December Client Advisory Meeting Wrap-up

As we welcome in the new year and our next planned software release, back in December we held another Client Advisory Group (CAG) meeting where attendees received a preview of proposed new user workflows which is planned for 2023.

Ongoing Client Meetings

We meet with our clients on a regular basis to discover what short-term trends they are seeing and where they see taking their library in the next 3-5 years. This regular communication is how we understand the challenges our clients face and how we can best support them. Our next software release is an example of how well we listen to the needs of our clients. 

NEW User Search Module Review

At our most recent meeting, the proposed new user search module was shown, with meeting attendees all in agreement that the new search results page provided a nice, clean look, combining functionality on a single page that simplified workflows, such as assigning user roles and groups. Additional existing tabs will be merged, which will further streamline the workflows. 

Of interest to the group was the ability to add new fields to a user record. With this new functionality, a searchable field can be added to the library user record to identify library users who are subject matter experts in a particular field. This new capability will enable the libraries at research centers, engineering firms, law firms, think tanks, and hospitals to quickly identify internal subject matter experts to further help the library meet users at their point of need.  

Using Soutron Outside of the library with the Soutron API

The new clean look of the user record page resulted in a lively discussion regarding the Soutron API, as we discussed how user record security could be used to manage access to data via the API. Many attendees were unfamiliar with how the API could help expand use of the library throughout the organization.

With the Soutron API enabled and authorized, users can search and retrieve information from the library direct from a company website or SharePoint portal and have those results displayed directly on that page. Users can create new searches, pull saved searches, create their own collections, and have easy access to this information within their established workflows on their website or SharePoint portal. Users can easily be restricted or enabled access to content with user group assignments. 

End-user Submission Tool Review

Attendees were also excited about the availability of the End-user Submission tool, which enables the library to expand their information archiving and knowledge curation capabilities to outside of the library, such as instructing marketing and other departments on how they can submit and archive their published materials, enabling the library to fully capture organizational knowledge as well being able to manage and track its journey. 

Commitment to the Future

Soutron is committed to helping organizations create the ‘holy grail’ – one search portal that provides access to all organizational information and resources. No more information silos that take forever to search whose results are not what is needed. A single-source portal for archives, digital materials, internal and external information resources, digital records, and other organizational materials that help create and maintain organizational knowledge. 

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