Skip to main content

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.
  1. Open Alma
  2. Navigate to Cloud Apps
  3. Select Library Open Workflows
  4. Choose "LibOW Community Use Case Suggestion Form"Form

 LibOW CLoud FOrm.png



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 provide WRLC HQ staff with enough context to evaluate, design, and (when possible) build a workflow. Below is what each question is asking—and why it matters.matters:

    1. Your name
    So we can follow up with you if something is unclear, missing, or worth exploring further.
    2. 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.
    2.3. 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.
    3.4. 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.
    4.5. 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.”
    5.6. 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

    If stepsyou directlywould inprefer the form, or

    • Upload ato document withthis screenshots,information notes,as orpart diagrams
    of your attached file, simply note that fact here.

    6.7. Current Workflow Frequency
    Why we ask:
    How often a process happens (daily vs. annually) directly affects howthe muchlikely impact of an automation could have.automation.
    7.8. Stakeholders
    Why we ask:
    Knowing who else benefits helps us assess broader community value—especially for workflows that could support multiple teams or roles.roles or institutions.
    8.9. Urgency
    Why we ask:
    Urgency helps us distinguish between:
    •
        • Nice-to-have improvements
    •
  • Significant efficiency gains
    • •
  • Issues that block work or create real risk
    • 9.10. Process Time
    Why we ask:
    Even rough estimates help us understand potential time savings and return on effort.
    10.11. 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.”

    12.
    Supporting Documentation (Optional but Very Helpful)
    You may upload one file (up to 5004 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 builtworkflow workflow
    build,
    •and Somesome excellentstrong ideas may not be actionableaddressed immediately as priorities evolve. Even when a workflow is not built right awayaway, every submission helps inform future LibOW development and highlights shared needs across the community.
    • Prioritization may change over time as new needs emerge
    EveryThe submissionteam iswill stilldo valuableits best to keep the community informed of progress through direct outreach, the WRLC Newsletter, and helps guide future work—even if it doesn’t leadupdates to anthe immediateWorkflow build.Catalog.

    Need More InfoHelp or Want to Add Details?

    Followup?
    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:

    image.png

    Back to top