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I am trying looking for best practices in managing print jobs through devicehub. I’ll give a specific example that hopefully explains why and what I’m looking for.

I ran into a situation where I have several print jobs listed as “Pending”.  I expected that list to help me catch print tickets that didn’t print.  However, I discovered that those Pending jobs were for Pick Tickets that were indeed printed (manually I assume).  If I make that assumption and print the “pending” jobs, I will end up possibly shipping orders twice.

I set up a schedule for Pick Tickets to print every 10 minutes.  Some users manually print their pick tickets. I understand that if a user prints a job seconds after the schedule runs, we will end up with 2 printed pick tickets.

If a user prints a ticket before the schedule runs, no print job is created.  If a print job fails or is pending, then the user prints it manually, the pending jobs obviously do not changed to “Processed”.

Just FYI -- We also had to limit manually printing pick tickets through the Actions tab (back in 2020 using the Reports tab or through the Process Shipments Screen didn’t check the Pick Ticket Printed box).

This is getting way TLDR, but I’m trying to figure out tools that allow me to find failed jobs and get them printed (NOT MISS A SHIPMENT) and avoid the opposite  -- tickets printed, but we think they haven’t and we print them again (DUPLICATE SHIPMENT).

I’m thinking that as I move towards using devicehub more, I’ll find more situations like this.  Hence, I am  looking for best practices.  Business Events to use, GI’s, Screens, business practices, etc

 

Edit:  How should devicehub be setup?  Individual computer connected to the printer?  Setup a computer to run DH for all users (will that work)?  Reboot computer/devicehub every day (see a lot of time out issues)?  

 

 

PS: This response was generated with a help of an AI tool.

 

There are a number of difficulties in managing print tasks in Acumatica using DeviceHub, especially when trying to strike a balance between the necessity to process shipments quickly and accurately and the risk of missing or duplicating important documentation like pick tickets. The workflow can be optimized to meet these issues by using Acumatica's automation and reporting features in conjunction with an organized approach.

 

1. Centralized DeviceHub Setup:

Centralize DeviceHub Operations: It is advised to install DeviceHub on a workstation or dedicated server that is always online. This ensures a consistent and dependable printing environment and removes problems caused by various users' devices being down or restarting. All users' print tasks may be efficiently managed via a centralized DeviceHub setup, which also minimizes manual interventions and time-out mistakes.
Routine Maintenance: Memory leaks and timeouts, which are frequent problems that gradually reduce the stability of print jobs, can be avoided by scheduling frequent reboots of the DeviceHub computer. This will guarantee that there is no printing process bottlenecks, and the system continues to function.


2. Improved Print Job Monitoring and Management:
Tracking Pending Jobs Using General Inquiries: A Generic Inquiry (GI) can be made to track print jobs that are pending, unsuccessful, or successful in order to give insight into the state of every print request. To make sure that no important shipments are overlooked because of undetected print failures, this dashboard should be primarily used to identify pending or failed jobs.


Automated Retry using Business Events: You can drastically cut down on human interaction by putting in place Business Events that allow you to automatically retry pending print jobs. For instance, the system might try printing again without requiring user input if a print job is left unfinished for longer than a predetermined amount of time.


Manually Clearing Processed Jobs: If print jobs are finished by hand but are still marked as pending, you might want to think about giving users the option to manually mark these jobs as "Processed" via a customized screen. This guarantees proper work monitoring and avoids reprinting errors.
 

3. Harmonizing Manual and Scheduled Printing:

Printed Document Locking Mechanism A locking mechanism can be put in place to prevent the problem of duplicate pick tickets being printed. The system should lock the document and mark a pick ticket as printed once it has been printed, either manually or by means of a scheduled task, to avoid additional prints.
Create a Business Event to Sync Print Status: This will help to guarantee that the system maintains a constant "Pick Ticket Printed" status even in cases where pick tickets are printed manually. As a result, differences between automated and manual printing processes are eliminated.

4. Dealing with DeviceHub Timeout Problems:
Watching for Problems with Timeouts: Setting up a straightforward heartbeat monitoring script can proactively check Device Hub's status and notify users if the service becomes inactive, as timeouts are a common problem. By using this method, print jobs won't get caught in the queue because DeviceHub isn't responding.
Business Event-Based Timeout Alerts: Set up a Business Event to instantly alert users when a print job fails because of a timeout. This will enable prompt reprocessing of the work and avoid delays in shipments.

5. Preventing and Tracking Job ID Duplicate Print Jobs:

Duplicate prints can be avoided by putting logic in place to track the Job ID or other distinct identifiers for each print job. For instance, the system can prevent confusion during the shipping process by blocking duplicate print requests if a document ID is printed quickly.
Recording Paper Documents: To keep track of the progress of every pick ticket, keep an extensive record of all printed documents. In the event that a task fails, users have the option to reprint the document or not by looking through the log to see if it has already been printed.

6. Enhanced DeviceHub and Printing Setup:
Printers on a network: Since networked devices are typically more stable than USB-attached printers, make sure that every printer is networked and connected to the central DeviceHub server. This configuration ensures that all users can access the necessary printing devices and reduces connection disruptions.
Managed Permissions for Users: Limit users' access to unneeded manual printing, and standardize the process for those who do use it. By doing this, you can guarantee that pick tickets are correctly marked as printed in the system, avoiding unintentional reprints.
 

You may reduce errors and guarantee that important papers are printed precisely and on time by streamlining print job management using DeviceHub by putting these best practices into effect. These tactics also give you a solid base for growing DeviceHub's usage as your company expands and you include more automation into your workflows.


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