Information management system and information management method

Abstract

An information management system and an information management method are provided. A storage section stores product information related to a plurality of products supplied by a plurality of suppliers. A determination section determines one or more second products, which are similar to a first product, among the plurality of products, in a case where a notification indicating that the first product becomes un-supplyable is received from a manufacturer that uses the first product of a first supplier among the plurality of suppliers. A right control section controls in a manner that access rights to the product information related to the first product are granted to one or more second suppliers that supply the second product.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to an information management system and an information management method. BACKGROUND

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-252678 discloses a parts selection assistance system in which a plurality of users can timely obtain parts information from a plurality of suppliers. The parts selection assistance system of Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-252678 stores parts information from suppliers in a management computer managed by a third party, i.e., an intermediary, other than the suppliers and the users. The parts selection assistance system of Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-252678, when a user creates a parts table, searches for prescribed parts information from a parts information storage area divided by suppliers and a parts information storage area divided by users of the management computer connected by a communication line such as the Internet and displays the prescribed parts information on the user's terminal when a parts form is input from the user's terminal. SUMMARY

[0003] In a case where a product is no longer supplied by a supplier due to a quality defect or the like, if there is information indicating the content of the product, it is considered that a replacement product can be procured. However, product information such as information indicating a raw material of a paint supplied by a supplier is often highly confidential in many cases. Therefore, it is difficult to widely disclose the product information of the supplier. Thus, in a case where a product is no longer supplied by a supplier, there is a problem that it is difficult to procure a replacement product.

[0004] The present application provides an information management system and an information management method in which confidential information of a supplier can be protected as much as possible and a replacement product can be efficiently procured in a case where a product used by a manufacturer becomes unobtainable.

[0005] The information management system of the present application has: a storage section that stores product information related to a plurality of products supplied by a plurality of suppliers; a determination section that, in a case where a notification indicating that a first product of a first supplier among the plurality of suppliers becomes unobtainable is received from a manufacturer that uses the first product, determines one or more second products among the plurality of products that are similar to the first product; and a permission control section that controls in such a manner that access permission to the product information related to the first product is granted to one or more second suppliers that supply the second products and that are different from the first supplier.

[0006] Also, the information management method of the present application stores product information relating to a plurality of products supplied by a plurality of suppliers in a storage unit, and in the case where a notification is received from a manufacturer using a first product of a first supplier among the plurality of suppliers that the first product has become unobtainable, one or more second products among the plurality of products that are similar to the first product to a high degree are determined, and control is performed in such a manner that access rights to the product information relating to the first product are granted to one or more second suppliers that supply the second products and are different from the first supplier.

[0007] By granting access rights to the minimum amount of confidential information necessary for the preparation of a substitute product to the minimum amount of suppliers, i.e., the second suppliers, that need access rights, it is possible to minimize the disclosure of confidential information. Also, by granting access rights to product information relating to a first product to the second suppliers that supply second products similar to the first product to a high degree, it is possible to efficiently prepare a substitute product. Thus, the present application can minimize the disclosure of confidential information of suppliers and efficiently procure a substitute product in the case where a product used by a manufacturer becomes unobtainable.

[0008] Also, it is preferable that the degree of similarity be a value calculated based on a composition ratio of raw materials of the product.

[0009] With this structure, it is possible to calculate the degree of similarity with high precision. Also, the second product is determined using the degree of similarity calculated with high precision, so it is possible to more reliably determine the second supplier from which a substitute product can be more easily prepared. Thus, the present application can more efficiently procure a substitute product.

[0010] Also, it is preferable that the degree of similarity be a value calculated based on characteristic information associated with non-disclosed data that is not disclosed even if access rights are granted among product information of the product.

[0011] With this structure, it is possible to determine a product similar to a first product to a certain degree even if there is data that is completely not disclosed among product information. Thus, the present application can determine a supplier that supplies a substitute product similar to a first product to a certain degree even if there is data that is completely not disclosed.

[0012] Also, it is preferable that the characteristic information be information associated only with the non-disclosed data.

[0013] The non-public data is more likely to be dominant data for the product. Therefore, by being configured so that the feature information is associated with only the non-public data, the feature information is more likely to be information that indicates the features of the product with higher accuracy. Therefore, by using the feature information to calculate the similarity, it is possible to determine a product that is more similar to the first product with higher accuracy. Thus, even if there is data that is not disclosed at all, the present application can determine a supplier that supplies a substitute product that is more similar to the first product.

[0014] Also, it is preferable that the product is a paint, and the similarity is a value calculated based on color information of the paint that contains at least a material related to the non-public data of the paint. With this structure, even if the composition of the raw material of the paint is not disclosed, it is possible to calculate the similarity with good accuracy to some extent based on the color information. Therefore, the present application can determine a supplier of a substitute product that is similar to the paint to some extent, even if the paint becomes unobtainable.

[0015] According to the present application, it is possible to provide an information management system and an information management method that can protect the confidential information of a supplier as much as possible and efficiently procure a substitute product, in a case where a product used by a manufacturer becomes unobtainable. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0016] Features, advantages, technical and industrial significance of embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same reference numerals denote the same elements, and wherein:

[0017] Figure 1 is a diagram showing an information management system of Embodiment 1.

[0018] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating product information stored in a storage section of Embodiment 1.

[0019] Figure 3 is a functional block diagram showing the structure of the information management system of Embodiment 1.

[0020] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an information management method executed by the information management system of Embodiment 1.

[0021] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating product information stored in a storage section of Embodiment 2.

[0022] Figure 6 is a functional block diagram showing the structure of the information management system of Embodiment 2.

[0023] Figure 7 is a diagram for explaining a method of calculating a similarity by the similarity calculation section based on Embodiment 2.

[0024] Figure 8 is a flowchart showing an information management method executed by the information management system of Embodiment 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] (Embodiment 1)

[0026] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present application will be described with reference to the drawings. The following description and the drawings are appropriately omitted and simplified for the sake of explicitness of explanation. Also, in each drawing, the same reference signs are attached to the same elements, and the repeated explanation is omitted as needed.

[0027] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the information management system 1 of Embodiment 1. The information management system 1 has a manufacturer device 10, a supplier device 20, an information management device 100, and a storage 50. The information management device 100 is communicably connected to the manufacturer device 10 and the supplier device 20 via a wired or wireless network 2. The network 2 can be, for example, the Internet, or a LAN (Local Area Network).

[0028] The storage 50 is, for example, a database (DB). The information management device 100 manages information stored in the storage 50. Specifically, the information management device 100 stores information in the storage 50. Also, the information management device 100 can view the stored information as needed. Note that the storage 50 can be physically integrated with the information management device 100. The storage 50 can also be built into the information management device 100. Also, the storage 50 can be realized as a website (web server) from which the stored information can be viewed from the outside.

[0029] The manufacturer device 10 functions as an information processing device such as a computer. The manufacturer device 10 is managed by a manufacturer who produces a product (finished product, etc.). The manufacturer device 10 can be a server, a terminal, or can have both functions of a server and a terminal. The manufacturer device 10 can be provided for each manufacturer. Also, if there are a plurality of manufacturers, there can be a plurality of manufacturer devices 10.

