Print job management program, print job management system, and print job management method

Abstract

To allow a worker to accurately grasp jobs ready for execution and the order of the jobs to be executed, in each step of the print jobs.SOLUTION: A control unit of a management server displays, for print jobs for which completion of the current step has been input, names of the next steps and that the next steps are ready, on a list of a job management screen of a worker terminal or a manager terminal. The control unit rearranges the displayed print jobs which can be executed in the next steps, on the basis of an execution order rule registered in advance. The control unit displays a list of the job management screen in the rearranged order.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a print job management program, a print job management system, and a print job management method. [Background technology]

[0002] Traditionally, printing companies have generally used whiteboards or printed sheets to visualize the status of each print job and manage progress and workers. However, this method has problems with the accuracy and timeliness of the information, and is prone to operational mistakes.

[0003] Therefore, various techniques have been proposed to reduce the number of mistakes made by workers at printing companies. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a technique in which an operator is notified of where to move printed materials in response to a notification regarding the start of processing of a process (production process) related to a print job. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2007-265216 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, with the technology described in Patent Document 1, it is difficult for an operator to accurately grasp which jobs are ready to be executed and waiting in each process, and which job should be started first (starting procedure).

[0006] An object of the present invention is to enable an operator to accurately grasp jobs that are ready to be executed and waiting, and the arrival procedure of the jobs, in each step of a print job. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the print job management program of the present invention comprises: A print job management program for causing a computer to manage print jobs relating to ordered prints, comprising: The computer includes: A first step of displaying a plurality of print jobs to be managed in a list format on a display unit, including the current process of each print job; a second step of displaying, on the list displayed on the display unit, a name of a next step and a fact that the next step is available for execution, for the print job for which completion of the current step has been input; a third step of sorting the display of print jobs that can be executed in the next step based on a print job arrival order rule registered in advance; Execute the command.

[0008] The print job management system of the present invention comprises: A print job management system including a server that manages print jobs related to ordered prints and a terminal device that is connected to the server, The server, Displaying a plurality of print jobs to be managed in list form on the terminal device, including the current step of each print job; When a completion of a current step for a certain print job is input from the terminal device, the name of the next step for the print job and a fact that the next step is available for work are displayed on a list displayed on the terminal device; Based on a print job arrival procedure rule registered in advance, the display of print jobs that can be executed in the next step is rearranged.

[0009] The print job management method of the present invention includes the steps of: A print job management method for causing a computer to manage print jobs relating to ordered print products, comprising: The computer includes: A first step of displaying a plurality of print jobs to be managed in a list format on a display unit, including the current process of each print job; a second step of displaying, on the list displayed on the display unit, a name of a next step and a fact that the next step is available for execution, for the print job for which completion of the current step has been input; a third step of sorting the display of print jobs that can be executed in the next step based on a print job arrival order rule registered in advance; Execute the command. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, in each step of a print job, an operator can accurately grasp jobs that are waiting to be executed and the arrival procedure of the jobs. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of a print job management system. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a management server. [Diagram 3] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of data storage in an order information DB. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 illustrates an example of data storage in a progress record DB. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of data storage in a call receiving procedure rule DB. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of data storage in a worker DB. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 illustrates an example of a worker setting screen. [Figure 8A] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a job management screen (all processes). [Figure 8B] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a job management screen (responsible process); [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a job management screen of a mobile version. [Figure 10] 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of an order information registration process executed by the control unit of FIG. 2. [Figure 11] 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of a display update process executed by the control unit of FIG. 2. [Figure 12] 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of a work process management process executed by the control unit of FIG. 2. [Figure 13] 1A is a diagram showing an example of a change in progress information due to work process management processing when the job type is catalog, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing an example of a change in the display of a job management screen accompanying the change in progress in FIG. [Figure 14] 1A is a diagram showing an example of a change in progress information due to work process management processing when the job type is an insert leaflet, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing an example of a change in the display of a job management screen accompanying the change in progress in FIG. [Figure 15] 1A is a diagram showing an example of a change in progress information due to work process management processing when the job type is catalog and the arrival order rule is "earliest due date first"-"most remaining steps first." FIG. 1B is a diagram showing an example of a change in the display of a job management screen according to the change in progress in FIG. [Figure 16] 1A is a diagram showing the job management screen displayed to an experienced worker when the proofreading status of a catalog job is changed to complete, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing the job management screen displayed to a novice worker when the proofreading status of a catalog job is changed to complete. [Figure 17] 1A is a diagram showing a display of a job management screen for all processes when a parent job is under inspection, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing a display of a job management screen for all processes when completion of inspection of a parent job is input. [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a progress screen for each delivery company. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiment described below is subject to various technically preferable limitations for carrying out the present invention. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment and illustrated examples.

