We need your help! Machine Questions

We have a question or two for you!

First, a little background. As you probably know, we've just completed a round of reporting for NLS on digital machine inventories. One thing we found during this process is that there seemed to be a high incidence of errors tracing back to people receiving machines by Overbox or by Range, but not having the correct range entered.

It's also possible that some people have added machines from the Catalog, instead of the Equipment Module. We will put safegards in place to keep this from happening, but in the meantime, please be sure to only receive machines using the Batch Receive function in the Equipment Module.

Data entry errors are bound to happen from time to time, and we have always been happy to lend a hand sorting them out as they occur. Now that PIMMS is in place, however, receiving machines using the wrong serial numbers can cause a lot of complications.

We will still untagle things as needed! But we want to help you keep these issues to a minimum. To that end...

Do you receive machines in serial number order?

We're concerned that libraries may be getting boxes of machines from multistate and entering them in Batch Receive by overbox... but not actually having the machines that KLAS expects.

Have you found this to be the case? Do you check the contents of a box before entering the machines into inventory?

Is there anything else we can do to make Batch Recieve Machines more reliable?

If you are getting fewer, if any, machines in serial number order... do you want the ability to turn off the Overbox and Range options? We could potentially disable these options for everyone, or allow you to switch them on-or-off in the Cross References.

Would you want an extra confirmation step added, so you can review the batch of machines and double-check before the information is actually saved and passed along to PIMMS? This would require some significant adjustment, so it wouldn't be a quick fix. If it would be wanted and used, however, we can get it into the development schedule.

Thank you!

Any information about your workflows, policies, and preferences will be a big help for us! There are no "wrong" answers--whatever you experience at your library will be useful information. We appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts!

NM has never had a problem with multistate sending boxes of machines that didn't correlate with the machines inside but I will check the machines before entering from now on.
I receive much fewer machines from Multistate than I did a few years ago, however the range function did come in handy last month when I received 40 DA1s. A confirmation step would be handy but I am very careful to type in the correct range when I do receive a batch.
Steve Barnett
Machine Control Officer
NM LBPH

We use Equipment module – Batch Receive.

Do you receive machines in serial number order?
(answer) Yes. I either receive them as single or by range but never use overbox option. I always check the box for numbers and write them down on paper then walk back to computer and enter them in the Equipment Module – Batch Receive – and either by range (which I confirmed is correct) or single.

Have you found this to be the case? Do you check the contents of a box before entering the machines into inventory?
(answer) Yes I check to make sure the new machines in the box are the numbers on the outside of the box.

Is there anything else we can do to make Batch Recieve Machines more reliable?
(answer) I think one reason I didn’t use the overbox option was it doesn’t seem to be accurate – it automatically only adds 4 serial numbers from the first number you enter when there are 8 digital machines in an overbox.

We could potentially disable these options for everyone, or allow you to switch them on-or-off in the Cross References.
(answer) I don’t need the overbox option but doesn’t matter to me if it is turned off. I either use range or single options.

Would you want an extra confirmation step added, so you can review the batch of machines and double-check before the information is actually saved and passed along to PIMMS? This would require some significant adjustment, so it wouldn't be a quick fix. If it would be wanted and used, however, we can get it into the development schedule.

(answer) The screen already shows what numbers you received once you enter them. But I guess if you made a mistake and wanted to delete one before it sends to PIMMS I could see how some people might like that. I don’t think I need it.
It would be more helpful for me if there was an easier way to look up machines in PIMMS (which of course is NLS and not KLAS). When we receive a machine that we don’t know what library owns it it’s not easy to find out. Would there be a way to maybe just check other KLAS libraries for machine lookup?

South Dakota

Do you receive machines in serial number order?
Generally, yes. We check the numbers on the overpack and then confirm that they match the numbers on the individual cartons.

Is there anything else we can do to make Batch Recieve Machines more reliable?
The process seemed to work for us when we received machines directly from Shinano-Kenshi. Now we get them from the Multi-State Center West, so they are transferred from UT6.

We could potentially disable these options for everyone, or allow you to switch them on-or-off in the Cross References.
We use either the "range" or single box option depending.

Would you want an extra confirmation step added, so you can review the batch of machines and double-check before the information is actually saved and passed along to PIMMS? This would require some significant adjustment, so it wouldn't be a quick fix. If it would be wanted and used, however, we can get it into the development schedule.
It hasn't been an issue for us in Los Angeles.

Additional comment: Data entry errors are always possible but in terms of inventorying machines from MSCW, we haven't run into issues to date. We haven't used 'Batch Receive' since we got machines from the factory. We transfer them in from UT6. No one has stated that this is in error as of yet.

This is really useful information, thank you!!

Everyone else please keep chiming in We appreciate your time and assistance