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Outline

Introduction
What Is a Work Order?
Why Are Work Orders Confusing?
Examples of Work Orders
Best Practices
Alternatives to Work Orders
Q & A

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Self Introduction

Kristen Fredericksen
University Collaborative Systems Librarian
Office of Library Services (OLS)
The City University of New York (CUNY)

11 senior colleges
7 community colleges
7 graduate, honors and professional schools
243,389 students

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The City University of New York

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What Is a Work Order?

“Work orders are a flexible tool that allow you to monitor the processing of physical items in your library.”

- California State University, Work Orders Narrative

“We can think of Work Orders like transit systems in a city: an item enters the path of a work order, moves from station to station along the line until all of the processes are done, then goes back to its home library or on to another destination.”

- Harvard University, Work Orders Overview

Definitions from Other Libraries

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What Is a Work Order?

Tracking workflows

Who?
What?
Where?
When?

Assign a process to one or more items

If needed, assign steps within the process

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What Is a Work Order?

Staff can see that item is being cataloged, physically processed, etc.
Item is “In process” in Primo VE
Item is requestable by patrons, but they won’t get it until work order is complete
Statistics on how long each step takes

Advantages

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What Is a Work Order?

Unfamiliar to staff
Less useful in smaller libraries

Disadvantages

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Why Are Work Orders Confusing?

Alma configuration form
Acquisitions technical services work order
Requests
Terminology
Multiple places to manage them

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Why Are Work Orders Confusing?

Alma Configuration Form

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Why Are Work Orders Confusing?

Default work order type
Hardwired into Alma
Often tied to receiving
“Keep in Department” means Acquisitions Department

Acquisitions Technical Services Work Order

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Why Are Work Orders Confusing?

Most processes in Alma are requests:

Borrowing request
Digitization request
Hold request
Move request
Purchase request
Transit for reshelving
Work orders

Requests

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Why Are Work Orders Confusing?

Different terms display in different areas of Alma
Work Order Type = Process Type = Request Type
Work Order Status = Workflow Step Status = Process Status

Terminology

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Why Are Work Orders Confusing?

Terminology - Work Order Type

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Why Are Work Orders Confusing?

Terminology - Work Order Status

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Why Are Work Orders Confusing?

Fulfillment 🡪 Monitor Requests & Item Processes
Fulfillment 🡪 Manage In Process Items
Acquisitions 🡪 Receiving Department Items
Fulfillment 🡪 Scan In
Acquisitions 🡪 Scan In

Multiple Places to Manage Them

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Examples of Work Orders

	Work Order Name	Work Order Department
1.	Acquisition Technical Services (receiving)	Acquisitions
2.	Acquisition Technical Services (no receiving)	Acquisitions
3.	Damaged Items	Circulation
4.	Missing Items Search	Circulation
5.	Hold for Next User	Circulation
6.	Digitization on Demand	Digitization on Demand

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Examples of Work Orders

Created by Ex Libris; available out of the box
The only work order dependent on receiving
Multiple work order statuses
Actions of Public Services not represented in work order

Purchased book arrives at library

Acquisitions receives book with “Keep in Department” and work order status cataloging

Cataloging catalogs book, then changes work order status to labeling

Collection Management labels book, then completes work order

Public Services shelves book

Acquisition Technical Services (receiving) - Overview

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Examples of Work Orders

1. Staff must be physically at acquisitions department

Acquisition Technical Services (receiving) - What Does It Look Like?

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Examples of Work Orders

2. Go to Acquisitions 🡪 Receive

a. Check the box next to “Keep in Department”

b. Select “Cataloging”

Acquisition Technical Services (receiving) - What Does It Look Like?

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Examples of Work Orders

3. Receive the item

Acquisition Technical Services (receiving) - What Does It Look Like?

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Examples of Work Orders

4. After cataloging is complete, go to Acquisitions 🡪 Scan In Items

a. Set Status To: Labeling

b. Scan the item barcode

Acquisition Technical Services (receiving) - What Does It Look Like?

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Examples of Work Orders

5. After labeling is complete, go to Acquisitions 🡪 Scan In Items

a. Set Status To: [none]

b. Done: Yes

c. Scan the item barcode

Acquisition Technical Services (receiving) - What Does It Look Like?

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Examples of Work Orders

Still using the same Acquisition Technical Services but not receiving the item first
Single work order status
Actions of Public Services not represented in work order

Older book has broken spine

Technical Services puts book into Acquisition Technical Services work order with status Binding

Item is sent to bindery, gets bound, and returns

Technical Services completes work order

Public Services reshelves book

Acquisition Technical Services (no receiving) - Overview

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Examples of Work Orders

1. Staff must be physically at acquisitions department

Acquisition Technical Services (no receiving) - What Does It Look Like?

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Examples of Work Orders

2. Go to Acquisitions 🡪 Scan In Items

a. Set Status To: Binding

b. Scan the item barcode

Acquisition Technical Services (no receiving) - What Does It Look Like?

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Examples of Work Orders

3. After item returns from bindery, go to Acquisitions 🡪 Scan In Items

a. Set Status To: [none]

b. Done: Yes

c. Scan the item barcode

Acquisition Technical Services (receiving) - What Does It Look Like?

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Examples of Work Orders

Public Services wanted a work order that wouldn’t require them to switch departments
Utilizes existing circulation desk
Has multiple statuses like binding and repair

Patron or staff reports damaged item

Public Services puts item into Damaged Items work order

Public Services evaluates whether item should be bound or repaired

Public Services changes work order status to repair

Public Services completes work order when item is repaired

Damaged Items - Overview

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Examples of Work Orders

1. Staff must be physically at circulation desk

Damaged Items - What Does It Look Like?

