simon edwards +447742 988391 nag supply chain seminar simon edwards e4libraries consultant riba -...

Simon Edwards+447742 988391

NAG Supply Chain Seminar

Simon Edwardse4libraries consultant

RIBA - London5 March 2008


The Electronic Supply Chain Seminar

BIC and E4libraries Project

E4libraries Objectives and Progress

E4libraries Findings and Recommendations

Next Steps

Presentation Contents


What is BIC?

• Book Industry Communication• Independent organisation committed to supply

chain improvement• Sponsored by CILIP and the British Library• With most major book businesses and many

libraries in membership• Greatest hits:

– BIC Subject classifications, BIC standard subject categories for public libraries, BIC Basic data set, ONIX standard, EDI standards, e4books project etc.


What is e4libraries?

• An initiative of BIC (begun in 2007)• Funded by the MLA• A Scoping Report by Simon Edwards• The start of a campaign…• ... to improve the library supply chain using

new and beneficial technology focusing on standards and systems interoperability


E4libraries Objectives

• Encourage take up of beneficial technologies:– e.g. EDI, RFID

• Encourage Adherence to Standards • Encourage Systems Interoperability• Exploit the benefits of ICT Investment

– cost reductions, efficiency, catalysts for change


E4libraries Project

• Where are we with the project– Research => Scoping Report (Sept to Oct 07)– Scoping Report => Steering Group (Nov 07)– Systems Workshop (Nov 07)– Scoping Report Published (Jan 08)– Action Plan (Apr 08)– Quick Wins/Recommendations (Apr to May 08)

• More detailed research e.g. library/LS/LMS capabilities• Questionnaire

– Start parallel phase for academic library supply chain


E4libraries Project - Phases

ResearchScoping Phase

Scoping Report

Recommendations/Quick Wins

Development Phase Detailed Research

Standards Development

Systems Development

Promotional Phase Promotional effortInformationConsultancy/Advice


E4libraries Project Scope

• Public Libraries and Academic Libraries• Bibliographic information supply• EDI• RFID• Focus on standards and systems interoperability• Maintain a watching brief on:

• e-books, serials, e-readers, other new technologies


EDI

• The main business messages covered by e4libraries:

LibraryLibrary Supplier

Product information

Order

Order Response

Invoice

Quote

Order Fulfilment


Library Managemen

tSystem

Library Supplier


• But to really get the benefits you need to integrate with other systems:

Authority Financial Systems

Ebooks/Digital

Products

RFID Systems

Bibliographic Supplier

Library Data Monitoring

LibraryManagemen

t System

Library Supplier

OPAC, Consortium

OPAC,ILL

BIC EDI

MARC

SIP2

ISO (RFID)Standard?

Standard?Standard? Standard?


E4libraries Findings

• EDI: preliminary data on usage– Quotes >30%– Orders >70%– Order acks/responses <30%– Order Fulfilment/Cat Services/Item Load: <15%– Invoices: <15%

• Not enough to maximise benefit from investment



• Different ways to specify classification in an order• Additional text fields for individual implementations• On-going data management workload for LS• Even MARC records containing invoice information• ...so benefits less easy to obtain



• Establish benefits from which message?– Libraries:

• Quote, Order, Order Response, Order Fulfilment, Invoice

– Library Suppliers:• Orders (data manipulation is a cost)

– LMS supplier• Charging for each implementation?



• Tendering– Libraries ask for something (outside the standard)– Library suppliers say “Yes” so as not to lose the business– Surely more of a dialogue needed– Could a 3rd party get involved and ask/answer the

important questions:• Is that really what you need?• Is that the best way to achieve this?



• RFID: 6 versions on the market– low interoperability between solutions– BIC/EDItEUR working on the ISO standard– ISO standard contains 2 different models

• both likely to be accommodated in the standard• mandatory data set or whatever you like?

– Still won’t know what data will actually be put on the RFID tags

• Just an accession number or chapter and verse?

– What about all RFID tags already implemented - How will we move to the standard? Convert tags all in one go or over time as books are returned


E4libraries Recommendations

• Systems Workshop – to look at standards and interoperability

• Detailed research into:– Current EDI Capability, Gap Analysis,

• Information about EDI– Website containing: How-to guides, top tips, standards

info, guidelines, case studies etc.

• Set up BIC Library Group– Steer e4libraries and advise on standards issues

• Set up Accreditation Scheme– for Libraries, Library suppliers and LMS suppliers


E4libraries Accreditation

If you are doing EDI to standard with all the EDI messages relevant to your organisation...

Then we’ll accredit you!

This accreditation will show that your organisation is efficient and easier to do business with

2008


How important is all this?

• Should we just let libraries, consortia etc. get on with business as usual or should we do more? with more urgency?

• Is the UK public library service in danger?– From Government? From local authorities?– From the need to cut costs?– From local pressures and priorities?– From dumbing down?– From competing media?

• If it is then what can we do to help?


A Library Service Under Threat

• What should we do?– Embrace EDI more fully?– Implement Stock Selection? Issues?– Integrate payments?– Adopt RFID completely? Self service, self issue, self return etc.– Simplify our business processes– Reduce costs – reinvest the money in book stock and in library infrastructure– Refocus staff - more “customer facing”– Deliver better service - opening hours etc.


So lets move forward

• We know that there is significant benefit to be gained from implementing the technology– What do people feel about automating stock

selection? Benefits, Issues?– Havering case study shows significant

benefits• £5 to £1 admin cost reduction per book

– How to gain these benefits whilst maintaining excellence


Where next?

• Which way to go?– EDI AND RFID

• Who makes the decisions? Who helps?– Consortium, Authority? Librarian? LMS?

• How can we help with the decision making?– Cost models, case studies

• Standards, consultation process, help and advice


so finally...

• Things to remember!– BIC and e4libraries– Do full EDI: much more than just ordering– Adhere to standards, avoid complexity– Embrace RFID– Rework processes to drive benefit from these investments– If you think we can help - please ask– Support BIC and e4libraries


Simon Edwardse4libraries

[email protected]

BIC website: www.bic.org.uk

Thank You

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