Managed credential issuance

1. A method of issuing a credential document comprising steps of:

receiving a request for issuance of a credential;

assigning a unique identification for the requested credential;

providing data elements corresponding to the credential;

processing the data elements using a first credential production application to produce first production job data;

processing the data elements using a second credential production application to produce second production job data;

building a credential production data collection in accordance with a credential production template, the credential production data comprising a string of data including the unique identification, the first production job data and the second production job data;

providing production commands to a first credential production device based on the first production job data and to a second credential production device based on the second production job data; and

processing a credential substrate using the first and second credential production devices in response to the production commands to produce the credential.

2. The method of claim 1 including generating the unique identification.

3. The method of claim 1 , including conducting the receiving step in accordance with a secure communication protocol including performing a security check.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the security check is selected from a group consisting of a password check and a biometric data check.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the building step includes completing a plurality of credential application production data fields of the template.

6. The method of claim 1 including associating the request to the credential production template.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the first credential production device includes a printer; and

the step of processing a credential substrate comprises printing an image on the credential substrate using the printer based on the first production job data.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein:

the second credential production device includes a data encoder; and

the step of processing the credential substrate comprises encoding data to the credential substrate using the data encoder based on the second production job data.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the production commands are selectively fed to the first and second credential production devices in the steps of providing step production commands.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the steps of providing production commands includes verifying that the first and second credential production devices are authorized to receive the production commands.

11. The method of claim 1 , including maintaining an audit trail of the production of the credential including, the unique identification, and production information selected from the group consisting of an identification of a last completed production step, an identification of an authority who authorized production of the credential, and an indication of whether the credential was processed completely.

12. The method of claim 1 including verifying that the production of the credential is authorized prior to the step of processing a credential substrate.

13. A method of issuing a credential comprising:

building a credential production data collection comprising a unique identification, first production job data generated by a first credential production application and second production job data generated by a second credential production application, the first and second production job data each relating to a feature of the credential;

providing production commands to a first credential production device based on the first production job data

providing production commands to a second credential production device based on the second production job data; and

producing the credential using a credential substrate and the first and second credential production devices in response to the production commands.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first credential production device includes a printer and the second production device includes a data encoder, the first production job data corresponds to instructions for printing an image on the credential substrate with the printer, and the second production job data corresponds to instructions for encoding data to the credential substrate with the encoder.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the credential production data collection is built in accordance with a credential production template.

16. The method of claim 13 , including maintaining an audit trail of the production of the credential including, the unique identification, and production information selected from the group consisting of an identification of a last completed production step, an identification of an authority who authorized production of the credential, and an indication of whether the credential was processed completely.