speed at which the agent can process calls for each of the corresponding
skills, a yield category including levels indicative of results likely to be obtainable
by the agent for each of the corresponding skills, and a preference category including
levels indicative of preferences of the agent for calls requiring each of the corresponding
skills. The process may involve selecting different subsets of one or more of the
categories in a given set of categories for use at different times, depending on
factors such as call volume. The call selection computation may involve, for example,
computing a value for each of the skills, as a function of the corresponding level
or levels and a wait time measure, e.g., a current wait time, a predicted wait
time, or a ratio of predicted wait time to a service objective, for a call in a
corresponding skill queue.
