Abstract: Methods and systems for improving a cost determination for a job for a supplier are disclosed. A computing device may receive one or more job parameters for the job and one or more shop characteristics for a shop operated by the supplier. The computing device may determine a cost to perform the job in the shop based on the one or more job parameters and the one or more shop characteristics. The determined cost may be transmitted to the supplier.

Abstract: The method for reducing vendor bid amounts includes providing a supplier with an invitation to make a bid for supplying a digital print job. The print job is characterized by a demand for a first number of units by a select date. The method further includes determining if a demand condition can be met. The determination includes using historical data to calculate a first commitment quantity for current jobs being provided by the supplier. The first commitment quantity is then used to calculate a second commitment quantity. The second commitment quantity provides an estimate for the number of the units and a date. The second commitment quantity is displayed to the supplier. The method provides the supplier with an option to bid for producing the estimated number of units by the estimated date.

Abstract: The method for reducing vendor bid amounts includes providing a supplier with an invitation to make a bid for supplying a digital print job. The print job is characterized by a demand for a first number of units by a select date. The method further includes determining if a demand condition can be met. The determination includes using historical data to calculate a first commitment quantity for current jobs being provided by the supplier. The first commitment quantity is then used to calculate a second commitment quantity. The second commitment quantity provides an estimate for the number of the units and a date. The second commitment quantity is displayed to the supplier. The method provides the supplier with an option to bid for producing the estimated number of units by the estimated date.

Abstract: A machine-implemented process determines web press printing capabilities and costs of different printing organizations using a processor. The printing capabilities comprise a number of printing units and a number of supply roll stands supplying continuous print media to the printing units. A printing request is received from a print customer through a graphic user interface. The printing request is evaluated using the processor to determine printing request requirements. A comparator compares the printing request requirements with the printing capabilities and costs to identify capable printing organizations of the different printing organizations that have abilities to process the printing request. The processor calculates different print choices and costs based on the printing capabilities and costs of the capable printing organizations and outputs the different print choices and costs to the print customer through the graphic user interface.

Abstract: A system for determining price models of a print market port including a processor and a computer-readable storage medium in communication with the processor, wherein the computer-readable storage medium comprises one or more programming instructions for: partitioning a job dataset into a plurality of categories, each of the plurality of categories having a pricing model; determining one or more factors within the job dataset that influence a price of each job; developing an input/output model for each job in the job dataset that influences the price of the job; performing an iteration to compute a prediction error for each job in the job dataset that influences the price of the job; removing one or more jobs from a subsequent iteration that include prediction errors that exceed a prediction error threshold; and performing a plurality of iterations on remaining jobs until a predetermined average error prediction is reached.

Abstract: The method for reducing vendor bid amounts includes providing a supplier with an invitation to make a bid for supplying a digital print job. The print job is characterized by a demand for a first number of units by a select date. The method further includes determining if a demand condition can be met. The determination includes using historical data to calculate a first commitment quantity for current jobs being provided by the supplier. The first commitment quantity is then used to calculate a second commitment quantity. The second commitment quantity provides an estimate for the number of the units and a date. The second commitment quantity is displayed to the supplier. The method provides the supplier with an option to bid for producing the estimated number of units by the estimated date.

Abstract: A system for determining price models of a print market port including a processor and a computer-readable storage medium in communication with said processor, wherein the computer-readable storage medium comprises one or more programming instructions for: partitioning a job dataset into a plurality of categories, each of the plurality of categories having a pricing model; determining one or more factors within the job dataset that influence a price of each job; developing an input/output model for each job in the job dataset that influences the price of the job; performing an iteration to compute a prediction error for each job in the job dataset that influences the price of the job; removing one or more jobs from a subsequent iteration that include prediction errors that exceed a prediction error threshold; and performing a plurality of iterations on remaining jobs until a predetermined average error prediction is reached.

Abstract: A machine-implemented process determines web press printing capabilities and costs of different printing organizations using a processor. The printing capabilities comprise a number of printing units and a number of supply roll stands supplying continuous print media to the printing units. A printing request is received from a print customer through a graphic user interface. The printing request is evaluated using the processor to determine printing request requirements. A comparator compares the printing request requirements with the printing capabilities and costs to identify capable printing organizations of the different printing organizations that have abilities to process the printing request. The processor calculates different print choices and costs based on the printing capabilities and costs of the capable printing organizations and outputs the different print choices and costs to the print customer through the graphic user interface.

Abstract: A computer implemented document-processing system comprises at least one processing element including a receiving component, a target-region identifying component a database and a calculating component. The receiving component electronically receives a print-job specification corresponding to at least one printable document. The receiving component electronically stores the print-job specification. The target-region identifying component operatively identifies at least one target region of a printable document of the at least one printable document. The database stores a plurality of data sources and is in operative communication with the target-region identifying component. Each data source is configured to provide printable data for printing within a target region of the at least one target region received by the target-region identifying component. The calculating component electronically calculates a plurality of prices.

Abstract: A computer implemented document-processing system and related method includes a receiving component, a capabilities analysis component, an authorization component and a calculating component. The receiving component receives a campaign-specifications data structure including one or more job specifications. One of the job specifications is associated with a job type selected from a direct mail campaign catalog, a direct mail campaign advertising and a direct mail non-printable service. The capabilities analysis component selects a set of capable entries from a database of vendors such that each selected entry corresponds to a vendor capable of performing one or more jobs of a campaign as operatively specified by one or more job specifications of the campaign-specifications data structure. The authorization component authorizes a set of entries from the database of vendors that conform to a predetermined set of criteria.