Supply management system, computer program for supply management system, and control method for supply management system

Abstract

The invention provides a supply management system, a computer program of the supply management system, and a control method of the supply management system. A supply management system (100) is provided with: an acquisition unit (23A) that acquires a request condition that includes a requested number of items requested by a user, and a supply condition that includes a supply amount of items supplied by each of a plurality of suppliers capable of supplying items; a determination unit (23G) that determines, on the basis of the request condition and the supply condition, whether or not a distribution condition for distributing the requested number of items to two or more suppliers among the plurality of suppliers is satisfied; a selection means (23B) that selects two or more suppliers from among the plurality of suppliers as a supply supplier group when the allocation condition is satisfied; and an allocation unit (23C) that allocates the requested number to the supply provider group.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the Chinese invention patent application with the application date of November 9, 2021, application number 202180102232.6 (PCT / JP2021 / 041195), and invention name “Supply management system, computer program for supply management system, and control method for supply management system”. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to a supply management system for selecting two or more suppliers from a plurality of suppliers as a supply supplier group, a computer program for the supply management system, and a control method for the supply management system. Background Art

[0003] As a technology related to supply, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a supply network in which a seller reserves the seller's inventory together with other sellers using the same supply network. Specifically, the seller requests that at least a portion of the inventory of an item be reserved in a shared inventory pool. Then, when the item is determined to be of the same type or quality as the same item reserved by other sellers, the seller's inventory is reserved in the shared inventory pool. Afterwards, inventory credit is provided to the seller whose inventory is reserved.

[0004] In addition, Patent Document 2 discloses a supply chain design plan generating unit that generates a design plan for a supply chain of a specified variety. Specifically, the supply chain design plan generating unit extracts records that are consistent with the variety to be produced or supplied. Then, the supply chain design plan generating unit extracts multiple factories and multiple supply destinations corresponding to the records. Thereafter, the supply chain design plan generating unit generates a design plan for a supply chain including multiple modes of the extracted factories, and a design plan for a supply chain including multiple modes of the extracted supply destinations. Furthermore, the supply chain design plan generating unit evaluates whether the generated supply chain design plan meets the delivery period, and excludes unsatisfactory design plans from the supply chain design plan.

[0005] Prior art literature

[0006] Patent Literature

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-503924

[0008] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-5186 Summary of the invention

[0009] Problem that the invention aims to solve

[0010] Sometimes, a user wishes to purchase an item in a quantity exceeding the supply quantity that a supplier can supply. In this case, when a user places an order for an item in a quantity exceeding the supply quantity, the period from ordering to delivery of the item becomes longer. That is, the supplier needs more time than the normal delivery period to deliver the item in a quantity exceeding the supply quantity.

[0011] Solutions for solving problems

[0012] A supply management system involved in one embodiment of the present invention comprises: an acquisition unit, which acquires request conditions and supply conditions, wherein the request conditions include the requested quantity of an item requested by a user, and the supply conditions include the supply quantity of the item supplied by each of a plurality of suppliers that can supply the item; a determination unit, which determines, based on the request conditions and the supply conditions, whether an allocation condition is satisfied regarding that the requested quantity of the item should be allocated to two or more suppliers among the plurality of suppliers; a selection unit, which selects two or more suppliers from the plurality of suppliers as a supply supplier group when the allocation condition is satisfied; and an allocation unit, which allocates the requested quantity to the supply supplier group.

[0013] In addition, a computer program for a supply management system involved in another embodiment of the present invention is a computer program for a supply management system having a computer, and the computer program enables the computer to function as the following units: an acquisition unit, which acquires request conditions and supply conditions, wherein the request conditions include the requested quantity of an item requested by a user, and the supply conditions include the supply quantity of the item supplied by each of a plurality of suppliers that can supply the item; a determination unit, which determines whether an allocation condition is satisfied based on the request conditions and the supply conditions that the requested quantity of the item should be allocated to two or more of the plurality of suppliers; a selection unit, which selects two or more suppliers from the plurality of suppliers as a supply supplier group when the allocation condition is satisfied; and an allocation unit, which allocates the requested quantity to the supply supplier group.

[0014] Furthermore, a control method for a supply management system involved in another embodiment of the present invention includes: obtaining request conditions and supply conditions, wherein the request conditions include a requested quantity of an item requested by a user, and the supply conditions include a supply quantity of the item supplied by each of a plurality of suppliers that can supply the item, and determining whether an allocation condition is satisfied that the requested quantity of the item should be allocated to two or more suppliers among the plurality of suppliers based on the request conditions and the supply conditions; and if the allocation condition is satisfied, selecting two or more suppliers from the plurality of suppliers as a supply supplier group, and allocating the requested quantity to the supply supplier group.

[0015] Effects of the Invention

[0016] Thus, by distributing the quantity of goods requested by the user to a plurality of sub-suppliers, the period from placing a purchase order to delivery of the goods can be shortened. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall sales management system.

[0018] Figure 2 This is an explanatory diagram of the outline of the supply management according to the first embodiment.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a sales management system.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing an example of an item screen.

[0021] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram showing an example of a detailed screen.

[0022] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing an example of an order confirmation screen.

[0023] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram showing an example of a batch shipment screen.

[0024] Figure 8 This is a flowchart of the allocation process.

[0025] Fig. 9 It is an explanatory diagram of the outline of the supply management according to the second embodiment.

[0026] Fig.10 This is a schematic diagram showing another example of the item screen. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] Below, the exemplary embodiments for implementing the present invention are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, and relative positions of the structural elements described in the following embodiments can be set arbitrarily and can be changed according to the structure or various conditions of the device to which the present invention is applied. In addition, unless otherwise specified, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments specifically described below.

[0028] [First embodiment]

[0029] Figure 1 A sales management system 100 having a supply management system is shown, and the supply management system selects two or more suppliers from a plurality of suppliers as a supply supplier group. As an example, a supplier is a supplier that produces, processes, sells, transports or stores goods in order to supply goods. In addition, sometimes a supplier has multiple storage warehouses or production bases for goods as multiple suppliers. In the sales management system 100, there are user terminals 40 managed by users, inventory management servers 10 and supply management servers 20 managed by management operators such as sales operators, and supplier terminals 60 managed by suppliers. For example, a user purchases goods as commodities from a sales operator. Then, the sales operator sells the goods to the user by supplying the goods from the supplier. In addition, the supplier supplies the goods to the sales operator.

