Multiproduct printing workflow system with dynamic cadence

1. A method for a computer to manage print jobs in a printing system comprising:

(i) maintaining a prioritized queue of print jobs, each print job including at least one part to be printed from one print product and a priority that corresponds to a desired ship date and time;

(ii) identifying the print jobs in the prioritized queue to be printed during a next cycle, wherein time is divided into cycles and the length of the next cycle specified prior to the end of a previous cycle;

(iii) determining a minimum number of printers required to print the identified print jobs during the next cycle;

(iv) assigning the determined minimum number of printers to a print value stream, said print value stream including a number of printers capable of printing the at least one part from the at least one print product of each of the identified print jobs; and

(v) providing the identified print jobs from the prioritized queue in priority order to the print value stream for printing.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said print value stream includes a plurality of printers operating in parallel.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein a printer is assigned to more than one said print value stream.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said print value stream is one of a plurality of print value streams that operate in parallel.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein each printer in said print value stream has a specified maximum print rate and wherein said providing does not exceed the specified maximum print rate of any printer in said print value stream.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said determining the minimum number of printers is based in part on the specified maximum print rate of each printer in the print value stream.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein each print product has a designated ship date and time and said priority for a print job corresponds to the earliest designated ship date and time of any print products that corresponds to a part included in the print job, said designated ship date and time determined in part by a maximum delay, designated for the print product in a service level agreement, wherein a portion of said maximum delay is allocated to a finishing system that performs tasks required to create and ship the print product after its parts are printed, and wherein said identifying the print jobs in the prioritized queue to be printed during the next cycle identifies a print job if its priority is earlier than a cycle starting time plus a cycle duration plus the portion of said maximum delay allocated to the finishing system.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving the identified print jobs from the prioritized queue;

printing the identified print jobs; and

assembling the printed identified print jobs into finished print products.

9. A device for managing print jobs in a printing system, comprising:

(i) a data storage for maintaining a prioritized queue of print jobs, each print job including at least one part to be printed from at least one print product and a priority that corresponds to a desired ship date and time; and

(iii) a value stream manager for:

identifying the print jobs in the prioritized queue to be printed during a next cycle, wherein time is divided into cycles and the length of the next cycle is specified prior to the end of a previous cycle;

determining a minimum number of printers required to print the identified print jobs during the next cycle;

assigning the determined minimum number of printers to a print value stream, said print value stream capable of printing the at least one part from the at least one print product for each of the identified print jobs;

and

providing the identified print jobs from the prioritized queue in priority order to the print value stream for printing.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein said print value stream includes a plurality of printers operating in parallel.

11. The device of claim 9 wherein a printer may be assigned to more than one said print value stream.

12. The device of claim 9 wherein said print value stream is one of a plurality of print value streams that operate in parallel.

13. The device of claim 9 wherein each printer in said print value stream has a specified maximum print rate and wherein said providing does not exceed the specified maximum print rate of any printer in said print value stream.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein said determining the minimum number of printers is based in part on the specified maximum print rate of each printer in the print value stream.

15. The device of claim 9 wherein each print product has a designated ship date and time and said priority for a print job corresponds to the earliest designated ship date and time of any print product that corresponds to a part included in the print job, said designated ship date and time determined in part by a maximum delay, designated for the print product in a service level agreement, wherein a portion of said maximum delay is allocated to a finishing system that performs tasks required to create and ship the print product after its parts are printed, and wherein said identifying the print jobs in the prioritized queue to be printed during the next cycle identifies a print job if its priority is earlier than a cycle starting time plus a cycle duration plus the portion of said maximum delay allocated to the finishing system.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program code for causing a computing device:

(i) to maintain a prioritized queue of print jobs, each print job including at least one part to be printed from at least one print product and a priority that corresponds to a desired ship date and time;

(ii) to identify the print jobs in the prioritized queue to be printed during a next cycle, wherein time is divided into cycles and the length of the next cycle is specified prior to the end of a previous cycle;

(iii) to determine a minimum number of printers required to print the identified print jobs during the next cycle;

(iv) to assign the determined minimum number of printers to a print value stream, said print value stream including a number of printers capable of printing the at least one part from the at least one print product of each of the identified print jobs; and

(v) to provide the identified print jobs from the prioritized queue in priority order to the print value stream for printing.

17. A system for managing print jobs in a printing system, comprising:

(a) a print server comprising:

(i) a data storage for maintaining a prioritized queue of said print jobs, each print job including at least one part to be printed from at least one print product and a priority that corresponds to a desired ship date and time; and

(ii) a value stream manager for:

identifying the print jobs in the prioritized queue to be printed during a next cycle, wherein time is divided into cycles and the length of the next cycle is specified prior to the end of a previous cycle;

determining a minimum number of printers required to print the identified pint jobs during the next cycle;

 assigning the determined minimum number of printers to a print value stream, said print value stream capable of printing the at least one part from the at least one print product for each of the identified print jobs;

and

 providing the identified print jobs from the prioritized queue in priority order to the print value stream;

(b) a print value stream for:

(i) receiving the identified print jobs from the prioritized queue; and

(ii) printing the identified print jobs; and

(c) a finishing system for assembling the printed identified print jobs into finished print products.