Automated Request Manager
As a feature of Smart fulfillment, use the Automated Request Manager (ARM) screen to configure automated ILL workflows. Automations are composed of match criteria you define along with actions you want the system to perform on matched requests.
To access this screen, sign in to OCLC Service Configuration, open the WorldShare ILL module from the left navigation, and then select Automated Request Manager.
Notes:
- Previously configured Direct Request Profiles will appear in the Automated Request Manager as Automations.
- When the Persistence Setting is turned On in the OCLC Service Configuration > WorldShare ILL > Interlibrary Loan Options module, the DEFAULT constant data record overrides other Constant Data applications including through automation. If using automations to apply constant data, turn off the Persistence Setting. See Interlibrary Loan Options.
Automations are a combination of:
- Matches: What the request should look like.
- Actions: What the system should do with the request.
- Exceptions: When you do not want these actions to occur.
- Priority: If a request matches multiple automations, which set of actions should be performed.
Automations allow you to determine how patron-generated requests are processed. First, you can configure match criteria based on details in the request:
- Age of material requested
- Format of material
- Language of material
- Patron’s need by date
- Patron’s department
- Presence of a patron note
- Contents of a patron note (keywords or exact phrase matches)
- Patron’s status
- Patron’s maximum cost
- Request Source (ILL system or interface where the request was submitted)
- Request Type (Copy or Loan)
Once you have determined which requests you would like to automate, Automations can be configured with actions to:
- Apply your selected constant data record to new borrowing requests.
- Build a lender string (which adds the lender string to the request based on a Custom Holdings Path and moves it to review).
- Send request to lenders (based on a Custom Holdings Path).
- Route requests to the Review for Purchase queue.
- Route requests to WMS Acquisitions (WMS libraries only).
- Automatically clear copyright. See Copyright for more information.
- Route requests to Review.
You can also configure exceptions in Automation, which apply instead of the defined actions when they are true. Those include:
- Routing requests for items your library owns to review
- Routing requests for items your library owns to Document Delivery (Tipasa only)
- Routing duplicate requests to review
- Routing requests owned by libraries in a Custom Holdings Group you define to review
OCLC recommends creating at least one Automation for loans and one for copies. Keep the following in mind when you are configuring automations:
- Automations are applied based on the Automation Priority setting. A patron-generated request is compared against all automations. Of all the automations that match the request, the automation with the highest priority, or lowest assigned Automation Priority number, will be applied to the request.
- Each automation must have a unique numerical value for Automation Priority.
- Assign the highest Priority (lowest number) to your most specific automations.
- Each automation must have at least one Match, Action, or Exception (not one of each).
- If you do not select any match criteria, your automation will apply to all requests.
- If you select matches but not actions or exceptions, all requests matching that automation will be routed to review.
Standard Actions
At the top of the screen is a list of the standard actions the system automatically performs on new borrowing requests. All libraries will see the four actions on the left of the screen:
- Bibliographic record matching
- Requests that are not matched to a WorldCat record will not go through automation and will appear in the Review queue.
- WorldCat holdings check
- Knowledge base holdings check
- Custom Holdings Group check
Additional actions are available in Tipasa:
- US Copyright Management
- See Advanced Workflows configuration information.
- OPAC holdings check (currently for libraries using WMS, Ex Libris Alma, or Innovative’s Sierra)
- See Advanced Workflows configuration information.
- Patron approval check
- See Patron Settings for configuration information.
- RapidILL holdings check
- See External System Settings for configuration information.
- Notifications
- See Notifications for configuration information.
Configure Main Automations
To add an automation:
- Click + Add New.
- Enter a Name and assign a Priority. See Main Automation fields for more information.
- Select any desired match criteria from the Matches drop-down menu. See Automation Match criteria for more information.
- If you do not select a match criteria, the automation will apply to all requests.
- Click the
Add a match button to configure additional match criteria.
- Select any desired actions from the Actions drop-down menu. See Automation Actions for more information.
- Click the
Add an Action button to configure additional match criteria.
- Click the
- Click the
Add an Exception option to select any Exceptions. See Automation Exceptions for more information.
- If any exceptions are true on a matched automation, only the exception will apply and the rest of the selected actions will not apply.
- Click Save.
To edit an automation:
- From the Main Automations list, select the Edit button associated with the desired automation.
- Edit information, as appropriate. Remove matches, actions, and exceptions with the remove button
.
- Click Save.
To delete an automation:
- From the Main Automations list, select the Delete button next to the desired automation.
- On the confirmation window, click Delete.
Main Automation fields
Field | Description |
---|---|
Name* |
The name of this automation (20-character limit, with no special characters) that indicates the scope of the group of requests to which the automation pertains. The name must be unique. Note: Names are not case sensitive, so, for example, TEST is the same as test. Examples: Note: If you had included a Description on your previously configured Direct Request Profiles, the description will appear as read-only text on the Automation. |
Priority* |
Set a numeric priority to each automation.
|
Automation Match criteria
Field | Description |
---|---|
Age of Material |
For Loans: Used to restrict the borrowing of items that are either very new or very old based on their publication date. For Copies: Type a whole number from 0-1000 representing the age of the material in years. |
Formats |
|
Languages | One or more languages that a request must specify if it is to match the automation. |
Need at Earliest |
|
Patron Departments |
Examples: |
Patron Note |
Indicates if a patron has entered a note on the request. Match on:
|
Patron Statuses |
Examples: |
Patron Will Pay Up To |
Examples: |
Request Sources |
Examples: |
Request Type |
|
Automation Actions
Note: Some Actions are mutually exclusive from others. Unavailable actions are automatically removed as you build the automation.