[0013] [Print job management system configuration] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a print job management system 100 in this embodiment. The print job management system 100 is a system installed in a printing company, particularly a printing company that mainly handles on-demand printing. As shown in Fig. 1, the print job management system 100 is configured to include a management server 1, an order receiving terminal 2, an operator terminal 3, and an administrator terminal 4. The order receiving terminal 2, the operator terminal 3, and the administrator terminal 4 can be connected to the management server 1 via a communication network N such as a LAN (Local Area Network). The number of each terminal device is not particularly limited.

[0014] The management server 1 manages jobs (print jobs) relating to printed materials that have been ordered. As shown in FIG. 2, the management server 1 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a communication unit 13, and the like.

[0015] The control unit 11 is configured to include at least one CPU (Central Processing Unit), RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The CPU of the control unit 11 reads out the system program and the print job management program 121 stored in the storage unit 12, expands them in the RAM, and executes various processes including the work process management process described below in cooperation with the expanded programs.

[0016] The storage unit 12 is configured with a non-volatile semiconductor memory, a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), or the like. The storage unit 12 stores various processing programs such as the system program of the management server 1 and a print job management program 121, data required for executing the programs, and the like.

[0017] The storage unit 12 is also provided with an order information DB (Data Base) 122. As shown in Fig. 3, the order information DB 122 stores job identification information, customer information, production specification information, parent-child relationship rules, etc. of jobs related to ordered printed matter in association with each other as order information.

[0018] The job identification information is information for managing jobs related to printed matter ordered by a printing company, and has fields for a job ID and a branch number. The job ID is ID information assigned to a job for managing jobs related to printed matter ordered. The branch number is an identification number given to each of a plurality of jobs when an ordered job is composed of a plurality of jobs having a parent-child relationship. In this embodiment, the smallest number is assigned to the parent job. A parent-child job is a job that has at least the same client (customer) and is associated with an order and timing of execution. In this embodiment, a parent-child job is described as a job that has a stop condition for the child job, such that the child job cannot execute a certain process B until the parent job has completed a certain process A.

[0019] The customer information includes information on items such as customer name, delivery method, and delivery date. The customer name is the name of the person who placed the order for the printed matter. The delivery method is information indicating the delivery method for the ordered printed matter. In this embodiment, the delivery method is recorded as the name of the delivery company to be used for delivery. The delivery date is information indicating the delivery date for the ordered printed matter.

[0020] The production specification information is information indicating the production specifications of the ordered printed matter, and includes information on items such as job type 1, job type 2, finished size, paper type, and process. Job type 1 is information indicating the type of printed matter produced by the job, such as a catalog, insert flyer, or single sheet. Job type 2 is information indicating whether the printed matter produced by the job is a sample or mass production. The process is the production process required to produce the ordered printed matter. Examples of processes include DTP → proofreading → printing → binding → processing → inspection → packaging, etc. It should be noted that the production specification information may also include the number of copies to be printed, the product name, etc.

[0021] The parent-child relationship rules are information that indicate rules that are applied to jobs that have a parent-child relationship. In this embodiment, the parent-child relationship rules define a process that has a stop condition for a child job and a process of a parent job that is a release condition for the stop condition for the child job. For example, "[Child] Printing - [Parent] Inspection Completed" shown in FIG. 3 indicates that the printing process of the child job will not start until the inspection process of the parent job is completed.

[0022] The storage unit 12 also includes a progress record DB 123. As shown in Fig. 4, the progress record DB 123 stores job identification information and progress information of each job that has been accepted and registered in association with each other. The job identification information includes information items such as the job ID and the sub-number as described above. The progress information includes information on items such as the person in charge, the printer used, the process, the status, the updater, the update date and time, and the registration date and time. The process is information that indicates the current process of the job. The status is information that indicates the status of the current process. Examples of the status include waiting for work, in progress, and completed.

[0023] The storage unit 12 is also provided with a call reception procedure rule DB 124. Call reception procedure rules (print job call reception procedure rules) registered by an administrator are stored in the call reception procedure rule DB 124. As shown in FIG. 5, the call reception procedure rule DB 124 stores a number, a target person, and call reception procedure rule information in association with each other. NO. is a number for identifying the rule (rule 1, rule 2, rule 3, etc.). The target is information indicating the attributes of the target to which the rule applies, and examples include everyone, veterans, newcomers, and the like. Arrival procedure rule information is information that indicates the rules for the arrival procedure when multiple jobs are waiting to be worked on in one process. Arrival procedure rule information has information on items such as condition-1, condition-2, condition-3, condition-4, condition-5, etc. Condition-1 to condition-5 are arrival procedure sorting conditions that make up the arrival procedure rule. Condition-1 or a combination of two or more of condition-1 to condition-5 becomes the arrival procedure rule. Examples of arrival procedure sorting conditions include earliest due date, largest number of remaining processes, and order of arrival at the process.

