Include "Quantity for Pricing" in EDI for ebook POLs
It is currently not possible to send the correct quantity to the vendor via EDI. When EDI is sent for POLs of type "Electronic book - one time", the quantity field in the EDI is always 1, even if the Alma POL has a different Quantity for Pricing value. We often need to order multiple "copies" (i.e. sets of access credits or user licences) for an ebook, but only want 1 portfolio on Alma.
Please consider using the "quantity for pricing" in EDI for electronic - one time POLs.
Dear Community,
This is to update you that we are developing the option to send the exact "Quantity for pricing" to the vendor via EDI, for electronic PO lines.
Additionally, we will add the "Access mode" field as an optional field to select for the "EDI Vendor Note Fields".
Please follow up on Alma Release Notes to see when this development is released.
Kind regards,
Zohar Shemesh
Alma Product Team
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R Milne commented
The latest Alma roadmap now shows this as being scheduled for H2 2024. So disappointing. I am really quite disgusted by how Ex Libris is managing this enhancement request.
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Andrew Brown commented
Wow! I can't believe something so key is taking so long to deliver - I'll raise with Ex Libris at the next opportunity.
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R Milne commented
I see the new Alma roadmap now has this slated for 2023, which means this could be delivered a full 6 years or more since it was made 'Planned' in 2017. Extremely disappointing.
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C Macarthur commented
Is anyone from Ex Libris going to action this as it has been set at status 'planned' for quite some time?
Staff have to 'workaround' this issue but it should really be working in EDI.
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Catherine Reznor commented
Dear All,
I agree with what has already been said regarding how urgent this is. We really do need to be able to order various configurations of e-book licence models + quantities at any given time. For instance: two 3-user ebooks, or five 1-user ebooks, or three 200-credit ebooks. We really need to be able to do that in one go rather than creating, for instance, five separate orders for one 1-user ebook, because we cannot order five in one go. Given the large number of e-books we order, this significantly slows down workflows and puts pressure on acquisition teams that have a lot of fiddly work to do anyway. Given the current ebook landscape and how difficult publishers make it to purchase sensible e-book licence models, it affects a lot of universities, not just a few. We would be eternally grateful if ExLibris could seriously consider implementing the needed enhancements. -
Rosina Leung commented
I vote for this idea. Best.
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Andrew Brown commented
I would support the view of R.Milne too - this is a COVID-19 priority being connected to eBooks. Please review this and report back here to this thread. Thank you.
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Andrew Brown commented
I would also support the view of R Milne - can this be reviewed please, especially as this is a COVID-19 priority being connected to ebooks.
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R Milne commented
We note that this is now showing on the Alma Acquisitions roadmap as further delayed and is now slated for "2022 H2 - 2023". As this is one of our biggest Alma pain points, we find this current timescale to be exasperating, to say the least. Please can Ex Libris look to move this forward?
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Katherine O'Brien commented
We were very disappointed to discover that the quantity field does not already go through in EDI for electronic books - this is very much not what we had expected.
Is there any update on what quarter this is planned for?
We use the EDI note to vendor field, as well as the access model. We've had scenarios where an ebook is available in 3U only. Our purchasing model means we require 6 user in total (so, 2 x 3U). We are unable to communicate this to the vendor in a single POL. We could always create an additional POL in that scenario, but that is unnecessary additional work given that quantity field is sent to the vendor for print POLs.
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Jeannine commented
Hi
Can you provide a date or quarter for this Planned development. Ordering multiple copies of an eBook is a functional requirement that staff do often. The ability not to be able to do this increases staff work which conflicts with our migration to a system that was to reduce this. The ability not to be able to do this was not pointed out to us so we have staff stumbling across this issue themselves
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Andrew Brown commented
Hi - I've still not heard anything about this one - it's been in 'Planned' status for a while now. When it is moving to the development queue please? Ordering additional eBook licences is one of our most frequent activities in Acquisitions at the moment. Thanks.
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Andrew Brown commented
It's great to see this as planned, but when will it proceed to development please? Our ordering in the current COVID-19 situation has been slowed by this issue. Thanks.
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Andrew Brown commented
We're happy to discuss with product management on a call as I sure others would be who've been involved in this discussion on Ideas Exchange. Thank you.
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Andrew Brown commented
Hi - is there any news from development on this please? This still remains urgent for the current situation with COVID-19 and it would be good to have a release date confirmed please.
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Dear all,
First I would like to start by stating that this idea is now in the pre-development phase and I thank you all for your patience.Going over all of the comments below (some were from very long ago), we understand that there are 2 main scenarios:
1.
The need: Purchase electronic resource with access for 3 users
Vendor does not have the option to provide access for 3 concurrent users and can only grant access to 1 concurrent user for each purchased resource - so there is a need to have the quantity for pricing be "3" and reflect it in the EDI file sent to the vendor
2.
The need: Purchase electronic resource with access for 3 users
Vendor has the option to provide access for 3 concurrent users for each purchased resource - so there is a need to have the quantity for pricing be "1" (as 1 resource grants access to 3 concurrent users) - this will be reflected it in the EDI file sent to the vendorSuggested solution:
Enhancement number 1:
The quantity for pricing amount which is reflected on the PO line will be passed as is to the EDI file sent to the vendor, if the field on the PO line contains '1' the equivalent field on the EDI file will contain '1', if the field on the PO line contains '3' the equivalent field on the EDI file will contain '3' , this will answer the need presented in scenario #1 above.Enhancement number 2:
In early 2020 there was a new field added to the PO line edit page called 'Access Model' which is set to reflect the number of concurrent users for the selected resource (this field is also reflected on the portfolio).Users will have the option to configure the 'EDI Vendor Note Fields' located in the 'Vendor details' page->EDI information (tab), to contain the 'Access Model' information located on the PO line (see attached screenshot for visual example). This will answer the need presented in scenario #2 above.
Scenario for example: Institution would like to grant concurrent access to 6 users for a selected resource.
Vendor only has the option to provide access for 3 concurrent users for a single resource. PO line in Alma will have:
Access Model: 3 concurrent users
Quantity for pricing: 2For institutions which will prefer to only work with the 'Quantity for pricing' field and not pass the 'Access Model' information to the vendor, there is always the option to state the value '6' in the quantity for pricing, this should be coordinated with the vendor and is not the best practice.
The suggestion above was presented also to OASIS and GOBI.
Please feel free to raise any comments/questions.
Thanks,
Noam Fass | Alma product management team -
Lucy Seale commented
Yes, I agree with the other recent comments. It would be so helpful if this could be pushed up the development list please.
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Claire Delamore commented
Hi,
Could this be pushed up the priority for developments, please? Ordering multiple copies (often as many as 20) of licences which are only available on a 1 user model is very time consuming when having to create a POL for each copy.
Thanks,
Claire -
Andrew Brown commented
In the current situation this is a critical development that should be promoted up the development list. Please can you give an estimated delivery date?
Thanks,
Andrew
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Victoria Farmer commented
Hello
Can I ask when this will be implemented? Placing individual orders for multiple copies of eBooks is time consuming at several stages and vastly slows down our workflows.
Kind Regards
Victoria