[0030] The sales management system 100 is configured as a network system or a client server system having a supply management system, and the supply management system includes a supply management server 20 and an inventory management server 10. For example, a sales operator manages the inventory management server 10 and the supply management server 20 to sell goods according to the needs from users. The supply management server 20 functions as a server device, for example, by combining a server unit 21 as a plurality of computer devices to form a single logical server device. In addition, the inventory management server 10 also functions as a server device, for example, by combining a server unit 11 as a plurality of computer devices to form a single logical server device. However, the supply management server 20 may be configured by a single server unit 21, and the inventory management server 10 may be configured by a single server unit 11. Alternatively, the supply management server 20 and the inventory management server 10 may be logically configured using cloud computing.

[0031] The supply management server 20 provides various services including an ordering service for goods to the user terminal 40 or to the user of the user terminal 40. The ordering service includes a distribution service that distributes programs or data to the user terminal 40 via the network 50 and a storage service that stores data received from the user terminal 40. The distribution service is, for example, a service that distributes update data.

[0032] The inventory management server 10, as an example of a supply quantity management server, stores and manages supply conditions including the supply quantity of items. For example, the inventory management server 10 receives the inventory quantity of each item of each supplier among multiple suppliers from the supplier terminal 60 as the supply quantity, and the supply quantity is an example of a supply condition. In addition, the inventory management server 10 receives the supply time of each supplier supplying items from the supplier terminal 60 as another example of a supply condition. Moreover, the inventory management server 10 stores the inventory quantity of each item in a manner associated with the supplier identification information for identifying each supplier. In addition, the inventory management server 10 can also store and manage the supply conditions including the supply quantity of items kept by the seller. In addition, the item can be a finished product with a complete function in itself, or it can be an item embedded in a finished product, or an assembly composed of multiple parts. In addition, the item includes units, jigs, devices and equipment composed of a combination of multiple parts.

[0033] For example, the supply time is the date of shipment of the item, the date of arrival of the item at the user, the date of completion of production of the item, the date of completion of processing of the item, and the date of arrival of the item at the logistics base. These supply times are specific dates or times, but the supply time can be any information that can determine the timing of supply of the item, and can also be the length of time required until shipment, arrival or completion, or the length of time required for transportation. In addition, the supply quantity is the amount of items that can be supplied to the user, and can also be the production quantity, processing quantity or shipment quantity of the supplier within the specified supply time. In addition, the supply time and supply quantity can also be calculated or predicted by the inventory management server 10.

[0034] The user of the supplier terminal 60 sends the supply conditions to the inventory management server 10 using e-mail or other means at any time (for example, at a specified time, once a day, once a week, or four times a day, etc.). As an alternative, the supplier terminal 60 may also automatically send the supply conditions at a specified time. In addition, the supplier terminal 60 may also send the supply conditions based on a request from the inventory management server 10. For example, when a user inputs the requested quantity of an item, the inventory management server 10 requests the supplier terminal 60 to send the supply conditions based on the input. In addition, the manager of the inventory management server 10 may also obtain the supply conditions from each supplier using telephone or fax or other means. In this case, the manager may also manually input the obtained supply conditions to the inventory management server 10. In addition, the inventory management server 10 may also obtain the supply conditions from an external database, such as an inventory database. In addition, the inventory management server 10 may also calculate or predict the supply conditions.

[0035] The supply condition only needs to include the quantity of goods that can be supplied within a specified period, such as the inventory quantity, and the quantity can be zero or the quantity of goods that can be produced within a specified period. In addition, the supply condition can also include information such as the name, model, location of the transportation source, the supply period, unit price, transportation cost, specification, manufacturing conditions or processing conditions as information associated with the goods. In addition, the supply condition can also include information such as the name of the supplier, supplier identification information or location. The following mainly describes the case where the supply condition is the inventory quantity.

[0036] The user terminal 40 and the supplier terminal 60 are computer devices that can be connected to the network. For example, the user terminal 40 includes a fixed or notebook personal computer 41 and a portable tablet terminal device 42. In addition, the supplier terminal 60 also includes a fixed or notebook personal computer 61 and a portable tablet terminal device 62. In addition, the user terminal 40 and the supplier terminal 60 include mobile terminal devices such as mobile phones (including smart phones). The user terminal 40 and the supplier terminal 60 can enable users to enjoy various services provided by the supply management server 20 by installing various computer programs. In addition, the supplier terminal 60 can also enable suppliers to enjoy various services provided by the inventory management server 10 by installing various computer programs.

[0037] In addition, the user terminal 40 and the supplier terminal 60 can be connected to the supply management server 20 via a predetermined network 50. Furthermore, the supplier terminal 60 can be connected to the supply management server 20 and the inventory management server 10 via a predetermined network 50. Next, a case where the user terminal 40 is a personal computer 41 and the supplier terminal 60 is a personal computer 61 will be described.

[0038] The network 50 is configured to connect the user terminal 40 and the supplier terminal 60 to the supply management server 20, respectively, and to connect the supplier terminal 60 to the inventory management server 10. The network 50 is configured to realize network communication using the TCP / IP protocol. Specifically, the LAN (Local Area Network) 52 connects the supply management server 20 and the inventory management server 10 to the Internet 51. Moreover, the Internet 51 as a WAN (Wide Area Network) is connected to the LAN 52 via a router 53. In addition, the network 50 may be any one of a dedicated line, a telephone line, an intranet, a mobile communication network, other communication lines, and a combination thereof, and may be wired or wireless. The user terminal 40 and the supplier terminal 60 are also configured to be connected to the Internet 51. Alternatively, the server unit 21 of the supply management server 20 and the server unit 11 of the inventory management server 10 may be connected to each other via the Internet 51 instead of being connected to each other via the LAN 52, or may be connected to each other via the Internet 51 in addition to the LAN 52.

[0039] The supply management server 20 functions as a web server that displays various web pages on the display unit of the user terminal 40 in response to access from the user terminal 40. In addition, the supply management server 20 performs processing such as preparing ordered items, instructing shipping, and requesting purchase payment in a manner corresponding to an order placed by a user.

[0040] Specifically, refer to Figure 2 , to illustrate the supply management in the sales management system 100. The supplier terminal 60 includes a terminal of each supplier among a plurality of suppliers. Figure 2 In the example of , the terminals of supplier A and supplier B are included. Each of the supplier terminals 60 sends a supply condition including the inventory quantity to the inventory management server 10 at an arbitrary timing. Then, the inventory management control unit 13 stores the received inventory quantity in the inventory management memory 12 in a manner associated with each supplier identification information for each item.

