Dynamic Routing

Abstract

A method for managing transactions across a large number of service providers includes determining performance metrics associated with each of a plurality of service providers and generating a score for each service provider based on the performance metrics associated with each of the plurality of service providers taken over a short time period. The service providers are then sorted based on the scores to generate a list of service providers. Customer transactions are then assigned to one of the service providers based on the order of the list of service providers. The list of service providers is reprioritized based on mid-term metrics and accumulated costs taken over a mid-term period that is longer than the short term period.

1 . A method for managing transactions across a large number of service providers, comprising the steps of:
 determining performance metrics associated with each of a plurality of service providers;   generating a score for each service provider based on the performance metrics associated with each of the plurality of service providers taken over a short term period;   sorting the service providers based on the scores to generate a list of service providers;   assigning a customer transaction to one of the service providers based on the order of the list of service providers; and   reprioritizing the service providers based on mid-term metrics and accumulated costs taken over a mid-term period that is longer than the short term period.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step of determining performance metrics is performed continuously by monitoring actual transactions. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of reprioritizing comprises changing a function used for generating the scores. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step reprioritizing is further based on long term business goals. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the short term period is 10-15 minutes and the mid term period is 3-5 hours. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step of sorting the service providers comprises determining whether all of the service providers have scores; and
 if it is determined that not all of the service providers have scores, then prioritizing the service providers without scores based on optimized rules; setting the one of the service providers without scores having the highest priority to the first position in the list; adding the service providers with scores to the list from the highest score to the lowest score after the first position; and then adding any remaining one of the service providers without scores after the service providers with scores.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step of assigning a service provider comprises successively attempting the transaction with service providers in the list until the transaction is completed by one of the service providers. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein, if the list is exhausted without completing the transaction, then retrying the transaction with a subset of service providers having a historical metric which meets a predetermined criteria. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transactions are telecommunications calls, and the performance metrics associated with each of a plurality of service providers comprise metrics for incoming and outgoing trunk groups associated with each of the plurality of service providers. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said steps of determining, generating, sorting, and assigning are accomplished by a service control point that is connected to a switching point, wherein said step of assigning is effected by the switching point. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said steps of generating a score comprises generating scores for each trunk group in combination with a zone, wherein the zone includes a specific group of destinations. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the zones are hierarchical such that if a score is not available for a specific trunk group at a specific level, the score for a higher level zone for that trunk group is used during said step of sorting. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the score is based on a function of a plurality of the performance metrics, wherein the performance metrics are weighted differently according to the function. 
     
     
         14 . A signal control point connected to a signal transfer point, the signal transfer point connected to a plurality of service providers and customers, said signal control point comprising:
 a performance collector module configured to monitor transactions performed by service providers through the signal transfer point and collect performance metrics associated with the service providers during the transactions;   a score manager module configured to periodically generate a score for the service providers based on the collected metrics for every short time period;   an optimizer module configured to generate an ordered list of the service providers based on the scores; and   a processing module configured to assign transactions to one of the service providers based on the list.   
     
     
         15 . The signal control point of  claim 14 , comprising a performance metrics database storing said collected metrics and a score database storing said scores. 
     
     
         16 . The signal control point of  claim 15 , further comprising a mid-term metrics database storing historical metrics data. 
     
     
         17 . The signal control point of  claim 16 , further comprising a risk manager module configured to reprioritize said list of service providers based on the historical metrics data and on accumulated costs for a time period, whereby a mixture of high performing and low performing service providers are used to achieve long term goals. 
     
     
         18 . The signal control point of  claim 14 , wherein transactions are telecommunications calls, and the performance metrics associated with each of a plurality of service providers comprise metrics for incoming and outgoing trunk groups associated with each of the plurality of service providers. 
     
     
         19 . The signal control point of  claim 18 , wherein said optimizer module is a route optimizer module for determining call routes and said processing module is a call processing module and is configured to assign call routes through service providers. 
     
     
         20 . The signal control point of  claim 14 , wherein the score is based on a function of a plurality of the performance metrics, the performance metrics being weighted differently according to the function.