Total Access: Course Material Inventory & Delivery Best Practices

Total Access: Course Material Inventory & Delivery Best Practices

This article covers your responsibilities each term for receiving, organizing, and returning physical course materials, and the practices that keep your inventory accurate and your students' materials moving smoothly. Please note that this applies to institutions receiving packages on behalf of students. (Ship to Campus)

Each-term checklist

• Confirm campus pickup location, hours, and staffing before materials begin arriving. Update student communications if anything has changed.
• Verify staff have current access to the Total Access Campus Tool and are trained on the Receive Inventory tab.
• Receive and check in all incoming shipments. Log quantities in the Campus Tool and report any discrepancies within 24 hours.
• Organize materials for easy distribution: alphabetically by last name for prepack, or by shelf location for bulk.
• Review opt-outs as applicable and drops at least twice per week once the term starts and pull any materials that need to be returned.
• After add/drop, process all returns and abandoned items in the Campus Tool before shipping anything back to the warehouse.
• At end of term, complete a full inventory audit: confirm counts, mark abandoned items, and coordinate any remaining returns with your CSM.

Receiving shipments

When a shipment arrives on campus, work through the following steps to ensure materials are accurately received and logged.

Step 1: Verify the delivery

• Count the number of boxes received and confirm it matches the carrier's packing slip or bill of lading.
• Check for visible damage or tampering. Photograph any damaged boxes or pallet issues immediately.
• Report discrepancies or damage to your CSM as soon as possible and copy success@vitalsource.com.

Step 2: Check in the contents

• (Bulk Delivery) Open each box and cross-check ISBNs and titles against the receiving documentation.
• Confirm quantities shipped match quantities received and note any shortages or overages.
• Set aside any damaged books in a designated area and contact your CSM for next steps.

Step 3: Log receipt in the Campus Tool (Bulk Delivery)

• Open the Total Access Campus Tool and navigate to the Receive Inventory tab.
• Enter verified quantities for each title and save the record.
• For bulk shipments, record the shelf location in the notes field so any staff member can locate the item.

Organizing materials for distribution

• Prepack shipments: organize alphabetically by student last name for quick grab-and-go pickup (Best Practice: Keep contents inside of boxes until order is either picked up or returned to local inventory).
• Bulk shipments: record exact shelf location (e.g., Shelf A, Row 2) in the Campus Tool notes field so all staff can locate items.
• For items packaged by student: keep a clearly marked, separate storage area for opted-out items, returns, and abandoned packages. These are considered local inventory and may be reassigned by the system.

Managing opt-outs, drops, and returns

Once the term starts, student enrollments and opt-out activity change frequently during the first few weeks. Staying on top of these changes keeps your inventory accurate and prevents materials from sitting unclaimed.

• Check the Returns tab in the Campus Tool and the Opt Out Report at least twice per week.
• Pull materials for students who have opted out, dropped a course, or no longer need materials per instructor direction (applies for packaged by student content).
• Watch for red warning messages in the Pickup tab. These indicate an item should be returned and not distributed.
• Items for students who opt out will move to local inventory automatically within approximately 3 days if they were generated from local inventory.
• Items for students who dropped a course will move to local inventory automatically within 24 hours if generated from local inventory.

Student shipping addresses

• Students can update their shipping address at any time from the account homepage.
• Address changes only apply to future orders. If orders for the current term have already been generated, the change will not affect them.
• Once updated, the address remains on file for future terms unless the student changes it again.
• Communicate your address update window to students before orders are generated each term so they have the opportunity to make changes in time.

End-of-term Tasks

After the term ends, unused and returned materials need to be shipped back to the warehouse, along with a local inventory audit. Follow these steps to ensure items are returned accurately and in time for the RTV (Return to Vendor) process.

Before you ship

1. Mark all unpicked up items as abandoned in the Campus Tool (Pickup tab) before processing returns.
2. Process all outstanding returns in the Returns tab and confirm items are in local inventory and ready to ship.
3. Go to the Shipping tab to generate a shipping label or PO for your return.

Local Inventory Audit

• After all shipments have been picked up or departed from your institution, complete one last audit of local inventory (unassigned inventory) to ensure accuracy.
• Please complete at the end of every term.
• All discrepancies can be reported to scl@vitalsource.com Please include a sheet with the ISBN, quantity reported in the tool, and actuals on campus (copy your CSM).

Packing and shipping requirements

• Pack materials in boxes under 40 lbs
• Write the PO number clearly on the outside of each box
• Include the packing slip inside each box
• Ship within 3 business days using a traceable carrier (UPS or FedEx)
• Return shipping costs are the responsibility of the school

Download the label below to ship returns to:

Akademos c/o Ingram Distribution Solutions

16 Ingram Blvd, Dock 9 and 10, LaVergne, TN 37086

• After shipping, email a copy of the packing slip with box count and tracking information to scl@vitalsource.com
• For returns of 10 or more boxes, contact your CSM in advance to arrange a freight pickup. This reduces shipping costs significantly

Non-returnable inventory

Some physical items cannot be returned to the vendor. If you have materials at the end of a term that are not eligible for return, contact your CSM to discuss your options, including wholesaler quotes, redistribution, or disposal. Your CSM can help coordinate next steps.

Campus Tool tab reference

The Total Access Campus Tool is your primary tool for managing physical inventory. Here is a quick summary of each tab:

• Pickup tab: Review student orders, mark items as picked up or abandoned, send email reminders, and export to Excel.
• Local Inventory tab: View items that have been returned or are available for reassignment.
• Returns tab: Process returns by category (opt-out, dropped course, dropped adoption) and accept items back into local inventory.
• Shipping tab: Generate shipping labels or POs for returns to the warehouse and view shipment status including redistribution details.

Multi-campus institution? See: Multi-Campus Pickup Tool Overview

Damaged or missing deliveries

• Set damaged items aside immediately and contact your CSM. Do not distribute damaged materials.
• Photograph damage clearly: include the title, edition, and quantity affected.
• For delivery discrepancies (wrong count, missing items), document the shortage and notify your CSM within 24 hours.
• Send photos and documentation to scl@vitalsource.com and copy your CSM.

Contact

Physical delivery issues (damaged items, missing shipments): scl@vitalsource.com. (copy your CSM)

All other inventory or return questions: contact your Customer Success Manager.

Questions? Contact your VitalSource Customer Success team at success@vitalsource.com