[0041] A user who wishes to purchase an item accesses a website provided by the supply management server 20 from a user terminal 40. Then, the user inputs the requested quantity of the item as an example of a request condition via the website. In addition, the user also inputs the delivery date of the item requested by the user as another example of a request condition. In addition, the request condition may also include information such as the name, model, location of the transportation destination, desired price, specification, manufacturing condition, processing condition or drawing as information associated with the item. Alternatively, the request condition may also be included in a purchase order for requesting the purchase of the item. In this case, when the user performs a purchase order operation, the request condition is sent from the user terminal 40 to the supply management server 20. In addition, the request condition may also be included in a quotation entrustment for requesting a quotation for at least one of the price and the delivery date of the item. In this case, when the user performs a quotation entrustment operation, the request condition is sent from the user terminal 40 to the supply management server 20. As an example, the delivery date is information representing a period of shipment, arrival or production completion of the item, which is a reference for the pickup period of the item.

[0042] The server control unit 23 of the supply management server 20 obtains the input request condition and causes the server memory 22 of the supply management server 20 to store the request condition. In addition, the server control unit 23 obtains the inventory from the inventory management server 10 to select a supplier that can supply the requested item. Here, when the inventory of a specific supplier is sufficient for the requested quantity, the server control unit 23 selects the specific supplier. Then, the server control unit 23 notifies the user that a purchase order can be made by notifying the user of the purchased quantity. The user confirms the quantity and performs the purchase order operation. Alternatively, the server control unit 23 may also make it possible to perform the purchase order operation by displaying a predetermined button, etc., to notify the user that a purchase order can be made. For example, the purchase order includes information indicating the model number for identifying the item, the desired delivery date of the item, the quantity of the item, and the transportation destination of the item. In addition, when the purchaser has the items supplied from the specific supplier and the inventory is sufficient for the requested quantity, the server control unit 23 may notify the user that a purchase order can be made. For example, a seller may sell to a user an item that is supplied from a supplier and kept by the seller.

[0043] Next, the server control unit 23 accepts the purchase order and creates a sales order corresponding to the accepted purchase order. In addition, the server control unit 23 creates a purchase order associated with sales identification information (e.g., sales order number, etc.) for identifying the sales order. Then, the server control unit 23 sends the purchase order to the supplier terminal 60 of the specific supplier. For example, the purchase order includes information indicating the model number for identifying the item, the shipping period of the item, the quantity of the item, and the transportation destination of the item. After that, the specific supplier supplies the item in the quantity corresponding to the purchase order.

[0044] On the other hand, when the inventory of one supplier is insufficient for the requested quantity, the server control unit 23 selects two or more suppliers that can supply the items from the plurality of suppliers as a supply supplier group. At this time, the server control unit 23 selects the supply supplier group so that the total inventory of the supply supplier group is sufficient for the requested quantity. Then, the server control unit 23 allocates the requested quantity of items to the supply supplier group. For example, when the requested quantity is 50, the server control unit 23 allocates 24 to supplier A and 26 to supplier B.

[0045] exist Figure 2 In the example, the supply supplier group is composed of supplier A and supplier B. However, the supply supplier group may be composed of more than three suppliers. Furthermore, the server control unit 23 notifies the user that the purchase order can be placed by notifying the user of the purchased quantity. The user confirms the quantity and performs the purchase order operation. Next, the server control unit 23 accepts the purchase order to create a sales order corresponding to the accepted purchase order. Furthermore, the server control unit 23 creates separate sales orders as multiple sales orders associated with basic sales identification information (for example, sales order number, etc.) for identifying the sales order. The multiple separate sales orders are associated with separate sales order identification information (for example, sales order number and branch number, etc.) for identifying each of the multiple separate sales orders.

[0046] exist Figure 2 In the example, the server control unit 23 creates a separate sales order A and a separate sales order B as multiple sales orders. Separate sales order A is a sales order for supplier A, and separate sales order B is a sales order for supplier B. For example, when the requested quantity is 50, separate sales order A includes a quantity of 24 as the number of items ordered from supplier A, and separate sales order B includes a quantity of 26 as the number of items ordered from supplier B. Then, the server control unit 23 creates multiple purchase orders corresponding to the multiple separate sales orders, and sends them to the supplier terminal 60 of each supplier. Figure 2In the example of , the server control unit 23 creates purchase order A and purchase order B as multiple purchase orders.

[0047] After that, the supplier receiving the purchase order supplies the items corresponding to the purchase order. For example, the supplier ships the items determined by the model to the transportation destination determined by the purchase order in the quantity and delivery time determined by the purchase order. In addition, when the total inventory of multiple suppliers is insufficient for the requested quantity, the server control unit 23 may also notify the user of this fact. In addition, the notification may also include a suggestion for changing the desired delivery date or the requested quantity.

[0048] [Control system]

[0049] Next, refer to Figure 3 , to explain the schematic structure of the control system of the sales management system 100. The supply management server 20 as an example of the supply management unit includes a server control unit 23 as a control unit of the supply management server 20, and a server memory 22 as a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium. In addition, the inventory management server 10 as an example of the inventory management unit includes an inventory management control unit 13 as a control unit of the inventory management server 10, and an inventory management memory 12 as a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium.

[0050] The server control unit 23 and the inventory management control unit 13 are configured as a computer composed of a processor that performs various calculations and action controls according to a prescribed program, an internal memory required for the operation of the processor, and other peripheral devices. The processor is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit), which controls the entire server device based on the program stored in the server memory 22 or the inventory management memory 12, and also controls various processes in a unified manner. In addition, the server control unit 23 and the inventory management control unit 13 can also be controlled according to a program stored in a portable recording medium such as a CD, DVD, CF card, and USB memory, or an external storage medium such as a cloud server on the Internet.

[0051] The server memory 22 and the inventory management memory 12 include a system working memory for the processor to operate, namely, a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory) for storing programs and system software, a HDD (Hard Disc Drive), and a SSD (Solid State Drive). However, the server memory 22 is not limited to the example of being set as a part of the supply management server 20, but can also be set as a database server that cooperates with the supply management server 20. Similarly, the inventory management memory 12 is not limited to the example of being set as a part of the inventory management server 10, but can also be set as a database server that cooperates with the inventory management server 10. In the following description, the CPU performs various processing operations such as calculations, controls, and judgments according to the control program stored in the ROM or HDD.