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Examples of Work Orders

2. Go to Fulfillment 🡪 Scan In Items

a. Work Order Type: Damaged

b. Set Status To: Damaged

c. Scan the item barcode

Damaged Items - What Does It Look Like?

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Examples of Work Orders

3. Go to Fulfillment 🡪 Scan In Items

a. Work Order Type: Damaged

b. Set Status To: Repair

c. Scan the item barcode

Damaged Items - What Does It Look Like?

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Examples of Work Orders

4. Go to Fulfillment 🡪 Scan In Items

a. Work Order Type: Damaged

b. Set Status To: [none]

c. Done: Yes

d. Scan the item barcode

Damaged Items - What Does It Look Like?

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Examples of Work Orders

Public Services wanted a work order that wouldn’t require them to switch departments
Utilizes existing circulation desk
Has statuses meant to be used sequentially

Patron or staff reports item not on shelf

Public Services puts item into Missing Items Search work order with work order status 1st search

Public Services searches for item, but doesn’t find it

Public Services changes work order status to 2nd search

Public Services searches for item, but doesn’t find it

Public Services completes work order

Public Services marks item missing

Missing Items Search - Overview

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Examples of Work Orders

1. Staff must be physically at circulation desk

Missing Items Search - What Does It Look Like?

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Examples of Work Orders

Go to Fulfillment 🡪 Scan In Items

Work Order Type: Missing items Search
Set Status To: 1st search
Scan the item barcode

Missing Items Search - What Does It Look Like?

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Examples of Work Orders

Go to Fulfillment 🡪 Scan In Items

Work Order Type: Missing items Search
Set Status To: 2nd search
Scan the item barcode

Missing Items Search - What Does It Look Like?

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Examples of Work Orders

Go to Fulfillment 🡪 Scan In Items

Work Order Type: Missing items Search
Set Status To: [none]
Done: Yes
Scan the item barcode

Missing Items Search - What Does It Look Like?

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Examples of Work Orders

Do a title search

View the item
Toggle Missing Status

Missing Items Search - What Does It Look Like?

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Examples of Work Orders

Public Services wanted to create a sort of waiting list for reserve items in high demand
Items are not renewable or requestable. They must be checked in and checked back out if the patron wants to “renew”
Utilizes existing circulation desk

Patron A checks out an item

Patron B wants the same item

Public Services puts the item in the “Hold for Next User” work order

Patron A returns the item and asks to check it out again

Public Services checks in the item and sees that another patron is waiting for it

Public Services completes the work order

Patron B gets to check out the item

Hold for Next User - Overview

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Examples of Work Orders

1. Staff must be physically at circulation desk

Hold for Next User - What Does It Look Like?

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Examples of Work Orders

2. Locate the item and select “Work Order”

Hold for Next User - What Does It Look Like?

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Examples of Work Orders

3. Choose Process Type “Hold for Next User” and add note with Patron B’s name

Hold for Next User - What Does It Look Like?

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Examples of Work Orders

4. The item is still in process type “Loan,” but it is also in the “Hold for Next User” work order

Hold for Next User - What Does It Look Like?

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Examples of Work Orders

5. If Patron A returns the item, the destination will be “Manage Locally” and there will be a notice with Patron B’s name

Hold for Next User - What Does It Look Like?

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Examples of Work Orders

6. Go to Fulfillment 🡪 Scan In Items

Work Order Type: Hold for Next User
Set Status To: [none]
Done: Yes
Scan the item barcode

Hold for Next User - What Does It Look Like?

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Examples of Work Orders

Complex workflow involving patrons, Public Services, and Technical Services
Work order creates fake Digitization on Demand department for tracking activity between real departments
Could have multiple statuses like cataloging and scanning

Patron requests digitized copy of dissertation/thesis

Public Services picks the item from the shelf and puts it into DoD work order

Technical Services retrieves the item from Public Services and digitizes it

Technical Services returns the item to Public Services and emails them the URL of the digitized copy

Public Services emails the URL to the patron

Public Services completes the work order and reshelves the item

Digitization on Demand - Overview

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Examples of Work Orders

1. Staff must be physically at “Digitization on Demand” department

Digitization on Demand - What Does It Look Like?

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Examples of Work Orders

2. Locate the item and select “Work Order”

Digitization on Demand - What Does It Look Like?

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Examples of Work Orders

3. Choose Process Type “Digitization on Demand”

Digitization on Demand - What Does It Look Like?

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Examples of Work Orders

4. Item is now in the DoD work order

Digitization on Demand - What Does It Look Like?

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Examples of Work Orders

5. Go to “Manage In Process Items” and select “Done”

Digitization on Demand - What Does It Look Like?

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Best Practices

Need General System Administrator role to configure work orders
You can’t create new Acquisition Technical Services work orders. You can only add work order statuses to the existing work order created by Ex Libris
When you create a new work order, it will always create a fake default department. You can delete this and attach the work order to a library’s circulation desk instead
Give the work order a name that makes sense to patrons in Primo

Creating Work Orders

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Best Practices

Don’t create work order departments unless necessary—use circulation desks and acquisitions departments so staff don’t have to change their locations frequently
Create work orders with multiple statuses instead of creating multiple work orders without statuses
If your work order statuses are sequential, use 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, etc. instead of First, Fourth, Second, Third, etc.

Creating Work Orders (continued)

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Best Practices

Permissions needed to use work orders depend on how the work order was configured
Test, test, test! (In the sandbox, if possible)
Demonstrate rather than explain to coworkers
Items must have barcodes
Must stay in same department throughout the work order
You're not stuck with your current configuration. You can redo it!

Using Work Orders

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