InventoryThe Longest Process…..

Gail Masters

Library Systems Officer

Southbank Institute of Technology

Redevelopment of Southbank Institute

• Organisational Restructure

• Amalgamation of Four Campuses

• New Four Level Library

• Two Data Migrations

Time to inventory… Investigations begin

• PDAs

• PocketCirc Software

• Existing Equipment

• Inventory Work Instructions

Inventory Scanning Options

• Directly into Workflows

• Portable Memory Scanners

• Laptops/Attached Scanners

Format of Upload File

 

• File Format for Uploading into Workflows

SCANNER|200911220800|A45467845BSCANNER|200911220800|A45467873BSCANNER|200911220800|A45467899B

• Uploaded File Extension = .sav

Inventory Begins….

• Call Number Range Count Report

• Run Set Inventory Date Report in Workflows

• Scan barcodes in Call Number Areas

• Download scanned data into NotePad

Data File Manipulation Flowchart

Transfer barcode data to Excel file Transfer barcode data to Excel file

Save as… Text (Tab Delimited)Save as… Text (Tab Delimited)

Change format in MS Word Change format in MS Word

Rename file extension in NotePad Rename file extension in NotePad

Upload file into WorkFlowsUpload file into WorkFlows

Download barcodes into NotePadDownload barcodes into NotePad

Process – Modify Text File

• Copy barcodes from the saved NotePad file

• Open Workflows Upload Template (Excel file)

• Paste barcodes into Column C of the Template

• Delete all empty rows after the last barcode

• Save as File Type - Text (Tab Delimited)

Process – Format in MS Word

• Open the saved Text file in Microsoft Word

• Change Formatting using the Replace function

• Replace ( ^t ) with ( | ) pipe delimiter

• Change file extension from .txt to .sav in File Name

• Retain .txt in Save As Type

• Example file name: Gen A- D.sav.txt

Process – Change File Extension in NotePad

• Open the saved file in NotePad

• Open the saved Word file .sav.txt

• Saving the file NotePad strips out MS Word formatting

• Delete the .txt element in File Name

• Change File Type to All Files

Upload Barcode File into WorkFlows

• Open the Scanner Wizard in Workflows

• Retrieve the Inventory Device ‘Intermec 2410’

• Browse and select the .sav file pathway

• Upload the file into Workflows

• Run the Load Scanned Barcode Report

Conclusion

Disadvantages of Using this Process

• Time Consuming

• Repetitive Task

• Risk of Errors/Corrupt Files

Benefits

• Utilisation of Existing Equipment

• Accurate Database Holdings

• Accurate Item Counts

Thank You