Acquisitions

The Purchase Order Line search screens and task lists will be updated and redesigned for better usability, performance, productivity, and overall user experience.

To learn more regarding the expected user experience, open this prototype and click the various options on the screen. Please note that this prototype has limited functionality and its content is subject to change.

For additional information, see Workflow Simplification.

Adjustments to the layout of the PO line task list will streamline the processing of PO lines. Users will be able to:

• Review all PO lines in all statuses in a single unified list.

• ​Assign PO lines in any active status to users.

• Access entities related to the PO line and easily navigate back to it when done, all while not losing orientation with the page you came from.

• Receive items directly from the PO line editing page.

• Much more.

Users will be able to manage their PO lines in a more convenient, straightforward manner using multiple enhancements added to the PO line management and editing page. Utilizing Alma's new user experience capabilities will allow users a "single page application" experience, saving the users from the need to navigate to and from multiple pages to complete their tasks .

To learn more, see New Unified PO Line Task List.

When reviewing PO line search results, users will be able to select a facet and exclude the items it contains from the search results. 

The Exclude option will remove the items under the selected facet from the PO line search results.

The option to limit a search result by excluding a facet will simplify the process of producing a list that only contains PO lines that meet certain specifications.

Users will be able to utilize new streamlined options for creating PO lines from vendor platforms that do not integrate with Alma. 

To learn more regarding the expected user experience, open this prototype and click the various options on the screen. Note that this prototype has limited functionality and its content is subject to change.

New functionality for scenarios in which the user orders a resource from a platform that has no automatic integration with Alma (e.g., Amazon): A browser add-on will allow for the harvesting of the metadata and will create the order automatically. The user will no longer need to access Alma in order to create the order.

Improved user efficiency in the creation of orders in Alma. The Order It! functionality is designed to eliminate the need for duplication when creating an order outside Alma, as it will no longer be necessary to have to manually record these orders in Alma.

The list of harvested SUSHI reports will be enhanced and will allow users to delete or download selected reports in bulk.

When reviewing the list of harvested reports, users will be able to multi-select a number of reports and:

• Download the selected reports

• Delete the selected reports

Simplifying the management of downloaded SUSHI reports will save users from the repetitive work of selecting reports one at a time and then deleting or downloading them.

Elements in Alma will be enhanced to support the recording and management of Open Access activities, including Transformative agreements, Article Processing Charges and more. 

3 main areas will be enhanced to support Open Access management:

• Vendor record
  • A dedicated place to record the Transformative Agreements
• PO Line
  • PO line type for Transformative Agreements
  • PO line type for Article Processing Charges
• Integrating with Research tools 

Today, most institutions manage their negotiations and record their Transformative Agreements with their publishers outside the library and hold minimal number of evidence which can/should assist them to understand their expenditures and impact on the researchers/publishers.  Helping institutions record their Transformative Agreements, Article Processing Charges details and costs as well as recording the number of tokens which the institution received from the publisher as part of the agreement, will assist institutions to manage their Open Access process and  better prepare for the next negotiations with the publisher.

The fund management screen will be enhanced to present users with information regarding the PO lines that impact the fund balance. 

Two new linking options will be available in the fund management screen to allow users to see:

• A list of POLs with their encumbered amount 

• A list of POLs with their expended amount 

With a single click, users will be able to view the PO lines that impact the fund balance. This will allow users to better understand the orders that were already paid or were not yet paid. 

It will be possible to reset the PO and PO-line sequences every calendar year, and to include the calendar year in the PO numbers and PO-line numbers.

If the new option is enabled, the format of the PO numbers and PO-line numbers will be: calendar year- ongoing sequence .

For example, the first PO in 2024 will have the following identifier PO-2024-1.

This addition will give users basic information about POs and PO lines and their creation years, at a glance. 

When sending orders via EDI for electronic resources, additional information about the order will be passed to the vendor within the EDI file.

Institutions will be able to send the vendor, via EDI, information regarding the access requirements for the electronic resource being ordered (the "access model") and information regarding the quantity for pricing.

More accurate information regarding the order will be sent to the vendor.

Adjustments to the layout of the Receiving Workbench will streamline the processing of Receiving physical items. Enhancements will include:

• Users will be able to find the items they would like to receive in a faster and easier way

• ​More options for item creation and editing  from within the workbench

• "Single page application" user experience will allow users to work on entities which are related to the receiving workbench without navigating away from the page.

Users will be able to work with the Receiving Workbench in a more convenient, straightforward manner.

The EDI task list will be enhanced to allow users to dismiss the task when modifying the expected receipt date. 

A new "Save and Dismiss" action will be added to the pop-up window where users update the receipt date.

Adding a new "Save and dismiss" action will improve the efficiency, save the users time, and multiple clicks,  when working with the task list .