[0030] The supplier device 20 functions as an information processing device such as a computer. The supplier device 20 is managed by a supplier who produces products used in the raw product and supplies them to the manufacturer. That is, the manufacturer procures products from the supplier. The products are, for example, parts, paint, lubricants, and steel sheets, but are not limited to these. The supplier device 20 can be either a server or a terminal, and can have both the functions of a server and a terminal. Note that the supplier device 20 can be provided more than one for each supplier. If there are a plurality of suppliers, there can also be a plurality of supplier devices 20.

[0031] The supplier device 20 transmits product information, which is information about products supplied by the supplier who manages the supplier device 20, to the information management device 100. The information management device 100 stores the received product information in the storage section 50. Thus, the storage section 50 stores product information.

[0032] The product information can also show the specifications of the corresponding product. For example, the product information can show the raw materials of the corresponding product. For example, the product information can show the composition ratio of the raw materials of the corresponding product. Note that the product information contains confidential information. Therefore, the product information is not disclosed to the outside of the corresponding supplier at a time when the corresponding product can be supplied. Also, the information contained in the product information can be appropriately determined in accordance with an instruction from the manufacturer who receives the supply of the corresponding product.

[0033] Note that, like the supplier device 20, the manufacturer device 10 can also transmit manufacturer information, which is information about the manufacturer who manages the manufacturer device 10, to the information management device 100. In this case, the information management device 100 stores the received manufacturer information in the storage section 50. Thus, the storage section 50 stores manufacturer information. The manufacturer information can contain, for example, information about raw products produced by the corresponding manufacturer.

[0034] Also, the manufacturer device 10 can access the information stored in the storage 50 via the network 2 and in accordance with the operation of the manager of the manufacturer who manages the manufacturer device 10, or the like. The manufacturer device 10 can also access the information stored in the storage 50 using, for example, a web browser. At this time, the manufacturer device 10 transmits a signal for requesting viewing of the information (viewing request) to the information management device 100. The viewing request can include, for example, identification information (IP address or the like) of the manufacturer device 10 and identification information of the information of the access destination. The information management device 100 transmits the accessed information to the manufacturer device 10 via the network 2 in accordance with the viewing request. Thereby, the manager of the manufacturer device 10 can view the information of the other company. Note that even in this case, the manufacturer device 10 cannot access the confidential information for which access is not permitted. In other words, the manager of the manufacturer device 10 cannot view the confidential information for which access is not permitted. Therefore, the manufacturer device 10 cannot access the confidential information, that is, the product information of the supplier, for which access is not permitted.

[0035] Likewise, the supplier device 20 can access the information stored in the storage 50 via the network 2. Thereby, the manager of the supplier device 20 can view the information of the other company. Note that even in this case, the supplier device 20 cannot access the confidential information for which access is not permitted. In other words, the manager of the supplier device 20 cannot view the confidential information for which access is not permitted. Therefore, the supplier device 20 cannot access the product information of the other supplier than the corresponding supplier, for which access is not permitted.

[0036] Also, the manufacturer device 10 transmits a notification of unavailability to the information management device 100 via the network 2 in a case where the supply of the product used in the raw product produced at the corresponding manufacturer becomes impossible. The notification of unavailability is described later. Note that the case where the supply of the product becomes impossible refers to, for example, a case where the quality of the product has a problem, a case where the supplier cannot procure the raw material of the product, or a case where the factory of the supplier that produces the product is damaged, or the like.

[0037] The information management device 100 grants access to the product information of the product that has become unavailable to the supplier that supplies a product similar to the product that has become unavailable when the notification of unavailability is received. Details are described later. Thereby, the supplier device 20 of the supplier can access the product information of the product that has become unavailable. Also, the manager of the supplier can view the product information (confidential information) using the supplier device 20. Note that in this case, the manufacturer related to the manufacturer device 10 that has transmitted the notification of unavailability can also be granted access to the product information of the product that has become unavailable.

[0038] Here, since the storage section 50 stores the confidential information of the suppliers, it is preferable that the manager of the information management apparatus 100 cannot understand the contents of the confidential information even if the manager operates the information management apparatus 100. For this reason, it is preferable that the manager of the information management apparatus 100 has a field completely different from the technical field to which the confidential information relates as a specialty. Alternatively, the information management apparatus 100 can manage the information of the storage section 50 in such a manner that the manager cannot read the confidential information even if the manager operates the information management apparatus 100.

[0039] Figure 2 Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating product information stored in the storage section 50 of Embodiment 1. The storage section 50 stores product information on a plurality of suppliers. Also, the storage section 50 stores product information indicating a plurality of products supplied from each of the suppliers. Therefore, the storage section 50 stores product information on a plurality of products supplied from a plurality of suppliers.

[0040] Figure 2 The product information is exemplified in a case where the product is a paint. Also, Figure 2 Three pieces of product information on paint A, paint B, and paint C are exemplified in Fig. 1. The product information on each product includes identification information of the corresponding product (product ID), identification information of the supplier that supplies the product (supplier ID), and material data indicating a material of the product. In Figure 2 In the example of Fig. 1, paint A is supplied by supplier X. Also, paint B is supplied by supplier Y. Also, paint C is supplied by supplier Z. Note that in the product information, "paint A" can also indicate the identification information of paint A. The same applies to the other paints. Also, in the product information, "supplier X" can also indicate the identification information of supplier X. The same applies to the other suppliers.

[0041] Also, the material data indicates a material of each product and a composition ratio of the material in the product. In Figure 2 In the example of Fig. 1, the material data shows material a, material b, material c, material d, and material e. In a case where the product is a paint, the material can correspond to, for example, a pigment, a resin, an additive, or a solvent. For example, "material a" can indicate a kind of pigment. In Figure 2 In the example of Fig. 1, in paint A, the composition ratio of material a is 10%, the composition ratio of material b is 8%, the composition ratio of material c is 7%, the composition ratio of material d is 6%, and the composition ratio of material e is 5%. Also, in Figure 2 In the example of Fig. 1, in paint B, the composition ratio of material a is 10%, the composition ratio of material b is 8%, the composition ratio of material c is 6%, the composition ratio of material d is 6%, and the composition ratio of material e is 5%. Also, in Figure 2In the example, in the paint C, the material a has a composition ratio of 10%, the material b has a composition ratio of 8%, the material c has a composition ratio of 5%, the material d has a composition ratio of 6%, and the material e has a composition ratio of 4%.

[0042] Also, the product information includes a state indicating whether the corresponding product is adopted by the manufacturer. In the example, the product information of the paint A indicates a state of "under adoption". That is, the paint A supplied by the supplier X is adopted by the manufacturer, and thus the manufacturer orders the paint A. On the other hand, the product information of the paint B and the paint C indicates a state of "candidate for adoption". That is, the paint B supplied by the supplier Y and the paint C supplied by the supplier Z are not currently adopted by the manufacturer. Note that, in the case where the state indicates "candidate for adoption", the state can also show a candidate order. The candidate order can be determined in accordance with the similarity degree described later. Figure 2

[0043] Also, the product information of the product that is "candidate for adoption" can include a similarity degree indicating the degree of similarity between the corresponding product and the product that is "under adoption". The similarity degree is calculated based on the raw material data. The similarity degree is described later.

[0044] Figure 3 is a functional block diagram indicating the structure of the information management system 1 of Embodiment 1. The information management apparatus 100 has, as a hardware structure, a CPU 101 (Central Processing Unit), a ROM 102 (Read Only Memory), a RAM 103 (Random Access Memory), an I / O 104 (Input / Output), and a UI 105 (User Interface). Note that the manufacturer apparatus 10 and the supplier apparatus 20 can also have these hardware structures.

