Bug 17150 - Enhance cancelling holds over process [OMNIBUS]
Summary: Enhance cancelling holds over process [OMNIBUS]
Status: NEW
Alias: None
Product: Koha
Classification: Unclassified
Component: Hold requests (show other bugs)
Version: Main
Hardware: All All
: P5 - low enhancement (vote)
Assignee: Bugs List
QA Contact: Testopia
URL:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2016-08-18 23:21 UTC by Christopher Brannon
Modified: 2020-01-11 15:02 UTC (History)
6 users (show)

See Also:
Change sponsored?: ---
Patch complexity: ---
Documentation contact:
Documentation submission:
Text to go in the release notes:
Version(s) released in:


Attachments
Cancel Hold buttons (86.67 KB, image/png)
2016-08-18 23:21 UTC, Christopher Brannon
Details
Transfer Popup (50.61 KB, image/png)
2016-08-18 23:21 UTC, Christopher Brannon
Details
Hold Popup (59.13 KB, image/png)
2016-08-18 23:22 UTC, Christopher Brannon
Details
Transfer and hold popups (51.27 KB, image/png)
2016-08-18 23:22 UTC, Christopher Brannon
Details

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Description Christopher Brannon 2016-08-18 23:21:17 UTC
Created attachment 54584 [details]
Cancel Hold buttons

I'm not seeing a bug with all of this spelled out exactly, so if I repeat something already posted, I'm sorry.  It may be that some of this needs to be broken into different bugs, or is already addressed in another bug.  I am linking together what I know to be part of the problem, but not the whole picture.

Cancelling a hold that is over is a tedious process at best.  I'll try to explain what we are seeing.

So, when we go to the Holds over tab in the Holds awaiting pickup, we find the item.

Issue #1 (holds01.png): Even though the buttons are different, they don't act different, they are not even necessarily accurate about the item, and they have lost functionality between 3.18 to 3.22.

Issue #2:  Even though a transfer might be triggered, you have to check the item in to get the slip.  Waste of time.  It should come up with this choice when the transfer is triggered while cancelling (holds04.png).

Issue #3:  Even though the item might have another hold request, it isn't revealed when you cancel the hold.  So, you have to check EVERYTHING in that you cancelled to see if there is a hold, or a pending transfer.  Again, this should happen when cancelling the hold.

Issue #4: As mentioned in issue #1, the buttons are not very accurate about what happens next with the item.  Sometimes there is a hold request at the current location (holds05.png).  So, you have to check ALL of these items in to find out if they have holds.  Again, this should happen when cancelling the hold.

Issue #5: Even though there is a hold request for an item you are cancelling, cancelling the hold applies a transfer.  So, when you check the item in after cancelling, you see a transfer to the item's home location AND the hold request (holds06.png).  This is CONFUSING and crazy.  Especially if it is to the same location.  We end up having to cancel the hold, check the item in, cancel the transfer, check the item in again, and then trigger the hold.  Why not just skip cancelling the transfer and trigger the hold?  Because the transfer will still be in the system!  Crazy!

Issue #6: When you cancel a hold, you get bounced back to the Holds waiting tab, so you have to click back over to the Holds over tab for the next item.  I think there is another bug on this one, but I can't find it at the moment.

So, why don't we just use the Cancel All button (by the way, shouldn't it read "Cancel all")?  Because not all the items are still in our hands.  Some items end up walking out without being checked out.

Issue #7: It would be great if there were a button to mark the item missing, or maybe someone calls and finds out the person has the item, so a button to check the item out to that patron would be great.

Issue #8: I've noticed another little quirk.  If you compare holds04.png with holds06.png, you'll see that the transfer popups are different.  holds04.png has no buttons.  Just links.  I know that one transfer is related to the hold, which doesn't make sense because when we cancel it, it doesn't affect the hold.

Issue #9: You may also notice on holds06.png, the address fits on the full line in the transfer popup, but not in the holds popup.  The popup boxes are the same size, and the bullets offset in the same place, so something is off on the formatting.

Issue #10: Cancelling a hold takes 2 to 3 times longer in 3.22 than it did in 3.18.  This is surprising since the popups were taken away!

So, ideally, if these are legitimate issues, and are addressed, this is what we would expect to see:

1: Just show a Cancel button for all items with the words "Cancel hold".  What happens when you click the button should be self explanatory.  Perhaps if Koha didn't have to determine the next status of the item just to create a button, the refresh of the page would improve.  Hmmmmm....
2: When you cancel a hold, if the item needs to go home, it will show the transfer popup to let you print the slip.
3: When you cancel a hold, if the item has a hold, it doesn't trigger a transfer, and only shows the hold popup, whether it is a local hold or going somewhere else.
4: Whether it has a popup or not, when done with the popup it should put you back on the same tab you were last on.
5: Buttons should be on the transfer popup.
6: Formatting should be consistent between the hold and transfer popups (I know, this is sooooo trivial).
7: We should have more options for holds that are over, than just Cancel, since there are other things that can be happening, like missing or already with the patron.  A "Mark missing" button and a "Checkout to this patron" button would be nice.

Sorry if this sounds like a rant.  I know that how we do things isn't the way everyone does things, but this has bugged me for a LONG time, and I think these are some great improvements, even if they need to be tweaked a bit to accommodate other workflows.  I will add the screens and see alsos in a moment.
Comment 1 Christopher Brannon 2016-08-18 23:21:49 UTC
Created attachment 54585 [details]
Transfer Popup
Comment 2 Christopher Brannon 2016-08-18 23:22:09 UTC
Created attachment 54586 [details]
Hold Popup
Comment 3 Christopher Brannon 2016-08-18 23:22:40 UTC
Created attachment 54587 [details]
Transfer and hold popups
Comment 4 Christopher Brannon 2016-09-23 15:14:53 UTC
Broke down these suggestions into separate bugs.  See the see also section.