Requests (UXPROD-790)

[UXPROD-1516] Automated Storage and Retrieval System Requests Created: 04/Feb/19  Updated: 10/Jan/23

Status: Draft
Project: UX Product
Components: None
Affects versions: None
Fix versions: None
Parent: Requests

Type: New Feature Priority: P5
Reporter: Cate Boerema (Inactive) Assignee: Unassigned
Resolution: Unresolved Votes: 0
Labels: requests, round_iv
Remaining Estimate: Not Specified
Time Spent: Not Specified
Original estimate: Not Specified

Issue links:
Relates
relates to UXPROD-498 Remote Storage Integration Module (Ca... Closed
Epic Link: Requests
Development Team: Vega
Kiwi Planning Points (DO NOT CHANGE): 5
PO Rank: 22
PO Ranking Note: 2020-10-04 - CB: Making my PO rank same as the calculated total rank for now.
2019-07-12: Keeping PO rank same as calculated rank (with potential minor adjustments to avoid having two features with same rank)
Rank: Chalmers (Impl Aut 2019): R5
Rank: Chicago (MVP Sum 2020): R1
Rank: Cornell (Full Sum 2021): R5
Rank: Duke (Full Sum 2021): R5
Rank: 5Colleges (Full Jul 2021): R4
Rank: FLO (MVP Sum 2020): R5
Rank: GBV (MVP Sum 2020): R5
Rank: Grand Valley (Full Sum 2021): R1
Rank: hbz (TBD): R5
Rank: Hungary (MVP End 2020): R1
Rank: Lehigh (MVP Summer 2020): R4
Rank: Leipzig (Full TBD): R5
Rank: TAMU (MVP Jan 2021): R5
Rank: U of AL (MVP Oct 2020): R5

 Description   

Automated storage and retrieval systems like the one at University of Chicago come with a unique set of needs. When a request comes in for an item stored in the ASR, it must be flagged in such a way that the ASR system can detect the presence of a new request so it can be retrieved by robotic arm. For this purpose, we have designed a new request type called "ASR Request".

Current thinking on design:
Note: this feature was defined in collaboration with David Bottorff and Cheryl Malmborg of University of Chicago

  • New request type "ASR Request" is created in FOLIO
  • New item (availability) status "Available in ASR" is created in FOLIO
    • This item status can only be set in FOLIO by an integrated ASR system (if there is one)
    • This item status is pushed to FOLIO when an item is stored in ASR (it overrides whatever FOLIO status would have otherwise be set)
    • This status would only be applicable to institutions using ASRs and, therefore, wouldn't interfere with workflows for institutions not using this type of storage system
  • When a request is made for an item with item status "Available in ASR", the only possible request type is ASR (this is very analogous to how Page requests work for Available items)
  • ASR system polls FOLIO for new ASR requests
  • When a new request is identified, the ASR system begins to retrieve the item and pushes a new item availability status to FOLIO called "Retrieving from ASR"
  • The ASR delivers the book to a library staffed service point
  • The entire process from request creation to item delivery takes less than 3 minutes
  • Library staff scans the item in FOLIO check in app
  • Item goes into "Awaiting pickup" or "In transit" depending on the pickup service point specified in the ASR request (this part of the process is already working)
  • When an ASR item is returned, it goes into Recently returned status like all other returned items (assuming your institution uses the Recently returned status)
  • When the item re-stored in the ASR, the ASR again pushed the "Available in ASR" status into FOLIO
  • This new type of request has been added to the request whitelist document (you may have to unhide columns and rows to see it)

FAQs:

