Apparatus and methods for interfacing reprographic and imaging systems with multiple set finishing devices

A control system that controls a document production system having an image output terminal (IOT) that produces document sets of sheets having images thereon, at least two similar finishing devices that receive the document sets, and a document set transport connected between the IOT and the finishing devices, the control system comprising:

• a master controller in communication with the document set transport, wherein when the master controller detects an end of set command from the IOT for a first document set being delivered to a first finishing device of the finishing devices, the master controller issues a signal that causes the document set transport to deliver a second document set to a second finishing device of the finishing devices, bypassing the first finishing device, wherein
• the second finishing device is a next finishing device from the first finishing device according to a predetermined order, and
• the predetermined order is a continuous loop in which the finishing devices are ordered by their transport distance from the IOT on the document set transport,
• the loop beginning with one of the finishing devices having a longest transport distance between it and the IOT,
• the loop continuing from a last finishing device back to the one finishing device having the longest transport path such that the last finishing device is the finishing device with a shortest transport path between it and the IOT.