Patent ID: 8310700

Claim:
A print shop consolidation system for consolidated processing of a first print job unit and a second print job unit at one of a first print shop and a second print shop, wherein said first print job unit comprises a first logical unit of print jobs to be completed and wherein said second print job unit comprises a second logical unit of print jobs to be completed, wherein each one of the first and second print job units being associated collectively with a production function for determining units to be produced per unit time, wherein, without consolidation, the first print job unit would be printed at the first print shop, and wherein, without consolidation, the second print job unit would be printed at the second print shop, comprising: (A) memory for storing a set of information relating to both a print job processing capability of the first print shop and a print job processing capability of the second print shop; and (B) a print shop consolidation management system, said print shop consolidation management system including an application for, (1) evaluating, with the set of information, an operational capacity of the first print shop to process both the first and second print job units, said evaluating of (B)(1) including determining a first takt-rate corresponding with performing the production function for determining units to be produced per unit time at the first print shop, (2) evaluating, with the set of information, an operational capacity of the second print shop to process both the first and second print job units, said evaluating of (B)(2) including determining a second takt rate corresponding with performing the production function for determining units to be produced per unit time at the second print shop, (3) determining a maximum takt-rate for a print job originating at said first print shop and processed at said second print shop, wherein said maximum takt-rate is computed via a takt-rate matrix comprising takt rates of said first print shop and said second print shop; (4) providing a print shop consolidation recommendation based on a capacity requirement, wherein said capacity requirement is mapped to a plurality of cost numbers including at least one of costs of said first and said second print shops and costs of labor, thereafter aggregating said plurality of cost numbers into a single cost number to provide an overall consolidation recommendation; and (5) consolidating processing of the first and second print job units at one of said first and second print shops, with said evaluations of (B)(1) and (B)(2) for a minimum takt-rate so that either (a) processing of the first and second print job units occurs solely at the first print shop, if said first print shop has a lower said minimum takt-rate than said second print shop's said minimum takt-rate, or (b) processing of the first and second print job units occurs solely at the second print shop, if said second print shop has a lower said minimum takt-rate than said first print shop's said minimum takt-rate.