Average turnaround time down from days to hours

The challenge​

Manual handling of material means slow workflow

With circulation approaching one million items a year, Worcester Public Library needed to switch from manual to automated material handling. Manual handling meant that up to several days could pass between an item being returned and it reappearing on the shelves, with many different people involved in the process.

The solution

Switch from manual to automated material handling

Worcester Public Library in Massachusetts, USA formed a task force to look at Automated Material Handling (AMH) with the aim of streamlining inefficient workflows and improving the working environment.

The average time post AMH-implementation is almost down to just two hours. Circulation increased 30%, staff has been redeployed to less fatiguing and more challenging work, with employee and customer satisfaction increasing exponentially.

Lyngsoe Systems were asked to look at ways of solving Worcester’s problems after a fact-finding visit by the task force to the Darien Library in neighboring Connecticut, where Lyngsoe Systems Integrated Library System (ILS) was in use. A report backed up by statistics was compiled with recommendations to the city management and approved. Lyngsoe Systems designed the system around Worcester’s needs and it went live in 2013. The average time it took for a returned item to go from check-in to the shelf was cut from several days (and sometimes even weeks) to just 2 hours. Productivity is up, job satisfaction up, customer service levels up, whilst levels of occupational injuries and sickness are down – along with costs.

The results

Worcester Public Library streamlined inefficient workflows

• Switch from manual to automated material handling
• Much faster handling of materials
• Redeployment of staff to more productive work
• Reduction in staff fatigue
• Improved customer satisfaction