[0052] [Inventory Management Unit]

[0053] The inventory management memory 12, which is an example of a storage unit for storing supply conditions, stores supply information 12A for indicating the supply conditions of each supplier. As an example, the supply information 12A includes information for determining the items that the supplier can provide (for example, the model of the item) and the quantity of the item (for example, the inventory amount). In addition, the inventory management memory 12 stores the quantity in a manner associated with the supplier identification information for each item. The supply conditions may be directly sent by each supplier or may be input by the administrator of the inventory management server 10. In addition, the inventory management memory 12 stores an inventory management program (not shown).

[0054] The inventory management control unit 13 acquires supply conditions based on the inventory management program and stores them in the inventory management memory 12 in association with the supplier identification information. Therefore, the inventory management control unit 13 includes an update unit 13A as an example of an update unit that acquires information from a plurality of suppliers to update the supply conditions stored in the inventory management memory 12.

[0055] The update unit 13A is a logical device implemented by a combination of computer hardware and software. Moreover, the inventory management program stored in the inventory management memory 12 enables the inventory management control unit 13 as a computer to function as the update unit 13A. In addition, the update unit 13A may also store a quantity less than the received inventory as the supplier's inventory in the inventory management memory 12. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the situation in which the delivery of items is delayed due to insufficient inventory after the purchase order is accepted from the user. In addition, the update unit 13A may also store a quantity greater than the received inventory as the supplier's inventory in the inventory management memory 12. For example, the update unit 13A may also store the quantity of items obtained by adding the predicted increase in inventory predicted by the prediction unit 23E as the supplier's inventory in the inventory management memory 12.

[0056] As an example, the update unit 13A receives and acquires the supply conditions sent by the supplier periodically or in real time. Then, the update unit 13A updates the supply conditions stored in the inventory management memory 12 to the latest supply conditions based on the acquired supply conditions. As an alternative, the update unit 13A may also acquire information to update the supply conditions irregularly (for example, at any time when the supplier sends the supply conditions). Furthermore, the update unit 13A may also acquire the latest supply conditions stored in any storage unit to update the supply conditions stored in the inventory management memory 12. In this case, the update unit 13A may also acquire information and update the supply conditions periodically (for example, at a specified time of the day). Furthermore, the update unit 13A may automatically acquire the supply conditions, for example, the update unit 13A may also request the supplier terminal 60 to send the supply conditions.

[0057] In addition, the update unit 13A may also update the supply amount in a manner that the requested quantity input by the user is consistent with the unit. For example, suppose that the requested quantity input by the user is a number, and the supply amount sent from the supplier is expressed in units of dozens, with 12 as a group. In this case, the update unit 13A converts the unit of the supply amount into a number and replaces it with the stored supply amount. In addition, in the case where the supply amount is expressed in units of packs of 6 as a group, pairs of 2 as a group, size, or weight, the update unit 13A also converts the unit of the supply amount into the same unit as the requested quantity. Furthermore, in the case where the user enters the requested quantity in units of dozens, etc., with 12 as a group, the update unit 13A may also convert the number of the supply amount into units such as dozens.

[0058] [Supply Management Unit]

[0059] The server control unit 23 includes an acquisition unit 23A, a selection unit 23B, an allocation unit 23C, an ordering unit 23D, a prediction unit 23E, an quoting unit 23F, a determination unit 23G, and a presentation unit 23H as logic devices implemented by a combination of computer hardware and software. Furthermore, the supply management program PG stored in the server memory 22 causes the server control unit 23 as a computer to function as the acquisition unit 23A as an example of an acquisition unit, the selection unit 23B as an example of a selection unit, the allocation unit 23C as an example of an allocation unit, the ordering unit 23D as an example of an ordering unit, the prediction unit 23E as an example of a prediction unit, the quoting unit 23F as an example of a quoting unit, the determination unit 23G as an example of a determination unit, and the presentation unit 23H as an example of a presentation unit. In addition to the above-mentioned logic devices, the server control unit 23 also includes a logic device (not shown) that controls the switching of the display of the web page according to the operation of the user terminal 40.

[0060] The server memory 22 stores a supply management program PG, which is used to enable the server control unit 23 to perform various processes associated with the selection of the supply supplier group and the allocation of the requested quantity of the item. In addition, the supply management program PG can also cooperate with the inventory management program to function as a program. In addition, the server memory 22 stores request information 22A indicating the request conditions of the item requested by the user. As an example, the request information 22A includes information for determining the item requested by the user (for example, the model of the item) and the request conditions of the item (for example, the requested quantity and the delivery date). Moreover, in the request information 22A, the request conditions are associated with the user identification information for identifying each user.

[0061] The user sends the request condition via the user terminal 40, and the acquisition unit 23A acquires the request condition and stores it in the server memory 22. Alternatively, the administrator of the supply management server 20 may store the request condition acquired from the user in the server memory 22. In this case, the acquisition unit 23A acquires the request condition from the server memory 22. Furthermore, the acquisition unit 23A may acquire the request condition stored in any storage unit to update the request condition stored in the server memory 22.

[0062] Furthermore, the server memory 22 stores order information 22B indicating the content of the purchase order from the user. As an example, the order information 22B includes information for identifying the item for which the user has placed a purchase order (e.g., the model of the item), information for identifying the sales order corresponding to the purchase order (e.g., the sales order number), and the requested quantity of the item. Furthermore, the server memory 22 stores the requested quantity in a manner associated with the user identification information of each user. In addition, the order information 22B includes information indicating the content of the sales order and the purchase order, and information indicating the allocation result of the allocation unit 23C. In addition, the server memory 22 stores various data not shown in the figure, such as information for displaying users, past quotation results, image data of web pages, and data including information such as the model, name or characteristics of the item.

[0063] [Get Unit]

[0064] The acquisition unit 23A acquires a request condition including the requested quantity of items requested by the user. As an example, the user enters the requested quantity of items to be purchased via a web page provided by the server control unit 23. Specifically, the server control unit 23 authenticates the user through user authentication, etc. Then, the server control unit 23 causes the display device (not shown) of the user terminal 40 to display the web page. On the web page, the user selects a displayed image link, or enters an item model or item name, etc., to determine the desired item. Thus, the server control unit 23 causes the display device of the user terminal 40 of the authenticated user to display Figure 4 The article screen 91 shown. In addition, the screen structure of the article screen 91 can be changed as appropriate. For example, the delivery date input column 91B and the quantity input column 91C can be integrated into one.

