Program, print job management device, print job management system, and print job management method

Abstract

To provide a program, a print job management device, a print job management system, and a print job management method that can quickly correct a work plan for a delayed print job.SOLUTION: A control unit of a management server in a print job management system, displays, in cooperation with a print job management program, progress and volume of a plurality of jobs relating to an ordered print with respect to a work plan on a job management screen of an administrator terminal for a process unit in which a job is located.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, various techniques have been proposed for "visualizing" the progress of multiple print jobs ordered by a printing company.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 describes the use of process figures corresponding to multiple processing steps and different figures for each progress status that complement the progress status, such as "currently processing," to align and display the status of multiple order jobs in the same process so that it is easy to understand. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-60180 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, with the technology described in Patent Document 1, when a print job is found to be delayed in a certain process, the worker cannot grasp the information on the work volume of each print job, which is necessary to revise the work plan. As a result, it takes time and effort to gather information and understand the situation when revising the work plan. As a result, mistakes or delays in judgment occur when revising the work plan, significantly reducing productivity.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to enable rapid correction of a work plan for a delayed print job. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the program according to the present invention comprises: Computer, a control unit that displays the progress and volume of a plurality of print jobs relating to the ordered prints with respect to the work plan on the same screen of the display unit for each process step in which the print jobs are located; Function as.

[0008] Furthermore, the print job management device according to the present invention comprises: a control unit that displays the progress and volume of a plurality of print jobs relating to the ordered prints with respect to the work plan on the same screen of the display unit for each process step in which the print jobs are located; Equipped with.

[0009] Further, the print job management system according to the present invention comprises: A display unit; a control unit that displays the progress and volume of a plurality of print jobs for the ordered prints with respect to the work plan on the same screen of the display unit for each process step in which the print jobs are located; Equipped with.

[0010] Further, a print job management method according to the present invention includes: The computer, The progress status and volume of a plurality of print jobs relating to the ordered prints with respect to the work plan are displayed on the same screen of the display unit for each process step in which the print jobs are located. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to quickly correct the work plan for a delayed print job. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] Advantages and features provided by one or more embodiments of the present invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of the overall configuration of a print job management system. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a management server. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of data storage in an order information DB. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 illustrates an example of data storage in a job management DB. [Figure 5] 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of a job management screen display process executed by the control unit of FIG. 2. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an initial state of a job management screen. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a job management screen on which the progress status and volume of only delayed jobs are displayed. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a job management screen on which the progress status and volume of only a selected specific delayed job are displayed. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a job management screen displaying the progress status and volume of other jobs that are progressing smoothly in the same process as a specific delayed job or in the process immediately before or after the specific delayed job. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a job management screen in which the progress and volume of other jobs that are in the same process as a specific delayed job or in the process immediately before or after it and that are progressing smoothly according to the work plan are displayed in order of candidates for allocating personnel and machines to the delayed job. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example in which the status before and after a change in a work plan and the change in available time are displayed in a pop-up. [Figure 12] 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of a delay notification process executed by the control unit of FIG. 2. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a job management screen on which a warning mark is displayed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, but the scope of the invention is not limited to the illustrated examples.

[0014] [Configuration of the print job management system] 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 includes a management server 1, an order receiving terminal 2, a worker terminal 3, and an administrator terminal 4. The order receiving terminal 2, worker terminal 3, and administrator terminal 4 can be connected to the management server 1 via a communication network N such as a LAN (Local Area Network). There is no particular limitation on the number of each terminal device.

[0015] The management server 1 is a print job management device that manages jobs (print jobs) related 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.

[0016] 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 print job management program 121 stored in the storage unit 12, loads them into the RAM, and executes various processes including a job management screen display process described below in cooperation with the loaded programs.

[0017] The storage unit 12 is configured with a non-volatile semiconductor memory, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), etc. 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, as well as data required for executing the programs. In this embodiment, the print job management program 121 will be described as a web application for job management.

[0018] 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, etc. of jobs related to ordered printed materials in association with each other as order information. The order information is input by an order taker from the order receiving terminal 2. Alternatively, data (file) in which the order information is registered may be imported by the order receiving terminal 2 and sent to the management server 1.

[0019] Job identification information is information for identifying jobs related to printed materials ordered by a printing company, and includes fields for job ID and sub-number. The job ID is ID information (number) assigned to a job to identify the job related to the ordered printed materials. The sub-number is an identification number assigned to each of the multiple sub-jobs when the ordered job is made up of multiple sub-jobs (components).

