Week 7: Acquisitions

Occasionally, Ex Libris or Internal Training will make edits to the training exercises after the initial posting based on user feedback. If you would like to keep up with any changes made to this page, please add yourself as a Watcher.

Videos

Acquisitions (under Alma Essentials): 
https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Training/Alma_Essentials/Alma_Essentials_-_English/D_Acquisitions

• 01 Acquisitions Conceptual Background (11 min)

• 02 Purchasing Workflows (26 min)

• 03 Activation Workflows (13 min)

• 04 Receiving Workflows (17 min)

• 05 Creating Invoices Manually (12 min)

• 06 Acquisitions Invoicing Workflows (13 min)

Acquisitions (under Administration Fundamentals): 
https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Alma/Training/Alma_Essentials/Alma_Essentials_-_English/G_Administration_Fundamentals

• AQ-01 Import Profiles (9 min)

• AQ-02 Acquisition Workflow Rules (9 min)

• AQ-03 Finance Integration (7 min)

Hands-on Exercises: Acquisitions

Instructions

PHYSICAL ONE TIME WORKFLOW:

Exercise 1: Create a PO line for a print book - one time purchase

1. Order with a bib record:
   In a collaborative network, to avoid creating duplicate bib records, the recommended best practice is that staff members always search and use the titles in the NZ first. If the title is not available in the NZ, then import the records using other methods such as Search Resources (OCLC, WorldCat), Connexion, etc.

Option 1: Order with the bib from the NZ. 

• Search for title of a print book of your choice in the NZ (using the persistent search box All Titles search NZ option in the drop down), find a record that doesn't have any icon (no CZ or IZ icons). 

• Click Order

  Open

  

Option 2: If the bib doesn't exist in the NZ, search external resources to import the bib record:

• Go to Resources > Cataloging > Search Resources

• In Search Cataloging Profile: Library of Congress, search for a book of your choice

• Click Import to import the record into Alma

• Click the Shopping Cart icon (Create POLine & Exit Ctrl+Alt+O)

  Open

  

 2. On the PO Line Owner and Type screen:

• PO line type: choose “Print Book – One time”. Note that once this purchase type is selected and the PO line is created, it can't be changed as it affects the options downstream.

• PO line owner: choose Main Library. This determines which receiving department will receive the item

• Load from template: leave blank

• Assign inventory manually: leave blank

• Click Create PO line

3. On the Purchase Order Line Details screen:

• Acquisition method: choose Purchase at Vendor System. This means “I already ordered this at the vendor’s site and am just creating a copy of the order in Alma”. 

  • Note: 
    Purchase = “Send the order to the vendor (via EDI or email)”.  Once an order is submitted, acquisition method of the order line can't be changed.

• Enter required information: Material supplier, list price, quantity for pricing, Add Fund information.

• Reporting codes: If you don't choose one, you'll get a warning. It can be ignored for now.

• Choose “Order Now” to immediately create the PO. Note the POL number.

• Note: After go live, you can choose “Save and Continue” to have the POL packaged in a nightly job (jobs are disabled in the sandbox so don't choose this option).

4. Search for the PO line in the persistent search box. The PO and PO line status should be set to "Sent".

Note:

• Review the POL (Optional) - A POL is sent for review if mandatory information is invalid or missing OR if purchasing review rules are defined & the POL was created by the EOD import process.

• Review the PO (Optional) - A PO is sent for review if mandatory information is invalid or missing.

• Approve the PO (Optional) If PO approval has been configured by Ex Libris and “Order Now” was NOT used

Exercise 2: Receive an Order: receive the order created above

1. In Exercise 1 step 2 if you choose Main Library as PO line owner, select your location as Main Library - Main Library Technical Services

2. Go to Acquisition > Receiving and Invoicing > Receive

3. On the Receive New Material screen:

   • Check “Keep in Department” if additional processing (barcoding, cataloging) is needed

   • Click the checkbox next to the item and click Receive

   • If “Keep in Department” is checked, go to Acquisition > Post-Receiving Processing > Receiving Department Items. Perform the physical work that needs to be done, changing the status in Alma, as needed. Right click on the item to Edit Inventory Item to add a barcode, copy number, item policy, etc.

   • Click the checkbox next to the item and click Done

Note:

• If the Acquisitions Department is managed by the Circulation Desk, the item will have a status of “Item In Place”. 

• If the Acquisitions Department is NOT managed by the Circulation Desk, scan the item in at the Circulation Desk to remove the “In Transit” status.  

   

Exercise 3: Create an invoice from PO: create an invoice for the order in exercise 1 above

1. Go to Acquisitions > Receiving and Invoicing > Create Invoice

2. On the Select Invoice Creation Process screen

   • Select From PO

   • Leave Handle Receiving box unchecked. (Note: Check this option if have not done the steps in exercise 2 and you want to process receiving the material directly after the invoice is created.)

