Production planning work assistance device, production planning work assistance system, production planning work assistance method, and program

Abstract

A production planning work assistance device (1) comprises: a product plan management unit (12) that acquires product plan information indicating a product plan including a combination of versions of a product and a component; a specification propagation unit (15) that expands, in multistage, the product plan information, version set information, single layer BOM, and parts information, and generates specification expansion BOM; a production plan management unit (16) that generates production plan information on the basis of the product plan information and the specification expansion BOM; a parts required amount expansion unit (17) that generates required supply information on the basis of the production plan information and order backlog information; and a product plan evaluation unit (18) that outputs a product plan evaluation screen in which product plan evaluation information including whether the product can be manufactured in the product plan is displayed. The product plan management unit (12) reflects correction to the product plan inputted to the product plan evaluation screen and updates the product plan information.

Description

Production planning support device, production planning support system, production planning support method and program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a production planning support device, a production planning support system, a production planning support method, and a program.

[0002] In the manufacturing industry, market expansion has diversified customer needs, and companies are being required to develop, design, and deliver products quickly and at low cost. This has led to an increase in product variations. Furthermore, due to cost reductions, functional improvements, and other factors, products and the semi-finished products that make up products now come in multiple versions. Hereinafter, the semi-finished products that make up products are referred to as components. Furthermore, due to the recent trend toward multi-sourcing (alternative parts management) in response to the difficulty in procuring parts, particularly electronic components, the variations in the parts that make up products and semi-finished products are also increasing. Given the vast number of combinations of product and component variations and product and component versions, production planning tasks such as product planning, MRP (Manufacturing Resource Planning), parts procurement, and production arrangements are often performed manually, resulting in a heavy workload and a demand for more efficient production planning.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which a product is divided into functional blocks, each of which has a number of specifications, and an order menu is provided from a factory via the Internet. Order-made products can be generated by the customer selecting and inputting the specifications they require from the menu, and material procurement, assembly production instructions, and other processes can be processed online based on the information input in the order menu.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-350512

[0005] The technology described in Patent Document 1 makes it possible to standardize and share components on a functional block basis, but it cannot reduce the workload of production planning work, which has increased due to the huge number of combinations of product and component variations and product and component versions.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to reduce the workload of production planning work that has increased due to the huge number of combinations of product and part variations and product and component versions.

[0007] To achieve the above object, a production planning support device according to the present disclosure includes a product planning management unit, a specification propagation unit, a production planning management unit, a parts requirements expansion unit, and a product plan evaluation unit. The product planning management unit acquires product planning information indicating a product plan including combinations of product and component versions. The specification propagation unit performs multi-level expansion of the product planning information, version set information including combinations of product and component versions and component multipliers, a single-level bill of materials (BOM) indicating the product's parts configuration, and parts information including parts inventory quantities and procurement lead times to generate a specification expansion BOM. The production planning management unit generates production planning information indicating a production plan for the product and components based on the product planning information and the specification expansion BOM. The parts requirements expansion unit generates requirements supply information including required and shortage quantities of parts in the production plan based on the production planning information and backorder information indicating backorders for parts. The product plan evaluation unit generates product planning evaluation information including whether the product in the product plan can be manufactured based on the product planning information and the requirements supply information. The product plan evaluation unit generates and outputs a product plan evaluation screen that displays the product plan evaluation information and accepts product plan modifications. The product plan management unit updates the product plan information by reflecting the product plan modifications input to the product plan evaluation screen.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, product plan evaluation information including whether or not a product in a product plan can be manufactured is generated using a specification expansion BOM generated by multi-stage expansion of product plan information, version set information, single-level BOM, and parts information, and by making it possible to modify the product plan on a product plan evaluation screen that displays the product plan evaluation information, it becomes possible to reduce the workload of production planning work that has increased due to the enormous number of combinations of product and part variations and product and component versions.

[0009] FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of a production planning support device according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 shows an example of product plan information according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 shows an example of version set information according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 shows an example of a single-level BOM according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 shows an example of parts information according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 shows an example of a specification expansion BOM according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 shows an example of numbered product plan information according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 shows an example of production plan information according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 shows an example of order backlog information according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 shows an example of required supply information according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 shows an example of product plan evaluation information according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 shows an example of a production plan information list according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 shows an example of required supply information list according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 shows an example of product plan correction information according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 shows an example of re-generated product plan evaluation information according to an embodiment. Flowchart showing specification propagation processing according to an embodiment. Flowchart showing production plan generation processing according to an embodiment. Flowchart showing parts required quantity expansion processing according to an embodiment. Flowchart showing product plan evaluation processing according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 shows an example of the hardware configuration of a production planning support device according to an embodiment.

[0010] A production planning support device, a production planning support system, a production planning support method, and a program according to the present embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, identical or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals. In the following description, parts include materials.

[0011] The configuration of a production planning support system 100 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the production planning support system 100 includes a production planning support device 1 that supports the formulation of a product production plan, a user terminal 2 used by a user, a design information management system (PDM: Product Data Management) 3 that manages information related to product design, a production management system (ERP: Enterprise Resources Planning) 4 that manages product production, and a parts management system 5 that manages parts used in product production.

[0012] The production planning support device 1 includes a memory unit 11 that stores various information, a product planning management unit 12 that acquires product planning information that indicates product plans including combinations of product and component versions and manages the product planning information, a parts configuration management unit 13 that manages version set information that includes combinations of product and component versions, component multipliers, etc., and a single-level BOM (Bill of Materials) that indicates the parts configuration of the product, and a parts management unit 14 that manages parts information that includes parts inventory quantities, procurement lead times, etc.

[0013] The production planning support system 1 also includes a specification propagation unit 15 that performs multi-level expansion of product plan information, version set information, single-level BOM, and part information to generate a specification expansion BOM, a production plan management unit 16 that generates production plan information indicating a production plan for a product and its components based on the specification expansion BOM and assigned product plan information in which serial numbers are assigned to the product plan indicated by the product plan information, a parts requirement expansion unit 17 that acquires backorder information indicating the remaining orders for parts and generates required supply information including the required and shortage quantities of parts in the production plan based on the production plan information and the backorder information, and a product plan evaluation unit 18 that generates product plan evaluation information including the feasibility of manufacturing the product in the product plan for each serial number based on the product plan information, production plan information, and required supply information.

