Ex Libris Implementation Strategy

The Rapido Implementation strategy is specifically designed for institutions to work with Alma for resource sharing. For Live Alma institutions, the Rapido implementation methodology avoids any disruption of ongoing Alma workflows while setting up and testing Rapido. The process also enables library staff and patrons to continue their daily workflows, including discovery, fulfillment, user management, resource management, and acquisitions.

For institutions already working with Rapid ILL integrated with their Alma Resource Sharing, Rapido provides expanded options, flows, and interfaces, and enables ongoing Rapid ILL functionality to continue without any adverse impact.

The Ex Libris implementation strategy leverages the extensive implementation experience and technical knowledge of our staff, enabling you to bring Ex Libris solutions into production mode efficiently and effectively.

Ex Libris experts assist with any issues you may encounter during the implementation process. To perform the initial technical work for your library, Ex Libris staff members apply the knowledge they have gained, and best practices they have developed, from hundreds of previous, successful projects.

• Ex Libris assigns a project manager along with resource sharing expertise to guide you through the entire implementation process to its successful completion.
• Ex Libris performs configuration, and other implementation tasks, based on your input.
• Ex Libris provides Web-based training throughout the project and ongoing weekly calls, as required. For a detailed list of Rapido training offered by Ex Libris, see the Ex Libris Rapido Essentials recorded training sessions.

Phase 1: Onboarding: Preparing for Implementation

Shortly after signing a contract with Ex Libris, you will receive a welcome kit from the Ex Libris Professional Services Team that includes a series of guides, recorded sessions, and getting started documents to help library staff prepare for Rapido implementation.

During Onboarding, you (with assistance from Ex Libris Professional Services) should:

• Identify project stakeholders and define your project team (organizational planning).
• Review your existing workflows and data. Recommendations for specific areas of review are contained in a separate document – Rapido Implementation Form, which will be sent to the customer project team by the Ex Libris project manager.
• Become familiar with Rapido (initial training and hands-on experience).
• Review the prerequisites for Rapido implementation, including the required configuration necessary for Alma. A detailed explanation of the settings that should be reviewed can be found in the Prerequisites for Rapido Implementation.
• Set up Rapido in implementation mode on your Alma production environment. This step is performed by the Ex Libris project team.

Phase 2: Define

The Define phase begins with the project kickoff meeting. At the kickoff meeting, the Ex Libris team will review all project stages, roles, and responsibilities as defined in the project plan with your team.

During the Define phase, Ex Libris requires your project team to proceed with the Rapido essentials training, which includes a series of recorded sessions. These training sessions provide your project team and staff with an introduction to Rapido concepts as well as the background for understanding the main Rapido workflows.

The Define phase continues with defining the Rapid ILL integration settings.

The scope or configuration that should be reviewed during this stage depends on the implementation path specified in Implementation path section of this document.

All parties participating in the resource sharing flow will be asked to review the Rapid ILL settings and workflow, as guided by the Ex Libris project team. Configuration adjustments may be recommended depending on your current Rapid ILL setup and needs.

If your institution is not yet working with Rapid ILL, you will be asked to review the Alma holding harvest for Rapid ILL document to prepare for this initial setup.

Phase 3: Build

The primary focus of the Build phase is configuration verification and testing.

During this phase, your project team, together with the Ex Libris project team’s guidance and assistance, will work on Rapido, Rapid ILL, and Resource Sharing configuration. The specific scope depends on the implementation path relevant for your institution.

• Institutions that do not currently work with Alma Resource Sharing will need to configure Alma Resource Sharing components
• Institutions that are already working with Alma Resource Sharing will need to make targeted and necessary adjustments to the existing configuration
• Institutions that are already working with Rapid ILL integrated with Alma, do not have to perform any additional configuration (this will be done by Ex Libris) but will need to test existing settings in a Rapido context and make minor adjustments, for example: disabling the Rota assignment for the current RapidILL rule once they are live with Rapido, verifying the link delivery method of setup
• Institutions that are working with Rapid ILL not integrated with Alma will need to configure the Rapid ILL integration with Alma
• Institutions that are not working with Rapid ILL yet will need to configure Rapid ILL and its integration with Alma
• Rapido configuration working with Alma Resource Sharing is required for all institutions and implementation paths.

All guidelines and instructions for required configurations will be supplied by the Ex Libris project team and will be reviewed together with your project team during the project meetings.

During the Build phase, your institution will work on the Rapido / Alma / Primo VE discovery production environment, while Rapido remains in implementation mode (not viewable to end-user patrons) while any live existing Alma, Primo VE, and Rapid ILL functionality is not affected.

In addition, during this phase, your institution will be required to publish Rapido to CDI, to configure labels for Rapido to display in Primo VE discovery to your patrons and to ensure that the CDI search profile is set in a way that you will be able to retrieve expanded resource sharing results that may not be available in your institution.

Once the configuration is completed and verified, testing of the relevant components and workflows should be performed.

Guidelines and timeframes for testing is provided by the Ex Libris project team in coordination with your project team.

The Ex Libris project implementation team works with your project team to verify that Rapido is configured and functions in line with your institution’s workflows.

Your institution is responsible to prepare and deliver internal staff training by the end of the Build phase. Ex Libris recommends that each institution has at least one staff member trained as a Rapido administrator.

Ongoing training review and Q&A sessions take place between the Ex Libris project team and your institution’s functional experts.

The Build phase is completed with the final confirmation of configuration when all the workflows are tested and approved by your institution’s project team.

Phase 4: Deploy

Day 1 of the Deploy phase is your institution’s Go-Live date on the production environment when implementation mode is turned off.

Upon go-live, patrons can view Rapido in their discovery interface and the library staff can begin working with Rapido task lists. Alma lending, borrowing, and sending borrowing rules will no longer be displayed and available for staff.

Throughout the Deploy phase, the Ex Libris project team is available to address any issues and support your staff through their first steps with Rapido in production. During this period, office hours and Q&A sessions are available with your Ex Libris project team.

Upon conclusion of the Deploy phase, your institution is formally transitioned to the Ex Libris Customer Support team for ongoing support. The implementation project is considered complete upon the conclusion of the Deploy phase.

High-Level Sample Project Plan by Implementation Path

The following diagrams present a high-level time chart of the implementation project flow per implementation path.

Weekly Activity Table

The following table provides additional details regarding typical project activities to help you plan and prepare for your Rapido implementation project. A detailed project plan, including specific start and completion dates for each step, is presented at the project kickoff meeting.

Ex Libris

Roles and Responsibilities:

• Enable your institution to successfully configure and launch Rapido
• Coordinate all activities related to Rapido implementation and perform all activities that are under Ex Libris’ responsibility as detailed in the project plan (for example, configuration, training Q&A, implementation support, documentation, etc.)

Your Institution

Roles and Responsibilities:

• Implement Rapido within the agreed upon timeframe, according to the agreed upon scope of responsibilities noted below
• Manage the institution’s Rapido project team