Understanding Statuses and Queue Organization

Statuses are the heartbeat of your ILL operation. They tell you where each request stands, what needs attention, and how work flows through your department. The Staff Web Client transforms these statuses into organized queues that help you manage workload efficiently. Let's explore how to make statuses and queues work for you, not against you.

The Language of Statuses

Think of statuses as the vocabulary of your ILL workflow. Each status communicates three essential things: where a request is in its journey, what needs to happen next, and who should handle it. When you understand this language, the entire system becomes more intuitive.

System statuses come pre-defined with ILLiad and represent universal ILL processes – submitted, sent to lender, received from lender, checked out to patron. These core statuses ensure compatibility across libraries and with external systems like OCLC.

Custom statuses let you speak your library's specific language. Maybe you have a "Awaiting Professor Approval" status for purchase requests, or "Copyright Review" for questionable articles. These custom statuses reflect your unique workflows and policies.

Queue statuses are the subset that appears in your navigation menu. Not every status needs a queue – some are transitional states that resolve automatically. The queues you see represent collections of requests requiring human attention and decision-making.

Navigating Your Queue Landscape

The sidebar menu organizes queues into logical workflows. This isn't just a list – it's a map of your daily work. Queues are grouped by process type (Borrowing, Lending, Document Delivery) and then arranged to mirror your workflow sequence.

Those numbers next to queue names? They're not just counts – they're calls to action. A growing number might indicate a bottleneck. A zero might mean smooth sailing or could signal a routing problem. Learning to read these patterns helps you manage proactively rather than reactively.

Custom queue categories let you reorganize this landscape to match how you actually work. Create a "Morning Tasks" category for queues you check first thing. Build a "Student Worker Queues" category for training. Design categories that make sense for your team's rhythm and responsibilities.

The Barometer: Your Workflow Weather Station

The barometer visualization transforms abstract numbers into immediate understanding. At a glance, you can see which queues need attention, where requests are aging, and how work is distributed across your operation.

Reading the Signals

Green indicators show healthy queues with normal processing levels. These are your steady-state operations running smoothly. Yellow warnings indicate growing backlogs or aging requests that need attention soon. Red alerts demand immediate action – these queues have exceeded your service thresholds.

But the barometer tells a deeper story than just colors. The relative sizes show workload distribution. Are certain queues consistently larger? That might indicate staffing needs or workflow inefficiencies. Do some queues cycle between empty and overflowing? That suggests batch processing patterns that might need smoothing.

Making the Barometer Work for You

Configure thresholds that match your service commitments. If you promise 24-hour processing for rush requests, set that queue to turn yellow at 18 hours, giving you time to meet the deadline. If book processing typically takes three days, set appropriate thresholds that alert you to delays without creating false alarms.

Use the barometer strategically throughout the day. Check it first thing to plan your priorities. Monitor it mid-day to adjust staffing. Review it before closing to ensure nothing critical sits overnight. This rhythm turns the barometer from a reporting tool into a management compass.

Understanding Request Flow

Requests move through statuses like water through channels – sometimes automatically, sometimes requiring staff navigation. Understanding these flows helps you work with the system's logic rather than against it.

Automatic Routing

Many status transitions happen automatically based on your actions. When you receive an item from a lender, the system routes it to "Received from Lending Library." When a patron returns an item, it moves to "Checked In From Customer." These automatic routes reduce manual work and ensure consistency.

The magic happens through routing rules configured behind the scenes. Time-based routing can move requests automatically – items in "Awaiting Renewal Response" might route to "Recall" after a specified period. Conditional routing can branch based on request characteristics – articles might route differently than loans.

Manual Navigation

Some decisions require human judgment. Should this hard-to-find request be cancelled or sent to document delivery? Should this damaged return generate a bill or be forgiven? Manual routing preserves your ability to handle exceptions and apply policies flexibly.

