Plus Technologies is a developer and marketer
W
h
i
t
e
P
a
p
e
r
of Advanced Print Spooling Software Solutions
since 1995. They have thousands of customers
in over 35 countries around the world.
The Value of Bi-Directional Communications and
PLUS TECHNOLOGIES WHITE
Print Job Delivery Confirmation
PAPER SERIES
This series of white papers will
The customer associated with this white paper is a large, multi-national manufacturer of
discuss the advantages of modern
cars and trucks.
document
delivery/administration
methods over the old traditional
Business Problem – Printers located on the production floor have been installed to print
print job methods.
Utilizing
modern
document
instructions for production line workers. These instructions ensure that the production line
delivery methods, print jobs or
worker can correctly install their parts and components on a vehicle as it moves into their
applicable parts of the jobs can be
production station. These printouts must be correct (right part for the right vehicle) and “on-
delivered to the correct locations,
people, web sites, faxes, e-mails
time” as the company never wants the production line to stop. Compounding the critical
or printers.
nature of the correct printout being available is the fact that this is a “build to order”
Modern document
delivery methods provide userfriendly
interfaces
that
assist
getting jobs where they need to
be, when they need to be there.
This
technology
saves
time,
production line. It is not the more traditional assembly operation where a production
worker assembles the same component onto each vehicle as it goes by. This production
line builds vehicles to order, which requires assembly workers to know which specific
components go on each vehicle based on what the customer has ordered.
network resources, consumables
and training. If there is problem
along the way, it can be tracked
However, we all know that printers will fail from time to time. Whether the printer problem is
down to a place, time, printer and
a jam, a media shortage, or another problem, printer problems really do happen. When
page
so
it
can
be
resolved
quickly. This technology provides
problems occur, it is imperative that the customer’s MRP Application Help Desk knows
confirmation of job delivery and
about it as soon as possible so that the problem can be resolved. The critical business
more importantly job completion.
problem was how to let the Help Desk know that a print problem occurred and how to give
Where appropriate jobs can also
them enough information about the problem to be able to fix it quickly (within a few
be
minutes) before the production line was impacted.
encrypted
which
security of the information.
ensures
Key Technical Challenge – The customer’s MRP Application runs in an HP-UX
environment and it sends text data to an electronic forms package running on a Windows
system. On the Windows system, the text is merged with a “form template” then sent via
the Windows spooling system to the printer. The technical limitation in the Windows
system is that it has no capability for bi-directional communications with the printers to see
Page 1
if the documents printed successfully, or request printer status, or pro-actively notify the
Help Desk about printer problems.
As a result of these shortcomings in their native spooling systems, the customer needed to
augment their current system. They required a solution that could provide:
•
High reliability since this was a mission critical function
•
No changes needing to be made to the MRP/business Application or the
Electronic forms application
PLUS TECHNOLOGIES WHITE
PAPER SERIES
This
series
of
white
papers
•
Support for printers from multiple vendors
•
Bi-directional communications with printers
•
Ability to capture SNMP data
print
•
Translation of SNMP data into MRP Application error codes
spooling, printer management and
•
Seamless integration with their MRP Application to return error codes to it
addresses
problems
common
associated
advanced
customer
with
document
delivery.
should printing fail
If you have a topic that you would
•
like Plus Technologies to consider
7 x 24 support with 20 minute response time
for a white paper, please e- mail us
at
contactus @plustechnologies.com
The customer approached Plus Technologies regarding their business problem and we
recommended an Advanced Spooling Solution based on our OM Plus Advanced Print
PREVIOUS WHITE PAPERS
Spooling, Document Delivery and Printer Management software.
View previous white papers on our
web site at
www.plustechnologies.com in the
Customer Technical Environment - See diagram
Solutions Section
•
Packaged MRP Application on HP-UX System
•
Electronic Forms on Windows based system
•
Printers from multiple vendors
•
See diagram – At the end of this document
Previous Topics
Streamlining Multi-Host Printing
Job Splitting and Load
Balancing
Technical Solution
Unplanned Downtime
•
Replacing HP OpenSpool
The OM Plus advanced spooling system is installed on the Windows System, along
with the Electronic Forms package, augmenting the functionality of the spooling
system on that server.
