Inventory Management Batch Inventory

Transcription

1 Inventory Management Batch Inventory Inventory Management lets you analyze inventory status with regard to missing or misshelved items. The analysis can be done either as an online process or as a batch process. The procedure in this document explains how to run Batch Inventory. Initiating the Inventory The first stage in analyzing an inventory is to define a physical range of items as an inventory. At this stage, the boundaries of the inventory range being checked are defined by parameters such as call number range, sublibrary, collection, item status and process status and material type. The inventory being checked receives an identifier that is used later for executing the Inventory Period. This is achieved by running the Inventory Definition (item-01) batch service. Fill out item-01. (Cataloging module/aleph dropdown/connect to XXX50/Services/Items/Inventory definition (item-01). Output File: Give it a filename. Use the first 3 letters of your library to begin the name; e.g. tst_inventory_mg2 Page 1

2 From Call Number: In the GUI client, find your first item record in the range. From this item, Tab2, copy the call number intact with the delimeter and subfield; e.g. $$hml420.d65$$ic Paste this call number into the item-01 From Call Number field. To Call Number: In the GUI client, find the last item record in the range. From this item, Tab2, copy the call number intact with the delimeter and subfield; e.g. $$hml n3$$im Paste this call number into the item-01 To Call Number field. Page 2

3 Back on the item-01 (inventory definition) workform, be sure to choose the Call Number Type: No Call No. Type, Library Of Congress, Dewey Decimal, etc. (NOTE: if the Call Number Type is *not* filled in, the report will not run) The rest of the parameters may be filled in as you desire. Choose the correct Sublibrary, Collection is not mandatory, Item status may include or exclude item statuses, etc. See the HELP for complete instructions. Page 3

4 The results of item-01 give you the Shelflist Report Number. - Stay connected to XXX50, go to the Task Manager. - In the Batch Log tab, find that your report has completed when it has end. If you don t see your report, hit REFRESH. - Click the File List tab to find the filename (example above: tst_inventory_mg2). If you don t see the filename appear, hit REFRESH. Open the filename for the Inventory Definition Report. Notice the Shelflist Report Number (SRN- ) Page 4

5 Conducting a Batch Inventory (item-08 Inventory marking with an output file to print) You conduct a batch inventory to mark items as found by running a service. First, Inventory Definition Report (item-01) needed to have been run. The SRN- (Shelf Report Number) is obtained from the results of this service (See above on how to run this). Second, The Inventory Marking (item-08) service needs an input file of item barcodes. These barcodes can be collected with your barcode scanner using a laptop with Notepad open. Be sure to collect it in plain format text, such as Notepad. Do *not* use Microsoft Word. If you are still using the Percon Inventory Scanner, it can be used to collect the barcodes. After collecting the barcode data to your laptop or with the Percon inventory scanner (or some other barcode scanning device that you use), you need to transfer the file to the ALEPH system to process. (NOTE: If you use the PERCON inventory scanner, refer to Knowledge Base #3043 in the PALS Support Center Answerbook. Step #2 provides information on reprogramming the scanner. Step #3 tells you how to collect and save data to the PC from the scanner). Prior to the FTP process: o 1 - The saved data file must be renamed to remove the.txt extension. ALEPH will not use.txt files or uppercase filenames. o 2 Add xxx to the beginning of the filename. xxx = The three digit institution code. (i.e. trm061907) Transfer the file via FTP to the production server. You may use any FTP tool that you wish. Demonstrated below is the DOS FTP tool. o o After configuring, setting up and collecting data to the PERCON inventory scanner, we will need to transfer the file to the ALEPH system to process. We will use the DOS FTP process in this example. 1 Open a COMMAND PROMPT window 2 At the c:\> prompt, type in ftp and press enter This will give you the ftp prompt. 3 At the ftp> prompt, type the word open and then the server address; e.g. ftp > open aleph.mnpals.net This will make a connection to the server and ask for a username. 4 Type in your assigned username and press enter. Next you will be prompted for your password. Type this in and press enter. 5 Now we need to copy your inventory file to the harp server. This is done with the put command. In this example we are putting invtest out to the harp server. ftp>put invtest 6 Next we can do a command to allow us to view the list of files that are on the harp server for your username/password. ftp>ls 7 To exit the ftp process type the word quit and press enter. Page 5

6 After transferring the file to the production server, where it is placed in an Inventory file, it needs to be moved to the SYS01 scratch directory so the next step is for item-08 to be able to read the input file. In the ALEPH GUI Client, open the CATALOGING or CIRCULATION module Select SERVICES/CUSTOM SERVICES Select Move file to input directory (priv-03) Page 6

7 This process will move the inventory file, that you put onto the production server, to the SYS01 scratch directory for processing. For the item-08 Inventory Marking Batch service, the input file must be found in the SYS01 library scratch directory. o Enter the filename to move - this is the name of the file that you ftp d to the server; e.g. invtest. o Mouse click the bullet in front of Move Inventory file to the SYS01 scratch directory. (NOTE: Other services may require the input file to be retrieved from the alephe/scratch directory. In those cases, the alephe/scratch directory would be check marked.) o Set the Library to your XXX50 library. o Hit SUBMIT. Go to the Task Manager to see that the file creation has an end. Page 7

8 In the ALEPH GUI Client, open the CATALOGING or CIRCULATION module Select SERVICES/ITEMS. Select the Inventory Marking (item-08) service. o receives the input file of item barcodes that you just sent to the server in the above step. Enter the filename into this parameter. o requires an Inventory number (shelf report number). This was determined from item-01 in the Inventory Definition Report. Enter that SRN into this parameter In addition, you can choose whether or not to Produce an Error Report Yes - produce an error report in the data_print directory of the ADM library, No do not produce an error report. If Yes above, provide the report file name; e.g. tst_inventory_marking Other parameters are lists of lost/ missing process statuses Detect errors: error types to include (exactly as with the online marking Inventory Marking Parameters workform). Read the HELP for this report Inventory Marking (item-08) for further assistance. Page 8

9 Summary Reports Two Summary Reports are used to report the inventory status. They are normally run when the inventory period is over, although they can be run at any stage. The following reports are available: Inventory Summary (item-09) This service creates a summary report of the inventory status, and allows updating of inventory items process statuses according to the inventory check results. Use the HELP to fill out the form. Page 9

10 Inventory Report (item-10) This service produces a report of the inventory items, consisting of each item's details and whether the item was marked as found or accounted for (on loan, on hold shelf, process status missing, and so on). Use the HELP to fill out the form. Page 10