Printshop resource optimization via the use of autonomous cells

A method for optimizing the performance of a printshop, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a printshop that is partitioned into existing virtual autonomous cells, each virtual autonomous cell representing an autonomous cell, containing representations of sufficient resources to complete a print job;
• receiving a print job for processing at the printshop;
• determining if the print job fits at least one of the existing virtual autonomous cells, the fitted virtual autonomous cell including a combination of resources capable of completing the print job;
• based on the determining, generating a new mapping of the virtual autonomous cells such that the print job fits at least one of the virtual autonomous cells of the new mapping;
• sending the print job to a selected one of the virtual autonomous cells having the combination of resources capable of completing the print job, the selected one of the virtual autonomous cells being selected from one of the existing virtual autonomous cells or one of the virtual autonomous cells of the new mapping;
• and
• at the selected virtual autonomous cell, dividing the print job into lots and concurrently processing the lots using the resources of the selected virtual autonomous cell.

A method of partitioning a printshop, comprising the steps of:

• identifying products produced by the printshop;
• identifying operations required for producing each of the identified products;
• determining printshop resources that are required for completing the identified operations;
• determining a number of printshop resources required for operations to produce the products based on customer demand for products;
• partitioning printshop resources into virtual autonomous cells based on the determined number of printshop resources required for operations to produce products based on customer demand for products, wherein each virtual autonomous cell represents autonomous cells, independently capable of producing at least one of the identified products, and wherein the virtual autonomous cells each contain a combination of printshop resources, at least two of the resources of the combination of printshop resources being necessary to produce at least one of the products;
• and
• generating a new mapping of the virtual autonomous cells such that a new product fits at least one of the virtual autonomous cells of the new mapping based on the determined number of printshop resources required for the new product.