14 results found

1. Include zero results for selected locations in all reports in Decision Center

   Currently Decision Center only returns data for a location parameter if there was activity for the selected time period and does not return a zero placeholder for locations without activity. This creates extra work for staff when working with the resulting Excel files. They can't easily reference the cells in Excel consistently.

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2. Decision Center: Identify titles eligible for stock rotation in pooling locations

   We have a floating collection and use Decision Center to manage our collection. We need to know what is on the shelf OR not on the shelf at multiple sites. To do this, we use excel pivot tables to manipulate the "low circulation weeding reports". I have attached the workflow and the result.

   After pivoting the "low circulation weeding reports" (searching for items that have circulated less than 300 times in 1 month at multiple branches) our result includes everything on the shelf at multiple branches. The pivot table allows us to identify which titles are at a branch AND which are not.

   We would like a Decision Center report that allows us to do this without using excel pivot tables as this is a steep learning curve for branch staff.

   We have a floating collection and use Decision Center to manage our collection. We need to know what is on the shelf OR not on the shelf at multiple sites. To do this, we use excel pivot tables to manipulate the "low circulation weeding reports". I have attached the workflow and the result.

   After pivoting the "low circulation weeding reports" (searching for items that have circulated less than 300 times in 1 month at multiple branches) our result includes everything on the shelf at multiple branches. The pivot table allows us to identify which titles are at a branch AND… more

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3. Sierra 6.1 - Add item status date to Create Lists

   It would be very useful to be able to at least export (if not also filter/search on) the status date in Create Lists. We do things like delete items that have been in certain statuses for a certain number of months, and used to have to guess based on the updated date, but obviously records can be updated without the status being changed. Going forward (as newer items get status dates associated with them) we can check item-by-item by mousing over the status in the item record, but it would be a big help to have the date appear alongside the other data when exporting or searching.

   (This is in reference to the date associated with the item status field on mouseover as of Sierra 6.0.)

   It would be very useful to be able to at least export (if not also filter/search on) the status date in Create Lists. We do things like delete items that have been in certain statuses for a certain number of months, and used to have to guess based on the updated date, but obviously records can be updated without the status being changed. Going forward (as newer items get status dates associated with them) we can check item-by-item by mousing over the status in the item record, but it would be a big help to have the date appear alongside… more

   3 votes

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   PLANNED  ·  Adminmdicus (Product Manager, Innovative) responded

   This idea is already on the product roadmap and will be included in Sierra 6.1.

   https://portal.productboard.com/iii/6-innovative-product-status-board-new/c/582-add-item-status-date-to-create-lists

4. Decision Center: Pooling Report not based on demand

   The Pooling Report generates a list of titles where "the pooling branch has more copies than it needs to meet 150% of demand". This is not the only reason that multi-branch libraries with floating collections have pooling collections.

   Items in a floating collection can be returned to any location.

   Could we have a pooling report that identifies:

   1) Titles that have never been assigned or checked out at the location of the drought location

   AND/OR

   2) Titles not held at the drought location

   Thank you,
   Elizabeth

   2 votes

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   UNDER REVIEW  ·  Adminmdicus (Product Manager, Innovative) responded

   The product manager will review this idea for possible inclusion in a future release.

5. Decision Center Turnover Reports - Consistent Parameters

   Decision Center has a number of Turnover reports available. However, not all of them allow you to choose Year and Month as one of the initial filters. For example, I normally look at the turnover by branch report each month. In early July (our fiscal year runs July 1 - June 30) I went to view the June report and was unable to see that, could see the annual totals for previous fiscal years. Only during the current fiscal year are you able to see the monthly breakdown. However, this is not the case with other turnover reports (by owning location and item type; by transaction location and item type or by transaction location and material type). For consistency sake, these reports would have the same filter options for time.

   Decision Center has a number of Turnover reports available. However, not all of them allow you to choose Year and Month as one of the initial filters. For example, I normally look at the turnover by branch report each month. In early July (our fiscal year runs July 1 - June 30) I went to view the June report and was unable to see that, could see the annual totals for previous fiscal years. Only during the current fiscal year are you able to see the monthly breakdown. However, this is not the case with other turnover reports (by owning… more

   4 votes

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   UNDER REVIEW  ·  Adminmdicus (Product Manager, Innovative) responded

   The product manager will review this idea for possible inclusion in a future release.

6. Allow missing Web Management Reports Data to be re-added with the correct time period

   Twice in the past year we have encountered errors in which the overnight statistics process did not complete leading to a missing day's worth of transactions in Web Management Reports. In both cases we only learned of this missing data later upon running monthly reports and finding an undercount.

