Acquisitions Workflow
Because the Acquisitions Manager exists within ILLiad, acquisitions staff benefit from the same great features that have helped their ILL colleagues save time and effort. By enhancing ILLiad’s powerful automation capabilities with GIST’s addons and data, you can develop an extremely efficient purchase request workflow.
Step 1. Awaiting Acquisitions Processing
Acquisitions Addon
In ILLiad, all requests have a particular status. Each status has a corresponding queue which contains all of the requests currently in that status. For example, Request Finished contains all requests with the status of request finished. By opening a queue, you can view the requests it contains. In this case, all new purchase requests will have a status of Awaiting Acquisitions Processing. Seeing this queue lets you know that there are requests needing your attention.
Anatomy of an ILLiad request
Each request has a unique identifier called a Transaction Number (TN). No two requests in your ILLiad database will have the same TN. This number allows each request to be associated with a particular user and is a helpful point of reference throughout the entire workflow.
In the Detail tab, you can see the TN, information about the requested item, and information about the user. This is the place to look for helpful details such as the OCLC number, ISBN, and LC call number.
The Detail tab is also where you will find the notes associated with this request. These notes can be supplied by the user at the time of request, by ILLiad during unmediated processing (usually listed as System notes), and by staff. Effective use of the notes can help you keep track of order sources, interactions with your users, and also communicate other staff (for example, those in interlibrary loan).
Speaking of interlibrary loan staff, this is also where you can route a request from Awaiting Acquisitions Processing to ILL. For example, perhaps the requested item is held by 20 consortia members so you’d rather not buy another copy. In this case, you would leave a note and simply click the Route to Borrowing button and ILL staff will take it from there.
Other helpful tabs
The History tab will show you the entire life cycle of a request, from the point it was submitted by the user, through each status change, and finally through completion or cancellation. This tab also shows you the email history, logging when and what was sent to users from ILLiad. This is helpful to see if staff have already contacted the user, whether to ask a question or send a pick-up notification.
ILLiad also benefits from having powerful built-in search tools. The OCLC tab gives you full access to WorldCat with the same advanced features currently available in the FirstSearch interface. For local searching, the Z39.50 tab can give you easy access to your catalog to determine your own holdings or item availability (for example, to verify if an item is missing).
Step 2. GIST Purchase Addon
Purchase Addon
After evaluating the request details, glance at the GIST Purchase Addon tab to get a quick look at the Amazon price for the requested item (not available for all items). This allows you to make a very quick decision about whether or not the item fits in your price criteria. This is an easy way to determine whether or not to route the request to ILL for borrowing.
Click on the tab and you’ll be presented with search results for the requested item from your preferred vendor. Above the search results is a helpful toolbar containing:
- Vendor selector — easily switch between vendors to compare prices. Each time you select a vendor, the addon automatically runs a search so you don’t have to.
- Fund selector — typically, a fund will be selected automatically based upon the user. However, you can easily pick a different fund before making an order (for example, if the user’s fund is out of money).
- Group holdings — in addition to your local holdings, this gives you a summary of how many of your consortia or other group partners already own the requested item. This will help you avoid unnecessary duplication.
- Purchase recommendation — this is a weighted recommendation based upon the collection building profile in your Conspectus. This allows you to easily decide if this item is a good fit for your collection, or if you should borrow it instead.
If you’re not convinced that you should add this item to your collection, them simply return to the Detail tab, leave a note, and route the request to ILL for borrowing.
Otherwise, click on the Import Price button and then order the item. Since the addon already signs you into your vendor account, the ordering process is quick and easy. Once you’re finished,
Step 3. GIST Acquisitions Addon
Acquisitions Addon - Process Invoice
After importing the price, proceed to the GIST Acquisitions Addon tab. Here you will manage your order and apply it to your funds.
Because you just ordered the item, you’ll find the imported price listed in the Your Purchase Price field. To actually encumber these funds, you need to create an invoice. Do this by simply clicking on the Process Invoice button in the ribbon. The invoice, vendor, and fund information is then updated to reflect this order.
If you need to add or change the sales tax, shipping cost, or number of copies ordered, adjust the values accordingly and click the Save Invoice button in the ribbon.
Other information located in the GIST Acquisitions Addon includes:
- Price and availability — The local, group, and full text availability data, as well as vendor prices imported when the request was submitted by the user.
- Collection building recommendations — Both the user feedback provided at the time of request and the detailed conspectus information for this item.
Depending upon your local cataloging practices, you may now want to attach your OCLC symbol to this item and download the MARC record to your catalog. If so, then proceed to Step 4: Connexion Addon.
Otherwise, click on the Route button and select Purchase Request Ordered from Vendor.
If at any point you need to “Undo” your invoice, click on the Return Funds button. This will remove the price from the charged fund. If you’d like to reapply it to a different fund, then select that fund from the Fund Selection menu and click Update Budget.
Step 4. Connexion Addon
Screenshot of the OCLC Connexion addon in the ILLiad client.
The Connexion addon is a quick way to connect to the requested item’s record in OCLC Connexion. This allows you to easily attach your symbol and download the MARC record to your catalog. Then you can create an item record in your ILS per your local cataloging practices.
If you prefer using the desktop Connexion client, or have a different cataloging service altogether (such as Sky River), you can also use those as well. Because the Connexion addon is a standalone addon, it is not directly connected to the rest of the Acquisitions Manager.
When finished, click on the Route button and select Purchase Request Ordered from Vendor.
Step 5. Post-receipt Processing
GIST - Email Notification
When the item has been received from the vendor, proceed with your existing technical processing (i.e. labeling, book jackets, etc.) and cataloging procedures.
In ILLiad, open the Purchase Request Ordered from Vendor queue and locate the item. Open the request and proceed to the GIST Acquisitions Addon. Verify and complete the remaining invoice information. Then click the Commit Funds button to move the funds from “committed (encumbered)” to an “actual expenditure.”
With the item prepared, the invoice completed, and the funds updated, the final step is to deliver the item to the patron. Based upon their delivery preferences, this could simply involve placing the item on a hold shelf, on reserve, and in the collection.
When ready, return to the Detail tab and click the Send Email button. From the list select “Acq Purchase Request Received.” The email appears with the user’s address, the subject line, and the body already completed. Simply click the Send button and the user will receive a notification and the request will automatically be moved to the final status of Request Finished.
