Using New Features in Alma to Set Up Easier Queries in Analytics

There are new features available in Alma that allow for an easier setup of queries in analytics. Our Acquisitions department wanted a clear picture of throughput of physical items focusing on shelf-ready. We created norm rules that add a PO line note at the point of import declaring whether the material is shelf-ready or not. This marks each new POL. We then added the same POL notes retrospectively using analytics queries and an API that added the appropriate note. Once all of our PO Lines were accounted for we could make some simple queries and a dashboard. The advantage of this was maintainability of the data. Going forward it was automatically being accounted for and we simply needed to adjust the Import profile to have a different norm rule should a plan change. Meanwhile the data is clean and accurately shows what is coming in shelf-ready.