[0020] 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 entered 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.

[0021] The production specification information is information indicating the production specifications of the ordered printed matter, and includes information on items such as job type, number of copies, number of pages, finished size, paper type, and process. The job type is information indicating the type of printed matter to be produced by the job, such as a catalog, insert flyer, or single sheet. The process is the process required to produce the ordered printed matter. Examples of processes include order → DTP → printing → processing → inspection. The process may be entered from the order receiving terminal 2 when entering the order information, or from the manager terminal 4 when entering the work plan.

[0022] The storage unit 12 also has a job management DB 123. As shown in Fig. 4, the job management DB 123 stores job management information in which the job ID of each job registered after receiving an order is associated with work plan information, performance information (progress information), and available time analysis information for each process. Of the job management information, the work plan information is input from the manager terminal 4 by the manager of the entire printing factory or the manager (manager) of each process. The performance information is input from the worker terminal 3 by the worker of each process. The available time analysis information is calculated by the control unit 11 based on the work plan information and performance information. The performance information can be input using a keyboard or a touch screen, or by reading a barcode.

[0023] The work plan information includes information on items such as the scheduled start time, scheduled end time, scheduled work time, volume, and number of people in charge. In addition, work plan information for processes that use machines (image forming devices, post-processing devices, etc.), such as printing processes and processing processes, includes information on the machine names and number of machines. Volume is a value that represents the amount of work for a job, and can be, for example, the number of prints, number of copies, number of data pages, number of processing types, etc. The volume is automatically entered based on the order information by selecting a volume unit. The performance information includes information on items such as start time, current time, volume, number of people in charge, etc. Furthermore, work plan information for processes that use machines, such as printing processes and processing processes, includes information on items such as machine names and number of machines. The remaining time analysis information includes information on items such as the planned progress rate and volume, the actual progress rate and volume, the remaining progress rate, the estimated completion time, the number of people in charge, and the remaining time. The remaining time is calculated, for example, as the difference in time obtained by subtracting the "estimated completion time" in the remaining time analysis information from the "scheduled end time."

[0024] 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, whether or not they have administrator authority, etc. The user ID is used as the worker ID or the administrator ID.

[0025] 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.

[0026] 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 in the order information DB 122 regarding printed materials ordered by an orderer, and sends 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), or a smartphone. The order receiving terminal 2 is equipped with a web browser and displays web screens such as an order information input screen (not shown) provided by the management server 1.

[0027] The worker terminal 3 is a terminal device (display unit) on which a worker performing each step of a job can check job information and progress status related to the ordered printed matter, and input performance information. The worker terminal 3 can be, for example, a tablet terminal, a PC (Personal Computer), or a smartphone. The worker terminal 3 is equipped with a web browser and displays web screens such as a progress input screen (not shown) and a job management screen for the worker, which are provided by the management server 1.

[0028] The manager terminal 4 is a terminal device (display unit) on which a manager who manages the entire job or each process inputs work plan information for the job related to the ordered printed matter and checks information and progress status for the job related to the ordered printed matter. The manager terminal 4 can be, for example, a tablet terminal, a PC (Personal Computer), a smartphone, etc. The manager terminal 4 is equipped with a web browser and displays web screens such as a job management screen 50 (see FIG. 6) for the manager provided by the management server 1.

[0029] [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 executes the following process in cooperation with the print job management program 121. The control unit 11 of the management server 1 performs login authentication when it receives a login request from the order receiving terminal 2, worker terminal 3, or administrator terminal 4 (terminal device) via the communication unit 13. The control unit 11 stores and manages the terminal ID of the currently logged-in terminal device and the ID of the logged-in user (worker ID, administrator ID, etc.) in the RAM or the storage unit 12, etc.

[0030] Furthermore, when order information is input from the order receiving terminal 2, the control unit 11 registers the input order information in the order information DB 122. Furthermore, when work plan information is input from the manager terminal 4, the control unit 11 registers the input work plan information in the job management DB 123. Furthermore, when performance information is input from the worker terminal 3, the control unit 11 registers the input performance information in the job management DB 123, and also calculates available time information and registers it in the job management DB 123. When a change in the work plan information is input from the manager terminal 4, the control unit 11 registers the changed work plan information in the job management DB 123, and also recalculates available time information and registers it in the job management DB 123. Furthermore, when the control unit 11 receives a request to display a screen from each terminal device, it causes the terminal device that made the request to display the requested screen based on the order information DB 122 and the job management DB 123. When information is registered or updated in the order information DB 122 or the job management DB 123, the control unit 11 updates the screen being displayed on each terminal device based on the registration and update of the information.

