MANAGING THE WORKFLOWHelen Clarke University of Calgary hclarke@ucalgary.ca

Technology is a slowly exploding bomb in the library

Staff, work and organizational roles will all change, we have to push past print metaphors and encounter electronic information on its own terms—the technology will determine our structure

Technological Determinism

Task Artifact Cycle

Assembly Line to Operating Room

DiscreteTime’s ArrowParkingStandardized

DiffuseRecursiveOngoing CareContingent / Ad Hoc

• What is the current workflow?

• What will staff stop doing?

• How will job descriptions and classifications change?

• Who are you counting on, will they deliver?

• How will you stage implementation?

Questions to ask…

You won’t replicate current workflow, but understanding it tells you…

Trouble areasGapsRedundanciesQuality Speed Understanding

People that can be aligned with a new workflow

What is the current workflow?

Sample Workflow ReviewProces

sUnit Comes Arrives Goes Stored

New Product Notification

Collections Vendor ~ Library Staff ~ Blurbs ~ Listservs

LR ~ AW ~ HC ~ HD

AW for e-journals ~ HD for e-books ~ HC for other

Email files ~ Desiderata lists ~ Not comprehens

ive Acquisitions Vendor ~

Library Staff ~ Blurbs ~ Listservs ~ Invoices

GD ~ MN ~ ~increasingly staff get notices through vendor, blurbs

Collections ~ LL

Email ~ Correspondence (when it relates to a print plus situation)

Cataloguing Copy record ~ Item

Staff Carol ~ Collections (only for free) ~ if fee nothing is done

Not Kept

Hit by a Bus or Play Whisper ?

Hit by a Bus No backup Entrenched Burnout No

succession

Whisper Lose big picture Information loss /

corruption Constant turnover Reduced control /

flexibility

Print—claiming, binding, subscriptionsLocalization

Old work is tangled with New

What will staff stop doing?

Does the library have a plan for realigning resources from traditional but declining activities—circulation, document delivery, reference?

Are tasks aligned with the proper level of staff

Can be emotional if tasks are pushed downReclassification can be a difficult and long

processCan existing staff acquire skills needed?Different tasks may not mean different level

What new skills and training are required?

How will jobs and classifications change?

Hard Skills for the ERMS

• Computer skills--Import and export ~ Copy and paste between applications ~ Excel ~ Word

• Reading Comprehension & Written Correspondence

• Ordering / Renewal processes in the ILS and Financial System

• SFX and Serials Solutions maintenance• Authentication processes

Soft skills for the ERMS

Communication—ability, willingness Comprehension of detail and workflow Willingness to document Comprehension of how data creates

reports Focused and responsive Tolerate ambiguity Prioritization

An expert :: understanding of work is advanced beyond task performance, can be creative and find solutions, anticipate impact of change

Financial commitment | Technical Support | Programming | Staff | Vendor

• Interoperation--data loading and synchronization and the people who will do this

•The workflow analysis will help with understanding the role other units play, their commitment and available resources

• People’s ability to commit will affect the implementation schedule and goals

Who are you counting on?

Training and TestingTeam buildingFunctional Goals

Go Live—New orders, Trials, Troubleshooting

6 months—Renewals18 months—License, Costing

and other legacy data

How will you stage implementation?