[0014] The storage unit 11 includes a product planning information storage unit 111 that stores product planning information, a version set information storage unit 112 that stores version set information, a single-level BOM storage unit 113 that stores single-level BOMs, a parts information storage unit 114 that stores parts information, a specification expansion BOM storage unit 115 that stores specification expansion BOMs, a production planning information storage unit 116 that stores production planning information, and a required supply information storage unit 117 that stores required supply information.

[0015] The user inputs product plan information for the shipped product into the user terminal 2. The user terminal 2 transmits the input product plan information to the production planning work support device 1.

[0016] The product plan management unit 12 of the production planning work support device 1 acquires product plan information for shipped products from the user terminal 2. The product plan management unit 12 stores the acquired product plan information in the product plan information storage unit 111.

[0017] Product planning information will be explained using Figure 2. In the example of Figure 2, the product planning information has the following fields: "Top Item" indicating the product to be shipped; "Version Set" indicating the combination of product and component versions; "Date" indicating the planned completion deadline; "Quantity" indicating the number of products to be completed at that time; and "Serial Number" indicating the serial number of the product plan. For example, 10 motors (shipped) of version set AA are planned to be completed on December 1, 2023, and 10 on December 2, 2023. The "Serial Number" field is left blank, and a serial number assigned by the production planning management unit 16, described below, is recorded therein.

[0018] 1 , component configuration management unit 13 acquires version set information and a single-hierarchy BOM from design information management system 3. Component configuration management unit 13 stores the acquired version set information in version set information storage unit 112, and stores the acquired single-hierarchy BOM in single-hierarchy BOM storage unit 114.

[0019] The version set management information will be explained using Fig. 3. In the example of Fig. 3, the version set management information has the following items: "Top Item" indicating the shipped product; "Version Set" indicating the combination of product and component versions; "Item" indicating the product and component; "Version" indicating the version of that item; and "Multiplier" indicating the quantity required for each top item of that item. For example, a motor (shipped) of version set AA has a version A motor as its product and a version A rotor as its component. One version A motor and one version A rotor are required.

[0020] A single-level BOM will be explained using Figure 4. In the example of Figure 4, the single-level BOM has the following items: "Parent Item" indicating the parent item (product or component); "Version" indicating the version of the parent item; "Child Item" indicating the child item (component or part); and "Multiplier" indicating the quantity required per parent item of the child item. For example, the child items of a motor version A, which is a parent item, are the rotor and metal case, one of each required. The child items of a rotor version A, which is a parent item, are the shaft, round wire coil, and core, one of each required.

[0021] 1, the parts management unit 14 acquires parts information from the production management system 4. The parts management unit 14 stores the acquired parts information in the parts information storage unit 114.

[0022] The parts information will be explained using FIG. 5. In the example of FIG. 5, the parts information has the following items: "Procurement LT," which indicates the procurement lead time required to manufacture or purchase components and parts; "Inventory Quantity," which indicates the current inventory quantity of components and parts; and "Procurement Method," which indicates manufacture if the item is procured internally, or purchase if it is procured externally. For example, the procurement lead time for a motor is one day, and the current inventory quantity is 0, indicating internal procurement.

[0023] 1 , the specification propagation unit 15 generates a specification explosion BOM by performing multi-level expansion of the product plan information stored in the product plan information storage unit 111, the version set information stored in the version set information storage unit 112, the single-level BOM stored in the single-level BOM storage unit 113, and the part information stored in the part information storage unit 114. The specification propagation unit 15 stores the generated specification explosion BOM in the specification explosion BOM storage unit 115.

[0024] The specification expansion BOM will be described with reference to Fig. 6. In the example of Fig. 6, the specification expansion BOM has the following items: a "top item" indicating a shipped product, a "version set" indicating a combination of product and component versions, a "parent item" indicating a product or component that is a parent item, a "version" indicating a combination of versions or versions of the parent item, a "child item" indicating a component or part that is a child item, a "multiplier" indicating the quantity required per parent item of the child item, a "child item procurement method" item indicating manufacture if the child item is procured internally or purchase if it is procured externally, and a "procurement LT" indicating the procurement lead time required to manufacture or purchase the child item.

[0025] For example, if the top item is a version set AA motor (shipped), the parent items are the version set AA motor (shipped), the version A motor, and the version A rotor. The child item of the version set AA motor (shipped) is the version A motor, of which one is required. The version A motor is procured internally, with a procurement lead time of 1 day. The child items of the version A motor are the rotor and metal case, of which one is required. The rotor is procured internally, with a procurement lead time of 1 day. The metal case is procured externally, with a procurement lead time of 10 days. The child items of the version A rotor are the shaft, round wire coil, and core. The shaft is procured externally, with a procurement lead time of 10 days. The round wire coil is procured externally, with a procurement lead time of 10 days. The core is procured externally, with a procurement lead time of 10 days.

[0026] The specification propagation unit 15 merges the product planning information, version set information, single-hierarchy BOM, and part information to create a specification explosion BOM. Specifically, the specification propagation unit 15 generates a list of top items by eliminating duplicates of top items in the product planning information stored in the product planning information storage unit 111, and stores the list in the table of the specification explosion BOM. The specification propagation unit 15 extracts top items that match the list of top items from the version set information stored in the version set information storage unit 112, and stores the top items in the top items and version sets in the table of the specification explosion BOM. The specification propagation unit 15 extracts items whose parent items match the items in the extracted version set information from the single-hierarchy BOM storage unit 113, and stores the parent items, versions, child items, and multipliers in the table of the specification explosion BOM. The specification propagation unit 15 extracts items that match the child items of the extracted single-level BOM from the part information stored in the part information storage unit 114, and stores these items in the procurement LT and child item procurement method in the table of the specification exploded BOM. As described above, the specification propagation unit 15 expands the version set information, single-level BOM, and part information into the table of the specification exploded BOM in multiple levels, and generates a specification exploded BOM.

