Create print job request and pause it till operator decides to proceed
Hello,
I've come across a scenario where there is a need to create a print job request from a source system, for which we plan to use Integration Builder. However, the scenario is that we should be creating the print job request and hold it till the operator decides WHEN to print it (some kind of a release process). Any ideas how to achieve that?
Thanks
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This probably all depends what kind of release process you want.
With a number of printers you can configure BarTender to Pause the printer after a print job has been printed or possibly when a print file/command is sent to the printer and so the simplest way to hold the printing would be via this method. For example with a Zebra this command can be configured here and saved in your label template:
Alternatively you could just not create the print/trigger file until the operators are ready to print (ie they do not not press the "print" button or whatever it is called in your system until they are ready to print the label batch in question.)
If the trigger for label printing was a physical file (ie a File Integration process) then instead of outputting the file to the folder that the Integration is monitoring they could be saved into a different location. Although I have never actually had a need to perform this, one of the available actions in the Process Builder companion application or that are available via the Actions interface in a BarTender format is the Move File command. It would appear to be possible to configure these to allow an operator to say enter a file name/number and then when they press a button or similar, that file is then moved to a new folder location, which in this case would be the folder the Integration is monitoring. Obviously the users would need to know the name of the file to achieve this,
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Thanks Pete for the information. I'm looking at that from integrations perspective - the idea is to create the job request from a source system (MES or ERP) and keep it on hold. Only when the operator goes to the print console then the job can start by operator "releasing it" or starting it.
My desire is to avoid printer configurations if possible - those printers may be used for something else so I'd rather have Bartender functionality implemented instead of changing printer configurations.
I think files can be used in the way you mentioned, but as you said, they would require to know file name. I would be looking more for a less developed solution and more like a standard provided solution within the product.
Thanks
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You would probably not need to know the file name if there would be only ever one file in the folder to be printed or else if, once they are ready to print, they print the all the print jobs that are queued as I believe you would be able to configure to move all the files to the new location at once.
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Thanks Pete. I guess we could build a custom process (with Process builder) to pick up file and perform some kind of action and (if doable), prompt the user for an action. Didn't try yet, but I think it may work... will keep everybody posted here.
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