[0024] The storage unit 12 is also provided with a worker DB 125. As shown in Fig. 6, the worker DB 125 stores worker information such as a worker ID, a worker name, a process in charge, attributes, and applicable rules. The worker ID is identification information of the worker. The process in charge is information indicating the process that the worker can be in charge of. The attributes are information indicating whether the worker is a veteran, a novice, or other. The applicable rules are information on the number of the arrival procedure rule that is applied to the attributes of the worker. The worker information can be set or changed by the administrator from, for example, a worker setting screen 60 shown in Fig. 7.

[0025] The storage unit 12 is also provided with a management DB 126. The management DB 126 stores job management information including items such as job ID, sub-number, customer name, delivery method, delivery date, number of prints, printer used, process, status, person in charge, etc. The job management information includes information on items displayed on the job management screen 50 (see FIG. 8A). The job management information may also include information on other items such as product name and number of prints. The process, status, and person in charge in the job management information are the current process, status, and person in charge of the job, respectively.

[0026] Additionally, the storage unit 12 stores login information (user ID, password, etc.) of users (administrator, worker, receptionist) registered in the print job management system 100, user names, and the presence or absence of administrator authority. The user ID is used as the worker ID or administrator ID.

[0027] The communication unit 13 performs communication control for communicating with the order receiving terminal 2, the worker terminal 3, and the manager terminal 4 via the communication network N by wire or wirelessly.

[0028] The order receiving terminal 2 is a terminal device for registering order information from an orderer in the management server 1. For example, the order receiving terminal 2 accepts input of information for each item of the order information DB 122 shown in Fig. 3 related to the printed matter ordered by the orderer, and transmits the input order information to the management server 1. The order receiving terminal 2 can be, for example, a tablet terminal, a PC (Personal Computer), a smartphone, etc.

[0029] The worker terminal 3 is a terminal device (display unit) for a worker performing each process of a job to check information and progress of the job related to the ordered printed matter, and to input job progress information. As the worker terminal 3, for example, a tablet terminal, a PC (Personal Computer), a smartphone, etc. can be used.

[0030] The manager terminal 4 is a terminal device (display unit) for a manager who manages jobs to check information and progress of jobs related to ordered printed materials, and to register worker information and receiving procedure rules. As the manager terminal 4, for example, a tablet terminal, a PC (Personal Computer), a smartphone, etc. can be used.

[0031] [Print job management system operation] Next, the operation of the print job management system 100 in this embodiment will be described. The control unit 11 of the management server 1 cooperates with the print job management program 121 to execute the following processes. The control unit 11 of the management server 1 performs login authentication when it receives a login request from the order receiving terminal 2, the worker terminal 3, or the manager terminal 4 via the communication unit 13. The control unit 11 stores and manages the terminal ID of the logged-in terminal device and the ID of the logged-in user (worker ID, manager ID, etc.) in the RAM or the storage unit 12, etc.

[0032] Furthermore, when the control unit 11 receives a display request for the job management screen 50 from the worker terminal 3 or the manager terminal 4 via the communication unit 13, it causes the terminal device that sent the display request to display the job management screen 50 based on the job management information stored in the management DB 126. The job management screen 50 is a screen that displays multiple jobs to be managed in a list format, including the current process of each job. For example, the worker terminal 3 and the manager terminal 4 are equipped with a Web browser, and the Web browser sends a request to the management server 1 to display a job management screen 50. The management server 1 is equipped with a print job management program 121, which is a Web application for job management, and causes the display unit of each of the worker terminal 3 and the manager terminal 4 to display the job management screen 50 based on a request from the Web browser of each of the worker terminal 3 and the manager terminal 4.

[0033] 8A and 8B are diagrams showing examples of the job management screen 50. Fig. 8A is a display example of the job management screen 50 in which job management information for all processes is displayed in a list. Fig. 8B is a display example of the job management screen 50 in which job management information for processes that the logged-in user of the terminal device that has requested the display of the job management screen 50 can be in charge of (responsible processes) is displayed in list form.

[0034] The job management screen 50 is provided with a switching button 50a. The switching button 50a is a button for switching the display target between all processes or the process in charge. When all processes are displayed, the switching button 50a displays "all processes." When the switching button 50a is pressed in this state, the display of the job management screen 50 is switched to the display of the process in charge. When the process in charge is displayed, the switching button 50a displays "process in charge." When the switching button 50a is pressed in this state, the display of the job management screen 50 is switched to the display of all processes. For example, a worker can grasp the progress of the job in the process he / she is responsible for by displaying a list of job management information for the process he / she is currently responsible for. A manager can grasp the progress of each job related to the printed matter he / she has received an order for by displaying a list of job management information for all processes. In addition, the manager can get an overview of the overall progress.

