• Powerful Search

• SLA Overview

• End-to-End Tracking

• Platform/Vendor Neutral

• Integrates with existing 3rd party finishing hardware

• LDAP Security Enabled

Additional Tracking

• Module Functionality

• IMB Integration

• Real-Time Task Status Information

• Barcode scanner enabled
  Job Ticket / Work Order Modification & Reprint

• Task Modification

Additional Reporting  Module Functionality

• Custom Reporting   

• Report Automation

• SLA Metrics

• Printer Statistics

• Automated Import/Export

• Enhanced Accounting Integration
  

The NearStar Accounting Tracking Operation Management (ATOM) system is a modular java-based platform which accumulates and generates job accounting records, provides custom report capability, and allows the print enterprise to track the status of print jobs from receipt to completion.

Platform Dependent and Vendor Neutral

ATOM is well-suited to be used with Xerox printers which output Xerox XSI XEARs DocSP enhanced job accounting information about printed jobs. Similarly, ATOM can be used with other printers so long as they have the ability to use the defined accounting interface. Where unprocessed and processed jobs are located can be configured, as well as which fields contain information required for job  accounting.

ATOM can run a variety of platforms which support Java such as Windows, Linux, Solaris and others*.

A variety of third party finishing products, job ticket solutions and fulfillment applications may also be integrated into ATOM to enable monitoring by the operations staff for all incoming jobs and provide near real-time status throughout their production lifecycle.

The first view shows how many jobs are meeting configured Service Level Agreement (SLA) levels.  The second view shows what states the jobs are in, the third shows the last ten jobs received and the fourth view shows how many jobs are queued for each finishing station.

Jobs are tracked by scanning bar codes on a cover page or job piece as that job goes from one finishing station to the next.  The post-print finishing tasks that any given print job could go through are defined in the system so that as a barcode is scanned, that task is marked complete.  When all the tasks associated with that job are complete, the job is marked complete.  The post-print finishing tasks can be followed in any order.  Certain users can modify the workflow while the job is in progress by adding or deleting tasks required for that job to complete.

Information about specific jobs can be each of these views to allow users to drill down to specific jobs.  In addition, the search capability gives users a powerful tool to find specific jobs.

NearStar ATOM supports either internal or external login credentials to gain access to the system.  If the user desires to use their own LDAP to authenticate users, the administrator must configure the system with a few fundamental data like location and type of LDAP to be used, and they must map the LDAP groups to the system's user roles so that the system knows what that user has permission to do once logged into the system.  If the customer does not want to use an external authentication system, NearStar ATOM gives them the ability to define internal users and assign roles to them.

A job is initiated by entering a job ticket into the system.  Although NearStar ATOM works seamlessly with NearStar DataServer, other print managers can be used to print jobs, as long as they use the supplied API to enter the job ticket.

NearStar ATOM is designed to be used with Xerox printers which output Xerox XSI XEARs DocSP enhanced job accounting information about printed jobs.  NearStar ATOM can be used with other printers as long as they have the ability to use the defined accounting interface.  Where unprocessed and processed jobs are located can be configured, as well as which fields contain information required for job accounting.

NearStar ATOM works with most kinds of post-print processes.  When these activities do not have a feedback mechanism using an API, the coversheet containing the bar code is scanned into a tracking web page, along with the station bar code.  And when they do have an API, ATOM can be programmed to use it.

ATOM  is a platform designed to provide customized “dashboards” which can be configured to provide SLA monitoring of all jobs for both Transactional and Non-Transactional print and POD solutions.

The Search Jobs screen is a powerful tool that can be used to find jobs in the tracking system using multiple criteria at the same time.  Jobs can be filtered by tracking ID, order ID, job name, status, tasks pending, received time ranges and SLA time ranges