Turnkey Systems: Selection and Installation
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/eb047482 |
| Pages | 59-61 |
| Date | 01 January 1983 |
| Published date | 01 January 1983 |
| Author | Carolyn M. Gray |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
Turnkey Systems:
Selection and Installation
CAROLYN M. GRAY
What are vendor systems? How do they become
turnkey systems? How do we go about purchasing
one? These are some of the questions facing librari-
ans in the age of high technology.
A vendor is a seller of goods or services. System
is derived from the Greek "systema" and means "an
assemblage of objects united by some form of regu-
lar interaction or interdependence." Turnkey means
literally the ability to turn on the key and operate
the system. Vendor systems will be broadly inter-
preted to include library applications available com-
mercially and commercially available systems with
potential library applications.
As an introduction to the "Vendor Systems"
reports we offer a working definition and some gener-
al comments on purchasing turnkey systems. It is
generally assumed that to purchase a turnkey system
means that no one on the library staff will need to
know anything about computer systems; that the
existing staff will be able to set the switch to "on"
after installation; the system will do the work; and
staff will call the vendor's service desk if problems
arise.
Maybe that will work with some turnkey systems
with a single, straightforward application. However,
if you have been lulled into this expectation by mar-
keting representatives, you will be in for a rude
awakening after most complex systems are installed,
and the vendor staff walks out the door with a
hearty, "It's all yours now, if you have any prob-
lems give us a call."
Turnkey
vs.
Customized
Turnkey systems are developed as a package in-
cluding all the hardware and the software required
to accomplish a clearly defined task. Vendors often
have a variety of options to offer to satisfy the needs
of different types and sizes of institutions. Turnkey
library systems were developed in response to small
and medium size library needs. Larger institutions
often employed or took advantage of institutional
programming and systems staffs to develop customized
systems tailored to the specific needs of the institu-
tion.
However, the computing resources needed to
develop a circulation system or an acquisition sys-
tem are considerable and beyond the resources
available to most libraries. As a consequence, ven-
dors stepped in to fill the void by assuming the de-
velopment costs for specific library applications.
Turnkey systems abound for such activities as
circulation and acquisitions and the advantages of
purchasing them are significant. The vendor has done
the development work, tested the system with vari-
ous hardware configurations, refined the software
and packaged the system for sale. Libraries can pur-
chase and implement a system without the time de-
lays and costs related to customized development.
When in the course of our reports, we speak of
turnkey systems, we are working under the assump-
tion that turnkey does not necessarily assume there
is no need for technical expertise. There is a broad
spectrum of systems being touted as turnkey which
require all different levels of expertise from the
ability to change forms to the ability to write com-
puter programs to design custom screen displays. It
is essential, then, to talk with other customers to
determine realistic staffing requirements.
Selecting
a Turnkey System
Knowing that turnkey systems are available may
be reassuring, but selecting one for purchase is hardly
as simple as selecting a brand of toothpaste
—
Madi-
son Avenue advertising not withstanding. We can
afford to try purple and green striped toothpaste,
with or without fluoride, in gel or paste; however, in
our personal lives we plan for large purchases, such
as a house, looking at family needs, our budget and
lifestyle. That same careful analysis and planning is
done when we are buying large items for the library.
As in any major purchase a certain amount of
background work must be done before actual pur-
chase. A major system installation requires signifi-
cant planning and analysis within the context of the
overall scope of the library. One should accurately
and explicitly set down one's objectives and delineate
the goals and ends of the process while maintaining
a logical consistency appropriate to the end sought.
There must exist a clear vision of the goals to be
attained by the installation of a system to handle
one of the four process areas of the library, i.e.,
Carolyn M. Gray is Assistant Director for Tech-
nical Services and Automation at Brandeis Univer-
sity Library and President of the Library and Infor-
mation Technology Association of the American Li-
brary Association. She serves as LHT Editor for Ven-
dor Systems.
SUMMER 1983 59
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