Image forming system, image forming apparatus, and control method thereof

An image forming system, comprising:

• an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording material,
• a plurality of sheet-feeding units that feed the recording material to the image forming apparatus or transport the recording material from a preceding sheet-feeding unit,
• a plurality of post-process devices that execute post-processing on the recording material from the image forming apparatus,
• wherein the image forming apparatus comprises:
• a storage unit configured to store connecting orders of the plurality of post-process devices and connecting orders of the plurality of sheet-feeding units,
• a determination unit configured to determine which of the post-process devices should be given notification by an operation start request or an operation end request according to designation information that designates the post-process device from which the recording material is discharged and the connecting orders for the plurality of post-process devices, and determines which of the sheet-feeding units should be given notification by an operation start request or an operation end request according to designation information that designates the sheet-feeding unit for feeding the recording material and the connecting orders for the plurality of sheet-feeding units, and
• a transmitting unit configured to transmit an operation start request or an operation end request to each determined post-process device and sheet-feeding unit.