[0035] When the terminal device that has sent the display request for the job management screen 50 is a mobile terminal such as a smartphone, a mobile version of the job management screen 50 may be displayed as shown in Fig. 9. For example, only job management information for the process in which the logged-in user is responsible is displayed on the job management screen 50 shown in Fig. 9. Although only one piece of job management information is displayed in Fig. 9, it is possible to display information on other jobs by swiping vertically.

[0036] Furthermore, when order information is input (received) from the order receiving terminal 2 via the communication unit 13, the control unit 11 executes an order information registration process shown in FIG.

[0037] In the order information registration process, first, the control unit 11 adds a record to the order information DB 122, and registers the input order information in the order information DB 122 (step S1).

[0038] Next, the control unit 11 adds a record to the progress record DB 123, and registers the progress information of the job corresponding to the input order information in the progress record DB 123 (step S2). For example, the control unit 11 registers, in the added record in the progress result DB 123, the job identification information (job ID and sub-number) corresponding to the input order information, the person in charge, the process, the status, the registration date and time, etc. In the process, the first process (e.g., DTP) is registered. In the status, for example, "waiting for work" is registered. "Waiting for work" is information indicating that the work in that process can be performed.

[0039] Next, the control unit 11 adds a record to the management DB 126, and registers job management information corresponding to the input order information in the management DB 126 (step S3). For example, the control unit 11 registers job management information such as the job ID, sub-number, customer name, delivery method, delivery date, number of copies, job type, process, and status of the job corresponding to the input order information in the added record in the management DB 126. The first process (e.g., DTP) is registered as the process. For example, "waiting for work" is registered as the status.

[0040] 11 (step S4), and ends the order information registration process. The display update process is a process for updating the display on the job management screen 50.

[0041] The display update process will be described below with reference to FIG. In the display update process, first, the control unit 11 sets a variable n to 1 (step T1).

[0042] Next, the control unit 11 judges whether or not the n-th terminal device among the terminal devices currently displaying the job management screen 50 is displaying the job management screen 50 for the process in charge (step T2). When it is determined that the nth terminal device is displaying the job management screen 50 for the process in charge (step T2; YES), the control unit 11 identifies the process in charge displayed on the nth terminal device (step T3). For example, the control unit 11 identifies the displayed responsible process based on the worker ID and the worker DB 125 of the logged-in user of the n-th terminal device.

[0043] Next, the control unit 11 extracts from the management DB 126 job management information whose "Process" field matches the specified responsible process (step T4). This extracts job management information whose current process matches the responsible process. Next, the control unit 11 rearranges the extracted job management information according to a call receiving order rule corresponding to the attributes of the logged-in user (step T5). Specifically, when the extracted job management information has a status of “waiting for work”, the control unit 11 refers to the worker DB 125 and the arrival procedure rule DB 124, and sorts the “waiting for work” job management information for that process according to the arrival procedure rule that applies to the attributes of the logged-in user. Then, the control unit 11 causes the n-th terminal device to display the rearranged job management screen 50 (step T7), and the process proceeds to step T8.

[0044] On the other hand, when it is determined that the nth terminal device is not displaying the job management screen 50 for the process in charge (step T2; NO), the control unit 11 rearranges the job management information stored in the management DB 126 according to the incoming procedure rule corresponding to the attributes of the logged-in user (step T6). Specifically, when job management information with a status of "waiting for work" exists in the manager DB 126, the control unit 11 refers to the worker DB 125 and the incoming procedure rule DB 124, and rearranges the job management information with "waiting for work" according to the incoming procedure rule corresponding to the attributes of the logged-in user for each process. Note that the control unit 11 rearranges the job management information of managers and others whose worker information is not registered in the worker DB 125 according to the incoming procedure rule that applies to all workers. Then, the control unit 11 causes the n-th terminal device to display the rearranged job management screen 50 (step T7), and the process proceeds to step T8. The job management information displayed on the job management screen 50 may be limited to information on jobs to be produced, for example, jobs whose status of the final process, the packing process, has not yet reached completion.

[0045] At step T8, the control section 11 judges whether or not the variable n exceeds the number of terminal devices currently displaying the job management screen 50 (step T8). If it is determined that the variable n does not exceed the number of terminal devices currently displaying the job management screen 50 (step T8; NO), the control unit 11 increments the variable n (step T9). Then, the control unit 11 returns to step T2. When it is determined that the variable n exceeds the number of terminal devices currently displaying the job management screen 50 (step T8; YES), the control section 11 ends the display update process.

