RE: Collection Agency Report and Software

[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Martha --

We just went live with circ on Dec 9, and our online III circ transactions are getting long overdue enough where we are about to start sending them to collection. We have been using Unique Management for our collection work for quite some time, and have been big-time happy with their service. In a general way we are looking forward to migrating to the automated process that we understand will work between III and UMM. Our previous automation system did not have an interface, and the manual process of getting the data to UMM was very time consuming.

Having said all that - we would be curious to learn more about the "many improvements that could be made in the module". Can you even give us a quick bullet-point list of what some of the biggies are? What functionality is missing from the III CA interface? As a new user, our City has not given us funding yet to join the IUG (imagine that one, huh?) so I cannot get onto the enhancements site to see what the suggestions/requests are on that list.

Any info will be appreciated from you or others on the list. Thanks,

Paul
___________________________________________

Paul Ericsson
Adult Services Supervisor / Automation Coordinator
Concord Public Library http://www.onconcord.com
45 Green St. Concord, NH 03301 603 230-3697
pericsson@xxxxxxxxxx
___________________________________________


-----Original Message-----
From: LLC Martha Pitchford [mailto:martha@xxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Thursday, January 15, 2004 6:56 PM
To: papal@xxxxxxxxxx; IUG INNOPAC List
Subject: Re: Collection Agency Report and Software

We have been using the product since August and it works fairly well.  We use the collection module of our previous systen so this was just a continuation of the service.  It is much easier than doing it manually.  We prepare the reports and email them on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  We don't want our patrons to wait a week to be sent, have update sent, or clear their Mblock.  There are many improvements that could be made in the module and I know that III is working on making some of the changes.  If you want more details on our use of the module, please call me.  We are a consortia with 40 libraries serving 80 locations with 25 of our libraries using the module.

Martha Pitchford
Assistant Director
Lakeland Library Cooperative
4138 3 Mile Rd. NW
Grand Rapids MI 49544-1134
616-559-5253 x202
616-559-4329 fax

---------- Original Message -----------
From: {quot}Leo Papa{quot} <papal@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: {quot}IUG INNOPAC List{quot} <innopac@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thu, 15 Jan 2004 14:38:58 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Re: Collection Agency Report and Software

> Eeva
>
> We just started using the Collection Agency Report module this month and
> it is already quite obvious that it will save us a lot of time over the
> manual processes we had to perform in the past.
>
> The installation went very well and was tested in early December before we
> went {quot}live{quot} this month.  Each night the product checks to see if there are
> any new patrons that meet the collecton agency criteria set up by the
> library.  If so, the MBLCOK field for the patron is coded.
>
> When the report is run (weekly) it creates a file of {quot}new&quot; patrons to be
> sent to the collection agency, based on the MBLOCK field, and it clears
> patrons who have paid their accounts in full. A second file of updates,
> showing fines paid and new balances is also created.
>
> We e-mail these files to our collection agency, but they can also be sent
> via FTP.  Overall I find the product very easy to use.  It saves time and
> I believe it will be a more accurate way of processing and mainttaining
> records for patrons sent to the agency.
>
> Leo Papa
>
> > We're interested in the experience of any library with the III Collection
> > Agency Software and whether you have developed any interface via FTP with
> > a collection agency's software, etc.  How do you find III's Collection
> > Agency Software product--does it save you a lot of time, what are the
> > benefits?  Thanks for any information you can supply!  Kind regards, Eeva
> >
> > Eeva Stierwalt
> > Information Systems Specialist
> > Automated Collection Management
> > London Public Library
> > 251 Dundas St.
> > London, ON  Canada  N6A 6H9
> > t 519.661.5156
> > f 519.663.9013
> > e eeva.stierwalt@xxxxxxxxxx
> >
> >
> > --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts ---
> > multipart/alternative
> >   text/plain (text body -- kept)
> >   text/html
> > ---
> > --
> > This message was distributed through the Innovative Users Group INNOPAC
> > list
> > Public replies:  INNOPAC@xxxxxxxxxx
> > Update your subscription options:
> >
http://innopacusers.org/mailman/listinfo/innopac
> >
>
> Leo Papa
> System Librarian
> Canton Public Library
> papal@xxxxxxxxxx
> 734.397.0999 ext 160
> fax 734.397.1130
> --
> This message was distributed through the Innovative Users Group
> Public replies:  INNOPAC@xxxxxxxxxx
> Update your subscription options:
http://innopacusers.org/ma
------- End of Original Message -------





--- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts ---
text/html (html body -- converted)
---
--
This message was distributed through the Innovative Users Group INNOPAC list
Public replies: INNOPAC@xxxxxxxxxx
Update your subscription options: http://innopacusers.org/mailman/listinfo/innopac