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Ordering

Discover how to order items in OLIB Acquisitions.

►Acquisitions > Orders

 Note: Once all the order items are complete you should change the status of the Order from Pre Order to Outstanding. Funds become committed from this point. For EDI orders you should change the status from Pre Order to Authorised.

Procedure: Order details

  1. Select the Orders domain and click New Record to begin a new order. If the system manager has configured default acquisitions reference data, many fields will already be completed. They can be changed if required.
  2. A unique key is generated in the Order Number field. You may input a local purchase order number in the Order Reference field.
  3. The Order Status defaults to Pre-Order. This should not be changed until all order items have been added to this order. With this status, the cost of order items will not be reflected in the account instances.
  4. In Supplier search for and insert the supplier that you want to send the order to. This should be an EDI Supplier if this is to be an EDI order.
  5. Supplier Reference, Delivery Method, and Currency will pre-populate if the system manager has configured default acquisitions reference data.
     Note: Supplier Reference can later be changed, even after the order has been moved on from the Pre Order status.
  6. The Entered By and Order Date fields are automatically populated with the currently logged in OLIB user and the system date. Change the order date if required.

 Note: This completes the order header. You can save this and return to it later, or continue on to add the items required for this order.

Procedure: Fast entry of order item details

 Note: There are a number of scenarios for which you should not use this method for creating the order item. This includes:

  • An Ordered For user item
  • On approval order items
  • Non-catalogue order items
  • Serial
  • Loose-leaf subscription order items
  1. In Order Item Details click Search in the Title field.
  2. Search for and select the title you want to order, and insert it to return to the order screen. A new title record can be created at this stage. When you save the new title record, you will be returned to the order screen with the new title displayed in the Title field.
  3. Enter the number of copies in the No. To Order field (must be greater than zero).
     Note: Depending on your library's configuration, No. To Order may include the Clear? field. This may default to Yes/No/Null. If you keep it set to Yes (or Null) - then when you search and select the next title to order, the No. To Order is cleared; if set to No - then when you search and select the next title to order, the No. to Order is retained.
  1. Enter the item price in the Item Price field. Checks are carried out to ensure it is numeric only with a maximum of 3 digits before the decimal point and 2 digits after it. It can be entered as nn, nn.n, nn.nn, .n or .nn.
     Note: Depending on your library's configuration, No. To Order and/or Item Price may include the Clear? field. This may default to Yes/No/Null. If you keep it set to: Yes (or Null), then when you search and select the next title to order, the No. To Order and/or Item Price is cleared. If you keep it set to No, then when you search and select the next title to order, the No. To Order and/or Item Price is retained.
  2. Depending on your library's configuration, a Discount field may be present. OLIB calculates the discount based on the Acquisitions reference data you have set up at supplier/location/media type, supplier/location, supplier/media type or supplier level setting. If configured, OLIB will have pulled in a supplier-media types discount when you added the title.

    The discount shown is changed automatically whenever the Supplier, Order Location or Title field is changed. You can edit the discount if necessary. Checks are carried out to ensure it is numeric only with a maximum of 3 digits before the decimal point and 2 digits after it. It can be entered as nn, nn.n, nn.nn, .n or .nn.
  3. If the defaults immediately below are correct, click Add Order Item.
  4. If you want to change any of the default values – then do it before clicking on the Add Order Item button and the order item will pick up your changes.
    Account: This defaults to whatever the system manager may have set up in reference data. You can change this as required.
    Retain? may be configured on your system.If you set it to -
    Yes - the chosen Account will be retained for subsequent titles you order.
    No (or Null) - the Account is not retained for subsequent order items.
  5. The order item is created, using the values in the various fields immediately below Order Items.
  6. Click Search in the Title field again to repeat the process for each order item, changing the order item default fields if required before clicking Add Order Item. As you create order items, OLIB lists them in the Order Items box.
  7. (Optional) You can set up a free text Check In Popup message for the order. The message will be displayed to the member of staff at the point of check in.
  8. Once all the order items have been added, set the order’s Status to Outstanding and save the new record.

    The order and order items amounts will be committed to the cost centre(s), so no further input is needed for financial details. The order letter/email output will also be generated and sent, etc.

EDI

For EDI orders, change the status of the order from Pre Order to Authorised.

The background EDI process monitors the database for orders with a status of Authorised (and EDI supplier = Yes), it then formulates the EDI message as an email and sends it to the supplier’s EDI email address. The driver then changes the status to Outstanding.

 Note: To confirm that the EDI ORDERS message has been sent, search for the order and keep refreshing until the status changes from Authorised to Outstanding. This can take up to 5 minutes because the DBMS Job that sends the EDI ORDERS messages runs every 5 minutes.

Once the order’s status is changed to Outstanding, view the EDI ORDERS message on the EDI tab on the order details screen.

Click through to display the full message and the exact date and time it was sent.

The actual email can be viewed in the Email History domain under System Administration.

Procedure: Order item details for cost apportionment and multiple locations

If you want to spread the cost of an order item across more than one account instance and/or if you want to enter several locations in the order items For Locations field then this more detailed order items layout should be used.

Retransmit EDI orders

There may be occasions when you need to retransmit an EDI order message, e.g. because the supplier’s mail server was not available when the original email was sent so the email was bounced back to the sender.

  1. Go to Orders.
  2. Search for the relevant EDI order and put into modify mode.
  3. On the EDI page change the Retransmit? flag to Yes and save the changes.

The background EDI Driver process monitors orders with the Retransmit? flag set to Yes. It then formulates a retransmission EDI email, sends this to the supplier’s EDI email address, and resets the order’s Retransmit? flag back to No.  

If the EDI message has been retransmitted successfully, there will be a new entry on the EDI page in the EDI Messages list box.

Edit an order or order item

You can edit items on the order while ever the status is still at Pre Order.

  1. Obtain the details of the order item either from the Orders page or from Order Items.
  2. In the Order Item details, switch to modify mode and make the required changes.
  3. Save the changes to this order item.

You can remove an order item from an order, when the order is still at Pre Order.

The order item can be removed from the order without deleting the order item.

  1. Put the Order record into modify and check the box to select the Order Item for removal.
  2. In the Actions drop-down list, select Remove.

OLIB removes the item from the list of order items (you may need to Refresh to see this). The order item has not been deleted. You will be able to search for it and add it to another order.

You can also make some changes even after the Order and Order Items are at status Outstanding.

Change the Supplier and Supplier Reference:

  1. In Orders, find the Order as usual and modify the record.
  2. In Supplier click Search and insert the preferred new Supplier.
     Note: It is likely you will need to update the Supplier Reference field. Save the changes.

When the modified Order is saved, the new Supplier is propagated to all the Order Items on the Order. You cannot change the supplier if any Order Items on the Order have already been invoiced.

Change the Order Item Title:

  1. In Order Items, find the item and modify record.
  2. In Title, click Search and insert the preferred title.
  3. Save the changes.

 Note:

  • It is recommended you liaise with your supplier before taking this action, in case they have already ordered the original title for you.
  • The order status of the title record that you replace may no longer be correct, however OLIB updates this when daystart next runs.

Add existing order items to a preorder

  1. In the Orders screen, click Search in the New Order Items field.
  2. OLIB displays the order items search screen. You can search for existing order items already in OLIB.

 Note: This can include purchase order suggestions made by users in the OPAC.