[0046] When the display update process is completed, the control unit 11 ends the order information registration process.

[0047] Furthermore, when status change information is input (received) from the worker terminal 3 via the communication unit 13, the control unit 11 executes a work process management process shown in FIG.

[0048] Here, when the progress of a process for which the worker is responsible for a certain job changes, the worker inputs a change in status from the job management screen 50 of the worker terminal 3. For example, when the status portion of the row of the job to be changed is selected (tapped) from the job management screen 50 on the worker terminal 3, a pull-down menu of status options is displayed. When a new status is selected from the displayed pull-down menu, the selected status is sent to the management server 1 as status change information in association with the job ID, sub-number, process, and worker ID of the inputter of the job management information.

[0049] In this embodiment, the status change is input from the job management screen 50 using the above method, but the method of inputting the status change is not limited to this. For example, the status may be automatically changed to the next status by reading a QR code (registered trademark) or the like that indicates information that can identify the job with the worker terminal 3. Alternatively, the status may be automatically changed by connecting the management server 1 to a work device such as a printing machine and automatically acquiring work execution information from the work device.

[0050] In the work process management process, first, the control unit 11 updates the progress information of the job for which the status change has been input in the progress record DB 123 based on the input status change information (step S11). Next, the control unit 11 updates the job management information of the job for which the status change has been input in the management DB 126 based on the input status change information (step S12). Next, the control unit 11 executes a display update process (step S13). The display update process executed in step S13 is similar to that explained in step S4 of FIG. 10, and therefore the explanation thereof will be cited.

[0051] Next, the control unit 11 determines whether the status has been changed to "completed" based on the input status change information (step S14). When it is determined that the status has not been changed to "completed" (step S14; NO), the control unit 11 ends the work process management process.

[0052] When it is determined that the status has been changed to "completed" (step S14; YES), the control unit 11 determines whether or not the job whose status has been changed is a child job in a parent-child relationship (step S15). When it is determined that the job whose status has been changed is not a child job in a parent-child relationship (step S15; NO), the control unit 11 proceeds to step S20.

[0053] If it is determined that the job whose status has been changed is a child job of a parent-child relationship (step 15; YES), the control unit 11 determines whether or not the process immediately preceding the process having the stop condition defined in the parent-child relationship rules for that child job has been completed (step S16). When it is determined that the process immediately before the process having the stop condition for the child job has not been completed (step S16; NO), the control unit 11 proceeds to step S20.

[0054] If it is determined that the process immediately before the process having the stop condition for the child job has been completed (step S16; YES), the control unit 11 determines whether the progress of the parent job matches the release condition for the stop condition of the child job (step S17). When it is determined that the progress of the parent job does not match the release condition of the stop condition of the child job (step S17; NO), the control unit 11 updates the "step" of the progress information of the child job in the progress record DB 123 to the next step and the status to "cannot be started" (step S18). The control unit 11 also updates the "step" of the job management information of the child job in the management DB 126 to the next step and the status to "cannot be started" (step S19). Then, the control unit 11 returns to step S17. In other words, if the progress of the parent job does not match the release condition of the stop condition of the child job, it is possible to control not to proceed to the next step.

[0055] When it is determined that the progress of the parent job matches the release condition of the stop condition of the child job (step S17; YES), the control unit 11 proceeds to step S21.

[0056] In step S20, the control unit 11 specifies the next process of the job based on the type of the job for which the status change has been input (step S20). Here, the number of steps and procedures for producing a printed matter vary depending on the type of job. For an administrator, managing the process flow is complicated. Therefore, in this embodiment, the control unit 11 automatically identifies the next step of a completed step based on the type of job. For example, the control unit 11 identifies the type of job based on the "job type" of the order information of the job in the order information DB 122. Then, the control unit 11 identifies the next step of the job based on the job type.

[0057] For example, if the job type is a catalog, the process is as follows: DTP → Proofreading → Printing → Binding → Processing → Inspection → Packaging For example, if the job type is an insert flyer, the process is as follows: DTP → Proofreading → Printing → Inspection → Packaging In other words, the job type of catalog has more steps than that of inserts. The correspondence between the job types and the processes is stored in the storage unit 12.

[0058] Next, the control unit 11 updates the "Step" of the progress information of the job in the progress record DB 123 to the next step and the status to "Waiting for work" (step S21). Also, the control unit 11 updates the "Step" of the job management information of the job in the management DB 126 to the next step and the status to "Waiting for work" (step S22). Then, the control unit 11 executes a display update process (step S23) and ends the work process management process. The display update process executed in step S23 is similar to that explained in step S4 of FIG. 10, and therefore the explanation thereof will be cited.

