Forms order entry system

• US 6,076,080 A
• Filed: 11/04/1997
• Issued: 06/13/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Taylor Communications, Inc (Middleby Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Standard Register Company (Middleby Corporation)
• Inventors: Ohlemacher, David M., Ryan, Thomas J., Miller, Kenneth W., Morscheck, William F., Schweikert, Christopher L., Burgbacher, Mark A., Russell, C. Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Voeltz, Emanuel Todd
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dixon, Thomas A.
• Application Number:
  US08/992,495
• Time in Patent Office: 952 Days
• Field of Search: 705/400, 705/26, 705/28, 705/27
• US Class Current: 705/400
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/84 Greenhouse gas [GHG] management systems

Abstract

An order entry system is provided comprising a first computer system, a printing station computer system, a form design repository, a second computer system, a validation engine, and a pricing engine. The first computer system captures form design data and the second computer generates a form price, validates the form, and transmits a validated and priced order to the printing station computer system. The second computer is also programmed to store an index of form design files in the form design repository. The forms order entry system is also programmed to determine manufacturability of an ordered form by comparing its form design data to a set of validation rules and route manufacturability exceptions to a selected one of a plurality of exception handling locations. The pricing engine determines identified labor, material, burden, and mark-up cost components, and applies a set of pricing rules to them, to enable calculation of a form price.

Claims

1. A forms order entry system comprising:

a first computer system including a user interface, wherein said first computer system is programmed to capture form design data representative of a forms order entered at said user interface, and wherein said form design data comprises order specifications and a graphic form design file;

a printing station computer system; and

a second computer system remote from and in communication with said first computer system and said printing station computer system, wherein said second computer system is programmed to

generate a price corresponding to said form design data as a function of a set of pricing rules,

validate said forms order by associating said order specifications and said graphic form design file and populating said order specifications from said graphic form design file,

generate a form design populate report indicative of non-populated portions of said order specifications, and

transmit a validated and priced order to said printing station computer system.

2. A forms order entry system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said price generated by said second computer system comprises a list price corresponding to said form design data.

3. A forms order entry system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said order specifications are designated within said first computer system.

4. A forms order entry system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said graphic form design file is designated within said first computer system.

5. A forms order entry system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said order specifications are designated within said first computer system and said graphic form design file is designated within said first computer system, and wherein said second computer system is further programmed to associate and populate said order specifications from said graphic form design file.

7. A forms order entry system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said forms order stag comprises a modified existing forms order.

8. A forms order entry system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said forms order comprises an original forms order.

6. A forms order entry system comprising:

a first computer system including a user interface, wherein said first computer system is programmed to capture form design data representative of a forms order entered at said user interface, and wherein said form design data comprises order specifications and a graphic form design file;

a printing station computer system; and

a second computer system remote from and in communication with said first computer system and said printing station computer system, wherein said second computer system is programmed to

generate a price corresponding to said form design data as a function of a set of pricing rules,

validate said forms order by associating said order specifications and said graphic form design file and populating said order specifications from said graphic form design file,

generate a form design populate report indicative of discrepancies between said graphic form design file and said order specifications, and

transmit a validated and priced order to said printing station computer system.

9. A forms order entry system comprising:

a first computer system including a first server coupled to a first plurality of user interfaces, wherein said first computer system is programmed to generate form design data representative of a forms order entered at one of said first plurality of user interfaces, and wherein form design files corresponding to said forms order entered at one of said first plurality of user interfaces are stored in said first server;

a form design repository remote from and in communication with said first computer system; and

a second computer system remote from and in communication with said first computer system and said form design repository wherein said second computer system is programmed to

create an index of form design files corresponding to said form design files stored in said first server, and

store said index of form design files in said form design repository,

wherein said first computer system includes a least one additional server coupled to a second plurality of user interfaces, wherein said first computer system is programmed to generate form design data representative of a forms order entered at one of said second plurality of user interfaces, wherein form design files corresponding to said forms order entered at one of said second plurality of user interfaces are stored in said additional server, and wherein said index of form design files created by said second computer system corresponds to said form design files stored in said first server and said second server.

10. A forms order entry system comprising:

a user interface; and

a computer system in communication with said user interface, said computer system being programmed to

generate manufacturing steps based on form design data representative of a forms order entered at said user interface, wherein said form design data defines the appearance and construction of an ordered form and wherein said manufacturing steps correspond to a specific manufacturing process for creating said ordered form,

determine manufacturability of said ordered form by comparing said form design data to a set of validation rules, wherein said validation rules comprise a set of rules and values arranged to enable a determination as to whether all the information necessary for manufacturing an ordered form is present and correct in said form design data, and wherein said validation rules include general validation rules and specific product validation rules, and

transmit said manufacturing steps and said form design data to a printing station according to whether said ordered form is determined to be manufacturable.

11. A forms order entry system as claimed in claim 10 wherein said computer system is further programmed to determine usability of said ordered form by comparing said form design data to a set of validation rules.

12. A forms order entry system as claimed in claim 10 wherein said computer system is remote from and in communication with said user interface.

13. A forms order entry system as claimed in claim 10 wherein said printing station includes a digital press and wherein said manufacturing steps and said form design data are transmitted to said digital press in digital format.

14. A forms order entry system as claimed in claim 10 wherein data indicative of said manufacturing steps is reproduced at said printing station in a printed format.