[0045] The CPU 101 has a function as a processing device (processor) that performs control processing, arithmetic processing, and the like. The ROM 102 has a function as a memory that stores control programs and arithmetic programs executed by the CPU 101, and the like. The ROM 102 can include a database. Note that the storage section 50 can also be realized by the ROM 102. The RAM 103 has a function as a memory that temporarily stores processing data and the like. The I / O 104 is a communication apparatus and an input / output apparatus that inputs data and signals from the outside and outputs data and signals to the outside. The UI 105 is constituted by an input device such as a keyboard and an output device such as a display. Note that the UI 105 can also be a touch panel in which the input device and the output device are integrated. Also, the UI 105 can have a microphone and a speaker.​

[0046] Also, the information management apparatus 100 has, as constituent elements, an information acquisition section 110, an information storage section 112, an access processing section 120, a similarity calculation section 130, a non-provisionable notification reception section 140, a determination section 150, and a right control section 160. Note that one or more of the constituent elements of the information management apparatus 100 can be realized by an apparatus (for example, the manufacturer apparatus 10) different from the information management apparatus 100. Also, the constituent elements of the information management apparatus 100 are not limited to being realized by one physical apparatus, and can be realized by a plurality of apparatuses by, for example, cloud computing. That is, the information management apparatus 100 can be constituted by a plurality of physical apparatuses. These points are the same in other embodiments described later.

[0047] Note that these constituent elements can be realized by the CPU 101 executing a program stored in the ROM 102. Also, the information management apparatus 100 can record a desired program in advance in an arbitrary nonvolatile recording medium, and install the program as needed. Note that the constituent elements of the information management apparatus 100 are not limited to being realized by software as described above, and can be realized by hardware such as certain circuit elements. Also, the constituent elements of the information management apparatus 100 can be realized using, for example, an integrated circuit such as an FPGA (field-programmable gate array) or a microcomputer, which can be programmed by a user. In this case, the program constituted by the above-described constituent elements can also be realized using the integrated circuit. These points are the same in other embodiments described later.

[0048] The information acquisition section 110 acquires product information. The information acquisition section 110 receives product information through the I / O 104. Specifically, the information acquisition section 110 acquires product information from the supplier apparatus 20 via the network 2. Note that the information acquisition section 110 can also acquire manufacturer information from the manufacturer apparatus 10 via the network 2.

[0049] The information storage section 112 stores information acquired by the information acquisition section 110 in the storage section 50. Specifically, the information storage section 112 stores product information in the storage section 50. At this time, the information storage section 112 can perform processing (for example, encryption) that makes a device that attempts to access product information, which is confidential information, unable to view the information if the device does not have access rights. Note that the information storage section 112 can also store viewable information (for example, manufacturer information) that is not confidential information in the storage section 50. At this time, the information storage section 112 can perform processing for enabling viewable information to be viewed in the case where there is access from an external device.

[0050] The access processing section 120 performs processing for enabling the device to view the information in the case where there is an access to the information stored in the storage section 50 from another device (the supplier device 20 or the like). Hereinafter, the case where there is an access from the supplier device 20 will be described, but the same applies to the case where there is an access from another device.

[0051] Specifically, the access processing section 120 acquires a view request from the supplier device 20 via the network 2. The access processing section 120 receives the view request through the I / O 104. In the case where the information corresponding to the view request (information of a view target) is viewable information, the access processing section 120 transmits the information of the view target to the supplier device 20 corresponding to the identification information (IP address or the like) included in the view request in a manner that enables the supplier device 20 to view. The access processing section 120 transmits the information through the I / O 104. Thus, the supplier device 20 receives the information (viewable information) and displays the information on a display or the like.

[0052] On the other hand, in the case where the information corresponding to the view request is product information that is confidential information, the access processing section 120 determines whether the supplier device 20 corresponding to the identification information included in the view request (the supplier who manages the device) has an access right to the product information (confidential information). Note that, as for the access right, it can be granted by the right control section 160 to be described later. Also, in the case where the supplier device 20 (the supplier who manages the device) has an access right to the product information (confidential information), the access processing section 120 transmits the product information to the supplier device 20 corresponding to the identification information included in the view request, as in the case of the access to the viewable information.

[0053] On the other hand, in the case where the supplier device 20 (the supplier who manages the device) does not have an access right to the product information (confidential information), the access processing section 120 does not transmit the product information to the supplier device 20 corresponding to the identification information included in the view request. That is, the access processing section 120 prohibits the access of the supplier device 20 to the product information (confidential information). Also, the access processing section 120 can transmit information indicating that there is no access right to the information to the supplier device 20.

[0054] The similarity calculation section 130 calculates the similarity to the product under adoption for each product under adoption. Specifically, the similarity calculation section 130 calculates the similarity using the raw material data of each product under adoption and the raw material data of the product under adoption. Thus, the similarity shows how similar the raw material data of each product under adoption is to the raw material data of the product under adoption. The similarity calculation section 130 stores the calculated similarity in the entry of the similarity of the product information on the corresponding product stored in the storage section 50.

[0055] Note that the method of calculating the similarity degree by the similarity degree calculating section 130 can consider various methods. The similarity degree calculating section 130 can calculate the similarity degree using, for example, Euclidean distance or cosine similarity. Alternatively, the similarity degree calculating section 130 can calculate the similarity degree by the following method.

[0056] For example, the similarity degree calculating section 130 can calculate, as the similarity degree, the proportion of the entries (kinds of materials) in which the composition ratios of the respective materials coincide with each other in the entries of the raw material data between the product under consideration and the product in use. In other words, the similarity degree calculating section 130 can calculate, as the similarity degree, the proportion of the entries in which the composition ratios coincide with each other with respect to the total number of entries of the raw material data between the product under consideration and the product in use. Specifically, the similarity degree calculating section 130 determines, for each material in the raw material data, whether the composition ratio in the product under consideration coincides with the composition ratio in the product in use, and counts the number of materials (entries) in which the composition ratios coincide. Then, the similarity degree calculating section 130 calculates, as the similarity degree, the proportion of the number of materials (entries) in which the composition ratios coincide with respect to the total number of materials (entries) in the raw material data.

[0057] An example will be described using the following table. Figure 2 Note that the number of entries of the raw material data is set to be 10 in total. First, a case in which the similarity degree between the paint A in use and the paint B under consideration is calculated will be described. The composition ratio of the material a in the paint B coincides with the composition ratio of the material a in the paint A. Also, the composition ratios of the materials b, d, and e coincide with each other between the paint A and the paint B. On the other hand, the composition ratio of the material c in the paint B does not coincide with the composition ratio of the material c in the paint A. Note that the composition ratios of the other five materials are set to coincide with each other between the paint A and the paint B. In this case, the number of materials (entries) in which the composition ratios coincide between the paint A and the paint B is nine. Therefore, the similarity degree calculating section 130 calculates the similarity degree of the paint B to be 9 / 10 x 100 = 90 [%].