[0027] 1 , the production plan management unit 16 copies the product plan information stored in the product plan information storage unit 111, assigns a manufacturing number to the product plan, and generates numbered product plan information. The production plan management unit 16 stores the generated numbered product plan information in the product plan information storage unit 111. The production plan management unit 16 generates the production plan information based on the specification explosion BOM stored in the specification explosion BOM storage unit 115 and the numbered product plan information stored in the product plan information storage unit 111.

[0028] The numbered product plan information and production plan information will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8 . The numbered product plan information shown in FIG. 7 is the product plan information shown in FIG. 2 in which serial numbers are assigned and recorded in the "serial number" field. For example, the serial number for a product plan to manufacture 10 motors (shipped) of version set AA by December 1, 2023, is X1. In the example of FIG. 8 , the production plan information includes a "top item" indicating the shipped product, a "version set" indicating the combination of product and component versions, an "item" indicating the product and component, a "version" indicating the version of the item, a "date" indicating the planned completion date, a "quantity" indicating the production quantity of the product or component, and a "serial number" indicating the assigned serial number. For example, in the production plan for a motor (shipped) of version set AA with serial number X1, 10 rotors of version A will be completed on November 29, 2023, and 10 motors of version A will be completed on November 30, 2023.

[0029] Specifically, the production plan management unit 16 extracts from the specification exploded BOM stored in the specification exploded BOM storage unit 115 those child items whose procurement method is "manufacturing" and whose top items and version sets match those included in the numbered product plan information stored in the product plan information storage unit 111. The production plan management unit 16 sets the extracted child items whose procurement method is "manufacturing" as items and, using general backward scheduling, sets the planned completion date and production quantity based on the dates included in the numbered product plan information and the procurement time limit and multiplier included in the extracted specification exploded BOM, thereby generating production plan information. The production plan management unit 16 stores the generated production plan information in the production plan information storage unit 116.

[0030] Returning to FIG. 1 , the part requirement expansion unit 17 acquires backorder information indicating the remaining order status of parts from the part management system 5. The backorder information will be explained using FIG. 9 . In the example of FIG. 9 , the backorder information has the following fields: "item" indicating the part, "delivery date" indicating the planned delivery date of the part, and "quantity" indicating the quantity of the part to be delivered. For example, 15 metal cases are scheduled to be delivered on November 30, 2023.

[0031] The required part quantity expansion unit 17 generates required supply information based on the part information stored in the part information storage unit 114, the specification expanded BOM stored in the specification expanded BOM storage unit 115, the production plan information stored in the production plan information storage unit 116, and the remaining order information acquired from the part management system 5. The required part quantity expansion unit 17 stores the generated required supply information in the required supply information storage unit 117.

[0032] The required supply information will be explained using FIG. 10 . In the example of FIG. 10 , the required supply information includes the following items: "Item" indicating the part; "Requirement Date" indicating the date the part is required; "Start Deadline" indicating the deadline for starting procurement of the part; "Quantity" indicating the quantity of the part required on the required date; "Serial Number" indicating the serial number of the production plan requiring the part; "Shortage Quantity" indicating the quantity of the part that will be in short supply on the required date; and "Warning" indicating whether the part will be out of stock on the required date. For example, assume that the current date is November 17, 2023. Among the production plans for which serial numbers Y1, X4, and X5 are in short supply on the required date, the production plan for serial number X4 will be out of stock because the start deadline for the resin case has passed. The production plan for serial number X5 will be out of stock because the start deadline for the flat wire coil has passed.

[0033] The parts requirements development unit 17 calculates and sets the "required date" based on the date included in the production plan information as the date when the parts are required. For the "start deadline," it uses backward scheduling to subtract the procurement lead time included in the specification exploded BOM from the required date to calculate and set the deadline for starting parts procurement. For the "shortage quantity," it calculates the inventory quantity of the parts on the required date based on the inventory quantity of the parts included in the parts information and the quantity of the parts included in the backorder information. If the result of subtracting the quantity of the parts required on the required date from the inventory quantity of the parts on the required date is negative, it sets the absolute value; if the result is equal to or positive, it sets it to 0. For the "warning," if the current date is past the deadline for starting procurement of the missing parts, it sets "out of stock," and if the start deadline has not passed, it sets nothing.

[0034] The product plan evaluation unit 18 generates product plan evaluation information including whether or not a product can be manufactured in the product plan for each manufacturing number based on the assigned product plan information stored in the product plan information storage unit 111 and the required supply information stored in the required supply information storage unit 117.

[0035] The product plan evaluation information will be explained using Fig. 11. In the example of Fig. 11, in addition to the numbered product plan information shown in Fig. 7, there is a "manufacturability" item that indicates whether the product in the product plan can be manufactured. For example, in the required supply information shown in Fig. 10, the resin case required in the production plan for serial number X4 and the flat wire coil required in the production plan for serial number X5 are out of stock, so in the product plan evaluation information shown in Fig. 11, the "manufacturability" item for the production plans for serial numbers X4 and X5 is marked as "unmanufacturable" (X in the figure).

[0036] The product plan evaluation unit 18 generates a product plan evaluation screen that displays the product plan evaluation information and accepts product plan modifications based on the generated product plan evaluation information, the production plan information stored in the production plan information storage unit 116, and the required supply information stored in the required supply information storage unit 117, and transmits the generated product plan evaluation screen to the user terminal 2. The user terminal 2 outputs the received product plan evaluation screen. The user checks the product plan evaluation information displayed on the product plan evaluation screen output by the user terminal 2, and if the user determines that the product plan needs to be modified, inputs the product modification on the product plan evaluation screen. When the product plan modification is input on the product plan evaluation screen, the user terminal 2 transmits product plan modification information indicating the input product plan modification to the production plan management unit 16.

