Quality assurance system for retail photofinishing

• US 6,784,973 B1
• Filed: 08/31/2000
• Issued: 08/31/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Wozniak, Timothy M., Davies, Phil H., Craven, Ronald J., Ahlrichs, Grant
• Primary Examiner(s): Barlow, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Taylor, Victor J.
• Application Number:
  US09/652,190
• Time in Patent Office: 1,461 Days
• Field of Search: G03/D 1.300, H04/N.100, 702/82, 355/40, 718/104, 714/26, 382/263, 358/1.14, 347/172, 434/247, 396/567, 705/27
• US Class Current: 355/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A quality assurance system for retail photofinishing includes a communication network; a retail photofinishing site including photofinishing equipment, a client computer connected to the communication network, and a process monitoring device connected to the computer; and a server located at a service center and connected to the communication network. Client software running on the client computer includes a quality management application for providing quality information to a manager of the photofinishing site; an operator testing and training application for training and certifying an operator of the retail site and providing testing, training and certification related data to the server and the quality management application; a quality evaluation application for monitoring the quality of the product and services provided by the photofinishing site and providing quality related data to the server and the quality management application; a process control application for monitoring the condition of the photofinishing equipment at the site and providing process control data to the server and to the quality management application. Server software running on the server includes an application for collecting, storing, and analyzing data from a plurality of photofinishing sites and producing a report on the quality of products and services provided by the sites.

Claims

1. A quality assurance system for retail photofinishing, comprising:

a) a communication network;

b) a retail photofinishing site including photofinishing equipment, a client computer connected to the communication network, and a process monitoring device connected to the computer;

c) a computer located at a service center and connected to the communication network;

d) client software running on the client computer, including;

i) a quality management and reporting application for providing quality information to a manager of the photofinishing site,

ii) an operator training and testing application for training and certifying an operator of the retail site and providing testing, training, and certification related data to the service center computer and the quality management application,

iii) a quality evaluation application for monitoring the quality of the product and services provided by the photofinishing site and providing quality related data to the service center computer and the quality management application,

iv) a process control application for monitoring the condition of the photofinishing equipment at the site and providing process control data to the service center computer and to the quality management application, and

v) a customer feedback application for collecting customer feedback, managing follow-up by the retail site manager, and providing customer feedback data to the service center computer and the quality management application; and

e) service center software running on the service center computer, including;

i) an application for collecting, storing, and analyzing data from a plurality of photofinishing sites and producing a report on the quality of products and services provided by the sites, and wherein the operator testing and training application includes a color vision test and an operator training and testing module.

2. The system claimed in claim 1, wherein the client software further includes a remote service application for facilitating interaction with a remote support technician located at the service center and the server software further includes a remote service application for facilitating interaction between the remote support technician and photofinishing sites.

3. The system claimed in claim 2, wherein the process monitoring device is a densitometer or a flatbed scanner.

4. The system claimed in claim 1, wherein the operator training and testing module contains test on the topics of Understanding Color, Print Grading, Chemical Management, Minilab Maintenance, Customer Delight, Assertiveness, and Retail Selling.

5. The system claimed in claim 1, wherein the quality management and reporting application includes an employee database, a process control database, a customer feedback and contact management database, and a quality database.

6. The system claimed in claim 5, wherein the employee database contains employee identification information and operator training and testing information, and provides training summary reports.

7. The system claimed in claim 5, wherein the process control database contains process control information from the process control application and provides process control summary reports.

8. The system claimed in claim 5, wherein the customer feedback and contact management database contains customer feedback and contact information from the customer feedback application and provides customer feedback and summary reports.

9. The system claimed in claim 5, wherein the quality database contains quality evaluation information form the quality evaluation application and provides quality results reports.

10. The system claimed in claim 1, wherein the quality evaluation application evaluates photographic quality, physical quality, and clerical quality.

11. The system claimed in claim 10, wherein the customer feedback application collects customer feedback in the categories of photographic, physical, and clerical quality.

12. The system claimed in claim 5, wherein the process control application receives process control data from the process control monitoring device and writes this data to the process control database, compares the data with internally stored control limits, and generates a signal to an operator if the process control data is not within the control limits.

13. A quality assurance system for retail photofinishing, comprising:

a) a communication network;

b) a retail photofinishing site including photofinishing equipment, a client computer connected to the communication network, and a process monitoring device connected to the computer;

c) a computer located at a service center and connected to the communication network;

d) client software running on the client computer, including;

i) a quality management and reporting application for providing quality information to a manager of the photofinishing site,

ii) an operator training and testing application for training and certifying an operator of the retail site and providing testing, training, and certification related data to the service center computer and the quality management application,

iii) a quality evaluation application for monitoring the quality of the product and services provided by the photofinishing site and providing quality related data to the service center computer and the quality management application,

iv) a process control application for monitoring the condition of the photofinishing equipment at the site and providing process control data to the service center computer and to the quality management application, and

v) a customer feedback application for collecting customer feedback, managing follow-up by the retail site manager, and providing customer feedback data to the service center computer and the quality management application; and

e) service center software running on the service center computer, including;

i) an application for collecting, storing, and analyzing data from a plurality of photofinishing sites and producing a report on the quality of products and services provided by the sites, and wherein the quality management and reporting application includes an employee database, a process control database, a customer feedback and contact management database, and a quality database.

14. The system claimed in claim 13, wherein the employee database contains employee identification information and operator training and testing information, and provides training summary reports.

15. The system claimed in claim 13, wherein the process control database contains process control information from the process control application and provides process control summary reports.

16. The system claimed in claim 13, wherein the customer feedback and contact management database contains customer feedback and contact information from the customer feedback application and provides customer feedback and summary reports.

17. The system claimed in claim 13, wherein the quality database contains quality evaluation information form the quality evaluation application and provides quality results reports.

18. The system claimed in claim 13, wherein the quality evaluation application evaluates photographic quality, physical quality, and clerical quality.

19. The system claimed in claim 13, wherein the process control application receives process control data from the process control monitoring device and writes this data to the process control database, compares the data with internally stored control limits, and generates a signal to an operator if the process control data is not within the control limits.

20. The system claimed in claim 15, wherein the operator testing and training application includes a color vision test and an operator training and testing module.

21. The system claimed in claim 20, wherein the operator training and testing module contains test on the topics of Understanding Color, Print Grading, Chemical Management, Minilab Maintenance, Customer Delight, Assertiveness, and Retail Selling.