[0058] Next, a case where the similarity of the paint A in the adoption and the paint C as the adoption candidate is calculated is described. The composition ratio of the material a in the paint C is identical to that in the paint A. Also, in the paint A and the paint C, the composition ratios of the material b and the material d are identical to each other. On the other hand, the composition ratio of the material c in the paint C is not identical to that in the paint A. Also, the composition ratio of the material e in the paint C is not identical to that in the paint A. Also, as for the composition ratios of the other five materials, they are set to be identical to each other in the paint A and the paint C. In this case, the number of the materials (items) whose composition ratios are identical in the paint A and the paint C is eight. Therefore, the similarity calculation section 130 calculates the similarity of the paint C as 8 / 10 x 100 = 80 [%].

[0059] Note that, when the similarity is calculated using the raw material data, the materials that should be valued in judging whether the paints are similar can also be weighted. For example, in a case where the material a is a material that should be valued and the composition ratio of the material a is not identical, when the number of the materials (items) whose composition ratios are identical is counted, "the material a" can be counted as "-1" instead of "0". Also, in a case where the material b is a material that should be valued more than the material a and the composition ratio of the material b is not identical, when the number of the materials (items) whose composition ratios are identical is counted, "the material b" can be counted as "-2" instead of "0". Thus, in a case where the composition ratio of the material that should be valued is not identical, the similarity can be made lower than in a case where the material is counted as "0".

[0060] Alternatively, the similarity calculation section 130 can also calculate the similarity by calculating, for example, the Euclidean distance D with the composition ratios of the respective materials as components. Specifically, the similarity calculation section 130 calculates the difference between the composition ratio in the product in the adoption and the composition ratio in the product of each adoption candidate for each material. Then, the similarity calculation section 130 calculates the square root of the sum of the squares of the differences calculated for each material to calculate the Euclidean distance D. Also, the similarity calculation section 130 can calculate the similarity that is higher as the Euclidean distance D is smaller. For example, the similarity calculation section 130 can set the similarity as 1 / (1+D). In this case, it can be said that the similarity is higher as the similarity is closer to 1.

[0061] Using Figure 2The case where the similarity between the paint A, which is the calculation target, and the paint B, which is the adoption candidate, is calculated will be described. Note that the number of entries of the raw material data is set to 10 in total. Also, the composition ratios of the five materials other than the materials a to e are set to be the same as each other for the paint A, the paint B, and the paint C. First, the case where the similarity between the paint A, which is the calculation target, and the paint B, which is the adoption candidate, is calculated will be described. The difference between the composition ratio of the material a in the paint B and the composition ratio of the material a in the paint A is 0. Also, in the paint A and the paint B, the differences between the composition ratios of the materials b, d, and e are 0, respectively. On the other hand, the difference between the composition ratio of the material c in the paint B and the composition ratio of the material c in the paint A is 1%. Note that the differences between the composition ratios of the other five materials are 0 in the paint A and the paint B. Therefore, the similarity calculation section 130 calculates the Euclidean distance D between the paint A and the paint B as 2} = 1. In this case, the similarity calculation section 130 calculates the similarity of the paint B as 1 / (1 + D) = 0.5.

[0062] Next, the case where the similarity between the paint A, which is the calculation target, and the paint C, which is the adoption candidate, is calculated will be described. The difference between the composition ratio of the material a in the paint C and the composition ratio of the material a in the paint A is 0. Also, in the paint A and the paint C, the differences between the composition ratios of the materials b and d are 0, respectively. On the other hand, the difference between the composition ratio of the material c in the paint C and the composition ratio of the material c in the paint A is 2%. Also, the difference between the composition ratio of the material e in the paint C and the composition ratio of the material e in the paint A is 1%. Note that the differences between the composition ratios of the other five materials are 0 in the paint A and the paint C. Therefore, the similarity calculation section 130 calculates the Euclidean distance D between the paint A and the paint C as 2 + 1 2} = 2.24. In this case, the similarity calculation section 130 calculates the similarity of the paint C as 1 / (1 + D) = 0.31.

[0063] Note that, when the similarity is calculated using the raw material data, the materials that should be emphasized in judging whether the paints are similar can also be weighted. For example, in the case where the material a is a material that should be emphasized, the Euclidean distance can be calculated on the basis of the difference between the composition ratios of the material a multiplied by a weight coefficient of 1 or more.

[0064] The unavailability notification receiving section 140 receives an unavailability notification. Specifically, the unavailability notification receiving section 140 receives an unavailability notification from the manufacturer device 10. The unavailability notification receiving section 140 receives the unavailability notification through the I / O 104. Here, the unavailability notification indicates that the supply of a product used in a raw product produced at the manufacturer becomes impossible. Note that the unavailability notification can also be transmitted from the manufacturer device 10 by the manager operating the manufacturer device 10. Alternatively, the manufacturer device 10 can automatically transmit the unavailability notification without the manager's operation in a case where a defect or the like is found in the product in a certain production process.

[0065] Note that the unavailability notification includes information indicating the product for which the supply becomes impossible. The unavailability notification can include identification information of the product for which the supply becomes impossible. Also, the unavailability notification can include identification information of the supplier that supplies the product. Note that the unavailability notification can also be generated by the manager's operation. Alternatively, the unavailability notification can be automatically generated by the manufacturer device 10 automatically determining the product for which the supply becomes impossible.

[0066] The determination section 150 determines a product similar to the product for which the supply becomes impossible in a case where the unavailability notification is received. That is, the determination section 150 determines a product (similar product; second product) that is highly similar to the product (unavailable product; first product) for which the supply becomes impossible by the supplier (first supplier). Specifically, the determination section 150 determines the product for which the supply becomes impossible from the unavailability notification. The determination section 150 determines the product that is most similar to the unavailable product that is adopted from among the products that are candidates for adoption using the product information stored in the storage section 50 as the similar product. Also, the determination section 150 can determine the supplier that supplies the similar product.

[0067] The authority control section 160 controls in such a manner that at least the supplier (second supplier) that supplies the product that is highly similar (similar product) is granted access authority to the product information related to the unavailable product in a case where the unavailability notification is received. Note that the supplier (second supplier) that produces the similar product is different from the supplier (first supplier) that produces the unavailable product. Also, the authority control section 160 grants the access authority to the product information related to the unavailable product that includes confidential information to the supplier (replacement supplier) that supplies the similar product determined by the determination section 150. Thereby, it is possible to prepare a replacement for the unavailable product at the replacement supplier as described later.

[0068] Here, it is preferable that the access permissions granted by the access control unit 160 are temporary. That is, the access control unit 160 can revoke the access permissions granted to the alternative supplier once the preparation of the substitute has been completed. This allows for the protection of the supplier's confidential information as much as possible. Furthermore, the access control unit 160 can grant access permissions not only to the alternative supplier but also to the manufacturer.

[0069] When the access control unit 160 controls access to confidential information by granting access to an alternative supplier, the access processing unit 120, based on a request from the alternative supplier's supplier device 20 to view product information related to unsuppliable products, allows access to product information containing confidential information. Furthermore, the access processing unit 120 sends this product information to the alternative supplier's supplier device 20 in a manner that allows it to be viewed on the alternative supplier's supplier device 20. The alternative supplier can then use this product information to prepare a substitute.

[0070] use Figure 2 Let's illustrate the specific processing of the determination unit 150 and the access control unit 160 with an example. Assume that paint A, currently in use, can no longer be supplied by supplier X. In this case, the unsuppliable notification receiving unit 140 receives and displays a notification that paint A is unsuppliable. The determination unit 150, referring to the similarity of product information, determines that paint B has the highest similarity to paint A. That is, the determination unit 150 determines paint B as a similar product. The access control unit 160 grants supplier Y, which supplies paint B, access to product information related to paint A.