[0065] In addition, the acquisition unit 23A acquires supply conditions including the supply quantity of items supplied by each of the multiple suppliers that can supply the items. Specifically, the acquisition unit 23A acquires the supply conditions from the inventory management memory 12. In addition, when the supply conditions are updated, the acquisition unit 23A acquires the updated supply conditions from the inventory management memory 12. For example, the acquisition unit 23A requests the inventory management control unit 13 to retrieve the inventory quantity of the requested item. Then, the inventory management control unit 13 searches the inventory quantity of each supplier and sends the inventory quantity as the search result to the acquisition unit 23A. In addition, the supply conditions may be stored in the server memory 22 instead of the inventory management memory 12. In this case, the acquisition unit 23A reads and acquires the supply conditions from the server memory 22.

[0066] exist Figure 4 The item screen 91 shown in the figure is provided with an item column 91A, and the item name, item model number, and item image are displayed in the item column 91A. Figure 4 In the example of , "axle bracket" is displayed as the item name, and "ATHC3" is displayed as the item model. In addition, as the item image, an image obtained by tilting the shaft bracket and photographing it from above is displayed. In addition, the item image can also be a 3D model of the item.

[0067] In addition, a delivery date input column 91B is provided in the item screen 91, and a user order number column is provided in the delivery date input column 91B for inputting an arbitrary symbol to identify the purchase order. In addition, a delivery date column is provided in the delivery date input column 91B for inputting the delivery date of the item desired by the user. When the user inputs the delivery date in the delivery date column, the acquisition unit 23A acquires the delivery date input by the user, includes the delivery date in the request information 22A, and stores it in the server memory 22. In addition, Figure 4 An example is shown in which a delivery date “2021 / 11 / 11” based on the shipping date is input, and “123456789” is input as the user order number.

[0068] Furthermore, a quantity input field 91C is provided in the item screen 91, and a quantity field 91D for inputting the requested quantity of the item is provided in the quantity input field 91C. When the user inputs the requested quantity in the quantity field 91D, the acquisition unit 23A acquires the requested quantity input by the user, includes the requested quantity in the request information 22A, and stores it in the server memory 22. In addition, when the user wishes to purchase a quantity exceeding the available quantity (in Figure 4 In the case of items exceeding the purchasable quantity (in the example, 51 or more), the server control unit 23 selects the delivery date confirmation button 91E to request the server control unit 23 to confirm the delivery date. When receiving the request, the server control unit 23 notifies the user terminal 40 of the available shipping date of the items exceeding the purchasable quantity and the number of items that can be shipped before the available shipping date. Alternatively, when receiving the request for delivery date confirmation, the server control unit 23 may inquire the supplier of the available shipping date of the items exceeding the purchasable quantity and notify the user terminal 40 of its answer.

[0069] Alternatively, the user may also pre-install application software on the user terminal 40 and use the application software to input the request conditions such as the desired delivery date and the requested quantity. In addition, the user may also use other means such as telephone or email to notify the administrator who manages the supply management server 20 of the request conditions. In this case, the administrator of the supply management server 20 inputs the request conditions and stores them in the server memory 22. In addition, the user may also input the request conditions in a web page provided by another server. In this case, the acquisition unit 23A acquires the request conditions from the other server. In addition, the request conditions may also be included in a quotation entrustment, a purchase order, or an inquiry.

[0070] In addition, the unit price of a single item, the total amount of the prices of the items as the requested quantity, and the available purchase quantity are displayed in the quantity input column 91C. Figure 4 In the example, "1090 yen" is displayed as the unit price, "54,500 yen" is displayed as the total amount, and "50 pieces" is displayed as the available quantity. In addition, "24 pieces" is displayed below the available quantity as the quantity that can be shipped on the day of the order. This quantity is the quantity that can be shipped on the day of the order out of the requested quantity of the item that can be delivered by the desired delivery date input by the user.

[0071] In such Figure 2 When allocating the requested quantity to a supply supplier group as explained by way of example, the supply period of each supplier may be different. Figure 4 The figure shows that the number of items that the supply supplier group can supply before the desired delivery date is 50, of which the number of items that can be supplied by the supplier immediately after the order is placed is 24. As an example, the number of items that can be shipped on the day of the order is the number of items that have been transported by the supplier to the seller and stored at the seller's logistics base.

[0072] Furthermore, a detail screen button 91F and an order button 91G are provided in the quantity input field 91C. When the user selects the detail screen button 91F, the server control unit 23 causes the user to Figure 5 The detailed screen 92 shown is displayed on the display device of the user terminal 40. When the user selects the order button 91G, the server control unit 23 causes the Figure 6 The order confirmation screen 93 shown is displayed on the display device of the user terminal 40 .

[0073] [Presentation Unit]

[0074] The presentation unit 23H presents to the user the split shipment information indicating that the items of the quantity allocated by the allocation unit 23C are to be shipped separately. For example, based on the allocation result of the allocation unit 23C, the presentation unit 23H presents to the user the quantity of items allocated by the allocation unit 23C and the shipping date as the supply time of the items as the split shipment information. Specifically, the presentation unit 23H obtains information such as the allocated quantity and shipping date as the allocation result from the allocation unit 23C, and presents it to the user as the split shipment information. Specifically, in Figure 5 In the detailed screen 92 shown, the quantity of the separately shipped items and their shipping date are displayed in the separate shipping column 92C as separate shipping information. Alternatively, the presentation unit 23H may also present the separate shipping information to the user by notifying the separate shipping information through other means such as e-mail. In addition, the separate shipping information may also be a character string (e.g., "separate shipping") or a symbol indicating separate shipping.

[0075] In addition, the order deadline is displayed in the separate shipment column 92C. The order deadline is the period during which the shipping date based on the allocation result of the allocation unit 23C and the unit price and total amount as the quotation result of the quotation unit 23F are valid. When the user confirms the purchase order before the order deadline, the user can purchase the items with the displayed shipping date, unit price, and total amount. Then, after the user confirms the purchase order, the ordering unit 23D orders the items of the quantity allocated by the allocation unit 23C from each supplier of the supply supplier group. Therefore, the ordering unit 23D accepts the purchase order from the user, and based on the purchase order, prepares separate sales orders of the same number as the number of suppliers included in the supply supplier group.