When routing manually, the system shows only valid destinations based on the current status and your permissions. This prevents workflow errors while maintaining flexibility. The routing interface also lets you add notes explaining your decision, creating an audit trail for unusual situations.

Queue Management Strategies

Effective queue management balances competing priorities: processing speed, accuracy, patron service, and staff sanity. Here's how successful operations make it work:

The Daily Rhythm

Start each day by surveying your queue landscape. Which queues grew overnight? What's aging? Are there any red alerts? This morning reconnaissance takes just minutes but sets your priorities for the day.

Assign staff to queues based on both workload and expertise. Your document delivery expert might clear the scanning queue while newer staff handle straightforward check-ins. Rotate assignments periodically to prevent burnout and build cross-training.

Throughout the day, use the barometer for course corrections. If one queue balloons while another empties, shift resources. If everything's green, maybe tackle some of those long-term projects. The key is staying responsive without becoming reactive.

Batch Processing Wisdom

Grouping similar work improves efficiency, but batch processing requires judgment. Printing all pull slips at once makes sense. Holding all lending decisions until Friday doesn't.

Consider request characteristics when batching. Rush requests obviously can't wait for batch processing. Items from the same lender might ship together. Articles requiring copyright review could be assessed as a group. The goal is finding natural groupings that improve efficiency without sacrificing service.

Managing Queue Depth

Deep queues aren't just numbers – they represent patrons waiting for materials. Monitor queue age as carefully as queue size. Ten requests submitted today are less concerning than three requests sitting for a week.

Set personal or team goals for queue management. "No request older than 48 hours" or "Lending decisions within one business day" create concrete targets. Celebrate when you meet them, analyze when you don't.

Mobile Queue Navigation

The mobile interface reimagines queue management for touch devices. Swipe between queues naturally, like flipping through a deck of cards. Pull down to refresh counts. Tap badges to dive into specific queues.

Mobile excels for queue monitoring and simple processing tasks. Check queue depths while walking between buildings. Process straightforward items during downtime. Clear simple queues from anywhere. Save complex editing and problem resolution for the desktop interface where multiple windows and detailed views make difficult tasks easier.

Advanced Queue Techniques

As you master basic queue management, explore advanced features that multiply your efficiency:

Smart Filtering

Create filtered views that slice queues into manageable chunks. Filter rush requests to the top. Show only items from specific lenders. Display requests older than your service target. These filters don't change the queue – they help you focus on what matters most right now.

Save your most useful filters for instant access. Share brilliant filters with colleagues. Build a library of views that support different tasks and priorities.

Queue Alerts

Configure notifications for queues that need special attention. Get emailed when rush requests arrive. Receive alerts when queues exceed thresholds. Set up daily summaries of queue statistics. These alerts extend your awareness beyond active monitoring.

Performance Analytics

Track your queue metrics over time. Are certain queues consistently problematic? Do delays correlate with specific days or seasons? Which routing paths take longest? This analysis reveals improvement opportunities that daily firefighting might miss.

The Human Side of Queue Management

Remember that queues represent people waiting for information. That growing Document Delivery queue? It's full of researchers needing articles. The Lending queue contains requests from colleagues at other libraries counting on your response.

This human context should inform your queue priorities. A faculty member's rush request for tenure review materials might jump the queue. A community patron's first ILL request might get extra attention to ensure a positive experience. Balance efficiency with empathy.

Building Better Workflows

Use your queue experience to improve workflows continuously. If requests consistently pile up at certain statuses, investigate why. Maybe the status needs clearer documentation. Perhaps the routing rules need adjustment. Or the workflow itself might need redesign.

Document your queue management strategies. What works well? What challenges persist? Share successful techniques with colleagues. Learn from other libraries' approaches. Queue management is both art and science – share your masterpieces and learn from others.

The status and queue system in the Staff Web Client provides the framework for efficient ILL operations. Master these tools, and you'll transform from reactive queue clearing to proactive workflow management. Your patrons receive better service, your staff experience less stress, and your ILL operation runs like the well-oiled machine it should be.