Field | Description |
---|---|
Add Request Tags |
Select the request tag(s) to automatically apply to requests matching this automation. For more information on request tags, see Tags. |
Apply Constant Data |
Select the Constant Data record, if any, that you want to apply to the requests matching this automation. Once you select this action, you will see a dropdown list of all current Constant Data records for your institution.
|
Build Lender String |
Select this option if you want to build a lender string on the request without sending the request automatically out to lenders. Once you select this option, you will be asked to select a Custom Holdings Path from the full list of Custom Holdings Paths currently configured for your institution. The matching requests will have lender strings applied and moved to review.
|
Route Request to Review |
Automation will move matching requests to your Review queue. If you do not select an action that routes a request elsewhere (to lenders, purchase, or Document Delivery), this action will apply by default. |
Route Request to Review for Purchase |
Requests will be sent to your Purchasing Requests > Review for Purchase queue. |
Route Request to WMS Acquisitions |
For WMS libraries only. Automation will move matching requests to WorldShare Acquisitions for purchase consideration.
|
Send Request to Lenders |
|
Automation Exceptions
Field | Description |
---|---|
If Duplicate Request, Route to Review |
Potential duplicate requests will be sent to your Review File. |
If Held By Custom Holdings Group, Route to Review |
Examples:
|
If Held By My Institution, Route to Document Delivery |
When selected, all requests from your patrons for items held by your institution will be moved to your Document Delivery queue for separate processing. Note: Document Delivery must first be turned on in order for you to select this option. See Set up Document Delivery for more information. |
If Held By My Institution, Route to Review | Requests will be sent to your Review File when your institution holds the requested item. |
Using automations with Tipasa
Automations allow you to determine how patron-generated requests are processed. Once a patron request has been submitted, with an automation, you can select whether the request, if matching the automation, should be produced (sent) to lenders or forwarded to your New for Review queue.
With Tipasa, you can set up your Automations to work in conjunction with the following features: Copyright, Document Delivery, and Proven Senders. You may want to set up multiple Automations to correspond with the Tipasa features, but you should keep the following in mind when you are creating your automations:
- Automations are applied based on the Priority setting. A patron-generated request is compared against all automations. Of all the automations that match the request, the automation with the highest priority, or lowest assigned Priority number, will be applied to the request.
- Each automation must have a unique numerical value for Priority.
- OCLC recommends creating an Automation for loans and an Automation for copies.
Basic automations
A recommended set of automations would Route Request to Review if the request is a duplicate or Route Request to Review or Route to Document Delivery if the item is held. If this automation is not configured, the system applies constant data and moves the request to review.
Examples
- LOANS:
If the request is not a duplicate and is not held by your institution, the system will apply the Constant Data record and build a lender string based on the holding libraries in the Custom Holdings Path and route the request to Review.
- Under Matches, select Request Type > Loan.
- Click the
Add an Exception option and select If Duplicate Request, Route to Review.
- Click the
Add an Exception option and select If Held By My Institution, Route to Document Delivery.
- Under Actions, select Send Request to Lenders and select the Custom Holdings Path to use.
- An approved patron must be linked to the request in order for the automation to send the request to lenders. If no patron has been linked to the request, or the linked patron is not approved or blocked, the request will be sent to the Review queue.
- Click the
Add an Action option and select Apply Constant Data and select the Constant Data record to use.
- COPIES:
If the request is not a duplicate and is not held by your institution, the system will apply the Constant Data record and build a lender string based on the holding libraries in the Custom Holdings Path and route the request to Review.
- Under Matches, select Request Type > Copy.
- Click the
Add an Exception option and select If Duplicate Request, Route to Review.
- Click the
Add an Exception optionand select If Held By My Institution, Route to Document Delivery.
- Under Actions, select Send Request to Lenders and select the Custom Holdings Path to use.
- An approved patron must be linked to the request in order for the automation to send the request to lenders. If no patron has been linked to the request, or the linked patron is not approved or blocked, the request will be sent to the Review queue.
- Click the
Add an Action option and select Apply Constant Data and select the Constant Data record to use.
Advanced automations
The following are examples of how to expand your automations.
Examples
- PATRONNOTE
Any requests that have a patron note will not be sent to lenders, allowing for staff to read the patron's note and fill the request accordingly.
- Under Matches, select Patron Note. Select the Any words checkbox to retrieve requests that have any patron note.
- Under Actions, select Route Request to Review.
- PURCHASE
Books and eBooks requested by faculty will be routed to review for purchase.
- Under Matches, select Patron Status > Faculty.
- Select
Add a match and select Formats. Select Book and E-Text from the available list.
- Under Actions, select Route Request to Review for Purchase.
- AUDIOVISUAL
Any request matching the specific formats will be sent to a specific set of lenders configured as a Custom Holdings Group who are known to fill audiovisual requests for a reasonable cost and loan period.
- Under Matches, select Formats and choose Sound Recording LP, Visual Material DVD, Sound Recording Cassette, Sound Recording, Visual Material VHS, Sound Recording CD, and Visual Material. You can select multiple formats from the available list.
- Under Actions, select Build Lender String and select the Custom Holdings Path to use to send to lenders known to fill these types of requests.
- Select
Add an Action and select Apply Constant Data and select the Constant Data record to use.