RFID and Evidence Based Stock Management
- We use Evidence Based Stock Management software, a system called SmartSM from the company BridgeAll. There is an automated monthly data extract from Symphony to a separate database system. This is scheduled at 9.15am on the 1st of every month and takes just under half an hour. The extracted file is automatically sent by ftp to BridgeAll, where it is automatically loaded into SmartSM and made available. The result is presented in a web interface with pre-designed tailored reports. We made decisions centrally about the parameters used in these reports and they can be changed for specific reasons, or for specific sites where different parameters would better suit the library. The system is easy for staff to use with minimal training and there is no impact on the live Symphony system.
Lists of stock can be printed off and staff search manually for the items – that is how we started. Now there is also an option to download the reports to a hand-held scanner – such as to this example from 3M. Again there is a parameter to specify which company’s scanner is in use in the authority. We’ve concentrated on two areas of SmartSM using Stock Management software – there are other facilities within it.