   Upon being alerted Innovative has been able to retrieve the missing data and add it back to WMR, but doing so adds it to the current month instead of the correct timeframe. This latest occurrence crossed fiscal years for us, essentially breaking the reporting tool for our needs.

   Fortunately, this is a rare occurrence, but when it does happen it is critical that the data can be corrected to accurately reflect the dates for transaction.

   Twice in the past year we have encountered errors in which the overnight statistics process did not complete leading to a missing day's worth of transactions in Web Management Reports. In both cases we only learned of this missing data later upon running monthly reports and finding an undercount.

   Upon being alerted Innovative has been able to retrieve the missing data and add it back to WMR, but doing so adds it to the current month instead of the correct timeframe. This latest occurrence crossed fiscal years for us, essentially breaking the reporting tool for our needs.

   Fortunately, this is… more

   9 votes

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   UNDER REVIEW  ·  Adminmdicus (Product Manager, Innovative) responded

   The product manager will review this idea for possible inclusion in a future release.

7. More reliable data around Holds: Don't delete Holds in the `holds_removed` Sierra DNA table!

   Data in the hold_removed table is being deleted before the 60-day retention period is up in situations where staff clear the hold shelf, and an entry in the hold_removed table is indicated to be "picked up". This is unexpected and not helpful in the task of gathering more data related to holds.

   I propose the following changes...

   1. Retention Period: Entries are being removed from the hold_removed table before the default 60-day retention period is up. I propose that data should remain in this table, as it represents the lifecycle of a hold and the recorded event that removed an active hold from the Sierra system.

   2. Hold ID: The hold_removed table should record the hold_id associated with the hold being removed. This would enable comprehensive tracking of a hold from its creation to its removal in the system.

   3. Link to Filled Hold Transaction: Ideally, the hold_removed table should have a way to link the removed hold to a filled hold transaction AND a hold placed transaction in the circ_trans table. This linkage would provide a complete history of the hold, including both the creation and removal events.

   Thank you for your consideration!

   Data in the hold_removed table is being deleted before the 60-day retention period is up in situations where staff clear the hold shelf, and an entry in the hold_removed table is indicated to be "picked up". This is unexpected and not helpful in the task of gathering more data related to holds.

   I propose the following changes...

   1. Retention Period: Entries are being removed from the hold_removed table before the default 60-day retention period is up. I propose that data should remain in this table, as it represents the lifecycle of a hold and the recorded event that removed an active… more

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   9 votes

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   UNDER REVIEW  ·  Adminmdicus (Product Manager, Innovative) responded

   The product manager will review this idea for possible inclusion in a future release.

8. Add "item status date" to Decision Center reports

   Libraries use Decision Center to determine what is not circulating or what has been at the Branch for a long time without circulating.

   The new "item status date" added in Sierra 6.0 could help Decision Center identify items that were moved to a branch but have not been checked out (eg. items get to the new branch by using CIRCA's item status change from "checked in" > "in transit" > and then are checked in at the new branch)

   Reports that would benefit from this would be the Maintenance Report or any report that lists a "created date" and "last checkin date".

   Thank you,
   Elizabeth Wright

   Libraries use Decision Center to determine what is not circulating or what has been at the Branch for a long time without circulating.

   The new "item status date" added in Sierra 6.0 could help Decision Center identify items that were moved to a branch but have not been checked out (eg. items get to the new branch by using CIRCA's item status change from "checked in" > "in transit" > and then are checked in at the new branch)

   Reports that would benefit from this would be the Maintenance Report or any report that lists a "created date" and "last… more

   7 votes

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   UNDER REVIEW  ·  Adminmdicus (Product Manager, Innovative) responded

   
   

9. Decision Center Before and After Floating Statistics

   We're interested in evaluating how well our Floating Collections are performing to see if it's benefiting specific locations or ranking specific location codes preferably, but not necessarily limited to, change of circ or transit wait time post-float at branches to determine what should and shouldn't float for that branch going forward based on past performance. Besides the drought report in Decision Center, this information appears to be lacking. We'd like for reporting capabilities to be added to its data to help inform decision-making in terms of tweaking Floating Collections location codes to keep and which to return to non-Floating going forward.