[0031] Hereinafter, a job management screen display process that is executed in the management server 1 when a request to display the job management screen 50 is received from the manager terminal 4 via the communication unit 13 will be described. 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of the job management screen display process. The job management screen display process is executed by the control unit 11 in cooperation with the print job management program 121 stored in the storage unit 12.

[0032] First, the control unit 11 causes the manager terminal 4, which is the sender of the display request, to display the job management screen 50 based on the job management information stored in the job management DB 123 (step S1). The control unit 11 causes the manager terminal 4 that has sent the display request to display the job management screen 50 based on the order information in the order information DB 122 and the job management information in the job management DB 123.

[0033] 6 is a diagram showing the initial state of the job management screen 50. The job management screen 50 is a screen that can display the progress and volume of a job against its work plan for each process. In the initial state, the job management screen 50 displays all processes, but by operating the search button 56 and specifying a process, it is possible to display only jobs located in the specified process.

[0034] The upper section of the job management screen 50 has a total number of jobs field 51, a delayed jobs area 52, an unstarted jobs area 53, a working jobs area 54, and a completed jobs area 55. The total number of jobs field 51 displays the total number of jobs in the process being displayed. The delayed jobs area 52 displays the number of delayed jobs in the process being displayed using numbers and dots. The unstarted jobs area 53 displays the number of unstarted jobs in the process being displayed using numbers and dots. The working jobs area 54 displays the number of working jobs in the process being displayed using numbers and dots. The completed jobs area 55 displays the number of completed jobs in the process being displayed using numbers and dots. Here, a delayed job is a job that is delayed relative to the work plan and is not expected to finish at the "scheduled end time" in the work plan information. In this embodiment, a delayed job is a job whose "estimated completion time" in the remaining capacity analysis information in the job management DB 123 is later than the "scheduled end time" in the work plan information. In other words, a delayed job is a job with a negative remaining capacity.

[0035] Additionally, a volume display area 57 is provided in the lower left of the job management screen 50. The volume display area 57 displays information indicating the volume of each job located in the process to be displayed. In this embodiment, boxes 571, which are icons representing each job, are displayed as information indicating the volume of each job. The number in the upper left of each box 571 indicates the size of the volume. In this embodiment, the number of prints (PV) is displayed as the volume. The number in the upper right of each box 571 indicates the job ID. The size of each box 571 corresponds to the size of the volume. For example, in FIG. 6, the number of prints of 501 or more is displayed as a large box, 101 to 500 as a medium box, and 100 or less as a small box. The volumes corresponding to the large, medium, and small boxes can be set arbitrarily by the user. Box 571 may contain small boxes 57a. These boxes 57a indicate that one job contains multiple small jobs (parts). The number of parts is also an indicator of volume. The order of boxes 571 is synchronized with the order of jobs in the progress status display area 58 at the bottom right of the job management screen 50, but it can also be set to be asynchronous.

[0036] The progress display area 58 displays information indicating the progress of each job located in the process to be displayed relative to the work plan. In this embodiment, a progress bar 581 for each job is displayed as information indicating the progress of each job. The number in the upper left corner of the progress bar 581 for each job indicates the job ID. The number of copies, number of pages, name of the client, etc. are displayed next to the job ID. The progress bar 581 indicates the progress of each process planned in the work plan. For processes not planned in the work plan, the progress bar 581 is not displayed. The progress bar 581 for each process is displayed in association with an icon 582 representing that process. Furthermore, the progress bar 581 for each process is displayed in a different color depending on the progress status. In this embodiment, gray indicates not started, blue indicates in progress, green indicates completed, and red indicates delayed. The dots representing the number of jobs at each stage of progress shown in the upper section of the job management screen 50 and the boxes 571 shown in the volume display area 57 are similarly displayed in gray for not started, blue for in progress, green for completed, and red for delayed. Delivery information 583 is displayed on the right side of each progress status bar 581. As shown in Fig. 6, the delivery date is displayed in the upper section of the delivery information 583, and the delivery method is displayed in the lower section. The information showing the progress status of each job is displayed, for example, in order of earliest due date. All the information showing the progress status of each job can be displayed by vertically scrolling on the administrator terminal 4. In the progress bar 581, box 571, and delivery information 583 in Figures 6 to 11 and 13, dotted lines indicate gray. Diagonal hatching from the upper left to the lower right indicates blue. Thin diagonal hatching from the upper right to the lower left indicates green. Thick diagonal hatching from the upper right to the lower left indicates red. Also, in the dots in the delayed job area 52, unstarted job area 53, in-progress job area 54, and completed job area 55 in Figures 6 to 11 and 13, dotted lines indicate gray. Diagonal hatching indicates blue. White indicates green. Black indicates red.