•
OM Plus is Plus Technologies’
highly
reliable,
easy
to
to any forms application), and then OM Plus delivers the jobs to the printers on the
use,
production floor.
Advanced Print Spooling, Printer
Management
Delivery
and
software
Document
solution.
OM Plus receives jobs from the Electronic Forms software (without requiring changes
•
OM Plus opens a bi-directional communications session with the printer and requests
SNMP status information from the printer, which provides a detailed status of the
OM Plus provides advanced print
printer. OM Plus also waits for the “job complete” status to come from the printer
spooling, and delivery and control
(indicating the job was accepted, printed and the pages were sent to the tray). If
of
documents
across
complex
network environments to multiple
destination
printers,
types
fax,
web/intranet sites.
including
email,
and
Page 2
printing is successful, OM Plus marks the job status as “printed” on the OM Plus
Administration screen and no further action is required.
•
If OM Plus does not receive confirmation from the printer that printing was successful
within one minute, OM Plus updates the job status on the OM Plus Administration
screen as “failed”, converts the SNMP status codes to the appropriate MRP Application
error status codes, and then updates the MRP Application regarding the print failure, in
real time. This allows the MRP Application Help Desk to be notified of the problem,
within the MRP Application screens that they are monitoring, virtually immediately.
The notification will tell them what the problem is, what document is affected that
needs to be re-generated and how to fix the problem.
•
In addition, if needed, OM Plus can send an email to Tech Support notifying them of
the problem (in addition to the above notification to the Application Help Desk).
•
With the information gathered and provided by OM Plus, the MRP Application Help
Desk knows when a printer has failed and they know the nat ure of the failure. This
enables them to rectify the situation very quickly and minimizes the production line
downtime.
Other Features
As a bi-product of installing OM Plus, the customer also gained access to all the other
features of the system designed to help them control and manage their print jobs and
printers including re-routing, re-printing, audit, accounting and many other functions.
These features streamline operations and reduce costs related to administration and
support.
Implementation
Installing, configuring, testing and training were completed in a very short time. A Plus
Technologies engineer was on-site to assist the customer with installation of the OM Plus
software and to provide configuration assistance.
Results
•
The Help Desk is now able to provide much faster resolution to printer errors
•
Faster problem resolution resulted in a significant reduction in production line
interruptions
•
Improved production line productivity results in manufacturing cost reductions that
were significant enough to warrant rolling out OM Plus across the customer’s North
America production operations.
Page 3
Customer Quote
“OM Plus solved our problem so successfully that we are rolling it out across North
America.”
Plus Technologies White Papers
The Plus Technologies white paper series includes real examples of how companies use
Advanced Spooling Solutions to streamline operations, reduce cost and/or add functionality
to existing business processes. For more information on these white papers, contact Plus
Technologies.
Contact Information:
Phone – 877-899-7587-Toll Free
937-746-8118-Outside the US and Canada
Email: [email protected]
Web Site: www.plustechnologies.com
HP, Hewlett Packard, HP-UX, Dazel and OpenSpool are trademarks of Hewlett-Packard Company. Product names mentioned
herein may be trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
Page 4
MRP Application running on HP-UX
MRP Application
Help Desk
ERROR ON PRT
154
Printer number 154 is
experiencing a paper jam on
Print Job RID# 34568
MRP Application
Help Desk
Oracle Database
SNMP Data Translated to MRP
Application Error Codes to notify
Application and Help Desk of
Problem with print job delivery
= Print Jobs
= SNMP Data
= MRP Application
Error Codes
E-Forms Software
•
Merges Text
from MRP with
Electronic Form
and Spools the
Document
•
•
•
•
•
•
Captures the Windows
Spool file
Sends print job to printer
Traps SNMP Data from
Printer
To: Tech Support
From: OM Plus
Subject: Production Printer
Problem
Waits 1 minute for
Confirmation of
successful print from
Printer
If Print Job is Not
Successful-OM Plus
Translates SNMP Data to
MRP Application Error
Codes and Sends them to
the MRP for immediate
problem resolution
Printer number 154 is
experiencing a paper jam on
Print Job RID# 34568
e-mail
optional
OM Plus can send an
e-mail to notify a local
Tech Support person if
desired
Tech Support
e-mail client
SNMP Data is
“Trapped” when the
print job is delivered
to the printer
Production Floor
Printer(s)
Page 5