Image forming apparatus, consumable item management system and computer-readable medium

A consumable item management system, comprising:

• an image forming apparatus that performs image formation processing using a consumable item;
• and
• a consumable item management apparatus that manages a remaining usable period based on a type of the consumable item,
• wherein the image forming apparatus comprises:
• a first prediction unit;
• an inquiry unit that determines whether or not the first prediction unit is configured to predict a remaining usable period of a consumable item used in the image formation processing;
• and
• a first transmission unit that, if the inquiry unit determines that the first prediction unit is not configured to predict the remaining usable period of the consumable item, transmits use history information of the consumable item to the consumable item management apparatus and requests the consumable item management apparatus to predict the remaining usable period of the consumable item;
• and
• wherein the consumable item management apparatus comprises:
• a reception unit that receives the use history information transmitted by the first transmission unit;
• and
• a second prediction unit that predicts the remaining usable period of the consumable item using the use history information received by the reception unit, and
• a second transmission unit that transmits the remaining usable period of the consumable item predicted by the second prediction unit to the image forming apparatus.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program that when executed causes an image forming apparatus to perform a process for managing a consumable item used in image formation processing, the process comprising:

• determining whether or not a prediction unit in the image forming apparatus is configured to predict a remaining usable period of the consumable item;
• in response to determining that the prediction unit is not configured to predict the remaining usable period of the consumable item, transmitting use history information of the consumable item and a request to predict the remaining usable period of the consumable item
• over a network to a consumable item management apparatus;
• and
• receiving from the consumable item management apparatus, in response to the request and the use history information, the predicted remaining usable period of the consumable item.