[0037] In this way, the job management screen 50 can simultaneously display the progress and volume of each job in the work plan for each process. This allows the manager to easily understand whether a job is delayed in a certain process. Furthermore, if a delayed job occurs, the progress and volume of other jobs in the same process are displayed, allowing the manager to quickly and easily revise the work plan, such as allocating personnel or machines from other jobs to the delayed job.

[0038] Next, the control unit 11 determines whether or not an operation to select the delayed job area 52 has been performed on the manager terminal 4 that has sent the display request (step S2). For example, as shown in FIG. 7, when the control unit 11 receives information from the administrator terminal 4 that sent the display request indicating that the delayed job area 52 has been dragged with a finger or a mouse, the control unit 11 determines that an operation to select the delayed job area 52 has been performed.

[0039] When it is determined that an operation to select the delayed job area 52 has been performed on the manager terminal 4 that has sent the display request (step S2; YES), the control unit 11 proceeds to step S3. In step S3, the control unit 11 causes the manager terminal 4 that has sent the display request to display the job management screen 50, which displays the progress status and volume of only the delayed jobs in the process to be displayed (step S3). The control unit 11 also causes a Search button 59 to be displayed on the job management screen 50.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 7, by displaying a job management screen 50 that displays the progress status and volume of only delayed jobs, the administrator can easily grasp the delayed jobs.

[0041] Here, when the manager recognizes a delayed job through the job management screen 50 shown in FIG. 6 or 7 , he or she instructs the worker in charge of the process to register the current results (progress) of other jobs. The instruction may be given verbally or by push notification to the worker terminal 3 of each worker. The worker displays a progress input screen for inputting current results on the worker terminal 3, and inputs the results of the process for which the worker is responsible for the job (current status (not started, in progress, completed) and volume (unit number of copies or percentage)). When the results are input, the worker terminal 3 associates the input results information with the job ID and transmits it to the management server 1. When the control unit 11 receives the results information via the communication unit 13, it updates the results of the process for the corresponding job in the job management DB 123 based on the received results information. Furthermore, the control unit 11 recalculates and updates the remaining capacity time of the process for the job whose results information has been updated. Furthermore, the control unit 11 causes each terminal currently displaying the job management screen 50 to display the job management screen 50 based on the updated information.

[0042] Next, the control unit 11 determines whether or not an operation to select a specific delayed job has been performed on the manager terminal 4 that has sent the display request (step S4). For example, when the control unit 11 receives information from the administrator terminal 4 that sent the display request indicating that one of the boxes 571 has been pressed with a finger or a mouse, it determines that an operation to select a specific delayed job has been performed. When it is determined that an operation to select a specific delayed job has not been performed on the administrator terminal 4 that has sent the display request (step S4; NO), the control unit 11 returns to step S4.

[0043] When it is determined that an operation to select a specific delayed job has been performed on the administrator terminal 4 that has sent the display request (step S4; YES), the control unit 11 proceeds to step S5. In step S5, the control unit 11 causes the administrator terminal 4 that has sent the display request to display a job management screen 50 that displays the progress status and volume of only the selected delayed job, as shown in Fig. 8 (step S5).

[0044] Next, the control unit 11 determines whether or not the Search button 59 has been pressed on the administrator terminal 4 that has sent the display request (step S6). For example, when the control unit 11 receives information indicating that the Search button 59 has been pressed on the administrator terminal 4 that has transmitted the display request, the control unit 11 determines that the Search button 59 has been pressed. When it is determined that the Search button 59 has not been pressed on the administrator terminal 4 that has transmitted the display request (step S6; NO), the control unit 11 returns to step S6.

