System and method for minimizing the conveyance feed path of a sheet material handling system

A method for operating a sheet handling system (10) which includes the processing steps of feeding singulated sheets (16) from a stack (16S) of sheet material and accumulating select sheets into a completed collation (CC) of sheets along a conveyance feed path (FP). The method includes the steps of: determining a location of a next collation mark (Nn) on select sheets of the stack of material to be processed, selecting an operating mode based upon the proximity of the next collation mark (Nn) relative to a leading or trailing edge of each of the select sheets (16), processing the singulated sheets in a first operating mode when the next collation mark (Nn) is proximal to the leading edge of each of the select sheets, and in a second operating mode, when the next collation mark (Nn) is proximal to a trailing edge of each of the select sheets. When processed each of the select sheets along the conveyance feed path is buffered to change the spatial relationship between each of the select sheets and each completed collation (CC) of sheets along the feed path. By selectively operating the sheet handling system (10) based upon the location of the next collation mark (Nn) and buffering the select sheets, the conveyance feed path is minimized.