19 Batch Update

19 Batch Update

19.1 Overview

The Batch Update function allows you to process multiple WorldCat Resource Sharing requests or multiple sets of requests. Once you have accessed the Batch screen, the basic update process consists of five steps:

1. Choose a Next Step (called an Action on the Batch screen).
2. Assign Request Identifiers to one or more Actions.
3. Update all requests.
4. View results and optionally choose one or more outputs.
5. Return to the Batch screen and clear updates.

This process is illustrated in the diagram below.

Accessing the Batch screen

To access the Batch screen, select the Batch link in the Navigation menu.

You can access the Batch screen from these initial screens:

• Request Manager
• Blank Workform
• Printing
• Display
• Summary

19.2 Step 1: Choose a Next Step

The Batch screen displays all of the Next Step responses that are available for batch update. The responses are called Actions on this screen.

You begin by selecting the underlined Action (response) to which you want to assign multiple requests. The Batch Processing screen for that Action is displayed.

19.3 Step 2: Assign Request IDs to Actions

The Batch Processing screen allows you to assign one or more WorldCat Resource Sharing requests to your chosen Action. Because the information required for different Actions varies slightly, the fields you see on a given Batch Processing screen vary.

Example 1: Batch Processing screen for No (Conditional):

Example 2: Batch Processing screen for Returned:

Fields you supply

You will need to supply one or more of these fields depending upon your chosen Action.

Usage note

It is not necessary to select multiple requests. You can perform a Batch Update after assigning a single request to a single Action.

Assign request

To assign a request to an Action:

19.4 Step 3: Update All Categories

When you select the Update All Categories button, WCRS carries out the selected Action for all requests that you have entered since your last update. This includes:

• Performing the relevant processing for each request that has been assigned to a given Action
• Updating request status
• Returning a response to the Borrower or Lender (if required)

Note: The Update All Categories button remains unavailable (grayed out) until at least one request has been entered for Batch Update.

Results

The results of the Batch Update are displayed on the Batch Processing Results Summary screen.

Printing labels

See section 20.4, "Printing Batch Shipping/Return Labels", for printing labels from Batch Update.

19.5 Step 4: Output Options

Once you have completed the update, you have three options for viewing detail results from the Batch Processing Results Summary screen:

• View your results online
• Print a detailed report
• Export results to a text file

You can also print shipping or return labels.

View online

The Batch Processing Results Summary screen displays the Borrowing and Lending category lists. Each category that has been changed by the most recent update is represented by a set of three links:

Categories not affected by the most recent update remain in plain (unlinked) text.

Selecting one of these links displays the Batch Processing Results Summary screen that includes Action Performed, Request Identifier and Batch Processing Results for each request.

Print report

You can print a report showing detail results for all categories using your browser's print function.

To print a detailed report:

Export results

You can export a detailed report in the form of a comma-separated value (.csv) file that you can then import into a spreadsheet such as Microsoft^® Excel.

To export a .csv file:

Create labels

You can also print shipping/return labels for selected updates. See section 20.4, "Printing Batch Shipping/Return Labels", for printing labels from Batch Update.

19.6 Step 5: Return and Review Update

When you have obtained your desired output(s) and/or printed labels, you return to the Batch screen by selecting the Batch link in the Navigation menu.

You can either:

• Return to the Batch Processing Results Summary screen by selecting the View Results button.
• Complete the Batch Update process by selecting the Clear Successfully Processed Items button. When you select this button, the following happens:
  • All action names become active links.
  • Quantity and Totals: values are reset to zero.
  • The Update All Categories button is displayed in an inactive (grayed-out) state.

See section 19.7, "Unsuccessful Update", for dealing with unsuccessfully processed requests.

19.7 Unsuccessful Update

The Batch Update process can fail for a number of reasons. Failures are identified by messages in the Batch Processing Results column on the Batch Processing Results Detail screen.

Messages

These messages identify failed updates:

Two of the most common, which result from entering an incorrect Request ID, are described below.

Request identifier not valid

WorldCat Resource Sharing assigns Request Identifiers in sequential order, as requests are submitted by all member libraries. Two requests that you submit one immediately after the other may or may not have immediately sequential request IDs because another library's request may have been submitted in the short interval between your two requests.

WCRS allows only Borrowers and Lenders to see each other's view of the same request. It does not allow libraries to see requests to which they are not a party.

Example:

1. Your library has a number of Pending requests to which you want to respond Yes via Batch Update. Two of these requests are: 10017594 and 10017597.
2. In assigning requests to the Yes Action, you mistakenly enter 10017598— a request for which you are neither the Borrower nor the Lender.

3. When you select Update All Categories, this update fails:

   

Update not allowed

The Batch Update process does not validate a request's Next Steps against an Action. If you assign a request to an Action that is not available to a request in its current status, Batch Update will still attempt to process the request.

Example:

1. Request 10017592's current status is Conditional/Pending. The valid next Steps are In Process, Yes, No, and Conditional.
2. Request 10017591's current status is Renewal Request. The valid Next Steps (Lender) are Renewal OK, No Renewal, Recall, and Complete

   

   To decline the renewal via a Batch Update, the request number should be entered under the No (Renewal Request) Action.

3. If you mis-type a Request Identifier and accidentally assign request 10017592 to the Recall Loan Action, WCRS will attempt to recall the loan and update the request to Recalled.

   

4. This update will fail. The failure is indicated by a linked number in the No column in the Lending area of the Batch Processing Results Summary screen.

   

5. Select the linked Action name or number to display the Batch Processing Results Detail screen.