[0071] Therefore, supplier Y can prepare substitutes for paint A by referring to product information related to paint A from supplier X, which is using paint A but is not available for supply. For example, supplier Y can refer to the product information of paint A to determine the materials with different composition ratios in the raw materials of its own paint B compared to those in paint A. That is, supplier Y can determine the difference between the raw materials of its paint B and paint A. Furthermore, supplier Y can produce substitutes for paint A by filling this difference. That is, supplier Y can produce substitutes for paint A by adjusting the composition ratio of the raw materials in paint B. Specifically, supplier Y can produce substitutes by aligning the composition ratio of materials with different composition ratios in its paint B with those in paint A.

[0072] Here, consider a case where the supplier Z of the paint C, which is a paint similar to the paint A in the supply ratio and has a low degree of similarity to the paint B, is granted access to the product information related to the paint A. The paint C has more materials that differ in the composition ratio from the paint A than the paint B. Therefore, the supplier Z is more likely to have difficulty in making up for the difference between the raw materials of the paint C, which the supplier Z produces, and the raw materials of the paint A than the supplier Y does in making up for the difference described above. Therefore, the supplier Z is more likely to have difficulty in producing a substitute for the paint A than the supplier Y does. Therefore, even if the supplier Z is granted access to the product information related to the paint A, the supplier Z is less likely to supply a substitute more efficiently than the supplier Y does.

[0073] Therefore, by granting the supplier (second supplier) of the similar product (second product) to the un-supplyable product (first product) access to the product information related to the un-supplyable product, a substitute can be prepared efficiently. Note that ultimately, if the product information of the product in use is not disclosed to the substitute supplier, the substitute supplier cannot grasp how to produce a substitute. Therefore, by granting the substitute supplier access to the product information of the product in use, the substitute supplier can easily produce a substitute.

[0074] Also, in Embodiment 1, in a case where the product used by the manufacturer becomes un-supplyable, the supplier (second supplier) of the similar product (second product) is granted access to the product information related to the un-supplyable product. Thereby, the supplier who needs access to the minimum necessary information can be granted access to the minimum necessary confidential information required for preparation of a substitute. Therefore, disclosure of the confidential information can be suppressed as much as possible. Therefore, the information management system 1 of Embodiment 1 can protect the confidential information of the supplier as much as possible and procure a substitute efficiently in a case where the product used by the manufacturer becomes un-supplyable. That is, a balance between protection of the confidential information and procurement of a substitute can be achieved.

[0075] Also, in Embodiment 1, the degree of similarity is a value calculated on the basis of the composition ratio of the raw materials of the product. Thereby, the degree of similarity can be calculated with high accuracy. Also, since the similar product (second product) is determined using the degree of similarity calculated with high accuracy, the substitute supplier (second supplier) who can prepare a substitute more easily can be determined (selected) more reliably. Therefore, a substitute can be procured more efficiently.

[0076] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an information management method executed by the information management system 1 of Embodiment 1. Figure 4The processing of the information management apparatus 100 is mainly executed by the information management apparatus 100. The information acquisition section 110 acquires product information as described above (step S102). The information storage section 112 stores the information acquired in the processing of S102 in the storage section 50 as described above (step S104). The similarity calculation section 130 calculates the similarity to the product under adoption for the products as adoption candidates as described above (step S106). Note that the processing of S102 to S106 can be executed every time product information is transmitted from the supplier apparatus 20.

[0077] The unavailability notification reception section 140 receives the unavailability notification as described above (step S112). Note that if the product under adoption does not become unavailable, the processing after S112 is not executed. The determination section 150 determines the unavailable product using the unavailability notification as described above (step S114). The determination section 150 determines the similar product having high similarity to the unavailable product as described above (step S116). The authority control section 160 grants the access authority to the product information relating to the unavailable product to the alternative supplier that supplies the similar product as described above (step S118).

[0078] (Embodiment 2)

[0079] Next, Embodiment 2 is described. In Embodiment 2, the information that is the basis of the calculation of the similarity is different from that of Embodiment 1. Note that the structure of the information management system 1 with respect to Embodiment 2 is substantially the same as that shown in Embodiment 1, and thus the description is omitted. Figure 1

[0080] Figure 5 is a diagram that illustrates the product information stored in the storage section 50 of Embodiment 2. As with Embodiment 1, the storage section 50 stores product information relating to a plurality of products supplied by a plurality of suppliers. Also, as with Embodiment 1, three product information relating to paint A, paint B, and paint C is illustrated in Figure 2 Figure 5 Also, as with the example of Embodiment 1, in the example of Figure 2 Figure 5 Also, as with the example of Embodiment 1, in the example of

[0081] ​​​In this case, in the above-described embodiment 1, the contents of the raw material data of the product information are not all black-boxed (obfuscated, non-disclosed, and unclarified). That is, all the contents of the raw material data of the product information can be viewed as long as there is access authority. Therefore, when the similarity is calculated, all the entries of the raw material data can be used. Also, the supplier device 20 of the supplier who has access authority to the product information can access all the contents of the product information. That is, the supplier who has access authority can view all the contents of the product information.

[0082] In contrast, the product information of embodiment 2 contains non-disclosed (black-boxed) data. That is, the product information of embodiment 2 contains public data that can be viewed if there is access authority to the product information and non-disclosed data that cannot be viewed even if there is access authority to the product information. In this case, in the present specification, "non-disclosed" means that it cannot be viewed even if there is access authority. Also, the non-disclosed data itself (values and the like represented by the non-disclosed data) can be contained as data in the product information, but is completely obfuscated by encryption and the like. Or, the non-disclosed data itself can not even be contained as data in the product information. In this case, in the product information, the value corresponding to the non-disclosed data is blank. For example, the non-disclosed data can be represented as "Null" or "Blank" in the product information.

[0083] In the example of Figure 5 , for each product information, the composition ratios of the material a and the material b of the raw material data correspond to the public data. On the other hand, for each product information, the composition ratios of the material c, the material d, and the material e of the raw material data correspond to the non-disclosed data. In the example of Figure 5 , in the paint A, the composition ratio of the material a is 10%, and the composition ratio of the material b is 8%. On the other hand, in the paint A, the composition ratios of the material c, the material d, and the material e correspond to the non-disclosed data, and thus are unknown. Note that, in the paint A, the composition ratios of the materials other than the materials a to e are assumed to correspond to the public data.

[0084] Also, in the example of Figure 5 , in the paint B, the composition ratio of the material a is 10%, and the composition ratio of the material b is 7%. On the other hand, in the paint B, the composition ratios of the material c, the material d, and the material e correspond to the non-disclosed data, and thus are unknown. Note that, in the paint B, the composition ratios of the materials other than the materials a to e are assumed to correspond to the public data.

[0085] Also, in the example of Figure 5In the example of the paint C, the material a has a composition ratio of 9%, and the material b has a composition ratio of 7%. On the other hand, in the paint C, the composition ratios of the material c, the material d, and the material e correspond to the non-disclosed data, and thus are unknown. Note that, in the paint C, the composition ratio of the material other than the materials a to e is set to correspond to the disclosed data.

