Code1, Code2, etc. and Acquisitions with Multiple Accounting Units

["West, Barbara - HPL" <Barbara.West@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Good afternoon, all.  My questions are for those of you who use the
Acquisitions modules with multiple accounting units.  A little background,
first.

HALAN is a consortium with 8 members, only one of which is currently using
the Acquisitions module.  That institution is a long-time user of Innopac,
dating back to the days when HALAN used another ILS for its cataloging/OPAC
interface.  Perhaps understandably, they have tailored Some of the codes to
their own needs.

When we went with III, we purchased all the basic modules with the
expectation that each member would eventually be using them, with some
phased in immediately and others later.  Everyone has been using MillCirc,
GuiCat, and the WebOPAC from the time of migration in late 1999 - early
2000.  A few others began using MilSer a year or two later, with more to
come.  I have been charged with training those, other than the original
member institution, who wish to begin using MilAcq.  Fortunately, separate
accounting units were set up for each institution at the time of migration.
Where I think we've run into trouble is that while some order record fields
are limited to tables that are controlled by accounting unit, (vendors and
funds) not all fields are!

The original institution has been using CODE1 and CODE 2, renamed, for PO#
and PO# continued.  They have almost completely filled the allotment of 32
codes in each of those fields.  This leads me to two questions:

1.  From what I have been able to tell from the manual, those fields and
their limits of 32 apply  System-wide. That is, each accounting unit does
-not- get its own set of 32 codes in each of those fields, but must share
the codes in those two fields.  Can someone using multiple accounting units
confirm this?

2.  I am assuming the worst, and bracing myself for some delicate
maneuvering to allow the other accounting units to include their own unique
PO#'s in their order records.  It is unlikely that they will all be able to
use the few remaining slots in Code1 and Code2 to do this. It is also
unlikely that the original user of Innopac Acquisitions within our
consortium will be willing to give up one of its fields.  (I suspect the
original intent, which I cannot find documented anywhere, was to have User A
have free rein in Code1/PO# and the other consortium members would share
Code2/PO# Continued.)  That seems to leave me with the choice of looking for
another field altogether to move -everyone's- PO# information into, since
everyone must agree on where the PO# is printed on the order form!    So:
     a.  What fields have others with multiple accounting units used to
contain purchase order number information?
     b.  What fields do you print on your order form?  So far, I don't see a
way to print anything except "Locations and codes" in that bottom block with
the red arrows sternly demanding "Purchase order Number."
    

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Barbara F. West, Assistant Database Administrator
Houston Area Automated Library Network (HALAN)
500 McKinney Ave.
Houston, TX 77002-2534
Phone:   832-393-1410
Fax: 	   713-247-1182
E-Mail:  Barbara.West@xxxxxxxxxx