Workflows, Requests, Tasksand EMu

Mark BradleyNational Gallery of Australia

Introduction

• project to replace NGA’s current Collection Services Request System (CSRS)

• general “project management” issues for collecting institutions

• thoughts on how to proceed in developing a solution within Emu

• seeking interest from you

Contents

• why we need request/task management

• current solution (history of CSRS)• issues we currently face• can EMu help solve these issues?• challenges - the big picture

Why do we need request/task

management?

resources decreasing

workloads increasing

efficiencydividend

staff looking for help

increasing need to systematically track

workflows/tasks

work getting more complex

Who? Movements

Conservation

any activitywith a

timeline/deadlineLoans

Installations

Storage Curators

ImagingPacking

History of CSRS at NGA

• competing priorities– digitally documenting the collection– providing high-quality images for

internal and external publication– photographing gallery events

• Imaging department

History of CSRS at NGA

In 2004 the Imaging department

created by a staff member

Imaging Services Request System

Implementedin-house bespoke system

to manage the request and supply of images.

History of CSRS at NGA

•SQL Server back-end•Access front-end

•Connects with EMu’s standard libraries

(APIs)

(for the geeks)

Imaging Services Request System

• enabled IRU clients torequest images– for publication (marketing,

catalogues, books, the web)– ID shots in EMu– for presentations– of events (openings, etc)

Imaging Services Request System

• enabled IRU staff to:– check existing image database

(avoid repeating work)– manage competing priorities– track progress

From ISRS …

• Other departments noticed potential to track other activities

• ISRS expanded to include management of requests for:– Conservation– Movements– Loans/Packing

…to CSRS

• system became known as CSRS – the Collection Services Request System.

CSRS Issues– why change?

• Wouldn’t run on Macs• Many technical issues• Created by internal staff member, who

later departed • No service level agreement with the

creator• Fixes made when creator could find

time (holidays, flex time)

CSRS Issues– why change?

• Could not keep pace with:– changes to gallery processes– repurposing of gallery spaces– or upgrades to CMS

CSRS Issues– why change?

• We tried paying a third party consultant to work on the system

• had to reverse engineer the design before able to work on it

• expensive way to go

staff looking for help

And so they turn to EMu

EMu solution options

• My task has been to conjure up a way to make EMu do what CSRS does.

• But better.

Tasks?

• Pest Checks and Notifications • utilised EMu’s tasks function

Tasks?• So close, but…

– spread across different modules, so no single list of tasks, nor ability to relate tasks to each other

– not in all modules (notably Locations and Multimedia)

– no way of associating a request with over-arching project (such as an exhibition)

– cannot cover the scope of the Imaging requirements

Tasks?• Could work, but would need some

serious customising

New Requests Module?

• Perhaps a better solution• Pros:

– all tasks in one place = easy search– different tabs for different types of

tasks

• Cons:– expensive– slow to develop

Challenges

• Link with existing Imaging Database?

• What happens when we move to a DAMS?

Is EMu even the right system?

• The itunes generation are looking for modern, simple interfaces.

• Event the modest CSRS is more inviting than EMu’s interface

• Staff want something closer to Outlook for task lists

• DAMS will likely be web-based

The Big Picture

• Tasks are just tasks – how do dependencies work?

Task Dependencies

• Task Templates in EMu allow dependencies to be entered.

• But that seems to suggest a set “critical path”

Is Critical Path the right path?

• there is no such thing at the NGA• flexibility is more important.• rigid systematic controls are seen

to hinder rather than help when deadlines are looming

• shortcuts

Summary• increasing need for

workflow management tools

• can it be done in EMu?

• can it be done well in EMu?

• do staff really want this?

That’s all

• keen to discuss if anyone’s interested

Mark Bradley

mark.bradley@nga.gov.au

(02) 6240 6539