Patent ID: 8345289

Claim:
An apparatus for performing a print of a plurality of printing devices in a document processing environment, in response to a request for the print audit, said apparatus comprising: a document reading part configured to perform character recognition processing on a printer information document image for one or more of the printing devices in the printing system, and extract system management data corresponding to the one or more printing devices, from results of the character recognition; a data obtaining part configured to extract device identifying data from the system management data of the one or more printing devices, utilize the device identifying data to obtain additional information regarding the one or more printing devices, and compile audit data based on the system management data and the additional information, the additional information including device-specific information corresponding to the one or more printing devices that is additional to the extracted system management data; and an audit data analyzing part configured to analyze specific items of the audit data, and generate and output a total-document-processing-environment report for the document processing environment, wherein for each specific printing device of the one or more printing devices, the device-specific information includes one or more of a device cost associated with the specific printing device, a supplies or consumables cost associated with the specific printing device, a product release date associated with the specific printing device, capacity and performance data of the specific printing device, and industry statistics associated with the specific printing device, and wherein the total-document-processing-environment report includes, for said each specific printing device of the one or more printing devices, per-device cost information generated, by the audit data analyzing part, based on the extracted system management data and the device-specific information that is additional to the extracted system management data, for the specific printing device.