Avanti Slingshot Connect
After RICOH ProcessDirector receives jobs from Avanti Slingshot or sends order information to Avanti Slingshot, the feature automates the reporting of job processing time to Avanti Slingshot cost centers. When a job finishes printing, the feature reports this information:
- The amount of time the job spent on the printer.
- The total pages or sheets printed on specific media by name and by product ID when that property is defined.
- Whether the job was printed with CMYK ink or toner or only with black ink or toner.
RICOH ProcessDirector and Avanti Slingshot exchange information over an HTTP connection.
To configure your Avanti Slingshot system so that it sends jobs to RICOH ProcessDirector or receives order information from RICOH ProcessDirector, contact your Avanti support representative.
If Avanti Slingshot sends PDF files with JDF job tickets, RICOH ProcessDirector receives them in a hot folder input device that uses the JDF Batching method. The hot folder has the same name as the line item on the sales order. RICOH ProcessDirector acknowledges receipt of each job and reports status to Avanti Slingshot as the jobs move through the workflow.
If Avanti Slingshot receives order information from RICOH ProcessDirector, Avanti Slingshot acknowledges receipt of the information for each job. RICOH ProcessDirector reports status to Avanti Slingshot as the jobs move through the workflow.
Avanti Slingshot Connect does not provide the Avanti Slingshot software. You must purchase and install Avanti Slingshot with the JDF Integration add-on.
Step template
Avanti Slingshot Connect provides the CreateOrderInSlingshot step template. A step based on this step template lets you call an Avanti Slingshot web service that creates an order for a job received from RICOH ProcessDirector.
Properties and reporting
Avanti Slingshot Connect adds two properties to all steps in a workflow: Slingshot cost center and Slingshot milestone status. You can associate one or more steps with a single cost center to identify all the time spent on processing by the cost center.
You define the Avanti Slingshot cost centers used by RICOH ProcessDirector in an avanti.cfg control file.
RICOH ProcessDirector reports the time when a job enters the first step associated with an Avanti Slingshot cost center. RICOH ProcessDirector also reports the time when a job completes the last step associated with the cost center.
Avanti Slingshot Connect adds two properties to the property notebook for each RICOH ProcessDirector printer:
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Slingshot cost center
RICOH ProcessDirector reports the time spent printing the job to this Avanti Slingshot cost center.
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Job color to report
RICOH ProcessDirector uses this property when it reports the total pages printed in a job. The property specifies whether all the pages in the job were printed with CMYK ink or toner or only with black ink or toner.
RICOH ProcessDirector automatically reports the total pages printed on specific media.