Order fulfillment system and method for printing products including individualized information

Abstract

Interactive custom printed order placement and fulfillment systems and methods for placing, selling, accepting, proofing, transmitting, producing, servicing, and delivering orders for printed products including individualized or personalized information in time-efficient ways. Video conferencing technicians can provide direct access to professional, expert, and knowledgeable help. The interactive custom printed order fulfillment systems and methods further provide opportunities for targeted up-sells, cross-promotion, advertising, marketing, and information management to benefit those placing orders, those facilitating or brokering orders, and those producing and delivering orders, thereby increasing information efficiency.

1 . A set of printed business cards comprising at least a portion of an order for customized products, the set of printed business cards comprising: 
 at least one summary card comprising at least one of the following: printed 
 business card data, an order number, a barcode, and a reorder contact;  
   a plurality of business cards comprising individualized information; and    at least one promotional card, wherein the promotional card includes targeted information selected according to at least one characteristic of the individualized information or the order.    
   
   
       2 . The set of printed business cards of  claim 1 , wherein the printed business card data of the summary card comprises an image of a printed business card.  
   
   
       3 . The set of printed business cards of  claim 1 , wherein the reorder contact comprises at least one of a uniform resource locator (URL), a telephone number, a facsimile number, an e-mail address, and a mailing address.  
   
   
       4 . The set of printed business cards of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of business cards are identical.  
   
   
       5 . The set of printed business cards of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the individualized information of the plurality of business cards is identical.  
   
   
       6 . The set of printed business cards of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one summary card, the plurality of identical business cards, and the at least one promotional card are assembled in a business card stack.  
   
   
       7 . The set of printed business cards of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one summary card and the at least one promotional card are strategically placed within the business card stack.  
   
   
       8 . The set of printed business cards of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one summary card and the at least one promotional card are randomly placed within the business card stack.  
   
   
       9 . The set of printed business cards of  claim 7 , wherein the business card stack is assembled in the following order: a summary card; at least one promotional card; a plurality of identical business cards; at least one promotional card; and a summary card.  
   
   
       10 . The set of printed business cards of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one characteristic of the individualized information or the order is selected from the group consisting of: a job title; a business name; a logo; a graphic; a business type; an address; a ZIP code; a telephone number; an area code; an order origination location; an order placement date; an order production date; a new order status; a reorder status; an order composition; and an order size.  
   
   
       11 . The set of printed business cards of  claim 1 , wherein the targeted information comprises promotional information.  
   
   
       12 . The set of printed business cards of  claim 11 , wherein the promotional information comprises at least one of an advertisement and a promotional offer.  
   
   
       13 . The set of printed business cards of  claim 12 , wherein the promotional information is selected from a database of available advertisers.  
   
   
       14 . The set of printed business cards of  claim 12 , wherein the promotional information is selected according to an advertiser preference of at least one characteristic of the individualized information or the order.  
   
   
       15 . The set of printed business cards of  claim 12 , wherein the promotional information comprises a coupon.  
   
   
       16 . The set of printed business cards of  claim 11 , wherein the promotional information is personalized with a name of a consumer related to the order.  
   
   
       17 . The set of printed business cards of  claim 11 , wherein the promotional information relates to a location from which the order for customized products originated.  
   
   
       18 . The set of printed business cards of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one characteristic of the order comprises an order origination location, and wherein at least a portion of the targeted information of the promotional card is selected at the order origination location.  
   
   
       19 . The set of printed business cards of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one characteristic of the order comprises an order producer, and wherein at least a portion of the targeted information of the promotional card is selected by the order producer.  
   
