Outline

6th Annual Hong Kong Innovative Users Group Meeting Lingnan University - December 9, 2005

Automatic Generation of Automatic Generation of Circulation Notices/Reports: Circulation Notices/Reports:

A New Knowledge Management ApproachA New Knowledge Management Approach

Loletta Chan, Assistant Librarian (Circulation & ILL)Li Yiu On, Assistant Librarian (Systems)

Hong Kong Baptist University Library

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Outline

1. Introduction

2. Reviewing current practices

3. Knowledge Management (KM) approach

4. Implementation of KM approach

5. Conclusion

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1. Introduction

4

Past Practices

Email Notices

CIR Staff

Notices &Reports

INNOPAC

Acquisitions Section (ACQ), Chinese Medicine Library (CML) &Multimedia Learning Centre (MLC)

Library PatronMail Notices

• Notices without email addresses

• Notices requiring a hard copy

• Notices requiring special processing

• Reports

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Types of Circulation Notices & Reports

• Notices - to remind patrons to return library materials or collect held items:

• Reports - to various counter staff (CIR, CML & MLC) for the management of hold shelf:

1. HKALL paging slips & 5 related reports

2. Clear hold shelf report

3. View outstanding holds report

1. Pre-due date reminder 4. Lost book notice

2. Overdue notice 5. Hold pickup notice

3. Recall notice 6. Hold cancellation notice

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2. Reviewing Current Practices

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Why Review Current Practices?

1. Notices & reports generated by INNOPAC system: – Not fully automated– Require manual operation– Tedious– Routine operation: repetitive & time-consuming– Knowledge is kept in the head of this skilled staff,

no information sharing– Mainly rely on a CIR staff’s skill & knowledge to print

reports for various sections: CML & MLC

Individual Knowledge, Tacit Knowledge

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Why Review Current Practices?

2. HKALL implementation (Sep 2005): more reports have to be generated every day– HKALL Paging Slips– List of PAGED TOO LONG items– List of RETURNED TOO LONG items– List of REQUESTED TOO LONG items– List of IN TRANSIT TOO LONG items– List of RECEIVED TOO LONG items

3. Limitations of MilCir Auto Notices

WORKLOAD

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MilCir Auto Notices

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Advantages of MilCir Auto Notices

• New feature in Millennium Silver (2004)• Good graphical user-friendly interface• Able to save notice parameters & configure MilCir to gene

rate email notices automatically• Able to specify different subject lines for different types of

notices• Availability of pre-due date reminder

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Limitations of MilCir Auto Notices

1. Can’t print hard copy of notice for user who doesn’t have an email address – MilCir will save all these notices in one file– Format of the notices will be disorganized (broke

n into 2 pages)– A macro is needed to reformat and repaginate th

e notices to a desired format for printing

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Gromit Chu11 Tai Po Road,Tai Po, N.T.

Reformatted noticeDisorganized notice

Gromit Chu 11 Tai Po Road,Tai Po, N.T.

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2. Can only support sending notices via email (e.g. recall notice)

3. Can’t handle notices that require library staff to add additional information before sending e.g. Lost book notice - ACQ staff to add the item replacement cost on the notice

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4. Run special command before generating notices– e.g. Run “Clear Hold Shelf” command before genera

ting “Hold Pickup” notices

5. Circulation reports cannot be generated by MilCir Auto Notices– Clear Hold Shelf report– View Outstanding Holds report– 6 HKALL management reports

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3. Knowledge Management (KM)

Approach

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Given the above background, we tried to apply the principle of Knowledge Management (KM) to

re-engineer the process of generating notices & reports

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What is Knowledge Management?

• “A deliberate, systematic business optimization strategy that selects, distills, stores, organizes, packages, & communicates information essential to the business of a company that improves employee performance & corporate competitiveness.” (Bryan Bergeron)

• KM is a systematic approach to manage intellectual asset (knowledge) that enhances organization performance & competitiveness

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• To enhance comprehension, awareness & understanding

• To build corporate knowledge• To make the best use of existing knowledge• To define all steps & procedures clearly,

thus information can easily be captured, stored & transmitted electronically

Share Knowledge with Others

Goals of our KM Approach

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System RequirementsA.Hardware: 1 – 2 PCs

B.Software:

1. INNOPAC System

• MilCir Auto Notices

• Related commands & printing functions

2. Macro Magic

3. Microsoft Windows Task Scheduler (MS Window components)

4. Microsoft Outlook (MS Office components)

5. Microsoft Word

** Many people think that KM must be associated with high-tech. This is not true. No high-end tools & special computer programs are required for this project. The investment cost is low.

