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Reactions/comments from planning meeting
Marlene Harris, Cornell's Project Manager from Endeavor Information
Systems, was here for two days September 8 and 9 to provide the
Steering Committee and IMT with project planning training. IMT and
Steering had one joint session each on the two days--the first on
day one, and the last on day two. The training was both intensive
and intense to sit through. It provided a good overview of what's
involved in the implementation--the machines, the data, the people,
the decisions, the steps. A lot of time was spent going over the
kinds and timing of decisions that need to be made. We also became
familiar with the various training modules and the timeline. In
short, the training gave us the tools we need to start working together
in earnest. Here is detail about the content of the planning meeting:
- Introductions, Overview, Organizations
- This was our opportunity to explain to Endeavor how we are
set up to run the implementation process. They want to know who
will be doing what.
- Implementation Process Overview
- Endeavor went through the whole process with us from beginning
to end, reviewing what has to be done, why the sequence of events
is important, etc. They talked about the steps for migrating our
data, which they feel is the biggest issue that we face.
Orientation Training Process
Marlene discussed with us exactly what is covered in the orientation
training. Orientation is the session that the implementation
management team will be doing as our next step in November where
we learn how to configure the Voyager system so that it reflects
Cornell workflows and policies. Endeavor reviewed what decisions
have to be made, and what the implications of those decisions will
be.
Data Migration
Endeavor provided an overview of the data migration process including
some data migration pieces that are unique to Cornell - the additional
development that we bought to migrate more circulation data, the
fund information piece which we will program, but with their assistance,
and the course reserve information that they have agreed to provide
a utility to Cornell so that we can do that ourselves.
Functional/Modular Unit Training Overview
Marlene described what is covered in each of the functional training
sessions. All of the modules that we purchased got brief attention.
EISI Support, User Group, Supportweb
This was a description for us of the service options that we
have, and of the ways that we can communicate with Endeavor.
During the two days Marlene Harris visited the CUL Off Site Facility
with the IMT Work Group responsible for the development project
to build an interface between Voyager and the GFA inventory control
system that supports the library annex facility.This site visit
was necessary because of the puzzling misunderstanding that the
Endeavor people have developed regarding the operation of the Annex,
specifically that we follow an Easter Michigan model instead of
the Harvard model that we have. Clearly, Marlene believes that this
error has implications for the ease with which Endeavor will be
able to work with our vendor, GFA, to develop the interface that
we articulated we wanted during contract negotiations. Susan and
Pat promised to deliver to Marlene at her early October visit a
description of the current work flow at Annex for retrieving and
re-shelving material. Marlene promised to redirect her colleagues'
assumptions regarding our operation. She believes that we will run
into a problem changing locations. However, she said to us and implied
to the larger group that this is a problem for other libraries so
that it should be in Endeavor's interest to address it.
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