How to use the Community Use Case Submission Form
What is this form?
The Community Use Case Submission Form is the primary way WRLC community members can suggest workflow improvements, automation ideas, or Alma-adjacent process changes that could benefit one institution—or many.
These submissions help WRLC:
- Identify repetitive, time-consuming, or error-prone processes
- Understand real-world pain points across institutions
- Prioritize Library Open Workflow (LibOW) automations that deliver the most impact
You do not need to be technical to submit a use case. If something feels clunky, manual, or harder than it should be, that’s exactly what we want to hear.
Why submit a use case?
When you submit a use case, you’re helping:
- Improve workflows not just for yourself, but for the broader WRLC community
- Surface shared challenges that may not be visible at the central office
- Shape where WRLC focuses its LibOW development time
Even ideas that don’t turn into an immediate workflow still help inform future priorities and improvements.
Where to find it
The form is available directly within Alma as a Cloud App, making it easy to submit ideas while you’re already working in the system. No separate login or external tools are required.
Who can access the form?
The Cloud App is available to staff with standard Alma administrative and operator roles, including (but not limited to):
• Acquisitions Administrator
• Circulation Desk Operator
• Fulfillment Administrator
• Invoice Operator
• General System Administrator
• And more
If you have access to Cloud Apps in Alma, you should be able to access the form.
How to Submit a Use Case
The form asks a series of questions designed to WRLC HQ staff enough context to evaluate, design, and (when possible) build a workflow. Below is what each question is asking—and why it matters.
1. Your Institution (IZ)
Why we ask:
Helps us understand whether an issue is local to one institution or shared across multiple IZs, which is a key prioritization factor.
2. Your Email Address
Why we ask:
So we can follow up if something is unclear, missing, or worth exploring further. We won’t spam you.
3. Summary of the Issue or Challenge
Why we ask:
This is the high-level “what’s broken?” description. Think of it as the elevator pitch for the problem.
Tip: Clear, concise summaries help us quickly scan and group similar submissions.
4. Desired Goal or Outcome
Why we ask:
This tells us what “better” looks like to you. Sometimes the same problem can be solved in multiple ways—knowing the goal helps us design the right approach.
Example:
“Automatically notify the team when a report contains a specific value.”
5. Current Workflow Description
Why we ask:
Understanding the current steps helps us see:
• Where time is being spent
• Where errors creep in
• Which steps might be automated, simplified, or removed
You can either:
• Describe the steps directly in the form, or
• Upload a document with screenshots, notes, or diagrams
6. Current Workflow Frequency
Why we ask:
How often a process happens (daily vs. annually) directly affects how much impact an automation could have.
7. Stakeholders
Why we ask:
Knowing who else benefits helps us assess broader community value—especially for workflows that could support multiple teams or roles.
8. Urgency
Why we ask:
Urgency helps us distinguish between:
• Nice-to-have improvements
• Significant efficiency gains
• Issues that block work or create real risk
9. Process Time
Why we ask:
Even rough estimates help us understand potential time savings and return on effort.
10. Additional Comments
Why we ask:
This is your space to add context that didn’t fit elsewhere—constraints, edge cases, or “things that always go wrong.”
Supporting Documentation (Optional but Very Helpful)
You may upload one file (up to 500 MB) to support your submission.
Helpful examples include:
• Screenshots of Alma workflows or settings
• Sample reports or exports
• Marked-up documents showing how data should look
• Step-by-step notes you already use for training or documentation
Attachments are optional, but they significantly speed up understanding and design, especially for complex workflows.
What to Expect After You Submit
Once submitted:
• Your use case is logged and reviewed by the WRLC LibOW team
• We may contact you if clarification or additional detail would help
• Submissions are prioritized based on multiple factors, including:
○ Urgency
○ Time savings or efficiency gains
○ Number of institutions or stakeholders affected
○ Feasibility and complexity
○ Alignment with current capacity and initiatives
A note on timing and expectations
WRLC is a small staff, and LibOW workflow development is one part of our overall work, not a full-time role for any single person. As a result:
• Not all submissions will result in a built workflow
• Some excellent ideas may not be actionable right away
• Prioritization may change over time as new needs emerge
Every submission is still valuable and helps guide future work—even if it doesn’t lead to an immediate build.
Need More Info or Want to Add Details?
If you:
• Need help submitting a use case
• Want to add additional information after submitting
• Have questions about the status of a request
Please contact the WRLC Help Desk using the instructions here:
