Patent ID: 8390897

Claim:
A method for controlled production of security documents, especially banknotes, wherein said security documents are subjected to a plurality of successive printing and processing operations on a plurality of processing stations, said method comprising: providing a computer network comprising a central server station coupled via a data network to a plurality of local computer stations, one local computer station being operatively coupled to each processing station, defining at least one production order, which production order involves the production of a desired volume of security documents according to a defined production workflow, said production order being subdivided into a plurality of production loads each being assigned a machine-readable load identifier; assigning selected processing stations among available processing stations to carry out processing of said production order according to said production workflow; and selectively processing each production load through the processing stations depending on the determined production workflow of the corresponding production order defined for each production load, whereby each production load is first subjected to a load acceptance procedure based on said machine-readable load identifier before being authorized to be processed on a selected processing station among said available processing stations.