  • Why can't we just use Page requests for this?
    1. If we used Page requests, we'd need some other mechanism for automatically identifying pages for ASR vs pages for non-ASR.
      1. This could be done by item location, but there are a few issues with the location-based approach:
        1. We'd need to develop the ability to flag certain locations as ASR locations
        2. The system(s) would then need to traverse many tables to determine whether the request is an ASR request or not. Assumption is that this would be slower with more points of failure.
        3. Also, there are some cases where something is stored in ASR and the item location isn't properly updated (this is an error, but it happens)
      2. Alternatively, ASR requests could be identified as page requests where item status = Available in ASR
        1. This might be less problematic than the location-based approach
    2. Still, if we used Page requests, we'd need to make sure to exclude ASR requests from staff picklist reports for regular pages. Of course, picklist reports will need to be filtered by location, but there could be locations that contain ASR items and regular collections.
    3. Leveraging Page requests would also make it more difficult to get statistics on numbers of ASR requests vs Pages
    4. Overall, it feels like the distinct request type is simpler, requires less conditional logic and wouldn't be very difficult to implement
  • Why would we make this a general feature?
    1. While it's relatively uncommon, there are institutions that use ASRs and our assumption is that this feature could work for many of them (there are only a few vendors for these kinds of systems so, chances are other institutions are using the exact system Chicago is using)

Final note: These types of systems are very expensive and very high-visibility in their institutions. It is extremely important that they work well and they work fast.



 Comments   
Comment by Theodor Tolstoy (One-Group.se) [ 06/Feb/19 ]

Cate Boerema could you elaborate on the concept of ASRs?

Comment by Cate Boerema (Inactive) [ 06/Feb/19 ]

Cate Boerema could you elaborate on the concept of ASRs?

Not yet, Theodor Tolstoy (One-Group.se). It just came up in the RA SIG as a must-have for Chicago, but I don't have the details.

Comment by Theodor Tolstoy (One-Group.se) [ 06/Feb/19 ]

Ok, l'll be watching this

Comment by Anya [ 06/Feb/19 ]

Cate Boerema ] FC is not sure how to rate this or if it needs to be rated.

Comment by Tod Olson [ 12/Apr/19 ]

To elaborate at ASRs a little bit:

An ASR is a high-density storage system with robotic retrieval. These are more common in commercial inventory systems, like for Ford or Walmart, but are finding use in libraries with large collections. University of Nevada Las Vegas was an early adopter, U. Chicago, North Carolina State University to name a few.

The U. Chicago setting is typical. The books are loaded into bins in the ASR system, the ASR's database tracks which bin a book is in, and even which section of a bin. When a library patron requests a book that is in the ASR, the request is communicated to the ASR via API, a robot finds and retrieves the bin, and a human operator removes the book from the bin and makes it available to the patron. When the book is returned, the ASR the bin and the process is reversed.

There's a writeup and video on the Mansueto Library's Automated Storage and Retrieval

Here is some similar information on NC State University Libraries' Hunt Library bookBot

Comment by Stephanie Buck [ 29/Sep/20 ]

David Bottorff and Cheryl Malmborg, given the work Stacy has done so far and that I'm continuing on remote storage integration, do we still need this feature? For reference, UXPROD-2696 Closed is a draft for the Dematic integration thin thread.

Comment by Brooks Travis [ 05/Feb/21 ]

Stephanie Buck Did you ever get a response on whether we still need this feature given the work that's being done for the remote storage integrations?

Comment by Stephanie Buck [ 05/Feb/21 ]

Brooks Travis, I did not. David Bottorff and Cheryl Malmborg, does UXPROD2696 cover the needs of this feature?

Comment by David Bottorff [ 05/Feb/21 ]

I believe that's the case, but I would like Tod Olson to confirm, as he's got a more detailed understanding of where we are with our edge module development.

Comment by Tod Olson [ 05/Feb/21 ]

My view is that UXPROD-2696 Closed will let us work around the lack of an ASR Request, but I still see it as a work-around and the project eventually needs to have more flexibility in Requests.

Comment by David Bottorff [ 05/Feb/21 ]

That sounds right to me as well

Comment by Holly Mistlebauer [ 07/Mar/22 ]

This feature is marked DRAFT until Brooks Travis has a chance to review it for validity.

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