I can’t give you the technical aspects, but this is basically how it works:

Our ILS (Voyager) has a specific field in the detailed line item of each title’s order that is populated with numerical information provided by each of our major vendors.  These vendors have developed programs that are compatible with Voyager.    Each of our check-in components has a publication pattern attached which is determined, as usual, by frequency of publication and various other pieces of data  that are used by the system to determine when to claim issues. 

When an issue is missed, i.e., not checked in,  and a later issue is checked in,  the system pulls the missing issue information and title into a problem file. We then regularly run a report from this file for review title by title as to whether to indeed claim these issues.   If we decide to claim we have an option to claim by EDI or US mail.  If we opt for EDI,  claims go into a transaction file that is picked up and transmitted to the vendor.  I see a receipt note each week in my e-mail that these claims  have been sent.

We can also force claims from the check-in record that immediately go into the transaction file if we wish to avoid the regular procedure.

After the claim has been made you can view them as part of a tab that is available in the history of receipts and there are options for updating and reclaiming , again via EDI or US mail.

We used to spend a consider amount of time printing claim slips, checking shelves, or typing claim letters that delayed actual contact with the vendor.  We still mail a printed claim from our system to smaller vendors who don’t support EDI.  However, the EDI process has really speeded up the claiming process with our major vendors.

That’s it in a nutshell.  Preparing for all of this took the most work, in my opinion, but it was worth it.

I’m sure someone else may be able to explain the technical aspects better.

Sheila M. Hufeld

Bibliographic Services

Milner Library

Illinois State University