   We're interested in evaluating how well our Floating Collections are performing to see if it's benefiting specific locations or ranking specific location codes preferably, but not necessarily limited to, change of circ or transit wait time post-float at branches to determine what should and shouldn't float for that branch going forward based on past performance. Besides the drought report in Decision Center, this information appears to be lacking. We'd like for reporting capabilities to be added to its data to help inform decision-making in terms of tweaking Floating Collections location codes to keep and which to return to non-Floating going… more

   6 votes

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   UNDER REVIEW  ·  Adminmdicus (Product Manager, Innovative) responded

   
   

10. Sierra user tracking

    Provide data for tracking Sierra users (library staff). For example, log sign on and sign out dates and times. Perhaps add a "Last signed in" date field to the user record. Other data points might also be worthy of recording, such as types of records accessed.

    Idea Value
    Given that libraries handle possibly sensitive personal data, system users who have access to such data should be trackable. Currently, it's not even possible to find when the last time a user has signed on to the system.

    29 votes

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    FUTURE POSSIBILITIES (IDEA LAB)  ·  3 comments  ·  Reporting & Analytics (incl Decision Center)  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
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11. Retain more than 36 months of Sierra data for reporting

    Innovative explains that Sierra is hardcoded to retain the source circulation statistics for Web Management Reports only up to 36 months, but longer data series are needed, because the Library can make better decisions and optimize services only if we know facts, and facts are better known when seen on a larger time span. "Old data for new decisions".
    This change could help both Library managers and staff to understand facts and their trends, and to see whether and how something should be changed. Three years are too few to see facts, but knowing that certain sections of the Library have not been used in the past 5 years could allow to use human resources in a different way, for example.
    This is an opportunity for the whole Library in the perspective of democratized data, distributed through efficient dashboards, so that everyone can have a key participation in the Library work.

    Idea Value
    The ability to make better decisions thanks to longer data series is invaluable for libraries today.
    In terms of time saving: the comparison of the last 2 years is often not enough to understand a trend and we are forced to keep old data that we export to Excel, so that they can be used in the future for a deeper comparison. Knowing that statistical data relating to the last 5 years can be extracted at any time, without exporting and storing it with a separate application, would be a certainty.
    The time saving is also present in some queries whose space is 10 days, such as "patron searches", for example. Web Management Report is a very useful tool, but Innovative could make it even more performing. At present, all the data must be saved at variable time intervals to create a custom database: all time that could be saved if WMR were more flexible.

    Innovative explains that Sierra is hardcoded to retain the source circulation statistics for Web Management Reports only up to 36 months, but longer data series are needed, because the Library can make better decisions and optimize services only if we know facts, and facts are better known when seen on a larger time span. "Old data for new decisions".
    This change could help both Library managers and staff to understand facts and their trends, and to see whether and how something should be changed. Three years are too few to see facts, but knowing that certain sections of the Library… more

    30 votes

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    FUTURE POSSIBILITIES (IDEA LAB)  ·  1 comment  ·  Reporting & Analytics (incl Decision Center)  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
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12. Add create date; last use date; and login Create Lists: Saved Search, Saved Sorts, Saved Lists, Saved Exports

    In Create Lists the system saves the login and the date that the Review File was created. Please extend this feature to: Saved Search, Saved Sorts, Saved Lists, Saved Exports; to make annually cleaning these saved features easier.

    Additionally add a last used date to create lists, and the above saved features to know if it is no longer in use.

    Idea Value
    At present I have to tell staff to add the date and their username in the title to system cleaning. This idea would save a great deal of time when it comes to purging unused saves in the system.

    In Create Lists the system saves the login and the date that the Review File was created. Please extend this feature to: Saved Search, Saved Sorts, Saved Lists, Saved Exports; to make annually cleaning these saved features easier.

    Additionally add a last used date to create lists, and the above saved features to know if it is no longer in use.

    Idea Value
    At present I have to tell staff to add the date and their username in the title to system cleaning. This idea would save a great deal of time when it comes to purging unused saves in… more

    47 votes

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    FUTURE POSSIBILITIES (IDEA LAB)  ·  6 comments  ·  Reporting & Analytics (incl Decision Center)  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
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13. Allow Local Create List Saved Exports

    Create List supports "Apply Saved Export." However, it has a 100 max limit. In large institutions or consortiums users hit this limit. This requires users to manually configure what can be complex export data by hand every time.

    Sierra's Create List supports loading locally saved queries via JSON. Global update allows the user to Load (Local) commands. Extend Sierra's Create List to Load (Local) saved export fields. This increases efficiency and eliminates errors.