[0037] The product plan evaluation screen will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 to 13. For example, suppose the product plan evaluation information shown in FIG. 11 is displayed on the product plan evaluation screen, and the user selects a product plan for serial number X4 (shaded in the figure). As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the product plan evaluation screen displays a production plan information list, which is a list of production plan information for serial number X4, the same as the selected product plan, and a required supply information list, which is a list of required supply information for serial number X4, the same as the selected product plan. The user checks the production plan information list and the required supply information list and inputs a correction to the product plan for the selected serial number X4 on the product plan evaluation screen. The user terminal 2 transmits product plan correction information indicating the correction to the product plan for serial number X4 to the production plan management unit 16.

[0038] The product plan correction information will be described with reference to Fig. 14. The product plan correction information shown in Fig. 14 indicates a correction to change the product plan for serial number X4 to a product plan to manufacture 20 motors (shipped) of version set BA and 10 motors (shipped) of version set AA on 12 / 2 / 2023.

[0039] Returning to FIG. 1 , the production plan control unit 16 updates the numbered product plan information stored in the product plan information storage unit 111 to reflect the product plan correction indicated by the product plan correction information received from the user terminal 2. The production plan control unit 16 regenerates production plan information based on the specification explosion BOM and the updated numbered product plan information. The parts requirements expansion unit 17 regenerates required supply information based on the backorder information and the regenerated production plan information. The product plan evaluation unit 18 regenerates product plan evaluation information based on the updated numbered product plan information and the regenerated required supply information, and displays it on the product plan evaluation screen.

[0040] An example of regenerated product plan evaluation information is shown in Fig. 15. The product plan for serial number X4 has been revised based on the product plan revision information shown in Fig. 14, and as a result, as shown in Fig. 15, a temporary serial number X6 has been assigned to the product plan to manufacture 10 motors (shipment) of version set AA, and serial numbers X4 and X6 are now producible (marked with a circle in the figure).

[0041] As described above, the user can simulate switching between version sets of a product plan on the product plan evaluation screen. To confirm the revision of the product plan, the user inputs the confirmation of the revision of the product plan, for example, by pressing a confirm button provided on the product plan evaluation screen. When the confirmation of the revision of the product plan is input on the product plan evaluation screen, the user terminal 2 transmits revision confirmation notification information notifying the product plan management unit 12 that the revision of the product plan has been confirmed.

[0042] Returning to Figure 1, when the product planning management unit 12 receives correction confirmation notification information from the user terminal 2, it removes the temporary manufacturing number from the assigned product planning information stored in the product planning information storage unit 111 and overwrites and updates the product planning information.

[0043] The flow of the specification propagation process executed by the production planning work support device 1 will now be described with reference to Figure 16. The specification propagation process shown in Figure 16 starts, for example, when the product plan management unit 12 stores product plan information acquired from the user terminal 2 in the product plan information storage unit 111, or when a specification propagation instruction is input to the production planning work support device 1. The specification propagation unit 15 initializes the specification explosion BOM table stored in the specification explosion BOM storage unit 115 (step S11). A list of top items is generated by eliminating duplicates of top items in the product plan information stored in the product plan information storage unit 111 (step S12), and the list is stored in the specification explosion BOM table.

[0044] The specification propagation unit 15 extracts from the version set information stored in the version set information storage unit 112 any items whose top items match the list of top items (step S13) and stores them in the table of the specification exploded BOM.The specification propagation unit 15 extracts from the single-level BOM stored in the single-level BOM storage unit 113 any items whose parent items match the items in the extracted version set information (step S14) and stores them in the table of the specification exploded BOM.The specification propagation unit 15 extracts from the part information stored in the part information storage unit 114 any items whose parent items and child items match the items in the extracted single-level BOM (step S15), stores them in the table of the specification exploded BOM, and then ends the process. In the example of Figure 6, the specification exploded BOM has the following fields: "Top Item" indicating the shipped product, "Version Set" indicating the combination of product and component versions, "Parent Item" indicating the parent product or component, "Version" indicating the combination or version of the parent item, "Child Item" indicating the component or part that is the child item, "Multiplier" indicating the quantity required per parent item of the child item, "Child Item Procurement Method" indicating whether the child item is manufactured if internally procured or purchased if externally procured, and "Procurement LT" indicating the procurement lead time required to manufacture or purchase the child item. The specification exploded BOM table shown in Figure 6 stores the version set information shown in Figure 3, the single-level BOM shown in Figure 4, and the parts information shown in Figure 5, which are expanded in multiple levels.

[0045] Next, the flow of the production plan generation process executed by the production plan work support device 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 17. The production plan generation process shown in FIG. 17 starts after the specification propagation process is executed. The production plan management unit 16 copies the product plan information stored in the product plan information storage unit 111, assigns a serial number to the product plan, and generates numbered product plan information (step S21). The production plan management unit 16 stores the generated numbered product plan information in the product plan information storage unit 111. The example of numbered product plan information shown in FIG. 7 is obtained by assigning a serial number to the product plan information shown in FIG. 2 and recording it in the "serial number" field.

[0046] 17 , the production plan management unit 16 extracts from the specification exploded BOM stored in the specification exploded BOM storage unit 115 those child items whose procurement method is "manufacturing" and whose top item and version set match those included in the numbered product plan information stored in the product plan information storage unit 111 (step S22). The production plan management unit 16 sets the extracted child items whose procurement method is "manufacturing" as items and, using a general backward scheduling calculation, sets a planned completion date and production quantity based on the dates included in the numbered product plan information and the procurement time limit and multiplier included in the extracted specification exploded BOM (step S23), thereby generating production plan information (step S24). The production plan management unit 16 stores the generated production plan information in the production plan information storage unit 116. In the example of Figure 8, the production plan information has a "top item" that indicates the shipped product, a "version set" that indicates the combination of product and component versions, an "item" that indicates the product and component, a "version" that indicates the version of the item, a "date" that indicates the planned completion date, a "quantity" that indicates the production quantity of the product or component, and a "serial number" that indicates the assigned serial number.

[0047] 17, if the production plan control unit 16 receives product plan correction information from the user terminal 2 (step S25; YES), the production plan control unit 16 assigns a temporary serial number to the product plan added by the correction, and updates the assigned product plan information to reflect the correction of the product plan indicated by the product plan correction information (step S26). The process returns to step S22, and steps S22 to S26 are repeated. If the production plan correction information is not received (step S25; NO), the production plan control unit 16 ends the process.