[0059] Here, when the status of a certain process of a certain job is changed to completed, the next process (subsequent process) is automatically identified in step S18 or step S20 in Fig. 12. Then, in the display update process in step S23, the next process is displayed in "Process" of the job management information of the job on the job management screen 50, and "Waiting for work" indicating that it is ready to start is displayed in "Status". At this time, job management information having the same "Process" and "Status" as the job is extracted from the management DB 126, and the extracted job management information is sorted and displayed according to a predetermined arrival procedure rule. In other words, the job management information of "Waiting for work" of the next process is sorted and displayed according to a predetermined arrival procedure rule stored in the arrival procedure rule DB 124.

[0060] 13 to 17 are diagrams showing changes in the display of the job management screen 50 due to the above-mentioned work process management processing. Note that in Fig. 13 to 17, the items shown are limited so that the changes can be easily seen.

[0061] Fig. 13(a) is a diagram showing changes in progress record DB 123 when the print status of job C, whose job type is catalog, is changed to In Progress at 10:00:00 and then to Completed at 10:05:00. Fig. 13(b) is a diagram showing changes in the display of job management screen 50 (responsible process) accompanying the change in progress of job C shown in Fig. 13(a). Here, the arrival order rule applied is "earliest due date first." For job C, if printing is in progress at 10:00:00 and printing is completed at 10:05:00, the progress of job C is automatically registered in the progress record DB 123 as waiting for the next process, bookbinding, at 10:05:01, as shown in FIG. 13(a). On the job management screen 50 for the bookbinding process, as shown in FIG. 13(b), job C is in progress at 10:00:00, so there is no display of job C. When the progress of job C is changed to waiting for bookbinding at 10:05:01, job C is displayed as waiting for bookbinding on the job management screen 50 for the bookbinding process. Here, the arrival order rule applied is "earliest due date first," so job C is displayed above job B, which was already waiting for work.

[0062] Fig. 14(a) is a diagram showing changes in progress record DB 123 when the printing status of job D, which is an insert leaflet, is changed to in progress at 10:00:00 and then to completed at 10:05:00. Fig. 14(b) shows changes in the display of job management screen 50 (inspection process) accompanying the changes in the progress of job D shown in Fig. 14(a). Here, the arrival order rule applied is "earliest delivery date first." For job D, if printing is in progress at 10:00:00 and printing is completed at 10:05:00, the progress of job D is automatically registered in the progress record DB 123 as waiting for the next process inspection at 10:05:01, as shown in FIG. 14(a). On the job management screen 50 for the inspection process, as shown in FIG. 14(b), job D is in progress at 10:00:00, so there is no display for job D. When the progress of job D is changed to waiting for inspection at 10:05:01, job management screen 50 for the inspection process displays job D as waiting for inspection. Here, the arrival order rule applied is "earliest delivery date first," so job D is displayed above job B, which was already waiting for work.

[0063] In this way, in the above-mentioned work process management process, when a worker inputs that a certain process is completed, the job management screen 50 automatically displays that the next process, which is predetermined according to the type of job, is waiting for work (can be performed). For example, if the type of job is a catalog, binding will be waiting after printing is completed. If the type of job is a leaflet insert, inspection will be waiting after printing is completed. Therefore, the worker of the next process can accurately grasp the jobs that are waiting and can be performed. Furthermore, since the jobs waiting for work are sorted and displayed based on the predetermined arrival order rules, the worker of the next process can accurately grasp the arrival order of the job.

[0064] Fig. 15(a) is a diagram showing changes in the progress record DB 123 when the proofreading status of job C, whose job type is catalog, is changed to complete at 10:05:00. Fig. 15(b) shows changes in the display of the job management screen 50 (printing process) accompanying the change in progress of job C shown in Fig. 15(a). Here, the arrival order rule applied is "earliest delivery date first"-"most remaining processes first". When proofreading is completed for job C at 10:05:00, as shown in FIG. 15(a), the progress of job C is automatically registered in the progress record DB 123 at 10:05:01 as waiting for the next process, printing. On the job management screen 50 for the printing process, as shown in FIG. 15(b), job C is not displayed because job C is in the process of proofreading at 10:00:00. When the progress of job C is changed to waiting for printing at 10:05:01, job C is displayed as waiting for printing on the job management screen 50 for the printing process. Here, the arrival order rule applied is "earliest delivery date first"-"most remaining steps first". The number of remaining steps is greater for the catalog than for the insert. Therefore, job C, which produces the catalog, is displayed above job D, which produces the insert. In this way, in the above-described work process management process, the job arrival sequence can be rearranged based on multiple conditions such as delivery date and work volume, so that the worker can proceed with the work in an arrival sequence that meets multiple conditions.

