Print Quantity Control System

I need a small, purpose-built application that links my seven printing machines to a central web portal so I can see, in real time, how many copies have actually been produced versus how many were ordered for each artwork. Here’s how the workflow should look. Before a job reaches any press, either I or one of the designers will log into the portal and enter the required quantity. (The artwork’s file name already carries the job number and quantity, but I still want the definitive figure captured manually in the portal so there is no confusion.) Once production begins, each machine must push its counter data automatically to the same portal. As sheets roll off the press the portal should keep a running tally, display the remaining quantity for that job, and flag the operator if they begin to overrun. Because the updates are automatic, no operator input should be necessary at the machine; they should only see the live “required vs. produced” numbers on-screen and stop when the target is met. The portal needs a simple dashboard where I can filter by job number, customer, machine, or date and export a summary at the end of the shift to Excel or CSV. An alert—email, SMS, or an on-screen warning—is required whenever a job exceeds its assigned quantity so I can intervene quickly and cut wastage. Deliverables • Central web portal (browser-based) with secure login for admin/design staff • Machine interface or small utility that pulls the counter reading from each press and transmits it automatically every few seconds • Real-time dashboard showing required quantity, printed quantity, and balance for every active job, plus overrun alerts • End-of-day export (CSV/Excel) with totals per job and per machine • Installation guide and brief remote hand-off session so my team can manage new jobs without developer assistance If you’ve connected production equipment to a central tracking system before—whether through OPC, embedded APIs, or direct counter polling—let’s talk. My main priority is rock-solid data capture and a clean interface the operators cannot override.