Twilio (News - Alert), a cloud communications company providing application programming interfaces (APIs) for the development of cutting edge text messaging, Voice over IP (VoIP) and voice applications, recently announced the launch of TaskRouter, an intelligent task routing API.
TaskRouter harnesses the technology behind call center routing tools so it can be applied to virtually any part of a communications environment. The tool is entirely vendor-agnostic and has many uses such as assigning work within Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems, matching support tickets to agents and building Internet of Things (IoT) workflows.
With TaskRouter, the wide range of tasks that comprise customer-facing operations are prioritized according to advanced algorithms and assigned to the individual workers best suited to handle them. After a business event of any kind - such as an incoming customer call, support ticket, lead or item of machine data - is captured, the application adds a task to the workflow using the REST API or TwiML. The task’s attributes are compared with the system’s routing configuration so it can be prioritized into one or more queues accordingly, and the task queue is evaluated for its ratio of target workers - those determined to be the best fit for the particular task - to available workers. Finally, a worker with the appropriate skill set as determined by the routing system receives the assignment as soon as possible completes the task.
The process may sound simple, but its successful implementation requires complex underlying logic to match the right tasks to the right worker. TaskRouter’s queuing system moves beyond basic sequential ordering and simple task filters, taking into account mixed priorities, escalation rules, service level targets, worker presence management and many other factors that are difficult to build and scale. This advanced routing logic has traditionally only been available with high-end call center, but is now flexible in its application and financially much more accessible.
TaskRouter can not only serve as the engine of a call center or improve businesses’ task workflows, but as an API the technology can be extended to improve many other areas of communications environments. The solution’s base tier is free with limited functionality, but those interested in unlocking the full power of intelligent task routing may simply contact Twilio for further information.
Edited by Maurice Nagle