Taking Inventory at a Workstation

You can take inventory from any workstation or PocketCirc unit (for more information about using this device to take inventory, see Entering Barcodes with a PocketCirc Device) that has access to the Horizon database. Horizon tallies items by collection. Input from a barcode reader or a keyboard goes directly to the Horizon Inventory database.

When you take inventory on a workstation, Horizon sets the Start date to the date when you enter the first barcode for a collection. Horizon sets the Finish date to the date when you enter the last barcode for the same collection. If an inventory takes two days, the Start and Finish dates are the same on day one, but when you resume inventory the next day, Horizon updates the Finish date to that day’s date.

Taking inventory at a workstation offers several advantages. You can:

Wheel the terminal (or carry the PocketCirc device) past the shelves or bring books to the terminal.
Enter as many barcodes as you want in a session.
Take immediate note of the exception messages.

(For example, if you enter the barcode of an item that triggers an exception message, the message tells you whether the item has a different collection, location, call number type, or item status. You can immediately reshelve the item instead of waiting until the item appears on the Inventory Exceptions report.)

To take inventory at a workstation

1 Start the Workstation Inventory process.

The default location of this process is the Inventory folder on the navigation bar.

Horizon opens the Workstation Inventory window, then displays the Profile Workstation window.

2 Complete or update these fields in the Profile Workstation Inventory window:

In this field

Do this

Location

Enter the location of the collection for which you want to take inventory. For a list of valid locations, click Codes. (The Location field defaults to the location specified during login.)

Collection

Enter the name of the collection. For a list of valid collection names, click Codes.

Call No. Type

Horizon sets the Call No. Type from the collection name. If you want to, enter an alternate call number type if your library has set the Call Type field in the item record to override the default call number type set in the collection record. (For more information on setting the default, see About Inventory Setup.)

Override Call No. Checks?

If you do not want Horizon to report exceptions for missing call numbers, incorrect call number types, and misshelved items, then mark this box; otherwise, leave this box blank.

Display misshelved messages?

If you want Horizon to display a message when it encounters a misshelved item during the inventory process, mark this box; otherwise, leave this box blank.

Note: If you choose to display misshelved messages, then when Horizon encounters a misshelved item, the system displays a message describing the problem.

Display exception messages?

If you want Horizon to display these messages during the inventory process, mark this box; otherwise, leave this box blank.

Note: If you choose to display exception messages, then when Horizon encounters an exception, the system displays a message describing the problem.

3 Click OK.

Horizon displays the Barcode Collection for Workstation Inventory window:

4 At the Barcode field, scan or enter the barcode or RFID tag for each item in the collection.
5 If your reader does not record a carriage return when you scan barcodes or if you enter the barcode information on the keyboard, do one of these options:
Click Accept and press ENTER.
Press ALT+A at the end of each barcode to add it to the database.
6 Do one of these options:
Resolve exceptions immediately (recommended).

(For example, if you find a misshelved item, reshelve it in its correct place.)

Note: Resolving an exception immediately does not remove that exception from the report. (For instructions, see About Resolving Inventory Issues.)

Wait and print the Inventory Exceptions report after the inventory session or after the entire inventory process for your library is complete, then resolve the exceptions on the report.

(For more information, see Running the Inventory Exceptions Report.)

7 When you finish taking inventory for this collection, click Complete or press ALT+C.

Horizon displays the ID number for the session.

Note: If Horizon encounters an exception and writes it to the exception table, Horizon assigns a session ID number to that inventory session. If several people perform inventory on different ranges of the same collection at the same time, the session ID number helps your library staff focus on printing and resolving the exceptions that occur in their ranges. (For more information on printing and resolving inventory exceptions, see About Resolving Inventory Issues.)

8 Make a note of the session ID number in case you need to print the Inventory Exceptions report just for this session.
9 Click OK.

 


© 1998-2017 Sirsi Corporation