[0048] Next, the flow of the parts requirements expansion process executed by the production planning work support device 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 18. The parts requirements expansion process shown in Fig. 18 starts after production plan information is generated. The parts requirements expansion unit 17 acquires backorder information indicating the remaining parts on order from the parts management system 5 (step S31). In the example of Fig. 9, the backorder information has the fields of "item" indicating the part, "delivery date" indicating the scheduled delivery date of the part, and "quantity" indicating the quantity of the part scheduled to be delivered.

[0049] 18 , the part requirements development unit 17 generates required supply information based on the part information stored in the part information storage unit 114, the specification exploded BOM stored in the specification exploded BOM storage unit 115, the production plan information stored in the production plan information storage unit 116, and the remaining order information acquired from the part management system 5 (step S32). The part requirements development unit 17 stores the generated required supply information in the required supply information storage unit 117. In the example of FIG. 10 , the required supply information has the following items: an "item" indicating the part, a "required date" indicating the date when the part is required, a "start deadline" indicating the deadline for starting to procure the part, "quantity" indicating the quantity of the part required on the required date, a "serial number" indicating the serial number of the production plan requiring the part, a "shortage quantity" indicating the quantity of the part that will be in short supply on the required date, and a "warning" indicating whether the part will be out of stock on the required date.

[0050] 18 , the parts requirements expansion unit 17 calculates and sets the "required date" of the required supply information as the date when the parts will be required based on the date included in the production plan information (step S33). For the "start deadline" of the required supply information, the parts requirements expansion unit 17 calculates and sets the deadline for starting procurement of the parts by subtracting the procurement lead time included in the specification expansion BOM from the required date using backward scheduling (step S34).

[0051] The parts requirements expansion unit 17 calculates the inventory quantity of the parts on the required date based on the inventory quantity of the parts included in the parts information and the quantity of the parts included in the backorder information, and determines whether the result is negative by subtracting the required quantity from the inventory quantity of the parts on the required date (step S35). If the results are equal or positive (step S35; NO), the parts requirements expansion unit 17 sets the "shortage quantity" in the required supply information to 0 (step S36), and the process proceeds to step S38. If the results are negative (step S35; YES), the parts requirements expansion unit 17 sets the absolute value of the calculated value to the "shortage quantity" in the required supply information (step S37).

[0052] The part requirements expansion unit 17 determines whether the current date is past the deadline for starting procurement of the parts that are in short supply (step S38). If the deadline has not passed (step S38; NO), the part requirements expansion unit 17 sets nothing for the "warning" in the required supply information (step S39), and the process proceeds to step S41. If the deadline has passed (step S38; YES), the part requirements expansion unit 17 sets "out of stock" for the "warning" in the required supply information (step S40).

[0053] The part requirement expansion unit 17 determines whether or not production plan information has been generated again (step S41). If production plan information has been generated again (step S41; YES), the process returns to step S32, and steps S32 to S41 are repeated. If production plan information has not been generated again (step S41; NO), the part requirement expansion unit 17 ends the process.

[0054] Next, the flow of the product plan evaluation process executed by the production planning support system 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 19 . The product plan evaluation process shown in FIG. 19 starts after required supply information is generated. Based on the required supply information stored in the required supply information storage unit 117, the product plan evaluation unit 18 adds a "manufacturability" field, which indicates whether the products in the product plan can be manufactured, to the numbered product plan information stored in the product plan information storage unit 111, to generate product plan evaluation information (step S51). For example, in the required supply information shown in FIG. 10 , parts are out of stock for the production plans for serial numbers X4 and X5. Therefore, in the product plan evaluation information shown in FIG. 11 , the "manufacturability" field for the production plans for serial numbers X4 and X5 is marked as "unmanufacturable" (with an "X" in the figure).

[0055] 19 , the product plan evaluation unit 18 generates a product plan evaluation screen that displays the product plan evaluation information and accepts product plan modifications based on the generated product plan evaluation information, the production plan information stored in the production plan information storage unit 116, and the required supply information stored in the required supply information storage unit 117 (step S52), and transmits the generated product plan evaluation screen to the user terminal 2 (step S53). The user terminal 2 outputs the received product plan evaluation screen. When a product plan modification is input to the product plan evaluation screen, the user terminal 2 transmits product plan modification information indicating the input product plan modification to the production plan management unit 16. In the example of FIG. 14 , the product plan modification information indicates a modification to change the product plan for serial number X4 to a product plan to manufacture 20 motors (shipped) of version set BA and 10 motors (shipped) of version set AA on December 2, 2023.

[0056] 19, the product plan evaluation unit 18 determines whether the required supply information has been generated again (step S54). If the required supply information has been generated again (step S54; YES), the process returns to step S51, and steps S51 to S54 are repeated. For example, the product plan for serial number X4 is revised based on the product plan revision information shown in FIG. 14, causing the required supply information to be generated again. In the product plan evaluation information generated based on the regenerated required supply information, as shown in FIG. 15, a temporary serial number X6 is assigned to the product plan to manufacture 10 motors (shipment) of version set AA, and serial numbers X4 and X6 are marked as producible (marked with a circle in the figure).

[0057] Returning to FIG. 19, if the required supply information is not generated again (step S54; NO), the product plan evaluation unit 18 ends the processing.

[0058] According to the production planning work support device 1 of the embodiment, a specification expansion BOM generated by multi-stage expansion of product plan information, version set information, single-level BOM, and parts information is used to generate product plan evaluation information including whether or not the product in the product plan can be manufactured, and by making it possible to modify the product plan on a product plan evaluation screen that displays the product plan evaluation information, it becomes possible to reduce the workload of production planning work that has increased due to the enormous number of combinations of product and part variations and product and component versions.

[0059] The hardware configuration of the production planning operation support device 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 20. As shown in Fig. 20, the production planning operation support device 1 includes a temporary storage unit 101, a storage unit 102, a calculation unit 103, an input unit 104, a transmission / reception unit 105, and a display unit 106. The temporary storage unit 101, the storage unit 102, the input unit 104, the transmission / reception unit 105, and the display unit 106 are all connected to the calculation unit 103 via a BUS.