[0045] When it is determined that the Search button 59 has been pressed on the administrator terminal 4 that has transmitted the display request (step S6), the control unit 11 proceeds to step S7. In step S7, the control unit 11 extracts from the job management DB 123 other jobs that are in the same process as the specific delayed job or in the process immediately before or after the specific delayed job and that are progressing smoothly according to the work plan. Other jobs that are progressing smoothly according to the work plan are other jobs that are not experiencing delays. Then, the control unit 11 causes the manager terminal 4 that sent the display request to display a job management screen 50 that further displays the progress status and volume of the other extracted jobs (step S7).

[0046] 9 is a diagram showing an example of a job management screen 50 displayed on the manager terminal 4 that sent the display request in step S7. As shown in Fig. 9, the job management screen 50 displays the progress and volume of other jobs that are progressing smoothly in the same process as a specific delayed job or in the process immediately before or after the specific delayed job. This allows the manager or other person to easily grasp other jobs that have spare capacity and can be assigned personnel or machines to the delayed job, enabling the work plan to be quickly revised. In step S7, the control unit 11 displays a Sort button 60 on the job management screen 50. The Sort button 60 is a button for instructing that the progress statuses of other jobs and the order of volumes be sorted in the order of allocation candidates.

[0047] Next, the control unit 11 determines whether or not the Sort button 60 has been pressed on the administrator terminal 4 that has sent the display request (step S8). For example, when the control unit 11 receives information indicating that the Sort button 60 has been pressed on the administrator terminal 4 that has transmitted the display request, the control unit 11 determines that the Sort button 60 has been pressed. When it is determined that the Sort button 60 has not been pressed on the administrator terminal 4 that has sent the display request (step S8; NO), the control unit 11 returns to step S8.

[0048] When it is determined that the Sort button 60 has been pressed on the administrator terminal 4 that has transmitted the display request (step S8; YES), the control unit 11 proceeds to step S9. In step S9, the control unit 11 sorts and displays the other jobs extracted in step S7 in the order of candidates for allocating personnel and machines to the delayed job based on predetermined conditions. Examples of conditions for sorting in the order of candidates for allocation include "(the process in which the delayed job occurs or the process immediately preceding it) and (status is not started or in progress) and (descending order of volume)." Instead of volume, the order may be descending order of the available time of the process. Alternatively, instead of volume, the order may be descending order of delivery date (latest first). In the job management DB 123 shown in FIG. 4, a job with a status of not started is a job whose actual start time is not registered. A job with a status of in progress is a job whose actual progress rate is 0%<progress rate<100%. The sorting condition may be an "or" condition instead of an "and" condition. The sorting condition can be changed as needed from the administrator terminal 4.

[0049] 10 is a diagram showing an example of a job management screen 50 displayed on the manager terminal 4 that sent the display request in step S9. As shown in Fig. 10, the job management screen 50 displays the progress and volume of other jobs that are in the same process as a specific delayed job (job ID = 0001) or in the process immediately before or after it and that are progressing smoothly relative to the work plan, sorted in order of candidates for allocating personnel and machines to the delayed job. This allows the manager to more quickly access other jobs that have spare capacity and can allocate personnel and machines to the delayed job, enabling the work plan to be revised quickly.

[0050] The process manager performs rescheduling, for example, by referring to the job management screen 50 shown in Fig. 9 or 10. In rescheduling, for example, the manager allocates personnel or machines from other jobs to the delayed job. After rescheduling, the manager uses the manager terminal 4 to change the number of people in charge or the number of machines in the work plan information for the process corresponding to the job for which the number of people in charge or the number of machines has been changed. When the change is input, the manager terminal 4 transmits the changed item and content (change information) of the work plan information to the management server 1 in association with the job ID.

[0051] The control unit 11 determines whether or not the work plan of a specific delayed job or the like has been changed in the manager terminal 4 that has sent the display request (step S10). The control unit 11 determines whether the work plan for a specific delayed job or the like has been changed depending on whether change information for the specific delayed job or the like has been received from the manager terminal 4 that has sent the display request. When it is determined that the work plan of a specific delayed job or the like has not been changed (step S10; NO), the control unit 11 proceeds to step S14.

