Patent ID: 8958104
Filing Date: 2015-02-17
Classification: G06F,G06Q

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method for multi-vendor printing, comprising: maintaining, by a server computer, a data store comprising (1) information about service level agreements with a plurality of partner systems, wherein a partner system enables customers to order a plurality of customized print products, and wherein a service level agreement designates maximum delays for manufacturing customer print orders, and (2) characteristics of a plurality of print vendors, each print vendor capable of printing at least one of the plurality of customized print products; receiving, by the server computer, a customer print order from one of the partner systems, the print order specifying a customized print product; determining, by the server computer, a latest ship date for the customized print product that specifies the latest date to ship the customized print product to the customer to meet the maximum delay requirements of the applicable service level agreement; selecting, by the server computer, one of the print vendors to manufacture the customized print product; receiving, by the server computer, a plurality of updates from the selected print vendor each update indicating a processing state of the customized print product order; and relaying, by the server computer, the received updates to the partner system that issued the customer print order.