    Idea Value
    In our institution, there are no available Saved Export slots. As a result we often have to configure complex export data by hand. This introduces errors: the user forgets to export a particular field.the user accidentally keys in the wrong field.the user exports the fields in the wrong order.they choose the wrong delimiter...

    All of these are especially true if the list of fields is numerous enough that the scroll bar is engaged. Any of these will require the user to go back in, tweak and re-export the data, which may take time when exporting large lists.

    One alternative is to use SQL and query the backend. However, not all users have access to this functionality or the training to do so. Being able to load a Local Saved Export eliminates those issues and speeds the process.

    Another option is to increase the Saved Exports max. However, if you allow it, they will fill it. That provides even less incentive for staff to review/clear older export files and increases the likelihood of "orphaned" exports. (See scenario 4 below)

    The Local Saved Export should support the same fields as the Save Export function.

    Some possible scenarios:

    Scenario 1. It's report time! To provide fy reports, a user queries a year's worth of data and returns 11 data fields for each record. Due to tight deadlines, this data is exported and pulled into Excel where macros slice and dice the data. Those macros are dependent on the correct data being in the correct order. Any mix up requires re-exporting the data or updating the macros. Either takes time and adds stress to a situation where the user is already in a time crunch.

    Scenario 2: A sierra user has limited familiarity with Create List, but needs to run periodic reports. The local Sierra expert has created a local JSON query that the user can just load in Sierra and Excel macros to ingest and compile the data. Unfortunately the user misses a field or puts it out of order and then has to figure out what went wrong or wait until the expert can help them debug.

    Scenario 3: The library is short staffed. As a result staff are performing tasks that they are unfamiliar with. To streamline processes, the library has saved queries as JSON which anyone on their team can access. However, exports are still a manual component where errors may occur. The entire process is more efficient and accurate, if both the query and the required export fields can be loaded from a local file.

    Scenario 4 (NEW) - identifying who owns the various Saved Exports. We asked folks to review/purge unneeded Saved Exports. However due to staff/project changes we ended up with "orphans" where we could not identify all of the owners/projects. (Some saved export names|data did not necessarily identify the owner in our large library. ) We are storing create list JSONS in our networked file directories with their projects. That allows us to identify the department/project/possible owner. Being able to place the Saved Exports in the same directories co-locates all the data together and makes it easier to manage. No more orphaned searches or export profiles on Sierra.

    Create List supports "Apply Saved Export." However, it has a 100 max limit. In large institutions or consortiums users hit this limit. This requires users to manually configure what can be complex export data by hand every time.

    Sierra's Create List supports loading locally saved queries via JSON. Global update allows the user to Load (Local) commands. Extend Sierra's Create List to Load (Local) saved export fields. This increases efficiency and eliminates errors.

    Idea Value
    In our institution, there are no available Saved Export slots. As a result we often have to configure complex export data by hand. This introduces… more

    20 votes

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14. Add Year of Publication to export options in Create Lists

    Currently we are only able to export "Pub Info" from the bib record, which contains both the publisher's name and the date(s) of publication. The format of the data in the field is variable and sometimes contains multiple years of publication, making it extremely difficult to pull out the correct year.

    Adding the pubdate field from the bibrecordproperty table to the export options in Create Lists would give us that data very easily.

    Idea Value
    Having the pub year for an item lets us analyze the age of the collection, which is particularly important in nonfiction. Some subject areas change rapidly and need to be updated regularly. Having the pub date would enable us to check these collections at a glance. Our Collection Development librarian runs a full collection report monthly, but I realize this may vary by library.

    It is also useful for checking whether items have the correct location assigned. In our library, for example, there is a new book section that contains both fiction and nonfiction. The item created date can't be used since we often get replacements for older books, which will have the same created date as new books. Ensuring the correct cataloging of these items allows the librarians to find a book more easily, especially when doing something like the paging list. If an item has been given the wrong location code, staff may spend 15 minutes trying to locate it. This means patrons have to wait longer and the paging list takes more time to complete.

    Currently we are only able to export "Pub Info" from the bib record, which contains both the publisher's name and the date(s) of publication. The format of the data in the field is variable and sometimes contains multiple years of publication, making it extremely difficult to pull out the correct year.

    Adding the pubdate field from the bibrecordproperty table to the export options in Create Lists would give us that data very easily.

    Idea Value
    Having the pub year for an item lets us analyze the age of the collection, which is particularly important in nonfiction. Some subject… more

    18 votes

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    FUTURE POSSIBILITIES (IDEA LAB)  ·  2 comments  ·  Reporting & Analytics (incl Decision Center)  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
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