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IRM Evolving Workflows
IRM Workflow Review Task Force Final Report
Prioritizing and Planning
Workflows Template
The IRM Department has experienced significant changes in the last few years due to numerous factors: changing user expectations, retirements, the shift from print to electronic resources, new formats and new kinds of resources, and enhanced management tools. IRM has engaged in ongoing assessment and revision of many workflows to adapt to these changes, more as triage than as a defined plan of action.
In 2014, the IRM Workflow Review Task Force released a report that included an environmental scan of peer institutions, survey results from internal surveys, and recommendations on how to move forward. In 2016 and beyond, we will build on the work of the Task Force in conjunction with supporting the Libraries Three-Year Plan. Specifically, we will develop, advance and engage in processes that allow our staff to support critical workflows, utilize current skill sets and acquire new skills necessary to build, provide access to, and maintain our scholarly collections.
Evolving Workflows Action Plan:
1.Discuss action plan: March/April
At March 30th department meeting
In April at unit meetings
At April 27th department meeting
2.Review and document current workflows: May-July
3.Analysis of workflows: May-Sept
What do we need to keep doing?
What are we doing that needs to change?
What can we stop doing?
What do we need to be doing that we are not doing?
4.Card sort activity: Oct
Create cards of updated workflows
Divide department personnel into 4 to 6 groups for this activity
Each group will sort like workflows into separate categories/groupings
Record the results from each group
5.Analysis of card sort activity: Oct (starting at retreat)
6.Identify possible models for department organization: Oct-Nov
Combine needs, discards and shifts to come up with at least 2 possibilities for the evolution of our current departmental structure/workflows
Discuss as a group and select the best option
Design new departmental structure
7.Pre-implementation: Nov-Dec
Rework and refine job descriptions
Establish a preliminary list of positions needed
Determine how training will occur and establish a timeline
Document workflows (new, changed and those that stay the same but have not already been documented)
8.Conduct training/implement updated departmental structure: Jan-June 2017
Proposed Timeline: