Patent ID: 8102549

Claim:
A system for scheduling a plurality of first distinct print jobs destined for a first physical shipping destination, the first distinct print jobs being printed at a first physical printing location, the first physical shipping destination being a physical destination to which the finished first distinct print jobs are shipped, the first physical shipping destination being a physical location different from the first physical printing location, and a plurality of second distinct print jobs destined for a second physical shipping destination, the second distinct print jobs being printed at a second physical printing location, the second physical shipping destination being a physical destination to which the finished second distinct print jobs are shipped, the second physical shipping destination being a physical location different from the second physical printing location, comprising: a print job estimator processor for estimating a time required to complete each first distinct print job destined for the first physical shipping destination, the estimated time including time needed to print a product associated with the first print job and time needed to assemble the printed product; and a production manager processor communicating with said print job estimator processor; said production manager processor, based upon said time estimated by said print job estimator processor, determining a first distinct print job destined for the first physical shipping destination having a greatest estimated time; said production manager processor causing processing of the first distinct print job destined for the first physical shipping destination determined to have the greatest estimated time to begin prior to processing of the remaining first distinct print jobs destined for the first physical shipping destination; said production manager processor causing processing of the remaining first distinct print jobs destined for the first physical shipping destination to be completed coincidentally with completion of the first distinct print job destined for the first physical shipping destination determined to have the greatest estimated time.