Orbis problem tracking system and knowledgebase

Project Title: Orbis Incident Tracking System and Local Knowledgebase

Project Applicants:

Suzanna Lengyel, IS&P Production Systems

Senior Programmer Analyst

SML507

130 Wall Street
New Haven, CT 06520

203 432-1844

suzanna.lengyel@yale.edu

Jennifer Nolte, IS&P Production Systems

Orbis Support Specialist

SML 509

130 Wall Street
New Haven, CT 06520
203 432-4878

jennifer.nolte@yale.edu

Estelle Paskausky Pope, IS&P Production Systems

Systems Librarian

SML507

130 Wall Street
New Haven, CT 06520

203 432-5839

estelle.paskausky@yale.edu

Melissa Wisner, IS&P Production Systems

Production Systems Manager

SML507

130 Wall Street
New Haven, CT 06520

203 432-5565

melissa.wisner@yale.edu

Background:

Answering and investigating Orbis incidents is an ongoing Productions Systems responsibility. Considerable staff time is spent status tracking incidents from receipt to resolution, and communicating results to staff. Currently, no structured method exists in the YUL for the tracking of Orbis incidents. The current methodology is to report incidents and progress via email or telephone, typically to a single individual. There is also no centralized source of documentation for referencing reported and documented Orbis incidents.

“Orbis is used 90% of the time by 80% of the staff”. An Orbis incident tracking system would enable more efficient workflow for everyone interacting with Orbis. It would provide a standard process for reporting incidents, asking support questions, initiating requests for additions/changes to Orbis, receiving and reviewing status reports on progress, and creating an archive of incident resolution documentation.

In addition to workflow efficiencies, incident-tracking systems demonstrate a commitment to customer service. One business concept associated with incident-tracking systems is “Customer Relationship Management”, or CRM. CRM is an area of management research that studies effective methods of providing customer service. Recent studies point to technology-driven CRM as a way to foster better relationships between customer and service provider, much the way information technology has transformed the way most daily office business is conducted.[i] A study conducted by researchers at the University of South Carolina, Illinois State University and Texas Women’s University looked at the effectiveness of technology to foster customer service:

Apart from shaping responses to customers, by enabling customers to communicate easily with the organization, relational information processes help register customers’ complaints and provide them feedback…. Frequent and open communication between a supplier and a customer boosts the customer’s efficiency in using the firm’s products or services, thereby improving customer satisfaction and loyalty. Relational information processes may also boost customer relationship learning … by providing customers with a greater understanding of organizations’ attempts to respond to their demands and enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty. (Jayachandran et al, 178, Journal of Marketing: October 2005)

The relationship between library staff and Production Systems models a customer/supplier relationship. The success of ….depends on providing quality customer service to library staff, through the practice of customer relationship management. The software implementation

Purpose and Expected Outcomes:

This is a proof of concept project to explore customer relationship management principles through the use of an Orbis incident-tracking system. Some of the expected outcomes are:

Identification of frequent or typical problem areas in the use of the Orbis Circulation client
Identification of training needs for the ongoing use of Orbis Circulation
Efficient management of reported Orbis Circulation incidents
Creation of a YUL knowledgebase/archive of Orbis Circulation incidents that YUL staff can consult for their own benefit
Reports and statistics on the life-cycle of reported Orbis incidents
Reports on Orbis system performance and trends
Customer service measurement for Production Systems

Methodology:

Production Systems would utilize a commercially hosted service for incident-tracking software. The contracted host would provide basic set-up and support for the interface and back-end database of the incident-tracking system. Production Systems would make some basic configurations and local customizations to the standard incident-tracking interface, as they relate to Orbis Circulation and YUL. Some customization examples would be to populate drop-down menus with local information, rename fields or labels to reflect the “language” of YUL and Orbis Circulation.

Production Systems would draft documentation on the use of the incident-tracking system, and review with the members of Circulation Support Group (CSG). Production Systems would provide initial training to CSG members, and would collaborate with CSG in the ongoing training of system wide Circulation staff.

YUL Circulation staff would be asked to utilize the incident-tracking system to send questions on new procedure implementation, report incidents, and initiate requests for client changes. All members of Production Systems would be instantly alerted to new incidents, and a point person immediately assigned. Regular status updates would be entered into the incident-tracking system by the point person, as they work with the incident. Staff would be immediately notified of any updates, and could add new data and examples to an existing problem at any time. This interactive process would continue until a resolution was achieved.

IS&P would make the problem-tracking system available to YUL Circulation staff to report problems, bugs, and requests for enhancement to the Orbis Circulation client (Circulation, Course Reserves, Call Slip). *

*Historically the majority of reported Orbis incidents stem from the Circulation client. If the pilot phase were successful, other Orbis modules would be added to a “phase 2” project or permanent system.

Timetable:

January 2006: Selection of a problem-tracking system; customization and configuration of system interface.

February 2006: Create basic documentation for use of the problem-tracking system; identify expected outcomes and goals; begin training members of CSG staff on use of the system

March-August 06: Pilot phase of the problem-tracking system (6 mos)

September-October 06: Pilot phase assessment; report outcomes of project and recommendation of next steps

Expenses/Resources:

Third-party problem-tracking software/hosting: IS&P will contract for a hosted problem-tracking service, at a rate of approximately $75 per month, with an estimated total cost of $1,000. (Note this will be a service hosted by a 3^rd party vendor; hardware is not required.)

IS&P staff time: A nominal amount of staff time is required for initial configuration, staff training, and ongoing maintenance of project.

Benefits:

Provide enhanced and efficient customer service to users of Orbis Circulation
Provide an opportunity to gauge customer service response time for Production Systems
Identify areas where training or improved documentation is required (based on volume of certain incidents)
Provides opportunity for inter-department collaboration
Creates a knowledgebase of Orbis information that may be used as a staff reference tool, a staff training tool, and historical record of Orbis staff activity