[0065] Fig. 16(a) shows the display of the job management screen 50 (printing process) for an experienced worker when the proofreading status for job C, whose job type is catalog, is changed to complete. Fig. 16(b) shows the change in the display of the job management screen 50 (printing process) for a novice worker when the proofreading status for job C, whose job type is catalog, is changed to complete. Here, the arrival order rule applied is "earliest due date first"-"most remaining processes first" for experienced workers, and "earliest due date first"-"order of arrival at process" for novice workers. As shown in Fig. 16(a), in the job management screen 50 for an experienced worker, job C in the catalog with the most remaining steps is displayed at the top of the arrival sequence for jobs C and D that have the same due date. On the other hand, in the job management screen 50 for a novice worker, job D that arrived at the printing process earlier is displayed at the top of the arrival sequence for jobs C and D that have the same due date. In the case of a novice worker, if the order of jobs is frequently changed, mistakes such as mixing up jobs may occur. Therefore, by adopting a rule that jobs with the same due date are displayed in the order of arrival, it is possible to prevent mistakes such as mixing up jobs. In this way, in the above-described work process management process, jobs can be arranged and displayed in an optimal order according to the experience and ability of the worker.

[0066] Fig. 17(a) shows the display of the job management screen 50 for all processes for job A-1 (parent) and job A-2 (child) in a parent-child relationship, when job A-1 is undergoing inspection. Fig. 17(b) shows the display of the job management screen 50 for all processes when completion of inspection of job A-1 is input. Here, the arrival order rule applied is "earliest due date first." In addition, a parent-child relationship rule is defined for jobs A-1 and A-2, which states that the child job cannot start printing until inspection of the parent job is completed. As shown in Fig. 17(a), if the inspection of the parent job A-1 is not complete, job A-2 in the printing process is displayed as not ready to start. When the inspection of the parent job is complete and the job is waiting for packing, job A-2 in the printing process is waiting to be started, as shown in Fig. 17(b). In this way, the above-mentioned work process management process manages and displays the processes of jobs having a parent-child relationship in accordance with the parent-child relationship rules, so that the worker can proceed with the work of the jobs having a parent-child relationship in the procedure defined by the parent-child relationship rules.

[0067] When the control unit 11 is notified via the communication unit 13 from the worker terminal 3 or the manager terminal 4 that the tally button 50b on the job management screen 50 has been pressed, it causes the terminal device that sent the notification to display a progress screen 51 for each delivery company. The delivery company here is the delivery company used when delivering the printed matter. The delivery company for each job is defined in the "Delivery Method" item of the order information DB 122. That is, when the control unit 11 is notified that the tally button 50b (see FIG. 8A) has been pressed, it performs tallying based on the order information DB 122, the progress record DB 123, etc. Specifically, the control unit 11 tally up the number of orders and the number of incomplete jobs for each delivery company for jobs due today and jobs due the next day. Whether or not a job is completed can be determined, for example, by whether the current process is the final process, "packing," and the status is "completed." In addition, the control unit 11 tally up the number of jobs not started and the number of jobs in progress for each job due today and jobs due the next day. Then, the tallying results for each delivery company are displayed on the progress screen 51.

[0068] FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of a progress screen 51 for each delivery company. As shown in FIG. 18, the progress screen 51 for each delivery company has an area R that displays the progress for each delivery company. In addition, each area R has a "total" button 51a and a "process" button 51b. When the "total" button 51a is pressed, the number of orders and the number of incomplete jobs for each of the jobs due today and the jobs due the next day that use the delivery company corresponding to that area R are displayed. When the "process" button 51b is pressed, the number of jobs that have not been started and the number of jobs in progress for each of the jobs due today and the jobs due the next day that use the delivery company corresponding to that area R are displayed.

[0069] In this way, the progress of a job can be displayed for each delivery company on the progress screen 51 for each delivery company. This makes it easy to manage the progress of a job so that it is completed by the time the delivery company comes to collect and deliver the printed matter.

[0070] As described above, the control unit 11 of the management server 1 displays the name of the next process and the fact that the next process can be performed for a print job for which completion of the current process has been input on the list on the job management screen 50 of the worker terminal 3 or the manager terminal 4. At that time, the control unit 11 rearranges the display of print jobs that can be performed in the next process based on the arrival order rules registered in advance. Then, the control unit 11 displays the list on the job management screen 50 in the rearranged order. Therefore, in each step of a print job, the operator can accurately grasp which jobs are waiting to be executed and the job arrival procedure.

