Patent ID: 8472044

Claim:
A management apparatus that manages counters of each department for at least one image forming apparatus, comprising: a setting unit configured to set departments as storage targets for a storage unit that stores counter values; a receiving unit configured to receive counter values of each department for the at least one image forming apparatus; a comparing unit configured to compare a sum total value representing the sum of the counter values of all of the departments with an effective total value representing the sum of counter values of the storage target departments among the counter values of all of the departments received by said receiving unit; and a storage control unit configured to store, in the storage unit, the counter values received by said receiving unit corresponding to the storage target departments set by said setting unit without storing the counter values received by said receiving unit corresponding to an ineffective department which is not set as the storage target, if the comparison by said comparing unit indicates that the sum total value and the effective total value are equal, wherein if the comparison by said comparing unit indicates that the sum total value and the effective total value are not equal, said setting unit is configured to update the storage target departments so as to set a storage target department out of ineffective departments, and said storage control unit is configured to store, in the storage unit, the counter values of the updated storage target departments.