TotalFlow PM is a software solution for Print Production Operators of large production printer made by Ricoh Print Production Solutions. The operators console is a web-based interface that is accessed on a computer and/or a control panel on the printer itself. There are four work "Hubs" in this solution.
My role in this project work was to define all interactions, functions and information features within the predefined pane-based layout. Brand visual guidelines were established, my role was to also incorporate all new functionality with strict brand adherence. I was a lead contributor in continuing to identify, create and provide oversight for brand compliance in the product. I also was the primary communication channel between the Japan Design Group and the Boulder based development group. I was an active member of the Agile team responsible for the creation of the product, partnering with the product owner to define all UX related user stories as well as a key stakeholder in the sign off of all UX related user stories.
Operation Hub
The Operation Hub allows the printer operator to administrate printers, virtual printers and print jobs in one view. Each panel allows the operator access to important functions and commands, in one click for most cases. In this view, the list of print jobs is shown in a "graphic" view, including a thumbnail of the actual document in the job. This screenshot shows the high-fidelity prototype that development used in conjunction with requirements in corresponding user stories, to implement the final product.
The Operation Hub allows the printer operator to administrate printers, virtual printers and print jobs in one view. Each panel allows the operator access to important functions and commands, in one click for most cases. In this view, the list of print jobs is shown in a "graphic" view, including a thumbnail of the actual document in the job. This screenshot shows the high-fidelity prototype that development used in conjunction with requirements in corresponding user stories, to implement the final product.
Operation Hub
This screenshot shows the "list" view of all print jobs in queue for printing. This is a more collapsed view of the information. The user can choose to group jobs according to specifications that are pre-defined or that the user can custom create. In the Operation Hub menu, the user can choose which panels of information or visible and which are hidden. The interface then adjusts to the screen real-estate automatically, any variation of the view in the application can be saved as a separate custom view.
Queues Hub
This screenshot shows a view of the Queues Hub. The Queues Hub offers the print operator to see the order of all jobs in a visual queue (timeline) format. The operator can drag and drop to reorder the print jobs, can pause, cancel, or reassign printers to jobs as well as see basic information about the print job (much like the graphic view in the Operation Panel). The bottom panel allows the operator to see all jobs that have been submitted for print but have not been assigned a printer or scheduled to print yet. The operator can then easily drag jobs to printers to assign them and then use the queue panel to reorder the job if necessary. The operator is also able to zoom in and out on the timeline, based on the number of jobs queued, to get a big picture view of the production queue or zoom in to see a closer to real-time view of the print queue. The system is continually updating the data displayed to proximate real-time events as closely as possible.
The Workflow Hub
The Workflow Hub allows Workflow Administrators to design custom flows for automated printing. The workflow hub consists of a space to build and edit the steps of a workflow, a panel to use, build and modify workflow steps and load saved workflow, and a properties panel that displays information about each item selected in the workflow editor. This portion of the software presented many complex levels of logic and function that needed to work together seamlessly in an intuitive drag & drop interface.
The Workflow Hub
In this screenshot, the Workflows tab is selected in the Objects panel. Users can load & edit existing workflows, copy workflows or delete workflows. The initial implementation of the software included several out of the box workflows that represented a common flow that users could then expand and customize to fit their specific print shop. In the workflow editor area, at the bottom right portion of the window, a "preview" workflow window allowed the user to zoom in and out of the entire workflow - this becomes important in the case of multiple branched workflows that connect to other flows - allowing the user to view the "bigger picture".
Configuration Hub
The configuration Hub allowed administrators access to system configuration functions. This Hub was only presented to Admin users who maintain and configure the system. This included adding new printers, configuring the printers and virtual printers, adding Print Servers, Media types, System Users and System notifications and rules. The vertical tab structure on the left was chosen to accommodate the different areas of function while still allowing for a configurable pane based layout.