   • Click Next

3. On the Select PO screen:
   Enter the PO number of order created in exercise 1 above

4. On the Invoice Details screen:

5. Information from the PO is populated in the invoice

6. Summary tab > Payment method: choose Credit card. This is just for recording the payment method used. Note: Accounting department - Use if Alma is connected to an ERP. When this payment method is selected, the Prepaid check box in the Payment section is disabled and cannot be selected.

7. Click  Save and Continue

8. Search for the invoice in the persistent search box. If the invoice's status is "Waiting for payment"

   • To close the invoice, right click on the invoice, click Go to task list

   • Right click on the invoice and click Edit

   • In the Invoice Details screen, change Payment status from Not Paid to Paid, add Payment identifier. Click Save and Continue.

   • The status of the invoice should be set to "Closed" now. It's possible to configure your production environment so that invoices are closed immediately after they are created

      

Note on statuses:

1. Invoice sent to Review status if: (1) Review rules are configured or (2) Save is used instead of Save and Continue or (3) Data issues or alerts are discovered during processing

2. Invoice sent to In Approval status if Approval rules are configured

3. Invoice is set to “Ready to be Paid” if the invoice is ready to be sent to the ERP System

4. Invoice is set to “Waiting for Payment” if

   1. the invoice was successfully sent to the ERP OR

   2. if the invoice needs to be manually paid by an operator in Alma (invoice_skip_erp = true & handle_invoice_payment = true)

5. Invoice is set to “Closed” if: 

   1. the ERP has marked an invoice as paid or

   2. An operator has manually marked the invoice as “Paid” or

   3. Prepaid/Internal Copy option was checked or

   4. the institution does not require approved invoices to be exported to the ERP or be manually approved (handle_invoice_payment = false)

ELECTRONIC COLLECTION CONTINUOUS WORKFLOW
Exercise 4: Create a PO line for an electronic collection - subscription

1. In the persistent search box, search Electronic Collection in the CZ for a collection of your choice that has not been activated in the IZ.
   Click […] then click Order

2. In the PO Line Owner and Type screen:
   PO line type: choose Electronic Collection - Subscription 

   
    PO line owner: select the library of your choice 
   Click Create PO line

3. On Purchase Order Line Details screen:

          Summary tab:

   License: Attach a license if it's relevant

   Acquisition method: choose Purchase at Vendor System. This means “I already ordered this at the vendor’s site and am just creating a copy of the order in Alma”. 

   Enter required info: Material supplier, List price, Quantity for pricing, Fund.

   Fields specific to Electronic related PO line type (such as Electronic Collection or Electronic portfolio):

   Select Access provider as needed

   
   Info in the Expected activation after ordering (Days), Or expected activation date, E-Activation due after ordering (days) come from the vendor records

   Renewal section: specific to subscription or continuous PO line type: enter required fields Renewal date and Renewal reminder period (days)

   Click “Order Now” to immediately create the PO. Note the POL number. 
   
   

4.  Search for the Order lines > PO line in the persistent search box. The PO and PO line status should be set to "Sent".

    

Exercise 5: Activate the electronic collection
Search for the PO line in the persistent search box. Click Go to task list. Click […] then click Activate, OR

Go to Resources> Manage Electronic Resource Activation, go to Unassigned tab, find the collection ordered in exercise 4.Click […] then click Activate

Go through the electronic collection activation process similar to how it's done in exercise 2 of Electronic Resource Management module hands on exercises.

Exercise 6: Create an invoice manually: create an invoice for the electronic collection order in exercise 4 above

1. Go to Acquisitions > Receiving and Invoicing > Create Invoice

2. On the Select Invoice Creation Process screen

   • Select Manually 

3. Leave Handle Receiving box unchecked. 

4.  Click Next

5. On the Invoice Details screen:

   • Enter required information: Invoice number (for example: 123456), Vendor, Total amount, Invoice date, Owner that match with the information entered for the order created above.

   • Payment method: choose Credit card. This is just for recording the payment method used. Note: Accounting department - Use if Alma is connected to an ERP. When this payment method is selected, the Prepaid check box in the Payment section is disabled and cannot be selected.

   • Click Save and Create Invoice Lines

6. In the Invoice Details screen

   • Go to Invoice Lines tab, click Add invoice line

7. The Add Invoice Line pop up screen appears.

   • PO line: click Select From List icon to search for the PO line created above and choose it when it appears.

   • The invoice line will be populated with price, quantity and fund information from the PO line.

   • Click Add and Close

8. Back to the Invoice Details screen

   • Delete the Invoice lines for Shipment, Discount, Overhead, Insurance that are created automatically. These can be disabled on your production environment should you choose to.

   • Click  Save and Continue

9. Search for the invoice in the persistent search box. If the invoice's status is "Waiting for payment"

   • To close the invoice, right click on the invoice, click Go to task list

   • Right click on the invoice and click Edit

   • In the Invoice Details screen, change Payment status from Not Paid to Paid, add Payment identifier. Click Save and Continue.

   • The status of the invoice should be set to "Closed" now. It's possible to configure your production environment so that invoices are closed immediately after they are created.