[0071] For example, the control unit 11 identifies the type of print to be produced by the print job for which the completion of the current process has been input, and identifies the next process of the print job based on the identified type. Then, the control unit 11 displays the name of the identified next process and the fact that the next process is available on the list displayed on the display unit. Therefore, even when process flow management becomes complicated because processes differ depending on the type of printed matter, the worker in the next process can easily understand print jobs that can be executed.

[0072] In addition, the control unit 11 rearranges the display of print jobs that can be executed in the next process based on a receiving order rule that is configured by a combination of multiple conditions, for example. Therefore, it is possible to rearrange print jobs in a more efficient receiving order.

[0073] In addition, different rules are set for the order of arrival depending on the attributes that represent the experience or ability of the worker. The control unit 11 rearranges the display of print jobs that can be executed in the next process based on the order of arrival depending on the attributes of the worker who refers to the list. Therefore, it is possible to display a list of print jobs in an order of arrival that takes into account the proficiency of the operator, such as whether the operator is a newbie or a veteran, and it is possible to reduce operational mistakes by the worker in the next production process.

[0074] In addition, the control unit 11 judges whether the print job for which the completion of the current process has been input is a job having a parent-child relationship with another print job and is a child job. If it is judged that the input job is a child job, the control unit 11 displays, after a predetermined process of the other print job is completed, the name of the next process of the print job and the fact that the next process is available for work on the list displayed on the display unit. Therefore, when there is a parent-child relationship and a certain step of the child job needs to be executed after a specific step of the parent job is completed, the worker does not need to manage the steps, and the efficiency of management of print jobs can be improved.

[0075] The description of the above embodiment is merely a preferred example of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to this.

[0076] In the above description, a hard disk, a non-volatile semiconductor memory, or the like is used as a computer-readable medium for the program according to the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to this example. As other computer-readable media, a portable recording medium such as a CD-ROM can be used. Furthermore, a carrier wave can be used as a medium for providing data for the program according to the present invention via a communication line.

[0077] Other details of the configuration and operation of the print job management system may also be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] 100 Print Job Management System 1 Management Server 11 Control section 12 Storage section 121 Print Job Management Program 122 Order Information DB 123 Progress record DB 124 Arrival procedure rules DB 125 Worker DB 126 Management DB 2. Ordering terminal 3. Worker terminal 4. Administrator terminal

Claims

1. A print job management program for causing a computer to manage print jobs relating to ordered prints, comprising: The computer includes: A first step of displaying a plurality of print jobs to be managed in a list format on a display unit, including the current process of each print job; a second step of displaying, on the list displayed on the display unit, the name of a next step and information that the next step is available for execution, for the print job for which completion of the current step has been input; a third step of sorting the display of print jobs that can be executed in the next step based on a print job arrival order rule registered in advance; A print job management program that runs

2. The second step comprises:

2. The print job management program of claim 1, further comprising: identifying the type of printed matter to be produced by the print job for which completion of the current process has been input; specifying the next process of the print job based on the identified type; and displaying on the list displayed on the display unit the name of the next process of the print job and the fact that the next process is available for work to be performed.

3. 2. The print job management program according to claim 1, wherein the print job arrival procedure rule is composed of a combination of a plurality of conditions.

4. The print job arrival procedure rules are different depending on attributes representing the experience or ability of the worker, The third step is A print job management program according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: a process for rearranging the display of print jobs that can be executed in the next step based on the print job arrival procedure rules corresponding to the attributes of the worker who refers to the list.

5. The second step comprises: A print job management program according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which determines whether the print job for which completion of the current process has been input is a job having a parent-child relationship with another print job and is a child job, and if it is determined that it is a child job, displays on a list displayed on the display unit the name of the next process of the print job and a fact that the next process is available for work to be performed after a specified production process of the other print job is completed.

6. A print job management system including a server that manages print jobs related to ordered prints and a terminal device that is connected to the server, The server, Displaying a plurality of print jobs to be managed in list form on the terminal device, including the current step of each print job; When a completion of a current step for a certain print job is input from the terminal device, the name of the next step for the print job and a fact that the next step is available for work are displayed on a list displayed on the terminal device; A print job management system that rearranges the display of print jobs that can be executed in the next process based on a print job arrival procedure rule registered in advance.

7. A print job management method for causing a computer to manage print jobs relating to ordered print products, comprising: The computer includes: A first step of displaying a plurality of print jobs to be managed in a list format on a display unit, including the current process of each print job; a second step of displaying, on the list displayed on the display unit, the name of a next step and information that the next step is available for execution, for the print job for which completion of the current step has been input; a third step of sorting the display of print jobs that can be executed in the next step based on a print job arrival order rule registered in advance; A print job management method for executing the above.

Images