[0060] The calculation unit 103 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The calculation unit 103 executes the processes of the product planning management unit 12, the parts configuration management unit 13, the parts management unit 14, the specification propagation unit 15, the production planning management unit 16, the parts requirement expansion unit 17, and the product planning evaluation unit 18 in accordance with the control program stored in the storage unit 102.

[0061] The temporary storage unit 101 is, for example, a random-access memory (RAM). The temporary storage unit 101 loads the control program stored in the storage unit 102 and is used as a work area for the calculation unit 103.

[0062] The storage unit 102 is a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory, a hard disk, a DVD-RAM (Digital Versatile Disc - Random Access Memory), or a DVD-RW (Digital Versatile Disc - Rewritable). The storage unit 102 stores in advance a program for causing the calculation unit 103 to perform the processing of the production planning operation support device 1, and also supplies information stored by this program to the calculation unit 103 in accordance with instructions from the calculation unit 103, and stores information supplied from the calculation unit 103. The storage unit 11 is configured in the storage unit 102.

[0063] The input unit 104 is an interface device that connects input devices such as a keyboard, a pointing device, and a voice input device to the BUS. Information input by a user is supplied to the calculation unit 103 via the input unit 104. When the product planning management unit 12, the parts configuration management unit 13, the parts management unit 14, the production planning management unit 16, the parts requirements expansion unit 17, and the product planning evaluation unit 18 accept input from a user, the input unit 104 functions as the product planning management unit 12, the parts configuration management unit 13, the parts management unit 14, the production planning management unit 16, the parts requirements expansion unit 17, and the product planning evaluation unit 18.

[0064] The transmitting / receiving unit 105 is a network termination device or a wireless communication device that connects to the network, and a serial interface or a LAN (Local Area Network) interface that connects to them. In a configuration in which the product planning management unit 12, the parts configuration management unit 13, the parts management unit 14, the production planning management unit 16, the parts requirements expansion unit 17, and the product planning evaluation unit 18 transmit or receive information to or from external devices or systems, the transmitting / receiving unit 105 functions as the product planning management unit 12, the parts configuration management unit 13, the parts management unit 14, the production planning management unit 16, the parts requirements expansion unit 17, and the product planning evaluation unit 18.

[0065] The display unit 106 is a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), an organic EL (Electroluminescence) display, etc. When the product plan evaluation unit 18 is configured to display a product plan evaluation screen, the display unit 106 functions as the product plan evaluation unit 18.

[0066] The processing of the storage unit 11, product plan management unit 12, parts configuration management unit 13, parts management unit 14, specification propagation unit 15, production plan management unit 16, parts requirement expansion unit 17, and product plan evaluation unit 18 of the production plan work support device 1 shown in FIG. 1 is executed by a control program using temporary storage unit 101, calculation unit 103, storage unit 102, input unit 104, transmission / reception unit 105, display unit 106, etc. as resources.

[0067] Furthermore, the above hardware configuration and flowchart are merely examples and can be changed and modified as desired.

[0068] The core processing components of the production planning work support device 1, such as the calculation unit 103, temporary storage unit 101, storage unit 102, input unit 104, transmission / reception unit 105, and display unit 106, can be realized using an ordinary computer system rather than a dedicated system. For example, the production planning work support device 1 that executes the above-described processes may be configured by storing and distributing a computer-readable recording medium such as a flexible disk, CD-ROM (Compact Disc - Read Only Memory), or DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disc - Read Only Memory), and installing the computer program on a computer. Alternatively, the production planning work support device 1 may be configured by storing the computer program in a storage device of a server device on a communication network, such as the Internet, and downloading it into an ordinary computer system.

[0069] In addition, when the functions of the production planning business support device 1 are realized by sharing the functions between an OS (Operating System) and an application program, or by collaboration between an OS and an application program, only the application program portion may be stored on a recording medium or storage device.

[0070] It is also possible to superimpose a computer program on a carrier wave and provide it via a communication network. For example, the computer program may be posted on a bulletin board system (BBS) on the communication network and provided via the communication network. The computer program may then be started and executed under the control of an OS in the same way as other application programs, thereby enabling the above-mentioned processing to be performed.

[0071] In the above embodiment, the production plan management unit 16 copies the product plan information stored in the product plan information storage unit 111, assigns a serial number to the product plan, and generates numbered product plan information, but this is not limited to this. For example, if a serial number has been assigned in advance to a product plan included in the product plan information, the production plan management unit 16 copies the product plan information stored in the product plan information storage unit 111 and generates production plan information based on the specification expansion BOM and the copied product plan information. Furthermore, the information assigned to the product plan is not limited to a serial number, and any information that can identify the product plan may be used.

[0072] In the above embodiment, the production planning work support device 1 includes the storage unit 11, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the storage unit 11 may be included in an external device or system.

[0073] In the above embodiment, the product planning control unit 12 acquires the product planning information of the shipped product from the user terminal 2, but this is not limiting. The product planning control unit 12 may acquire the product planning information from another device or system, or may accept input of the product planning information from the user.

[0074] In the above embodiment, the parts configuration management unit 13 acquires the version set information and the single-tier BOM from the design information management system 3, but this is not limiting. The parts configuration management unit 13 may acquire the version set information and the single-tier BOM from another device or system, or may accept input of the version set information and the single-tier BOM from a user. Alternatively, the version set information unit 112 and the single-tier BOM storage unit 113 of the storage unit 11 may store the version set information and the single-tier BOM in advance, respectively. In this case, the production planning work support device 1 does not need to include the parts configuration management unit 13.

[0075] In the above embodiment, the parts management unit 14 acquires parts information from the production management system 4, but this is not limiting. The parts management unit 14 may acquire parts information from another device or system, or may accept input of parts information from a user. Alternatively, the parts information storage unit 114 of the storage unit 11 may store parts information in advance. In this case, the production planning work support device 1 does not need to include the parts management unit 14.