[0076] exist Figure 5 In the example, "2021 / 11 / 01" is displayed as the order deadline. In addition, the number of items shipped for the first time, "24 pieces", and the shipping date, "the day of the order", are displayed. Also, the number of items shipped for the second time, "26 pieces", and the shipping date, "2021 / 11 / 11", are displayed. In addition, as a condition for shipping on the same day of the order, it is also possible to set a purchase order before a specified time (for example, 12 o'clock). In addition, an order button 92G is provided in the separate shipping column 92C. When the user selects the order button 92G, the server control unit 23 causes Figure 6 The order confirmation screen 93 shown is displayed on the display device of the user terminal 40 .

[0077] In addition, the detailed screen 92 is provided with an item column 91A and a request condition column 92B. In addition, the item column 91A displays the item name, item model, and item image. In addition, the request condition column 92B displays the desired delivery date and the requested quantity, etc., as the request condition of the item input by the user. In addition, the user's order number, unit price, and total amount are displayed in the request condition column 92B. In addition, the screen structure of the detailed screen 92 can be changed appropriately.

[0078] like Figure 6 As shown, the order confirmation screen 93 is provided with an item column 91A, a request condition column 92B, and an order column 93C. In addition, the item column 91A displays the item name, item model, and item image. In addition, the request condition column 92B displays the desired delivery date and the requested quantity. In addition, the order period, the number of items to be shipped separately, and the shipping date thereof are displayed in the order column 93C.

[0079] In addition, a designation column 93D for designating a shipping date is provided in the order column 93C. The user can enter a desired shipping date in the designation column 93D for the first shipment and the second shipment. However, the shipping date that the user can enter is a date later than the available shipping date. For example, for Figure 6 For the first shipment, since it can be shipped on the same day of the order, the user can enter a date after the day after the order. Figure 6 Since the second shipment in , can be shipped on November 11, 2021, the user can enter a date after the day after November 11, 2021. In addition, an order confirmation button 93E is provided in the order column 93C. When the user selects the order confirmation button 93E, the ordering unit 23D of the server control unit 23 accepts the purchase order and sends the purchase order to the supplier.

[0080] In addition, the presentation unit 23H presents the user with the information of the batch shipment, indicating that the requested number of items will be shipped together. For example, the presentation unit 23H presents the user with the number of items to be shipped together and the shipping date, which is the supply time of the items, as the batch shipment information. Here, the number of items to be shipped together is consistent with the requested number. Specifically, a batch shipment button 93F is provided in the order column 93C of the order confirmation screen 93. When the user selects the batch shipment button 93F, the server control unit 23 causes the user to select the batch shipment button 93F. Figure 7 The batch shipping screen 94 shown is displayed on the display device of the user terminal 40. A batch shipping column 94C is provided on the batch shipping screen 94. In addition, the number of items shipped together and their shipping date are displayed in the batch shipping column 94C as batch shipping information. Alternatively, the presentation unit 23H may also present the batch shipping information to the user by notifying the user through other means such as e-mail.

[0081] In addition, the order deadline is displayed in the batch delivery column 94C. When the user confirms the purchase order before the order deadline, the user can purchase the items with the displayed delivery date, unit price and total amount. After the user confirms the purchase order, the ordering unit 23D orders the items of the quantity allocated by the allocation unit 23C from each supplier of the supply supplier group. Therefore, the ordering unit 23D accepts the purchase order from the user and, based on the purchase order, prepares the same number of separate sales orders as the number of suppliers included in the supply supplier group.

[0082] In addition, a designation column 94D for designating a shipping date is provided in the combined shipping column 94C. For items to be shipped together, the user can enter the desired shipping date in the designation column 94D. However, the shipping date that the user can enter is a date later than the available shipping date. For example, if 24 of the 50 items to be shipped together can be shipped at the time of ordering and the remaining 26 items can be shipped on November 11, 2021, the user can enter a date after the day after November 11, 2021. In addition, an order confirmation button 94E is provided in the combined shipping column 94C. When the user selects the order confirmation button 94E, the ordering unit 23D accepts the purchase order and sends the purchase order to the supplier.

[0083] As an example of collective shipment of items, multiple suppliers transport items based on the quantity of purchase orders received by each of them to a common aggregation base (e.g., a sales company's logistics base) specified by the purchase order. For example, suppose the requested quantity is 50, the quantity in purchase order A received by supplier A is 24, and the quantity in purchase order B received by supplier B is 26. In this case, supplier A transports 24 items to the aggregation base, and supplier B transports 26 items to the same aggregation base. Afterwards, the business that manages the aggregation base (e.g., a sales company) gathers the 50 items and transports them to the transportation destination specified by the user. In addition, the aggregation base can also be a logistics base of a transportation company.

[0084] In addition, an item column 91A and a request condition column 92B are provided on the batch shipping screen 94. The item column 91A displays the item name, item model number, and item image. In addition, the request condition column 92B displays the desired delivery date and the requested quantity, etc., as the request conditions of the item input by the user.

[0085] [Judgment unit and selection unit]

[0086] The determination unit 23G determines whether the allocation condition that the requested quantity of the item should be allocated to two or more suppliers among the multiple suppliers is satisfied based on the request condition and the supply condition acquired by the acquisition unit 23A. As an example, the determination unit 23G determines whether the allocation condition is satisfied when the user inputs the requested quantity of the request condition. Alternatively, the determination unit 23G may also determine whether the allocation condition is satisfied when the user inputs the requested quantity exceeding the reference quantity pre-set for each item. Then, when the allocation condition is satisfied, the selection unit 23B selects two or more suppliers from the multiple suppliers as the supply supplier group. Specifically, when the allocation condition is satisfied, the selection unit 23B selects a specific supplier and at least one other supplier different from the specific supplier from the multiple suppliers as the supply supplier group.

[0087] As an example, the selection unit 23B selects a specific supplier from among multiple suppliers. Then, when the requested quantity is greater than the supply quantity of the specific supplier, the determination unit 23G determines that the allocation condition is satisfied. For example, the specific supplier is pre-set for each item, and the selection unit 23B selects the specific supplier set for the items included in the request condition. Then, when the determination unit 23G determines that the allocation condition is satisfied, the selection unit 23B also selects at least one other supplier different from the specific supplier. For example, the selection unit 23B selects two or more suppliers from among multiple suppliers who can supply items before the delivery date of the request condition as a supply supplier group based on the supply time of the supply condition. In this way, the selection unit 23B selects a supply supplier group consisting of a specific supplier and other suppliers. As a result, the amount of the requested quantity of items that exceeds the supply quantity of the specific supplier can be allocated to other suppliers.