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2. Macro Magic

Macro Magic website: http://www.iolo.com/mm/

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2. Macro Magic

• To automate command sequences for computer applications

• Record multiple keyboard & mouse actions & then save them as a macro

• When running the macro, these actions will be executed in a recorded sequence

• Advantages: – Automated tasks are created without writing a

single line of computer program code– Can be run by a computer layman – Allow automated tasks to be rapidly developed,

easily modified & maintained at lower cost

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3. Windows Task Scheduler

• Free window program• To schedule when a macro to be run

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4. Microsoft Outlook

• To receive email notices & reports generated by INNOPAC system

• Use Outlook macros– To organize & save

emails into different folders

– To forward emails for reformatting & printing

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4. Implementation of KM Approach

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Types of Circulation Notices/Reports

Sending MethodGenerated by Auto Notices

Type of Notices/Reports

N

O

T

I

C

E

1. Email ONLY • Pre-due date reminder

2. Email

OR

Mail

• Overdue notice• Hold pickup notice• Hold cancellation notice

3. Email

AND

Mail

• Recall notice

4. Mail after special processing • Lost book notice

R

E

P

O

R

T

5. • Email AND print copy• Email AND print copy• Email ONLY

• HKALL paging slips & 5 reports• Clear hold shelf report• View outstanding holds report

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1. Email Only (Pre-due date reminder)

Auto Notices

Library Patron

Email

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2. Email or Mail (Overdue notice)

Patron with email address

Patron without

email address

Auto Notices

Mail

Library Patron

Outlook Task Scheduler

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3. Email & Mail (Recall notice)

Patron with email address

Patron without

email address

a Bcc. of e

mail notices

Auto Notices

OutlookMail

Library Patron

b c


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4. Mail Requiring Special Processing (Lost book notice)

ACQ

CIR

Auto Notices

Mail

Email

Email

Library Patron

(Add replacement cost)Outlook Task Scheduler

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5. Reports (HKALL paging slips)

HKALL paging slips

INNOPAC

Task Scheduler

Outlook

CIR, CML

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ACQ

New KM Approach : New Role

ReportsEmailnotices

Library Patron


CIR, CML & MLC

Notices requiring special processing

CIR

INNOPAC

Mailnotices

Auto Notices

• Notices without email addresses

• Notices requiring a hard copy

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Designated Work ScheduleNo. Time Schedule Task

1 4:00 Mon-Sun send dummy notices

2 5:00 Mon-Sat auto overdue notices

3 5:00 Mon-Sat auto hold cancellation notices

4 5:00 Mon-Sun auto recall notices

5 5:30 Mon-Sun Macro Magic reformat & organize email notices

6 6:00 Mon-Sun Milcir auto notices log

7 6:00 Mon-Sat print CIR overdue, recall and hold cancellation notices

8 6:00 Sun print recall notices

9 6:45 Mon-Sun send email to CIR & MLC for hold items of location is, t & in-process items

10 8:00 Mon-Fri send dummy paging slip

11 8:10 Mon-Fri send paging slip (1st time)

12 9:10 Mon-Fri clear hold shelf and print pick up hold notice

13 11:30 Mon-Sun cancel hold dummy item

14 12:00 Mon-Fri send dummy paging slip

15 12:15 Mon-Fri send paging slip (2nd time)

16 14:00 Mon-Fri HKALL reports

17 14:20 Mon-Fri auto bill notice

18 15:10 Mon-Sun make hold dummy item

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Advantages of KM Application in Notices/Reports Re-engineering

• Cost-effectiveness

– Save staff time & cost to generate some 15 types of notices & reports every day

• Efficiency

– Reports in appropriate formats (electronic and/or print) are directly sent to various sections for processing

– e.g. Clear hold shelf report, HKALL paging slips CIR & CML

Paging slips for in-storage materials CIR & MLC

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• Systematization– Over 15 types of notices & reports are automatically

generated in appropriate formats (electronic and/or print) for various sections’ staff

– Steps, commands & procedures to generate notices & reports are designed in logical & systematic sequence e.g. clear hold shelf before generating hold pickup notice

• Security– A backup copy of all notices & reports (email & print

copy) is saved in computer

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• Accuracy– All tedious & repetitive tasks are performed by

computer automatically– No human intervention No human mistake

• Routine– All tasks are performed at a pre-designated day &

time by computer– No delay is caused by human factors e.g. staff who

take leave or work on night shift

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5. Conclusion

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Knowledge Generation

ProcessPast Practice New Practice in KM Approach

Creation / Acquisition

• Ad hoc & passive• carried out by CIR staff solely

• Well-planned & systematic • Collaborative

Using / Organization

• Individual knowledge• Unwritten & manual operation

• Involve human experiences, skills & intuition

• Corporate knowledge• Written & performed by computer

program automatically• Steps & procedures are clearly

defined

Sharing• Among a few staff only • Complicated

• Cross-sections (ACQ, CIR, CML, MLC, SYS)

Storing

• Oral, discrete, unformatted, poor organization & classification

• Difficult to retrieve, low re-use value

• Well-formatted, organized & classified

• Easy to retrieve, high re-use value

Past Practice vs. KM Approach

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Re-engineer / Transform

Knowledge

Traditional Approach KM Approach

Unmanaged Managed

Individual Corporate

Tacit Explicit

Implementation of the KM Approach

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ConclusionThrough better management of knowledge, we can achieve 2 goals:– Better use in human resources (free from manual operation)– Deliver quality library services

CEO of Hewlett Packard“Successful companies of the 21st century will be those who do the best job of capturing, storing, and leveraging what their employees know.”

-- Ganesh Natarajan, p.6

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Mr. Li Yiu On - Systems

Mr. Yip Wing Chung – Systems

Mr. Patrick Wong - Systems

Miss Karen Ng – Circulation & ILL

Miss Lydia So – Circulation & ILL

Acknowledgment

Bibliography

Bergeron, Bryan. Essentials of Knowledge Management. Hoboken, N.J. : J. Wiley, 2003.

Natarajan, Ganesh. Knowledge Management : Enabling Business Growth. New Delhi : Tata McGraw-Hill, 2000.

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