[0076] In the above embodiment, the product plan evaluation unit 18 generates a product plan evaluation screen that displays product plan evaluation information and accepts modifications to the product plan, and transmits the generated product plan evaluation screen to the user terminal 2. However, the method for outputting the product plan evaluation screen is not limited to this. For example, the product plan evaluation unit 18 may display the product plan evaluation screen on a screen.

[0077] In the above embodiment, the production plan control unit 16 receives the product plan correction information from the user terminal 2, but this is not limiting. For example, when the product plan evaluation unit 18 displays the product plan evaluation screen, the production plan control unit 16 may accept input of the product plan correction information from the user.

[0078] In the above embodiment, the required part quantity expansion unit 17 acquires the remaining order information from the part management system 5, but this is not limiting. The required part quantity expansion unit 17 may acquire the remaining order information from another device or system, or may accept input of the remaining order information from the user.

[0079] Although the preferred embodiments have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions can be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0080] Various aspects of the present disclosure are summarized below as appendices.

[0081] (Supplementary Note 1) A system comprising: a product plan management unit that acquires product plan information indicating a product plan including combinations of product and component versions; a specification propagation unit that performs multi-stage expansion of the product plan information, version set information including combinations of product and component versions and component multipliers, a single-level BOM (Bill of Materials) indicating the product's component configuration, and component information including component inventory quantities and procurement lead times, to generate a specification expansion BOM; a production plan management unit that generates production plan information indicating a production plan for the product and components based on the product plan information and the specification expansion BOM; a parts requirement expansion unit that generates required supply information including required quantities and shortage quantities of parts in the production plan based on the production plan information and backorder information indicating backorders for parts; and a product plan evaluation unit that generates product plan evaluation information including whether the product in the product plan can be manufactured based on the product plan information and the required supply information, wherein the product plan evaluation unit generates and outputs a product plan evaluation screen that displays the product plan evaluation information and accepts corrections to the product plan, 2. A production planning support device according to claim 1, wherein the product plan management unit updates the product plan information by reflecting modifications to the product plan input to the product plan evaluation screen. (Supplementary Note 2) The production plan management unit generates the production plan information based on numbered product plan information in which serial numbers are assigned to product plans indicated by the product plan information and the specification expanded BOM, the product plan evaluation unit generates the product plan evaluation information including the feasibility of manufacturing products in the product plan for each serial number based on the numbered product plan information and the required supply information, and generates and outputs the product plan evaluation screen that displays the product plan evaluation information and accepts modifications to the product plan for each serial number, and the product plan management unit updates the product plan information by reflecting modifications to the product plan for each serial number input to the product plan evaluation screen.(Supplementary Note 3) The production plan management unit updates the numbered product plan information by reflecting a correction to the product plan for each serial number input to the product plan evaluation screen, and regenerates the production plan information based on the updated numbered product plan information and the specification expansion BOM; the parts requirements expansion unit regenerates the required supply information based on the backorder information and the regenerated production plan information; the product plan evaluation unit regenerates the product plan evaluation information based on the updated numbered product plan information and the regenerated required supply information and displays it on the product plan evaluation screen; and when the product plan management unit receives correction confirmation notification information notifying that the product plan correction has been confirmed, it removes the temporary serial number from the updated numbered product plan information and overwrites and updates the product plan information. (Supplementary Note 4) The production planning support device according to any one of Supplements 1 to 3, wherein the product plan evaluation unit determines that product plans for production plans in which parts are out of stock in the requirements supply information are not manufacturable, and determines that product plans for production plans in which parts are not out of stock are manufacturable, and generates the product plan evaluation information. (Supplementary Note 5) The production planning support device according to any one of Supplements 1 to 4, wherein the product plan evaluation unit generates and outputs the product plan evaluation screen that displays the product plan evaluation information and accepts modifications to change combinations of versions of products and components of the product plans. (Supplementary Note 6) A production planning support system comprising: the production planning support device according to any one of Supplements 1 to 5; and a user terminal used by a user, wherein the product plan management unit acquires the product plan information from the user terminal, the product plan evaluation unit outputs the product plan evaluation screen to the user terminal, and the product plan management unit updates the product plan information to reflect the modifications to the product plan inputted to the product plan evaluation screen via the user terminal.(Supplementary Note 7) A production planning work support method executed by a production planning work support device, comprising: generating a specification exploded BOM by performing multi-level expansion on product plan information indicating a product plan including combinations of product and component versions, version set information including combinations of product and component versions and component multipliers, a single-level BOM indicating the parts configuration of the product, and parts information including part inventory quantities and procurement lead times; generating production plan information indicating a production plan for the product and components based on the product plan information and the specification exploded BOM; generating required supply information including required quantities and shortage quantities of parts in the production plan based on the production plan information and backorder information indicating backorders for parts; generating product plan evaluation information including whether the product in the product plan can be manufactured based on the product plan information and the required supply information; generating and outputting a product plan evaluation screen that displays the product plan evaluation information and accepts modifications to the product plan; and updating the product plan information by reflecting the modifications to the product plan input on the product plan evaluation screen.(Supplementary Note 8) A program causing a computer to function as: a specification propagation unit that performs multi-stage expansion of product plan information indicating a product plan including combinations of product and component versions, version set information including combinations of product and component versions and component multipliers, a single-level BOM indicating the parts configuration of a product, and parts information including part inventory quantities and procurement lead times, to generate a specification expanded BOM; a production plan management unit that generates production plan information indicating a production plan for the product and components based on the product plan information and the specification expanded BOM; a parts requirements expansion unit that generates required supply information including required quantities and shortage quantities of parts in the production plan based on the production plan information and backorder information indicating backorders for parts; and a product plan evaluation unit that generates product plan evaluation information including whether or not a product in the product plan can be manufactured based on the product plan information and the required supply information, wherein the product plan evaluation unit generates and outputs a product plan evaluation screen that displays the product plan evaluation information and accepts modifications to the product plan, and the product plan management unit updates the product plan information by reflecting the modifications to the product plan inputted on the product plan evaluation screen.