[0052] If it is determined that the work plan for a specific delayed job or the like has been changed at the administrator terminal 4 that sent the display request (step S10; YES), the control unit 11 reflects the changed progress status on the job management screen 50 currently being displayed (step S11). Upon receiving the change information, the control unit 11 updates the contents of the corresponding item of the work plan information for the corresponding step of the corresponding job in the job management DB 123 based on the received change information. The control unit 11 also recalculates the estimated completion time and remaining time for the corresponding step of the job whose work plan information has been updated, and updates the job management DB 123. The estimated completion time can be calculated, for example, based on the work speed of the assigned worker after the change and the remaining work volume (number of copies x number of pages). The work speed of each worker may be measured and stored in advance, or, if personnel are assigned from other jobs currently being executed, the work speed may be estimated based on the performance of the other jobs. The control unit 11 also causes each manager terminal 4 currently displaying the job management screen 50 to update the display of the job management screen 50 based on the updated information. That is, the control unit 11 reflects the changed progress status on the currently displayed job management screen 50.

[0053] Next, the control unit 11 determines whether or not the job ID of the job whose work plan has been changed has been hovered over with the mouse on the manager terminal 4 that has sent the display request (step S12). The control unit 11 determines whether the job ID of the job whose work plan has been changed has been moused over based on whether information indicating that the job ID of the job whose work plan has been changed has been moused over has been received from the manager terminal 4 that sent the display request.

[0054] When it is determined that the job ID of the job whose work plan has been changed has been hovered over with the mouse (step S12; YES), the control unit 11 proceeds to step S13. In step S13, the control unit 11 causes the manager terminal 4, which is the transmission source, to display the state before and after the change in the work plan and the change in available time for the job of the job ID that is moused over. For example, the control unit 11 extracts the record of the job ID that is moused over from the job management DB 123, and causes the manager terminal 4, which is the transmission source, to display the state before and after the change in a predetermined item of the work plan information and the change in available time.

[0055] 11 is a diagram showing an example of a screen 61 displayed on the manager terminal 4 that sent the display request in step S13. As shown in FIG. 11, the screen 61 displays the status and changes in available time before and after the change to the work plan. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, the scheduled start time, scheduled completion time, number of people in charge, estimated completion time, and available time before the change to the work plan are displayed, as well as the number of people in charge, estimated completion time, and available time after the change. This allows the manager to confirm the change to the work plan and to confirm whether the change to the work plan will allow the work to be completed in time for the originally scheduled completion time.

[0056] When it is determined that the job ID of the job whose work plan has been changed is not hovered over in the manager terminal 4 that has sent the display request (step S12; NO), the control unit 11 proceeds to step S14.

[0057] In step S14, the control unit 11 determines whether or not an instruction to end the display of the job management screen 50 has been issued in the manager terminal 4 that has sent the display request (step S14). The control unit 11 determines whether an instruction to end the display of the job management screen 50 has been issued based on whether information indicating the end of the display of the job management screen 50 has been received from the manager terminal 4. When it is determined that the administrator terminal 4 that sent the display request has not instructed to end the display of the job management screen 50 (step S14; NO), the process proceeds to step S15.

[0058] In step S15, the control unit 11 determines whether or not an instruction to reset the display of the job management screen 50 has been issued in the manager terminal 4 that has sent the display request (step S15). The control unit 11 determines whether an instruction to reset the display of the job management screen 50 has been issued based on whether information indicating resetting the display of the job management screen 50 has been received from the administrator terminal 4 that sent the display request. Resetting the display of the job management screen 50 refers to returning the display of the job management screen 50 to its initial state. When it is determined that an instruction to reset the display of the job management screen 50 has been issued in the manager terminal 4 that has sent the display request (step 15; YES), the control unit 11 returns to step S1. When it is determined that the reset of the display of the job management screen 50 has not been instructed in the manager terminal 4 that has sent the display request (step S15; NO), the control unit 11 returns to step S10. In step S14, when it is determined that an instruction to end the display of the job management screen 50 has been issued from the manager terminal 4 that has sent the display request (step S14; YES), the control unit 11 ends the job management screen display process.

[0059] On the other hand, in step S2, if it is determined that an operation other than selecting the delayed job area 52 has been performed on the administrator terminal 4 that sent the display request (step S2; NO), the control unit 11 executes processing according to the operation on the administrator terminal 4 (step S16) and terminates the job management screen display processing.

[0060] In this way, the job management screen display process displays the progress and volume of jobs that are progressing smoothly relative to the work plan in the same process as the delayed job or in the process immediately before or after it, making it possible to quickly correct the work plan for the delayed print job.