[0086] Note that the vendor has a tendency to anonymize important items of a product. Thus, the non-disclosed data has a high possibility of being related to the important items in the product. In other words, the non-disclosed data has a high possibility of being related to the items that dominantly determine the specifications and the performance of the product.

[0087] Also, as in Embodiment 1, in Embodiment 2, the product information of the product that is the "adoption candidate" can include a similarity that indicates how similar the corresponding product is to the product in the "adoption". Here, the product information of Embodiment 2 can include a similarity calculated on the basis of the disclosed data and a similarity calculated on the basis of the non-disclosed data. The similarity will be described later.

[0088] Figure 6 is a functional block diagram that indicates the structure of the information management system 1 of Embodiment 2. As in Embodiment 1, the information management apparatus 100 has, as a hardware structure, the CPU 101, the ROM 102, the RAM 103, the I / O 104, and the UI 105.

[0089] Also, the information management apparatus 100 has, as constituent elements, the information acquisition section 110, the information storage section 112, the access processing section 120, the characteristic information acquisition section 210, the similarity calculation section 230, the unavailability notification reception section 140, the determination section 150, and the authority control section 160. Note that, regarding the constituent elements other than the characteristic information acquisition section 210 and the similarity calculation section 230, the constituent elements have substantially the same functions as those of Embodiment 1, and thus appropriate description will be omitted.

[0090] The characteristic information acquisition section 210 acquires characteristic information that indicates characteristics related to each product. Here, the characteristic information is information that is associated with at least the non-disclosed data. Note that, as described above, the non-disclosed data has a high possibility of being an important item in the corresponding product. Thus, the characteristic information can also be information that is associated with only the non-disclosed data. In the following description, a case where the characteristic information is information that is associated with only the non-disclosed data will be described.

[0091] Note that the feature information can also be provided by a supplier who supplies the product in association with the product information. In this case, the information acquisition unit 110 can acquire the feature information corresponding to the product information at the time of acquisition of the product information. Also, the information storage unit 112 can store the feature information in association with the corresponding product information in the storage unit 50. In this case, the feature information acquisition unit 210 can acquire the feature information from the storage unit 50. Alternatively, the feature information can also be acquired using an object provided by the supplier for use in generating the feature information. In this case, the feature information acquisition unit 210 can acquire the feature information by analyzing the object.

[0092] In the case where the product is a paint, the feature information is, for example, color information of a paint (feature paint) produced using a material of an entry related to the non-public data in association with the product information. The color information can show, for example, RGB values (R (Red), G (Green), and B (Blue), respectively). Here, the feature information is, for example, color information of a paint produced in a composition ratio of a material of an entry related to the non-public data. For example, the paint associated with the feature information (color information) is produced in such a manner that the materials of the entry related to the non-public data are each composed in a non-public composition ratio.

[0093] For example, in the example of Figure 5 In the case of the paint A, the composition ratio of the material c of the paint A is set to RAc%, the composition ratio of the material d is set to RAd%, and the composition ratio of the material e is set to RAe%. Note that the values of RAc, RAd, and RAe are non-public to the supplier of the product. In this case, the paint A' (feature paint) related to the feature information corresponding to the product information of the paint A is produced in such a manner that the composition ratios of the materials c, d, and e are RAc:RAd:RAe. Also, the paint A' can be produced in such a manner that the composition ratio of the material c is RAc%, the composition ratio of the material d is RAd%, the composition ratio of the material e is RAe%, and the rest is a solvent. That is, the composition ratio of the solvent at this time is 100 - (RAc + RAd + RAe) [%]. These points are the same for the paint B and the paint C.

[0094] Also, when the product information is provided by the supplier, the color information (RGB value) of the characteristic paint (the paint A' of the above example) corresponding to the paint related to the product information can be provided by the supplier as the characteristic information. In this case, the supplier device 20 can transmit the product information and the color information in correspondence with each other to the information management device 100. Thereby, the information storage section 112 stores the product information and the color information in correspondence with each other in the storage section 50. Also, the characteristic information acquisition section 210 can acquire (extract) the color information as the characteristic information from the storage section 50.

[0095] Also, a color image (color sample or the like) indicating the color tone of the characteristic paint can be provided by the supplier. In this case, the characteristic information acquisition section 210 can acquire the color information as the characteristic information by analyzing image data obtained by photographing the color image with a camera or the like. Or, the characteristic paint itself can be provided by the supplier. In this case, the characteristic information acquisition section 210 can acquire the color information as the characteristic information by analyzing image data obtained by photographing the characteristic paint with a camera or the like. Or, the Munsell color scale of the characteristic paint can be acquired from the supplier. In this case, the characteristic information acquisition section 210 can acquire the color information as the characteristic information by converting the Munsell color scale into RGB value.

[0096] The similarity calculation section 230 calculates the similarity to the product under adoption with respect to the product of each adoption candidate. Here, the similarity calculation section 230 of Embodiment 2 calculates the similarity using the characteristic information. That is, the similarity calculation section 230 calculates the similarity using the characteristic information related to each product of the adoption candidate and the characteristic information related to the product under adoption. The similarity calculation section 230 stores the calculated similarity in the entry of the similarity of the product information related to the corresponding product stored in the storage section 50. Note that, as described above, the characteristic information is information related to the non-public data, and the non-public data is highly likely to be related to the entry of the dominant of the specifications and the performance of the product. Therefore, the similarity appropriately shows how similar the material data of each product of the adoption candidate and the material data of the product under adoption are.

[0097] The method by which the similarity calculation section 230 calculates the similarity can consider various methods. The similarity calculation section 230 can calculate the similarity using, for example, Euclidean distance or cosine similarity. Or, the similarity calculation section 230 can calculate the similarity by the following method.

[0098] Figure 7 is a diagram for explaining the method by which the similarity calculation section 230 of Embodiment 2 calculates the similarity. Figure 7 With respect to each product of the adoption candidate Figure 5The product information of the exemplified paint A, paint B, and paint C shows color information of the paint (feature paint) generated by the material of the item of non-public data. The RGB value of the feature paint A' corresponding to the paint A is R: 255, G: 250, B: 251. The RGB value of the feature paint B' corresponding to the paint B is R: 255, G: 250, B: 249. The RGB value of the feature paint C' corresponding to the paint C is R: 251, G: 240, B: 241.

[0099] The similarity degree calculation section 230 can also calculate the sum of the differences (absolute values) between the RGB values of the feature paint related to the product under adoption and the RGB values of the feature paint related to the product under adoption as the similarity degree. In this case, the more the calculated value approaches 0, that is, the smaller the calculated value, the higher the similarity degree. Hereinafter, the case will be described using the example of the RGB values. Figure 7

[0100] First, the case where the similarity degree between the paint A under adoption and the paint B as the product under adoption is calculated will be described. The value of R in the color information of the feature paint A' corresponding to the paint A under adoption is 255, and the value of R in the color information of the feature paint B' corresponding to the paint B as the product under adoption is 255. Therefore, in the feature paint A' corresponding to the paint A under adoption and the feature paint B' corresponding to the paint B as the product under adoption, the difference in the value of R in the color information is 0.

[0101] Further, the value of G in the color information of the feature paint A' corresponding to the paint A under adoption is 250, and the value of G in the color information of the feature paint B' corresponding to the paint B as the product under adoption is 250. Therefore, in the feature paint A' corresponding to the paint A under adoption and the feature paint B' corresponding to the paint B as the product under adoption, the difference in the value of G in the color information is 0.