[0088] In addition, the selection unit 23B refers to the delivery date of the request condition and the supply time of the supply condition to retrieve a supplier who can supply (e.g., can ship) the item before the delivery date. For example, if November 3 is the delivery date and the requested quantity is 50, the shipping date of supplier A is November 2 and the supply quantity is 24, the shipping date of supplier B is November 3 and the supply quantity is 26, and the shipping date of supplier C is November 4 and the supply quantity is 50. At this time, the shipping date of supplier C is later than the delivery date, so the selection unit 23B selects supplier A and supplier B as the supply supplier group. In addition, when the selection unit 23B cannot find a supplier who can supply the item before the delivery date, the server control unit 23 notifies the user terminal 40 of the available shipping date of the item and the number of items that can be shipped before the available shipping date, similarly to when the user orders a quantity exceeding the purchaseable quantity. The user confirms and corrects the delivery date to perform the above-mentioned purchase order operation.

[0089] For example, the selection unit 23B searches for the supplier with the largest supply of items that can be supplied before the delivery date of the request condition, and selects it as the other supplier. In addition, the selection unit 23B may also search for the supplier with the shortest supply time of items that can be supplied before the delivery date of the request condition based on the supply time of the supply condition, and select it as the other supplier. Alternatively, the selection unit 23B may select the supplier with the largest supply of items indicated by the prediction result of the prediction unit 23E described later as the other supplier. In addition, the selection unit 23B may select the supplier with the shortest supply time of items indicated by the prediction result of the prediction unit 23E as the other supplier.

[0090] In addition, the selection unit 23B may also select a supplier that can supply the goods before the delivery date and has the largest supply volume among multiple suppliers as a specific supplier based on the supply time. In this case, the selection unit 23B refers to the supply conditions, searches for the supplier that can supply the most goods, and selects it as the specific supplier. For example, the selection unit 23B selects a supplier with a large inventory as a specific supplier so that the supplier with a large inventory as the supply volume has priority in supplying goods. In addition, the selection unit 23B selects a supplier with the second largest supply volume compared to the specific supplier as the other supplier.

[0091] Furthermore, the selection unit 23B may also select a supplier among multiple suppliers that can supply items before the delivery date and has the fastest or shortest supply time as a specific supplier based on the supply time. In this case, the selection unit 23B refers to the supply conditions, retrieves the supplier with the fastest or shortest supply time, and selects it as the specific supplier. Furthermore, the selection unit 23B selects the supplier with the second fastest or second shortest supply time compared to the specific supplier as another supplier. Thus, suppliers that can supply items to users faster are included in the supply supplier group. In addition, the selection unit 23B may also select the supply supplier group based on the unit price of the supply conditions or the transportation costs and other costs. In addition, the cost may also include other costs such as raw material costs, processing costs, production costs, taxes such as tariffs, storage costs, export costs, and import costs.

[0092] As another example, the determination unit 23G determines that the allocation condition is satisfied when the requested quantity is greater than the predicted supply quantity obtained by subtracting the predicted purchase quantity as the prediction result predicted by the prediction unit 23E from the supply quantity of the specific supplier. For example, in a period close to the desired delivery date, purchase orders from other users to the specific supplier are sometimes predicted. In this case, the situation where the inventory of the specific supplier becomes zero after subtracting the predicted purchase quantity of other users is suppressed. As a result, when the inventory of the specific supplier becomes zero, the delivery of the purchase orders of other users will be delayed, but subtracting the predicted purchase quantity can prevent the delay. Alternatively, the determination unit 23G may also determine that the allocation condition is satisfied when the requested quantity is greater than the reference quantity pre-set for each item.

[0093] Furthermore, as another example, the determination unit 23G determines that the allocation condition is satisfied when the requested quantity is greater than the predicted supply quantity obtained by adding the predicted increase amount as the prediction result predicted by the prediction unit 23E described later to the supply quantity of the specific supplier. For example, before the supply condition is updated, an increase in the supply quantity is sometimes predicted. In this case, even when the supply quantity of the specific supplier at the time of selection is less than the requested quantity, the determination unit 23G anticipates an increase in the inventory of the specific supplier and adds the predicted increase amount. Thus, the amount of the requested quantity that exceeds the predicted supply quantity of the specific supplier can be allocated to other suppliers taking into account the predicted increase amount.

[0094] [Assignment Unit]

[0095] The allocation unit 23C allocates the request quantity of the request condition to the supply supplier group selected by the selection unit 23B. As an example, the allocation unit 23C allocates the quantity corresponding to the supply quantity of the specific supplier from the request quantity to the specific supplier. Then, the allocation unit 23C allocates the remaining quantity from the request quantity to other suppliers in the supply supplier group. For example, when the request quantity is 50 and the supply quantity of the specific supplier A is 24, the allocation unit 23C allocates the remaining 26 to other supplier B. Thus, even when the request quantity of the item is more than the supply quantity of the specific supplier, the selected supply supplier group can supply the item to the user. In addition, when the user places a purchase order for a large number of items through an e-commerce transaction, the request quantity can be dynamically allocated to each of the multiple suppliers constituting the supply supplier group. Therefore, the inventory of the supplier can be reduced and the items can be shipped in a short period of time.

[0096] As another example, the allocating unit 23C may allocate the same number of request quantities to the suppliers selected in the supply supplier group. For example, when the number of requests is 50, the allocating unit 23C allocates 25 to the specific supplier A and 25 to the other supplier B. In addition, the allocating unit 23C may allocate the largest number of request quantities to the specific supplier. For example, when the number of requests is 50, the allocating unit 23C allocates 26 to the specific supplier A and 24 to the other supplier B.

[0097] Furthermore, the allocating unit 23C may allocate the requested quantity so as to make the variance of the inventory smaller in order to average the inventory. For example, it is assumed that the inventory of the specific supplier A is 30, the inventory of the other supplier B is 20, the inventory of the other supplier C is 15, and the requested quantity is 50. In this case, the allocating unit 23C allocates 25 to the specific supplier A, 15 to the other supplier B, and 10 to the other supplier C. As a result, the inventory of the specific supplier A, the other supplier B, and the other supplier C are 5 each, and there is no deviation in the inventory.

[0098] Furthermore, the allocating unit 23C may allocate the requested quantity based on a plurality of conditions. As an example, the allocating unit 23C allocates the quantity exceeding the supply quantity that the specific supplier can supply to other suppliers in equal quantities. For example, when the requested quantity is 50 and the supply quantity of the specific supplier A is 24, the allocating unit 23C allocates 13 of the remaining 26 to the other supplier B and allocates the remaining 13 to the other supplier C.

