Estimated durations for steps in a linear workflow scenario

In this scenario, a linear workflow has nine steps. You want to track whether a job is on time or behind schedule from the time that the job enters the workflow until it completes the PrintJobs step. The first two steps process a job immediately. Four steps each take five minutes to process a job. One step takes ten minutes to process a job. You set estimated durations for those seven steps. You do not set estimated durations for the two steps that follow the PrintJobs step.
Linear PDF workflow
  • SetJobPropsFromTextFile: 1 second
  • DetectInputDataStream: 1 second
  • CountPages: 5 minutes
  • RunExternalProgram (runs a program for the accounting department): 5 minutes
  • PrintSetup (lets the operator verify that the requested paper is loaded in the trays): 5 minutes
  • CreatePageRanges: 5 minutes
  • PrintJobs: 10 minutes
  • RetainCompletedJobs: no estimated duration
  • RemoveJobs: no estimated duration

With this workflow, you can see the percent complete, the tracking status (On schedule or Behind schedule), and the predicted completion time.

When a job completes the PrintSetup step, the job is 50 percent complete because three five-minute steps have run of the 30-minute total. Based on the two remaining steps with estimated durations, RICOH ProcessDirector sets the Predicted completion time property to 15 minutes from the time when the job completes the PrintSetup step.

If the job completes the CountPages step within five minutes and two seconds after starting the SetJobPropsFromTextFile step, the Tracking status of the job is On schedule. If the job completes the RunExternalProgram step within ten minutes and two seconds after starting the SetJobPropsFromTextFile step, the Tracking status of the job continues to be On schedule.

If the job does not complete the PrintSetup step within 15 minutes and two seconds of starting the SetJobPropsFromTextFile step, RICOH ProcessDirector sets the Tracking status of the job to Behind schedule. If the Tracking status of a job is Behind schedule, RICOH ProcessDirector adds a yellow dot in the Deadlines portlet and in the Schedule risk column for the job in the Jobs table.

Related information:

Setting estimated durations for steps in a workflow
Parent topic: Usage scenarios for Deadline Tracker