Production server for automated control of production document management

A method used in a print workflow system disposed in a network environment for coordinating production of document processing jobs, said method comprising:

• partitioning document processing devices and resources into a plurality of autonomous cells capable of entirely completing at least one type of document processing job within said autonomous cell such that there is no dependence upon other cells for completing the document processing job;
• determining workflow for a selected one of said document processing jobs by identifying a sequence of operations necessary to complete said document processing job;
• splitting a selected document processing job into a plurality of autonomous sub-jobs that are able to be entirely accomplished by given ones of the autonomous cells, wherein splitting occurs based on a determined difference between the sequence of operations of the document processing jobs and further splitting selectively occurs on another document processing job containing an identical sequence of operations to facilitate faster completion by using multiple devices;
• assigning said document processing sub-jobs to said given ones of the autonomous cells capable of accomplishing a selected one of the autonomous sub-jobs;
• and
• receiving at a selected one of the given cells at least one of the autonomous sub-jobs and further splitting said one autonomous sub-job into lots for processing among devices and resources in said selected autonomous cell, wherein a device within the plurality of devices and resources use a kanban based pull control policy to request work by sending authorization to the upstream product cell controller to supply said device with authorized work;
• including,
• a) splitting said autonomous sub-job into optimal lot sizes determined by analyzing said workflow of said selected document processing job, whereby said autonomous sub-job is split into smaller lots for optimal utilization of said cell devices;
• b) assigning a number of kanbans to said lots as workflow control elements;
• and
• c) sending authorization in the form of kanbans from cell devices to upstream devices calling for said upstream devices to supply said selected cell devices with a next lot and wherein said assigned kanbans are released as said lots are processed and said assigned kanbans become available for future authorization of future lots.