[0102] Further, the value of B in the color information of the feature paint A' corresponding to the paint A under adoption is 251, and the value of B in the color information of the feature paint B' corresponding to the paint B as the product under adoption is 249. Therefore, in the feature paint A' corresponding to the paint A under adoption and the feature paint B' corresponding to the paint B as the product under adoption, the difference in the value of B in the color information is 2. Therefore, the similarity degree calculation section 230 calculates the similarity degree of the paint B with respect to the paint A as 0 + 0 + 2 = 2.

[0103] ​Next, a case where the similarity of the paint A in use and the paint C as a candidate for use is calculated is described. The value of R in the color information of the feature paint A' corresponding to the paint A in use is 255, and the value of R in the color information of the feature paint C' corresponding to the paint C as a candidate for use is 251. Therefore, in the feature paint A' corresponding to the paint A in use and the feature paint C' corresponding to the paint C as a candidate for use, the difference in the value of R in the color information is 4.

[0104] Also, the value of G in the color information of the feature paint A' corresponding to the paint A in use is 250, and the value of G in the color information of the feature paint C' corresponding to the paint C as a candidate for use is 240. Therefore, in the feature paint A' corresponding to the paint A in use and the feature paint C' corresponding to the paint C as a candidate for use, the difference in the value of G in the color information is 10.

[0105] Also, the value of B in the color information of the feature paint A' corresponding to the paint A in use is 251, and the value of B in the color information of the feature paint C' corresponding to the paint C as a candidate for use is 241. Therefore, in the feature paint A' corresponding to the paint A in use and the feature paint C' corresponding to the paint C as a candidate for use, the difference in the value of B in the color information is 10. Therefore, the similarity calculating section 230 calculates the similarity of the paint C with respect to the paint A as 4 + 10 + 10 = 24.

[0106] Note that the similarity calculating section 230 can also calculate the value converted to a value that becomes larger as the total value of the differences in the RGB values becomes smaller as the similarity. For example, when the total value of the differences in the RGB values is set to S, the similarity calculating section 230 can calculate the similarity as 1 / (1 + S). In this case, it can be said that the closer the similarity is to 1 (i.e., the larger), the higher the similarity is. In this case, the similarity calculating section 230 calculates the similarity of the paint B as 1 / (1 + 2) = 0.33. Also, the similarity calculating section 230 calculates the similarity of the paint C as 1 / (1 + 24) = 0.04.

[0107] Alternatively, the similarity degree calculating section 230 can calculate the similarity degree by calculating, for example, the Euclidean distance D in a three-dimensional color space having R, G, and B values of color information (RGB values) as components. Specifically, the similarity degree calculating section 230 calculates the difference between the RGB values of the characteristic paint related to the product under consideration and the RGB values of the characteristic paint related to the product under consideration as described above. Then, the similarity degree calculating section 230 calculates the Euclidean distance D by calculating the square root of the sum of the squares of the differences calculated for each material. Then, the similarity degree calculating section 230 calculates the higher the similarity degree the smaller the Euclidean distance D. For example, the similarity degree calculating section 230 can set the similarity degree to 1 / (1+D). In this case, it can be said that the higher the similarity degree, the closer the similarity degree is to 1.

[0108] In Figure 7 the example, the similarity degree calculating section 230 calculates the Euclidean distance between the characteristic paint A' corresponding to the paint A and the characteristic paint B' corresponding to the paint B as 2 +0 2 +2 2} = 2. In this case, the similarity degree calculating section 230 calculates the similarity degree of the paint B as 1 / (1+2) = 0.33.

[0109] Also, the similarity degree calculating section 230 calculates the Euclidean distance between the characteristic paint A' corresponding to the paint A and the characteristic paint C' corresponding to the paint C as 2 +10 2 +10 2} = 14.7. In this case, the similarity degree calculating section 230 calculates the similarity degree of the paint C as 1 / (1+14.7) = 0.064.

[0110] Note that the similarity degree calculating section 230 can calculate the similarity degree using the composition ratio of the material related to the entry of the disclosed data of the raw material data as in Embodiment 1. Note that, as described above, the non-disclosed data has a high possibility of being related to the entry that dominantly affects the specifications and the performance of the product. On the contrary, the disclosed data has a very low possibility of being related to the entry that dominantly affects the specifications and the performance of the product. Therefore, the similarity degree calculated using the disclosed data has a high possibility of being inaccurate in judging the similarity between the product under consideration and the product under consideration. Therefore, in Embodiment 2, the similarity degree calculated using the disclosed data can not be used when the determination section 150 determines the similar product.

[0111] Figure 8 is a flowchart showing an information management method executed by the information management system 1 of Embodiment 2. Figure 8The processing of the information management device 100 is mainly executed by the information management device 100. The information acquisition section 110 acquires product information as in Embodiment 1 (step S202). The information storage section 112 stores the information acquired in the processing of S202 in the storage section 50 as in Embodiment 1 (step S204).

[0112] The feature information acquisition section 210 acquires feature information corresponding to the product information as described above (step S206). The similarity calculation section 230 calculates the similarity to the product under adoption for the products as adoption candidates using the feature information as described above (step S208). Note that the processing of S202 to S208 can be executed every time product information is transmitted from the supplier device 20.

[0113] The unavailability notification reception section 140 receives an unavailability notification as in Embodiment 1 (step S212). Note that if the product under adoption does not become unavailable, the processing after S212 is not executed. The determination section 150 determines an unavailable product using the unavailability notification as in Embodiment 1 (step S214). The determination section 150 determines a similar product having high similarity to the unavailable product as in Embodiment 1 (step S216). At this time, the determination section 150 determines a similar product having high similarity to the unavailable product using the similarity calculated using the feature information related to the non-public data. The authority control section 160 grants the alternative supplier that supplies the similar product access authority to the product information related to the unavailable product as in Embodiment 1 (step S218).

[0114] Here, when the authority control section 160 controls in a manner of granting the alternative supplier access authority to confidential information, the access processing section 120 allows access to the product information including the confidential information according to a request for viewing the product information related to the unavailable product from the supplier device 20 of the alternative supplier as in Embodiment 1. Also, the access processing section 120 transmits the product information to the supplier device 20 in a manner that the product information can be viewed in the supplier device 20 of the alternative supplier as in Embodiment 1. The alternative supplier can prepare a substitute product using the product information.

[0115] Here, a specific example is explained using Figure 5 an example in which the paint A under adoption cannot be supplied by the supplier X any more. In this case, the unavailability notification reception section 140 receives an unavailability notification showing the paint A. The determination section 150 determines that the paint B having the highest similarity to the paint A is the paint B with reference to the similarity of the product information (the similarity calculated using the non-public data). The authority control section 160 grants the supplier Y that supplies the paint B access authority to the product information related to the paint A.

[0116] Thus, the supplier Y can prepare a substitute for the paint A with reference to the product information on the paint A that is in use and that is an unprocurable product. Here, in Embodiment 2, since the product information contains the non-public data, the substitute supplier cannot grasp the entire composition ratio of the raw materials of the paint A. However, the substitute supplier can at least grasp the difference between the composition ratio of the material of the item relating to the public data of the paint A and the composition ratio of the material of the corresponding item in the paint B. Thus, the substitute supplier can produce a substitute for the paint A by adjusting the composition ratio of the raw materials of the paint B in such a manner as to fill the difference. Specifically, the supplier Y can produce a substitute closer to the paint A than the paint B by making the composition ratio of the material different from that of the paint A in the paint B and the composition ratio in the paint A coincide with each other with respect to the item relating to the public data of the product information.