15. A forms order entry system comprising:

a user interface;

a validation engine in communication with said user interface, wherein said validation engine is programmed to

generate manufacturing steps based on form design data captured at said user interface, wherein said form design data defines the appearance and construction of an ordered form, and wherein said manufacturing steps correspond to a specific manufacturing process for creating said ordered form,

determine manufacturability of said ordered form by comparing said form design data to a set of validation rules, and

generate at least one manufacturing exception based upon said manufacturability determination; and

a pricing engine in communication with said user interface, wherein said pricing engine is programmed to calculate a price corresponding to said ordered form as a function of a set of pricing rules, wherein said pricing engine and said validation engine are resident on a second computer system remote from and in communication with said user interface, and wherein said second computer system is programmed to route said manufacturability exception to a selected one of a plurality of exception handling locations according to the nature of said exception to update said manufacturing steps accordingly.

16. A forms order entry system as claimed in claim 15 wherein said exception handling locations are selected from the group consisting of a purchasing department, an engineering department, a manufacturing plant, a pricing department, a customer accounting department, and combinations thereof.

17. A forms order entry system comprising:

a user interface;

a validation engine in communication with said user interface, wherein said validation engine is programmed to

generate manufacturing steps based on form design data captured at said user interface, wherein said form design data defines the appearance and construction of an ordered form, and wherein said manufacturing steps correspond to a specific manufacturing process for creating said ordered form,

determine manufacturability of said ordered form by comparing said form design data to a set of validation rules, and

generate at least one manufacturing exception based upon said manufacturability determination; and

a pricing engine in communication with said user interface, wherein said pricing engine is programmed to calculate a price corresponding to said ordered form as a function of a set of pricing rules, wherein said pricing engine and said validation engine are resident on a second computer system remote from and in communication with said user interface, and wherein said second computer system is programmed to route said usability exception to a selected one of a plurality of exception handling locations according to the nature of said exception to update said manufacturing steps accordingly.

18. A forms order entry system comprising:

a user interface;

a validation engine in communication with said user interface, wherein said validation engine is programmed to

generate manufacturing steps based on form design data captured at said user interface, wherein said form design data defines the appearance and construction of an ordered form, and wherein said manufacturing steps correspond to a specific manufacturing process for creating said ordered form,

determine manufacturability of said ordered form by comparing said form design data to a set of validation rules, and

generate at least one manufacturing exception based upon said manufacturability determination; and

a pricing engine in communication with said user interface, wherein said pricing engine is programmed to calculate a price corresponding to said ordered form as a function of a set of pricing rules, wherein said pricing engine is programmed to calculate said price as a function of capabilities of a hypothetical manufacturing plant and said form design data.

19. A forms order entry system comprising:

a user interface;

a validation engine in communication with said user interface, wherein said validation engine is programmed to

generate manufacturing steps based on form design data captured at said user interface, wherein said form design data defines the appearance and construction of an ordered form, and wherein said manufacturing steps correspond to a specific manufacturing process for creating said ordered form,

determine manufacturability of said ordered form by comparing said form design data to a set of validation rules, and

generate at least one manufacturing exception based upon said manufacturability determination; and

a pricing engine in communication with said user interface, wherein said pricing engine is programmed to calculate a price corresponding to said ordered form as a function of a set of pricing rules, wherein said price comprises a combination of a form price, a freight price, and a storage price.

20. A forms order entry system comprising:

a first computer system including a user interface, wherein said first computer system is programmed to capture form design data representative of a forms order entered at said user interface, wherein said form design data defines the appearance and construction of an ordered form; and

a pricing engine in communication with said user interface, wherein said pricing engine is programmed to calculate a price corresponding to said ordered form by

identifying a set of manufacturing steps corresponding to a specific manufacturing process for said forms order,

determining a labor cost component for at least one of said manufacturing steps,

determining a material cost component for at least one of said manufacturing steps,

determining a burden cost component and a mark-up cost component for said ordered form, and

applying a set of pricing rules to said identified labor, material, burden, and mark-up cost components to enable calculation of said price.

21. A forms order entry system as claimed in claim 20 wherein said pricing engine is programmed to calculate said price by determining a labor cost component for each of said manufacturing steps.

22. A forms order entry system as claimed in claim 20 wherein said pricing engine is programmed to initialize cost component inputs prior to applying said pricing rules.

23. A forms order entry system as claimed in claim 20 wherein said pricing engine is programmed to calculate said price by determining a plurality of labor cost components to set up and run at least one of said manufacturing steps.

24. A forms order entry system as claimed in claim 20 wherein said pricing engine is programmed to calculate said price by determining a plurality of material cost components for consumption and waste for at least one of said manufacturing steps.

25. A forms order entry system as claimed in claim 20 wherein said pricing engine is programmed to:

produce a pricing exception in response to application of said pricing rules, and

route said pricing exception to a selected one of a plurality of pricing exception handling locations according to the nature of said pricing exception.

26. A forms order entry system as claimed in claim 20 wherein said pricing exception is selected from the group consisting of a paper weight limit, a press impression limit, a single-ply equivalents limit, an estimated total form price limit, a special customer account identifier, and combinations thereof.

27. A forms order entry system as claimed in claim 20 wherein said pricing engine is programmed to operate in an override mode wherein at least one of said labor cost component, said material cost component, said burden cost component, and said mark-up cost component for said ordered form are replaced by an override value, and wherein said pricing engine is programmed to calculate said price based upon said override value.

28. A forms order entry system as claimed in claim 20 wherein said forms order entry system further comprises a validation engine programmed to generate said manufacturing steps for input to said pricing engine.