| 摘要 |
A variable price on-line printing system includes printing and finishing resources, and an on-line server to receive print job data and electronic requests for use of the printing/finishing resources from customer workstations. A dynamic price database includes data that describe current and anticipated future demand for the printing/finishing resources. An automated dynamic price offer generation process accesses the dynamic price database and derives a dynamic price for use of at least one of the printing/finishing resources based upon current and anticipated future demand as indicated in the dynamic price database. A user interface engine receives input from the automated dynamic price offer generation process and outputs price offers to the customer workstations, including the dynamic price associated with a printing/finishing resource, wherein the dynamic price is tailored to shape demand for the printing/finishing resource. The customer can accept or decline the dynamic price offer. In this manner, under-utilized printing/finishing resources, including turn-around options, are priced more attractively as compared to over-utilized printing/finishing resources to increase customer demand based upon real-time load/utilization/availability data for the printing/finishing resources of the on-line print shop. The printing/finishing resources can be geographically dispersed print shops of a printing enterprise, or certain resources of same.
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