[0117] Note that, as described above, since the substitute supplier cannot grasp the composition ratio of the material of the item relating to the non-public data of the paint A, the substitute supplier cannot grasp the difference in the composition ratio of the material of the item relating to the non-public data between the paint A and the paint B. Here, as described above, the non-public data is highly likely to relate to the item that dominates the specifications and the performance of the product, and thus the feature information is also highly likely to be associated with the features of the important material of the paint. Also, the feature information relating to the non-public data is similar between the paint A and the paint B. Thus, the paint B can be said to be a product similar to the paint A to some extent. Also, by adjusting the composition ratio of the public data, the substitute supplier can produce a substitute more similar to the paint A. Thus, by calculating the similarity degree based on the feature information associated with at least the non-public data, even if there is completely non-public data, it is possible to determine a product similar to the unprocurable product to some extent. Thus, even if there is completely non-public data, it is possible to determine (select) a supplier that supplies a substitute similar to the unprocurable product to some extent.

[0118] Also, as described above, the non-public data is highly likely to be data dominant for the product. Thus, by making the feature information be associated with only the non-public data, the feature information is highly likely to be information that represents the features of the product with higher accuracy. Thus, by calculating the similarity degree using the feature information, it is possible to determine a product more similar to the product in use (the unprocurable product) with higher accuracy. Thus, even if there is completely non-public data, it is possible to determine (select) a supplier that supplies a substitute more similar to the unprocurable product.

[0119] Note that, unlike the case of Embodiment 1, the possibility that the substitute produced in the case of Embodiment 2 is completely identical to the material composition ratio of the product in use is low. However, in a case where, for example, a substitute that is somewhat different from the product in use but is similar to some extent is immediately needed, the method of Embodiment 2 is particularly effective.

[0120] Also, as described above, the degree of similarity is a value calculated based on color information (feature information) of a paint (feature paint) that contains at least a material related to non-public data of the paint. Therefore, even in a case where the material composition of the paint is not disclosed, the degree of similarity that is good in accuracy to some extent can be calculated from the color information. Therefore, in a case where the paint becomes unobtainable, it is possible to determine (select) a supplier of a substitute paint that is similar to the paint to some extent.

[0121] (Modified example)

[0122] Note that the present application is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be appropriately changed within a scope without departing from the gist. For example, the order of the steps of the flowchart described above can be appropriately changed. Also, one or more of the steps of the flowchart can be omitted.

[0123] Also, in the above-described embodiments, the determination unit 150 is configured to determine a product that is most similar to the product in use (unobtainable product) as the similar product, but is not limited to this structure. The determination unit 150 can determine 2 to 3 products in order from the products that are similar to the unobtainable product. Or, the determination unit 150 can determine one or more products that are similar to the unobtainable product to a degree of similarity that is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value as the similar product. That is, the determination unit 150 is configured to determine one or more similar products that are similar to the unobtainable product to a high degree. In this case, the determination unit 150 can be configured to determine one or more suppliers that supply one or more similar products.

[0124] Also, in the above-described embodiments, the determination unit 150 is configured to determine the similar product and the substitute supplier that supplies the similar product, but is not limited to this structure. The determination unit 150 can determine only the similar product. That is, the determination unit 150 can not determine the substitute supplier that supplies the similar product. In this case, the user or the like can determine the substitute supplier based on the similar product determined by the determination unit 150. In this case, in the product information, the identification information of the product and the identification information of the supplier can not be confidential information. Also, the user or the like can refer to the identification information of the product and the identification information of the supplier of the product information stored in the storage unit 50 to determine the substitute supplier.

[0125] Also, in the above-described embodiments, the determination unit 150 is configured to determine the similar product and the substitute supplier that supplies the similar product, but is not limited to this structure. The determination unit 150 can determine only the similar product. That is, the determination unit 150 can not determine the substitute supplier that supplies the similar product. In this case, the user or the like can determine the substitute supplier based on the similar product determined by the determination unit 150. In this case, in the product information, the identification information of the product and the identification information of the supplier can not be confidential information. Also, the user or the like can refer to the identification information of the product and the identification information of the supplier of the product information stored in the storage unit 50 to determine the substitute supplier. Figure 5In the example of FIG. 6, the composition ratio of a part of the raw material data is non-disclosed data, but the structure is not limited to this. In the non-disclosed data, the material itself can also be non-disclosed. That is, in the example of FIG. 6, even if the composition ratios of the materials c, d, and e of each paint are unknown, it is at least known that the materials c, d, and e are included as raw materials in each paint. In contrast, the non-disclosed data can include not only the composition ratios but also the kinds of the materials themselves. In this way, the confidentiality of the kinds of the materials themselves can be improved. That is, in a case where the supplier does not expect the raw materials themselves of a product to be disclosed even if the product becomes unprocurable, by making the kinds of the materials non-disclosed, the confidentiality of the product information can be improved. Figure 5

[0126] Also, in the above-described example, the program can be stored and supplied to a computer using various types of non-transitory computer readable media. The non-transitory computer readable media include various types of tangible storage media having a physical form. Examples of the non-transitory computer readable media include a magnetic recording medium (e.g., a floppy disk, a magnetic tape, a hard disk drive), a magneto-optical recording medium (e.g., a magneto-optical disk), a CD-ROM, a CD-R, a CD-R / W, a semiconductor memory (e.g., a mask ROM, a programmable ROM (PROM), an erasable PROM (EPROM), a flash ROM, a RAM). Also, the program can be supplied to a computer through various types of transitory computer readable media. Examples of the transitory computer readable media include an electrical signal, an optical signal, and an electromagnetic wave. The transitory computer readable media can supply the program to a computer via a wired communication path such as an electrical wire or an optical fiber or a wireless communication path.​

Claims

1. An information management system, comprising: The storage department stores product information related to multiple products supplied by multiple vendors. The determination unit, upon receiving notification from the manufacturer of a first product using a first product from one of the plurality of suppliers that the first product has become unavailable, determines one or more second products from the plurality of products that are highly similar to the first product; and The access control unit controls access to product information related to the first product by granting access rights to one or more second suppliers, different from the first supplier, that supply the second product. The similarity is a value calculated based on the composition ratio of the raw materials of the product. The similarity is a value calculated based on feature information that is associated with at least non-public data in the product information of the product, which is not disclosed even if access is granted.

2. The information management system according to claim 1, wherein, The feature information is information that is only associated with the non-public data.

3. The information management system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The product in question is a coating. The similarity is a value calculated based on the color information of the coating, which contains at least material related to the non-public data of the coating.

4. An information management method, wherein, Product information related to multiple products supplied by multiple suppliers is stored in the storage department. If a manufacturer of a first product from a first supplier among the plurality of suppliers receives a notification indicating that the first product has become unavailable, then one or more second products from the plurality of products that are highly similar to the first product are identified. Control is exercised by granting access to product information related to the first product to one or more second suppliers that are different from the first supplier. The similarity is a value calculated based on the composition ratio of the raw materials of the product. The similarity is a value calculated based on feature information that is associated with at least non-public data in the product information of the product, which is not disclosed even if access is granted.

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