   
       20 . A method of printing a set of business cards comprising the steps of: 
 receiving an order for customized products, wherein the order comprises order data and at least a portion of the order comprises a set of business cards;    storing the order data in a database;    correlating at least a portion of the stored order data with data in an information database;    extracting information from the order data to be printed on the business cards;    printing the set of business cards, wherein the set of business cards comprises at least one summary card comprising at least a portion of the order data, a plurality of business cards comprising individualized information, and at least one promotional card comprising targeted information selected from the information database.    
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising the step of electronically transmitting the order prior to the step of receiving.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising the step of manually entering at least a portion of the order data from a hardcopy order form.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the step of correlating further comprises the steps of: 
 matching at least one element of the stored order data with at least one corresponding element in the information database, wherein the at least one element is selected from the group consisting of a job title; a business name; a business type; an address; a ZIP code; a telephone; an order origination location; an order placement date; an order production date; a new order status; a reorder status; an order composition; and an order size; and    selecting the targeted information from the information database based on the at least one corresponding element, wherein the targeted information comprises at least one of promotional information and a promotional offer.    
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising the step of assembling the set of business cards into a business card stack.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising the step of strategically arranging the at least one summary card and the at least one promotional card within the business card stack.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the step of strategically arranging further comprises randomly placing the at least one promotional card within the business card stack.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising the step of assembling the business card stack in the following order: a summary card; at least one promotional card; a plurality of identical business cards; at least one promotional card; and a summary card.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising the step of overriding the step of correlating by manually selecting the targeted information.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the step of overriding further comprises manually selecting the targeted information at an order origination location.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the step of overriding further comprises manually selecting the targeted information at an order production location.  
   
   
       31 . A sheet of printed business cards comprising: 
 at least one summary card comprising at least one of data of a printed business card, an order number, a barcode, and a reorder contact;    a plurality of business cards comprising individualized information; and    at least one promotional card, wherein the promotional card includes targeted information selected according to at least one characteristic of the individualized information or the order,    wherein the sheet of printed business cards comprises a variable imposition matrix, and wherein the at least one summary card, the plurality of business cards, and the at least one promotional card are variably arranged within the matrix to form an ordered business card stack after the sheet is cut and collated.    
   
   
       32 . The sheet of  claim 31 , wherein the data of a printed business card comprises an image of a printed business card.  
   
   
       33 . The sheet of  claim 31 , wherein the reorder contact comprises at least one of a uniform resource locator (URL), a telephone number, a facsimile number, an e-mail address, and a mailing address.  
   
   
       34 . The sheet of  claim 31 , wherein the plurality of business cards are identical.  
   
   
       35 . The sheet of  claim 31 , wherein at least a portion of the individualized information of the plurality of business cards is identical.  
   
   
       36 . The sheet of  claim 31 , wherein the at least one summary card, the plurality of business cards, and the at least one promotional card are variably arranged within the matrix to strategically distribute the at least one summary card and the at least one promotional card within the ordered business card stack after the sheet is cut and collated.  
   
   
       37 . The sheet of  claim 36 , wherein the at least one summary card, the plurality of business cards, and the at least one promotional card are variably arranged within the matrix to provide a business card stack having the following order after the sheet is cut: a summary card; at least one promotional card; a plurality of identical business cards; at least one promotional card; and a summary card.  
   
   
       38 . The sheet of  claim 31 , wherein the at least one characteristic of the individualized information or the order is selected from the group consisting of: a job title; a business name; a business type; an address; a ZIP code; a telephone number; an area code; an order origination location; an order placement date; an order production date; a new order status; a reorder status; an order composition; and an order size.  
   
   
       39 . The sheet of  claim 31 , wherein the targeted information comprises at least one of promotional information and a promotional offer.  
   
   
       40 . The sheet of  claim 39 , wherein the promotional information comprises an advertisement.  
   
   
       41 . The sheet of  claim 39 , wherein the promotional offer comprises a coupon.  
   
   
       42 . The sheet of  claim 39 , wherein the targeted information is selected from a database of available advertisers.  
   
   
       43 . The sheet of  claim 39 , wherein the targeted information is personalized with a name of a consumer related to the order.  
   
   
       44 . The sheet of  claim 39 , wherein the targeted information relates to a location from which the order for customized products originated.  
   
   
       45 . The sheet of  claim 31 , wherein the at least one characteristic of the order comprises an order origination location, and wherein at least a portion of the targeted information of the promotional card is selected at the order origination location.  
   
   
       46 . The sheet of  claim 31 , wherein the at least one characteristic of the order comprises an order producer, and wherein at least a portion of the targeted information of the promotional card is selected by the order producer.  
   
   
       47 . The sheet of  claim 31 , wherein the sheet is cut from a roll.  
   
   
       48 . The sheet of  claim 31 , wherein the sheet is sheet-fed.