Automated Request Manager - Enhancing ARM Workflows Using the ARMMatchField Customization Key

Starting with ILLiad Connection Manager v9.2.4, the ARMMatchField customization key can be used to configure more granular Automated Request Manager (ARM) automation matches in OCLC in order to support more nuanced ARM workflow options in ILLiad. This article will outline the modified processing workflow for requests sent to ARM using the ARMMatchField key and the configuration steps necessary to configure this feature in ILLiad and your OCLC WorldShare ILL settings.

Workflow Overview

Workflow Description

In addition to monitoring the default Awaiting ARM Sending queue, the ILLiad Connection Manager will also monitor all queues/statuses named in the format Awaiting {ARMMATCH} ARM Sending for requests to send to the Automated Request Manager. The {ARMMATCH} portion of the queue name can be configured with a specific value that will be sent from ILLiad to OCLC when creating the direct request (e.g., Awaiting Atlas ARM Sending). When an ILLiad request is routed to a queue named in this format (either manually by staff or automatically by ILLiad using a routing rule) and sent to ARM by the Connection Manager, ILLiad will insert the {ARMMATCH} value that is present in the queue name into the OCLC field specified by the ARMMatchField key in the ILLiad Customization Manager when creating the request in ARM.

An ARM automation profile can then be configured in your OCLC ARM settings to match on that specific value in that OCLC field in order to apply specific automation actions on only those requests sent from the Awaiting {ARMMATCH} ARM Sending queue (e.g., to apply a specific set of constant data to those requests and/or to use a specific custom holdings path to build the lender string, etc.). If a request is sent to lenders using this ARM automation, that request will follow the usual process for fulfillment through ARM and the associated ILLiad request will be updated to Request Sent.

If the automation is set to route the request to review or if the request is routed to review by ARM because it cannot be filled by the lenders, then the associated ILLiad request will be routed to the Awaiting {ARMMATCH} ARM Manual Review queue where {ARMMATCH} will be the value that was set in the OCLC field specified by the ARMMatchField key at the beginning of this process. If a lending string was created and added to the request during processing in ARM, it will be retained on the ILLiad request when the request is routed to the review queue. From the Awaiting {ARMMATCH} ARM Manual Review queue, staff can then:

• Manually process the request and route it to other sources for fulfillment, if applicable
• Configure a routing rule that will automatically route requests out of the Awaiting {ARMMATCH} ARM Manual Review queue into another ILLiad queue for processing

• Send the request back through ARM using the default Awaiting ARM Sending queue in order to attempt to match that request on a different ARM automation profile you have configured in your OCLC ARM settings for fulfillment

  Note: The Import Into Resubmission button should be used on the unfilled request before sending it back through ARM. 

  Additional Processing Notes

  • When a request is sent to ARM through the default Awaiting ARM Sending queue without the {ARMMATCH} portion in the queue name or through the legacy Awaiting Direct Request Sending queue (used to send ARM requests to OCLC with ILLiad Connection Manager v9.2.2 or earlier), that request will be processed through the default ARM/Direct Request workflow without sending and storing any additional information in the OCLC field specified by the ARMMatchField key.
  • Requests sent through an Awaiting {ARMMATCH} ARM Sending queue that are routed to review by ARM will be sent to the Awaiting ARM Manual Review queue (without the {ARMMATCH} portion in the queue name) if the OCLC field specified in the ARMMatchField key is blank on the OCLC request after the request has been processed through ARM.
  • An info-level message will be added to the ILLiad Connection Manager log that states, "Unable to find value for ARM match field {ARMMatchField} on OCLC request {OCLC number} (Transaction number {Transaction number})." in either case above when the ARMMatchField key has been configured with a value in order to note that the request has been processed outside of the ARMMatchField workflow.

Example Use Case

For example, if your ARMMatchField customization key in the ILLiad Customization Manager is set to Patron Notes and your ILLiad request is routed (manually or automatically using a routing rule) into a custom queue you have configured named Awaiting Atlas ARM Sending, then the Connection Manager will insert the value Atlas into the Patron Notes field on the OCLC request that is created when the ILLiad request is sent to ARM. You can then configure an ARM automation in your OCLC settings that will match on all requests with the value Atlas in the Patron Notes field and apply specific automation actions to handle those requests, for example:

After the automation is configured, ILLiad requests routed into the Awaiting Atlas ARM Sending queue will have those actions applied when sent to ARM from ILLiad. If those requests are then routed to review by ARM (either in the case that the automation actions are set to route to review or in the case that the request cannot be filled by the lenders), they will be sent to the Awaiting Atlas ARM Manual Review queue in ILLiad where the request can be reviewed by staff and either sent back to ARM through the default Awaiting ARM Sending queue to attempt to match on a different ARM automation, or processed outside of ARM for fulfillment. If a lending string was constructed for the request during ARM processing, this information will be retained on the ILLiad request for staff to review.

Configuration Steps

To use this feature you will need to configure the following settings in ILLiad and your OCLC WorldShare ILL settings:

1. Decide which OCLC field should be used to store the {ARMMATCH} value and perform the ARM automation match in OCLC when ILLiad requests are sent to ARM from the Awaiting {ARMMATCH} ARM Sending queue, then configure the name of this OCLC field in the ARMMatchField customization key in the ILLiad Customization Manager under Borrowing | Direct Request

   The OCLC field used in the ARMMatchField customization key must be a field that can be used to perform an ARM automation match. For a list of these fields, see the OCLC ARM documentation.
   The value entered in the ARMMatchField key is not case-sensitive and can also be entered either with or without spaces.
2. Create a new automation profile in your OCLC ARM settings that will be applied to requests containing the {ARMMATCH} value in the OCLC field that you configured in the ARMMatchField customization key in the previous step. For an example of what this may look like, see the Example Use Case section above.
3. Enable manual routing to the Awaiting {ARMMATCH} ARM Sending queue and/or configure a routing rule that will send certain requests to the queue based on the match string criteria for the rule: 
   
   1. Open the ILLiad Customization Manager

   2. If manual routing to the queue should be enabled for staff, add a record for the Awaiting {ARMMATCH} ARM Sending queue with the process type of Borrowing to the CustomQueues table (located under System | Custom Queues)

      When configuring this queue, ensure that you replace {ARMMATCH} with the specific value you want to be sent to and stored in the OCLC field configured in the ARMMatchField customization key (e.g. to send the value Atlas, the queue name should be configured as Awaiting Atlas ARM Sending)

   3. If automatic routing to the queue should be enabled in ILLiad, configure a routing rule in the Routing table (located under System | Routing) that will route ILLiad requests meeting your desired match string criteria into the Awaiting {ARMMATCH} ARM Sending queue

      Please ensure that the RuleActive value for the routing rule is set to No until you are ready to go live with this feature (step 5 below). 
      For examples of different routing rules and match string criteria that can be used to send requests to ARM, see Automated Request Manager - Sample Direct Request Routing Rules. For more information on configuring routing rules, see Configuring Routing Rules.
4. If you are configuring the ARM service with ILLiad for the first time, follow the steps in the documentation to configure the remaining required ARM settings across ILLiad and OCLC
5. When ready to go live, activate the routing rule that will route requests into the Awaiting {ARMMATCH} ARM Sending queue (if you configured this rule in step 3) or begin manually routing requests into the queue for processing