[0061] Furthermore, in order to reduce the risk of overlooking a delayed job, the control unit 11 executes a delay notification process at predetermined time intervals and notifies an administrator or the like of a delayed job. 12 is a flowchart showing the flow of the delay notification process. The delay notification process is executed by the control unit 11 in cooperation with the print job management program 121 stored in the storage unit 12. Note that each possible step in a job is assigned a number in order starting from 0.

[0062] In the delay notification process, first, the control unit 11 sets a variable n to 0 (step S21). Next, the control unit 11 selects the n-th process in the job management DB 123 (step S22). Next, the control unit 11 sets the variable i to 0 (step S23).

[0063] Next, the control unit 11 determines whether it is 10 minutes before the scheduled end time for the nth process of the ith job in the job management DB 123 (step S24). Note that the user can freely set, via the administrator terminal 4, how many minutes before the scheduled end time the delayed job should be detected. If it is determined that it is more than 10 minutes before the scheduled end time for the nth step of the ith job (step S24; YES), the control unit 11 determines whether the remaining time for the nth step of the job is negative (step S25). If it is determined that the remaining time is negative (step S25; YES), the control unit 11 detects the i-th job as a delayed job of the n-th process, and stores the job ID, estimated end time, and remaining time of the detected delayed job in the RAM (step S26). Next, the control unit 11 proceeds to step S27. On the other hand, in step S24, if it is determined that it is not 10 minutes before the scheduled end time for the nth process of the ith job (step S24; NO), the control unit 11 proceeds to step S27. Also, in step S25, if it is determined that the remaining capacity time for the nth process of the job is not negative (step S25; NO), the control unit 11 proceeds to step S27.

[0064] In step S27, the control unit 11 increments the variable i (step S27), and determines whether i is equal to or greater than the number of records in the job management DB 123 (step S28). If it is determined that i is not equal to or greater than the number of records in the job management DB 123 (step S28; NO), the control unit 11 returns to step S24.

[0065] If it is determined that i is equal to or greater than the number of records in the job management DB 123 (step S28; YES), the control unit 11 notifies the delayed job of the nth process stored in the RAM (step S29). In step S29, for example, the control unit 11 causes each manager terminal 4 that is displaying the job management screen 50 to display a warning mark 62 on the job management screen 50 as shown in Fig. 13. When information indicating that the warning mark 62 has been pressed is received from the manager terminal 4, the control unit 11 causes the manager terminal 4 to display a list of the process name, the job ID of the delayed job, the scheduled end time, and the available time. Note that delayed jobs for processes that have already been notified in this delay notification process may also be displayed. Alternatively, the control unit 11 may notify the manager's mobile terminal of the job ID of the delayed job, the scheduled end time, the remaining time, etc. by email, etc. Alternatively, the control unit 11 may notify the manager to confirm the delayed job by pressing the warning mark 62 on the job management screen 50.

[0066] Next, the control unit 11 increments the variable n (step S30). Next, the control unit 11 determines whether the variable n is equal to or greater than the total number of steps (step S31). If it is determined that the variable n is not equal to or greater than the total number of steps (step S31; NO), the control unit 11 returns to step S22. If it is determined that the variable n is equal to or greater than the total number of steps (step S31; NO), the control unit 11 ends the delay notification process. In this way, the delay notification process detects delayed jobs that are behind schedule among the jobs received and notifies the user of the delayed jobs, thereby reducing the chance of overlooking delayed jobs.

[0067] 12, the control unit 11 detects and notifies delayed jobs with negative available time, but may also predict and notify jobs that are at risk of eventual delay even if the available time at the time of detection is positive. For example, the control unit 11 may detect and notify, as a job at risk of delay, a job that is predicted to be ultimately delayed based on the progress rate from the start time to the current time, even if the available time at the time of detection is positive.

[0068] As described above, the control unit 11 of the management server 1, in cooperation with the print job management program 121, displays the progress and volume of multiple jobs related to the ordered printed matter with respect to the work plan on the job management screen 50 of the manager terminal 4 for each process step in which the job is located. This allows the manager to easily grasp whether a delayed job has occurred in a certain process. Furthermore, if a delayed job has occurred, the progress and volume of other jobs located in the same process are displayed, allowing the manager to quickly and easily revise the work plan, such as allocating personnel or machines from other jobs to the delayed job.

