How Can Corporations and Businesses Take Advantage of an ILS (Integrated Library System)?

The first Integrated Library Systems may have been developed to replace hands-on material and book tracking in traditional libraries, but their uses have grown far beyond those limited early applications.

While it’s true that ILS platforms are still vital for municipal libraries, universities, research institutions, think tanks, etc., they’ve also become important tools in businesses and other organizations.

Many businesses, from law firms and mortgage lenders to raw good suppliers and distributors, generate massive amounts of paper and digital materials (records, receipts, invoices, etc.). Employees of those businesses may need to adhere to various record-keeping laws or be able to quickly find and access those records.

The fundamental functions of ILS platforms are relevant to many different types of organizations that need to track:

• Acquisitions
• Serials
• Their internal catalogue
• User records
• Location of hard copies or data
• Who accesses what and when
• Request inquiries

ILS platforms are essentially inventory management solutions. Any good modern inventory platform should offer administrators the ability to track everything from new acquisitions to inventory location to who borrowed the inventory out and when.

Just because organizational data is entirely digital doesn’t necessarily mean circulation is unimportant. Being able to track how data is being accessed, requested or used is often important for organizational accountability and internal operational metrics.

Records need to be systematically and uniformly catalogued according to specific parameters. Many businesses can’t adopt a one-size-fits-all software solution. The functionalities they need might be unique to them.

You and your members, employees or partners shouldn’t be forced to adapt to an imperfect software solution. The Integrated Library System solutions developed by Soutron are fully customizable, ensuring the solution your business gets is adapted to your needs.

Why Do Some Organizations Cling to Hard Copy Systems?

Despite what users and workers might assume, administrators and managers don’t always keep antiquated systems simply because that’s what they’re comfortable using and they’re too stubborn to change.

Transferring a massive volume of records into a digital format isn’t just a significant time commitment, it also carries risks of data loss, damage or incompatible formats. Starting down a digitization path only to learn a vital format can’t be incorporated into an ILS could be a monumental disaster.

There are many benefits to working with a partner like Soutron instead of an open-source ILS provider. Perhaps the biggest benefits is the flexibility and customizability of the platform. Our clients trust us because we’ll leave no stone unturned when finding solutions to hurdles that might negatively impact ILS integration.

Strict Access Control and Functionality

Every library, whether it’s a university library or corporate library, has some kind of barrier to entry. Although membership is relatively easy to get, it’s still important for controlling access to the data.

Businesses and organizations may also want to limit access to ILS functionalities based on a variety of user permission parameters. Soutron’s ILS is a highly secure platform that allows only approved users to access data or specific features.

Businesses and Organizations That Use ILS Platforms

We’ve worked with publishers, universities, industry institutes, non-profits, oversight organizations and municipal bodies on fully customized ILS systems. Although our clients operate in vastly different industries, have unique organizational needs and offer different types of services to their users, they all work with Soutron for similar reasons:

• They were looking for an ILS that was easy to use
• They needed a solution that was customizable to their specific needs
• They required comprehensive support, from building and fine-tuning the platform to ongoing IT, help desk and tech support
• Access from around the globe is often a factor

Our team is committed to ensuring that our customized ILS solutions fully meet each client’s needs. Changing Integrated Library Systems is a time and resource-intensive risk, and it’s not a decision any organization makes lightly.

Make sure to read our ILS case studies to see what our clients have to say about their experience with Soutron. Don’t hesitate to contact us at 760-870-4243 for a demo or more information.

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