[0082] It should be noted that the present disclosure allows various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments are intended to explain the disclosure and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. That is, the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims, not the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and within the meaning of the disclosure equivalent thereto are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0083] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-26624, filed on February 22, 2023. The entire specification, claims, and drawings of Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-26624 are incorporated herein by reference.

[0084] 1 Production planning support device, 2 User terminal, 3 Design information management system, 4 Production management system, 5 Parts management system, 11 Memory unit, 12 Product planning management unit, 13 Parts configuration management unit, 14 Parts management unit, 15 Specification propagation unit, 16 Production planning management unit, 17 Parts requirements expansion unit, 18 Product plan evaluation unit, 100 Production planning support system, 101 Temporary storage unit, 102 Memory unit, 103 Calculation unit, 104 Input unit, 105 Transmission / reception unit, 106 Display unit, 111 Product plan information storage unit, 112 Version set information storage unit, 113 Single-hierarchy BOM storage unit, 114 Parts information storage unit, 115 Specification expansion BOM storage unit, 116 Production plan information storage unit, 117 Required supply information storage unit.

Claims

1. a product plan management unit that acquires product plan information indicating a product plan including a combination of versions of a product and components; a specification propagation unit that performs multi-stage expansion of the product plan information, version set information including a combination of product and component versions and component multipliers, a single-level BOM (Bill Of Materials) indicating the component configuration of the product, and component information including inventory quantities and procurement lead times of the components, to generate a specification expansion BOM; a production plan management unit that generates production plan information indicating a production plan for a product and components based on the product plan information and the specification expansion BOM; a parts requirement expansion unit that generates required supply information including a required quantity and a shortage quantity of parts in a production plan based on the production plan information and order backlog information indicating order backlogs of parts; a product plan evaluation unit that generates product plan evaluation information including whether or not a product in a product plan can be manufactured based on the product plan information and the required supply information; Equipped with the product plan evaluation unit generates and outputs a product plan evaluation screen that displays the product plan evaluation information and accepts corrections to the product plan; the product planning management unit updates the product planning information by reflecting the correction of the product plan inputted on the product planning evaluation screen; Production planning support device.

2. The production plan management unit generates the production plan information based on assigned product plan information in which a serial number is assigned to a product plan indicated by the product plan information and the specification expansion BOM, the product plan evaluation unit generates the product plan evaluation information including whether or not a product in the product plan for each serial number can be manufactured based on the assigned product plan information and the required supply information, and generates and outputs the product plan evaluation screen that displays the product plan evaluation information and accepts corrections to the product plan for each serial number; the product planning management unit updates the product planning information by reflecting the correction of the product planning for each serial number inputted on the product planning evaluation screen; 2. The production planning support device according to claim 1.

3. The production plan management unit updates the numbered product plan information by reflecting the correction of the product plan for each serial number input to the product plan evaluation screen, and regenerates the production plan information based on the updated numbered product plan information and the specification expansion BOM, The part requirement expansion unit regenerates the required supply information based on the remaining order information and the regenerated production plan information, the product plan evaluation unit regenerates the product plan evaluation information based on the updated assigned product plan information and the regenerated required supply information, and displays the product plan evaluation information on the product plan evaluation screen; When the product planning management unit receives correction confirmation notification information notifying the confirmation of the correction of the product plan, the product planning management unit removes the temporary manufacturing number from the updated assigned product planning information and overwrites the product planning information with the temporary manufacturing number, thereby updating the product planning information.

3. The production planning support device according to claim 2.

4. the product plan evaluation unit determines that a product plan for a production plan in which a part is out of stock is not manufacturable in the required supply information, and determines that a product plan for a production plan in which a part is not out of stock is manufacturable, and generates the product plan evaluation information. The production planning support device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. the product plan evaluation unit generates and outputs the product plan evaluation screen that displays the product plan evaluation information and accepts a correction for changing a combination of versions of products and components of the product plan; The production planning support device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

6. A production planning operation support device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, and a user terminal used by a user, The product planning management unit acquires the product planning information from the user terminal, the product plan evaluation unit outputs the product plan evaluation screen to the user terminal; the product planning management unit updates the product planning information by reflecting the correction of the product planning inputted to the product planning evaluation screen via the user terminal; Production planning support system.

7. The production planning support system executes: A step of generating a specification expansion BOM by performing multi-level expansion on product plan information indicating a product plan including a combination of product and component versions, version set information including a combination of product and component versions and component multipliers, a single-level BOM indicating a product's component configuration, and part information including the inventory quantity and procurement lead time of parts; generating production plan information indicating a production plan for a product and components based on the product plan information and the specification expansion BOM; generating required supply information including a required quantity and a shortage quantity of parts in a production plan based on the production plan information and order backlog information indicating order backlogs of parts; generating product plan evaluation information including whether or not a product in the product plan can be manufactured based on the product plan information and the required supply information; generating and outputting a product plan evaluation screen that displays the product plan evaluation information and accepts modifications to the product plan; updating the product plan information by reflecting the modification of the product plan inputted on the product plan evaluation screen; A production planning support method comprising the steps of:

8. Computer, a product planning management department that manages product planning information indicating a product plan including a combination of versions of products and components; a specification propagation unit that performs multi-stage expansion of the product plan information, version set information including a combination of product and component versions and multipliers of the components, a single-level BOM indicating the component configuration of the product, and component information including inventory quantities and procurement lead times of the components to generate a specification expansion BOM; a production plan management unit that generates production plan information indicating a production plan for a product and components based on the product plan information and the specification expansion BOM; a parts requirement expansion unit that generates required supply information including a required quantity and a shortage quantity of parts in a production plan based on the production plan information and order backlog information indicating the order backlog of parts; a product plan evaluation unit that generates product plan evaluation information including whether or not a product in the product plan can be manufactured based on the product plan information and the required supply information; Function as a the product plan evaluation unit generates and outputs a product plan evaluation screen that displays the product plan evaluation information and accepts corrections to the product plan; the product planning management unit updates the product planning information by reflecting the correction of the product plan inputted on the product planning evaluation screen; program.