[0069] Furthermore, the control unit 11 displays the progress and volume of jobs that are progressing smoothly relative to the work plan and are located in the same process as the selected specific delayed job or in the process immediately before or after the selected specific delayed job among the delayed jobs that are jobs that are behind schedule relative to the work plan on the job management screen 50. This allows the manager or the like to easily grasp other jobs that have spare capacity and can be assigned personnel or machines to the delayed job, enabling the work plan to be quickly revised.

[0070] Furthermore, the control unit 11 displays the progress status and volume of jobs that are progressing smoothly relative to the work plan and are located at the same process as a specific delayed job or the process immediately before or after the specific delayed job, in order of candidates for allocating personnel or machines to the specific delayed job, on the job management screen 50. This allows the manager to more quickly access other jobs that have spare capacity and can allocate personnel or machines to the delayed job, enabling the work plan to be revised quickly.

[0071] Furthermore, the control unit 11 pops up on the job management screen 50 the status of the job whose work plan has been changed before and after the change in work plan, and the change in available time before and after the change. Therefore, the manager can check the change in the work plan and whether the change in the work plan will allow the job to meet the originally scheduled completion time. The manager can check not only whether the delay of the delayed job will be resolved, but also the impact on other jobs that provided personnel or machines for the delayed job.

[0072] Furthermore, the control unit 11 detects jobs that are delayed or at risk of being delayed relative to the work plan among multiple jobs related to the ordered printed matter, and notifies information about the detected jobs, thereby reducing the risk of overlooking jobs that are delayed or at risk of being delayed.

[0073] The above-described embodiment is a preferred example of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in the above embodiment, the job management screen 50 is displayed on the manager terminal 4, but it may also be displayed on the worker terminal 3.

[0074] In the above description, examples have been disclosed in which a hard disk or a semiconductor nonvolatile memory is used as a computer-readable medium for the program according to the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to these examples. Portable recording media such as CD-ROMs can also be used as other computer-readable media. Furthermore, carrier waves can also be used as a medium for providing data for the program according to the present invention via a communication line.

[0075] Furthermore, the detailed configuration and operation of the print job management system can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. While embodiments of the present invention have been described and illustrated in detail, the disclosed embodiments are made for purposes of illustration and example only and are not intended to limit the invention, the scope of which is to be construed by the appended claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 100 Print Job Management System 1 Management Server 11 Control section 12 Storage section 121 Print Job Management Program 122 Order Information DB 123 Job Management DB 2. Order terminal 3. Worker terminal 4. Administrator terminal

Claims

1. Computer, a control unit that displays the progress and volume of a plurality of print jobs relating to the ordered prints with respect to the work plan on the same screen of the display unit for each process step in which the print jobs are located; A program to function as a

2. The control unit among delayed jobs that are print jobs that are delayed relative to the work plan, the progress status and volume of print jobs that are located in the same process as a specific delayed job or in the process immediately before or after a specific delayed job and that are progressing smoothly relative to the work plan are displayed on the same screen of the display unit. The program according to claim 1.

3. The control unit among delayed jobs that are print jobs that are delayed relative to the work plan, the progress status and volume of print jobs that are located in the same process as a specific delayed job or in the process immediately before or after a specific delayed job and that are progressing smoothly relative to the work plan are displayed on the same screen of the display unit in order of candidates for allocating personnel or machines to the specific delayed job based on predetermined conditions. The program according to claim 1.

4. The control unit displaying on the display unit the status of the print job whose work plan has been changed before and after the change of the work plan and the change in available time before and after the change; The program according to claim 1.

5. The control unit detecting a print job that is delayed or at risk of being delayed relative to the work plan from among the plurality of print jobs related to the ordered printed matter, and notifying information on the detected print job; The program according to claim 1.

6. a control unit that displays the progress and volume of a plurality of print jobs relating to the ordered prints with respect to the work plan on the same screen of the display unit for each process step in which the print jobs are located; A print job management device comprising:

7. A display unit; a control unit that displays the progress and volume of a plurality of print jobs for the ordered prints with respect to the work plan on the same screen of the display unit for each process step in which the print jobs are located; A print job management system comprising:

8. The computer a progress status and volume of a plurality of print jobs relating to the ordered prints with respect to the work plan are displayed on the same screen of the display unit for each process step in which the print jobs are located; Print job management method.

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