We are currently working on improving the base HTML reports that are generated and sent out with every Backfile or Current Cataloging processing. From 2004 to 2012 we contented ourselves with having reports in HTML format only. Over some of those same years, we had requests to make the reports able to be sorted, edited, and generally rearranged. In an effort to address these requests, we developed an in-house solution to convert the existing reports to XLS. Now, nearly every report is also available in a simplified version (which may not always mean better) as XLS. But we are now revisiting the HTML reports. Our lead programmer has figured out a way to improve the efficiency and usability of these reports. In fact, I have attached a sample of the latest prototype for the revised HTML reports (see: R07 attached). This new functionality allows you to sort the results on nearly anything (control number, tag, field data). You can also search through the results for specific fields or headings that start with certain characters. It even finds results if they have diacritics (without requiring you to input the diacritics). Our philosophy with respect to reports is that we do not like to leave any stone unturned. If it is possible for us to report out on something, we elect to do so. Currently, we have in the neighborhood of roughly 90 separate reports (AC, RDA, Notification, etc). This can be wonderful for clients that love that kind of detail and view all of the different updates that have or have not been made to their data. It can also be overwhelming to other clients that may just be interested in a quick report that tells them the salient information with further access to these other reports when desired. So we are exploring the development of a single report which is comparatively brief (around 1 page), that provides a sort of executive summary of the process itself. The intent is to present you with a general overview of the process while also allowing you to dip into the other reports at your discretion. The hope is that this brief report would help satisfy those clients that are not interested in poring over our other reports and just want something relatively simple that gives an overview of the processing. And it might help our other clients that do make use of the other reports we have that go into much more specific detail. As we make more progress on this front, we will keep you updated. As always, please feel free to tell us what you like or don’t like about our existing reports. If there is a way to improve the experience for you, we would love to figure it out with you.
Nate Cothran Vice President, Automation Services 25 East 1700 South Provo, Utah 84606 Phone: +1.800.288.1265, ext. 697 Direct: +1.801.342.5697 |
