Methods and systems for assigning jobs to production devices

A method of assigning a print job from a queue to a print production device in a print production environment, the method comprising:

• identifying a queue comprising a plurality of print jobs, wherein each print job is associated with a unique priority value;
• identifying a plurality of print production devices capable of processing the plurality of print jobs;
• determining, by a computing device, that one of the identified print production devices is currently an idle print production device;
• identifying a highest priority print job, wherein the highest priority print job is a print job from the plurality of print jobs that is associated with a highest priority value;
• determining, by a computing device, a completion time associated with processing the highest priority print job by, for each identified print production device:
• estimating an amount of time for the print production device to complete one or more print jobs that the print production device is currently processing,
• determining a processing time associated with processing the highest priority job by the print production device by:
• determining a size associated with the highest priority print job,
• determining a processing rate associated with the print production device, and
• dividing the size by the processing rate,
• determining a setup time associated with processing the highest priority print job by the print production device, and
• summing the amount of time, the processing time and the setup time;
• identifying a fastest print production device, wherein the fastest print production device is a print production device from the identified plurality of print production devices that is associated with a shortest completion time for the highest priority print job;
• assigning, by the computing device, the highest priority print job to the fastest print production device;
• determining whether the fastest print production device is the idle print production device;
• and
• in response to determining that the fastest print production device is not the idle print production device:
• determining a completion time associated with processing a next highest priority print job from the plurality of print jobs by each of the identified print production devices that have not been assigned to a print job,
• assigning the next highest priority print job to the print production device having the shortest completion time for processing the next highest priority print job, and
• repeating the determining a completion time associated with processing a next highest priority print job and the assigning the next highest priority print job to the print production device having the shortest completion time for processing the next highest priority print job until a job from the plurality of print jobs is assigned to the idle print production device.

A method of assigning a job from a queue to a print production device in a print production environment, the method comprising:

• identifying a queue comprising a plurality of print jobs, wherein each job is associated with a unique priority value, wherein the print jobs are arranged in the queue according to their priority values;
• identifying a plurality of print production devices capable of processing the plurality of print jobs;
• and
• in response to determining, by a computing device, that one of the identified print production devices is currently an idle print production device:
• identifying, by the computing device, a plurality of print job groupings, wherein each print job grouping comprises a plurality of neighboring print jobs in the queue,
• determining, by the computing device, a plurality of different print job sequences associated with the jobs in the queue by:
• swapping an order of one or more print jobs within one or more print job groupings,
• determining a job number representing a number of print jobs within a print job grouping,
• determining a print job grouping number representing a number of print job groupings associated with the plurality of print jobs, and
• determining a number of print job sequences equal to the job number raised to the print job grouping number,
• determining a completion time for processing each print job sequence,
• identifying the print job sequence associated with a shortest completion time, and
• processing the print jobs according to the identified print job sequence.

A system of assigning a job from a queue to a production device in a print production environment, the system comprising:

• a computing device;
• and
• a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium in communication with the computing device, wherein the computer-readable storage medium comprises one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the computing device to:
• identify a queue comprising a plurality of print jobs, wherein each print job is associated with a unique priority value,
• identify a plurality of print production devices capable of processing the plurality of print jobs,
• determine that one of the identified print production devices is currently an idle print production device,
• identify a top priority print job from the queue, wherein the top priority print job is a print job from the plurality of print jobs that is associated with a highest priority value,
• determine a completion time associated with processing the top priority print job by each of the identified print production devices by, for each identified print production device:
• estimating an amount of time for the print production device to complete one or more print jobs that the print production device is currently processing;
• determining a processing time associated with processing the to priority job by the production device by:
• determining a size associated with the to priority print job,
• determining a processing rate associated with the print production device, and
• dividing the size by the processing rate;
• determining a setup time associated with processing the top priority job by the production device;
• and
• summing the amount of time, the processing time and the setup time;
• identify a fastest print production device, wherein the fastest print production device is a print production device from the identified plurality of print production devices that is associated with a shortest completion time for the top priority print job,
• assign the top priority print job to the fastest print production device,
• determine whether the fastest print production device is the idle print production device, and
• in response to determining that the fastest print production device is the idle print production device:
• send the top priority print job to the fastest print production device, and
• remove the top priority print job from the queue.

A system of assigning a print job from a queue to a print production device in a print production environment, the system comprising:

• a computing device;
• and
• a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium in communication with the computing device, wherein the computer-readable storage medium comprises one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the computing device to:
• identify a queue comprising a plurality of print jobs, wherein each print job is associated with a unique priority value,
• identify a plurality of print production devices capable of processing the plurality of print jobs,
• determine that one of the identified print production devices is currently an idle print production device,
• identify a highest priority print job, wherein the highest priority print job is a print job from the plurality of print jobs that is associated with a highest priority value,
• determine a completion time associated with processing the highest priority print job by each of the identified print production devices by, for each identified print production device:
• estimating an amount of time for the print production device to complete one or more print jobs that the print production device is currently processing,
• determining a processing time associated with processing the highest priority job by the print production device by:
• determining a size associated with the highest priority print job,
• determining a processing rate associated with the print production device, and
• dividing the size by the processing rate,
• determining a setup time associated with processing the highest priority print job by the print production device, and
• summing the amount of time, the processing time and the setup time;
• identify a fastest print production device, wherein the fastest print production device is a print production device from the identified plurality of print production devices that is associated with a shortest completion time for the highest priority print job,
• assign the highest priority print job to the fastest print production device,
• determine whether the fastest print production device is the idle print production device, and
• in response to determining that the fastest print production device is not the idle print production device:
• determine a completion time associated with processing a next highest priority print job from the plurality of print jobs by each of the identified print production devices that have not been assigned to a print job,
• assign the next highest priority print job to the print production device having the shortest completion time for processing the next highest priority print job, and
• repeat the determining a completion time associated with processing a next highest priority print job and the assigning the next highest priority print job to the print production device having the shortest completion time for processing the next highest priority print job until a job from the plurality of print jobs is assigned to the idle print production device.

A system of assigning a job from a queue to a print production device in a print production environment, the system comprising:

• a computing device;
• and
• a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium in communication with the computing device, wherein the computer-readable storage medium comprises one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the computing device to:
• identify a queue comprising a plurality of print jobs, wherein each job is associated with a unique priority value, wherein the print jobs are arranged in the queue according to their priority values,
• identify a plurality of print production devices capable of processing the plurality of print jobs, and
• in response to determining that one of the identified print production devices is currently an idle print production device:
• identify a plurality of print job groupings, wherein each print job grouping comprises a plurality of neighboring print jobs in the queue, determine a plurality of different print job sequences associated with the jobs in the queue by:
• swapping an order of one or more print jobs within one or more print job groupings,
• determining a job number representing a number of print jobs within a print job grouping,
• determining a print job grouping number representing a number of print job groupings associated with the plurality of print jobs, and
• determining a number of print job sequences equal to the job number raised to the print job grouping number,
• determine a completion time for processing each print job sequence,
• identify the print job sequence associated with a shortest completion time, and
• process the print jobs according to the identified print job sequence.