Order procedures

Ordering

• Selecting a supplier
• Assigning a fund
• Preparing the order
• Maintaining files and records
  o usually easy in automatic setting, not in manual

Purchase orders

• Format
  varies in libraries
  o Checked list
  * list of titles
  * can be available online
  o Single sheet
  o Multiple part
• Method of production
  o Typed
  o Computer generated
• Method of delivery
  o EDI (Electronic Data Interchange)
  o Phone call
  o Fax

Item-related information to be included

• Author
• Title
• Publisher
• Date of publication
• Price
• Edition
  o if available
• ISBN
• Format
  o hardback
  o paperback
• # of copies

Library-related information to be included

• Order date
• Order number
• Supplier’s name
  o may vary from publisher if not acquired through them
• Type of order (e.g. RUSH)
• Fund to be charged
• Special instructions
  o Quick delivery?
  o Order/receive addresses differs
• Name of requestor
• Authorization signature

Multiple part forms
Assume each copy is filed separately. There is up to 8 copies, differently coloured, to indicate the copy.

Send 2 copies to vendor. Own the order files copy. Separate the claiming copy if item is late arriving.

Vendor’s copies

• First 2 copies sent to vendor
• Vendor retains one slip as the PO (purchase order)
• May use the other slip to report on status of an item not immediately available if not able to email or fax

On-order file copies
On-order file copies are used in a manual setting.

• Alphabetical order by title and author
• Numerical order by PO
• Alphabetical by vendor name and date
  o date is the subsort
• Alphabetical by title and author in public catalogue
  o The OPAC can state that a item is on order

Claiming copy

• Slip retained by the library to be sent as an inquiry, when an item is late in arriving
  o Send to the vendor for information. Enquire as to their average turn around time.
• Has printed status categories for the dealer to check and return to the library
  o on multiple copies.

Reporting abbreviations

• OP – out of print
  o double check if acquiring through a jobber
• TOP – temporarily out of print
  o publisher’s expectations may have been low
• OS* - out of stock (see below)
  o lots of reasons
  • TOS - temporarily out of stock
  • NYP – not yet published
  • NOP – not our publication
  • NE – new edition
     * check which edition is needed
  • NEP – new edition pending
     * can you wait?
  • NCR – no Canadian rights
     * to distribute the item

Out of stock reports

• OS * will follow
  o The moment item is received it will be sent on
• OS * back ordered
  o Item not available due to popularity
• OS * ship when available
• OS * cancel: order after _______
  o don’t submit the order because they can’t receive it
• OS * cancel: order later _______
  o ordered cancel if it’s not received by a specific date
• OS * available after __________
• OS * holding on back order

Order completion

• Assigning a purchase order number
  o Make sure that there is a purchase order number
  o Most vendors want to see a unique order number
  o Some libraries use one order number per item
• Preparing the order
• Assigning a fund
• Obtaining authorization to send out order
• Sending out the order
• Updating on-order file

What is EDI?

• Exchange of information between computers without human intervention
• Programming language in vendors module to communicate with all vendors

Six benefits of using EDI

• Less paperwork
• Fewer errors during the exchange of information
  o Once information is correct everything can be manipulated
• Improved information flow
  o immediate communication between everyone
  o order and receive within days
• No unnecessary rekeying of data
• Fewer delays in communications
  o any network communication problems are not good
• Improved invoicing and payment process
  o same processed used repeatedly

IFLA. Electronic Data Interchange: An Overview of EDI Standards for Libraries (1993), Introduction. http://archive.ifla.org/VI/5/reports/rep4/41.htm January 10, 2000.

Segments within an EDI purchase order

• UNH Message header
• BGM Beginning of message
• DTM Date/Time/Period (Message date)
• NAD Name and address
• RFF Reference
• CUX Currencies (Order currency)
• LIN Line item
• PIA Additional product ID
• IMD Item description
• QTY Quantity
• DTM Date/Time/Period (Delivery dates)
• FTX Free text
• PRI Price details
• CUX Currencies (Price Currency)
• RFF Reference
• LOC Place/Location ID (Place of delivery can be multiple locations)

Two major EDI standards

• American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
• United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE) EDIFACT

Sample lines within an EDI record

EDIFACT Line	Text
BGM+224+967634+9’	Rush order 967634 (224=rush)
DTM+137:19960820:102’	Message date (102=date format)
CUX+2:GBP:9’	Order currency is pounds sterling (9=order currency)
PIA+5+0856674427:IB’	ISBN is main product identification (IB=ISBN)
DTM+61:19970820:102’	Cancel if not delivered by 20 August 1997 (61=order to be cancelled if not delivered by a specific date, 102=date format)

The computer needs to see the EDIFACT Line to understand. The user keys in the information on a template. Not all libraries use EDI. There is also BISAC (for books), SISAC (serials) and CSISAC (Canadian). BISAC is used a lot by vendors.