[0099] [Order Unit]

[0100] The ordering unit 23D orders the number of items assigned by the allocating unit 23C to the supply supplier group. For example, the user confirms the content of the quotation and confirms the purchase order (select Figure 6 Then, the ordering unit 23D that receives the confirmation of the purchase order places an order with the supplier included in the supply supplier group. Therefore, the presentation unit 23H presents the quantity of the item allocated by the allocation unit 23C and the delivery date as the supply time of the item to the user. As an example, the presentation unit 23H Figure 5 The detailed screen 92 displays the shipping date and the quantity of items to present separate shipping information to the user.

[0101] exist Figure 2 In the example of , the ordering unit 23D that receives the confirmation of the purchase order creates the same number of split sales orders as the number of suppliers included in the supply supplier group based on the purchase order from the user. Specifically, the ordering unit 23D creates split sales order A and split sales order B corresponding to supplier A and supplier B. In addition, the ordering unit 23D includes information for specifying the item and information indicating the number of items to be distributed in the split sales order. In addition, this information is associated with the split sales order identification information and is stored by the server memory 22 in a manner included in the order information 22B.

[0102] Then, the ordering unit 23D sends purchase orders corresponding to the separate sales orders to each supplier to place orders for the goods. Figure 2In the example of , the ordering unit 23D sends a purchase order A corresponding to the separate sale order A to the supplier A, and sends a purchase order B corresponding to the separate sale order B to the supplier B. In addition, the ordering unit 23D includes information for specifying the item, information indicating the quantity of the supplied item, the delivery date of the item, and information indicating the transportation destination of the item in the purchase order. In addition, this information is associated with the purchase order identification information for identifying the purchase order, and is stored by the server memory 22 in a manner included in the order information 22B.

[0103] Then, the supplier who received the purchase order ships the items on or before the delivery date and transports the items to the user. As an example of the shipment of items, multiple suppliers transport items based on the quantity of purchase orders received by each of the multiple suppliers to the transportation destination specified by the user. For example, suppose the requested quantity is 50, the quantity in purchase order A received by supplier A is 24, and the quantity in purchase order B received by supplier B is 26. In this case, supplier A transports 24 items to the transportation destination, and supplier B transports 26 items to the transportation destination. In this way, since the ordering unit 23D prepares separate sales orders, the user can omit the operation of placing purchase orders with multiple suppliers. In addition, the ordering unit 23D can also prepare separate sales orders while the quotation unit 23F prepares quotation results.

[0104] Furthermore, the ordering unit 23D may also order the quantity of goods allocated to the supplier that has the blocking condition from a supplier that can supply goods among the multiple suppliers when a blocking condition that blocks the supply of goods occurs in at least one supplier in the supply supplier group. For example, in the period from the sending of the purchase order to the shipping date, an unexpected delivery delay may occur in the supplier. In this case, the ordering unit 23D refers to the supply conditions stored in the inventory management memory 12 to search for a supplier that can supply goods before the delivery date among the multiple suppliers. Alternatively, the ordering unit 23D searches for a supplier that can supply goods the fastest among the multiple suppliers. Then, a purchase order is sent to the supplier to order the quantity of goods allocated to the supplier that has the blocking condition.

[0105] For example, the ordering unit 23D determines that an obstruction condition has occurred when receiving a notice of delayed or impossible delivery from a supplier. Alternatively, the ordering unit 23D determines that an obstruction condition has occurred when there is no supply of goods before the delivery date, for example, when there is no shipment notice of goods from the supplier before the delivery date. In addition, the ordering unit 23D may also determine that an obstruction condition has occurred when detecting a natural disaster, a disaster, or a transportation failure.

[0106] [Prediction Unit]

[0107] The forecasting unit 23E forecasts the demand for items within a specified period. In this case, the selection unit 23B selects a supply supplier group in a manner that minimizes the deviation of the inventory amounts of multiple suppliers within the specified period based on the forecast result of the forecasting unit 23E. As an example, the forecasting unit 23E forecasts the purchase amount of items within a specified period (for example, one week), and outputs the predicted purchase amount to the selection unit 23B as a forecast result. The selection unit 23B selects a supply supplier group in a manner that minimizes the deviation of the inventory amount based on the predicted purchase amount and the inventory amount acquired by the acquisition unit 23A. In this way, it is possible to select suppliers in a manner that minimizes the deviation of the inventory amount within the specified period for which the demand forecast is performed, so as to average the inventory amounts of the suppliers.

[0108] For example, it is assumed that the inventory of specific supplier A is 30, the inventory of other supplier B is 20, the requested quantity is 25, and the predicted purchase quantity within a week is 30. In this case, the inventory of specific supplier A is larger than the requested quantity, but when only specific supplier A is selected, the difference between the inventory of specific supplier A and other supplier B within a week becomes 15, which causes a deviation. Therefore, the selection unit 23B selects specific supplier A and other supplier B as the supply supplier group in a manner that allocates to other supplier B as well. In this case, the allocation unit 23C may allocate 17 to specific supplier A and 8 to other supplier B in a manner that reduces the deviation of the inventory of multiple suppliers within a specified period.

[0109] As an example, the forecasting unit 23E forecasts the forecast increase in supply, the forecast supply, the forecast supply time, and the forecast purchase quantity as the demand for the item. For example, the forecasting unit 23E forecasts the demand for the item in the current period based on the supply or purchase quantity in the past. Specifically, the forecasting unit 23E outputs the forecast result of the supply or purchase quantity in the current period based on the supply or purchase quantity in the past. Alternatively, the forecasting unit 23E may also use a learning model constructed based on learning data including performance data such as the supply or purchase quantity in the past to forecast the demand for the item. In addition, the learning model may be constructed by the inventory management server 10 or the supply management server 20, or may be a pre-constructed learning model.

[0110] [Quotation Unit]

[0111] The quotation unit 23F notifies the user of the unit price of the item and the total amount of the requested number of items as the quotation result. Figure 5The unit price and the total amount are displayed in the detailed screen 92 to notify the user. For example, the quotation unit 23F refers to the supply conditions (e.g., the unit price of the item) acquired by the acquisition unit 23A to prepare the quotation result. In addition, the quotation result may also include the shipping date and the actual number of working days required until the shipment.

[0112] [terminal]

[0113] The user terminal 40 includes a user terminal control unit 45 for controlling the user terminal 40 and a user terminal memory 44 storing a control program. The user terminal control unit 45 is a computer composed of a processor and its peripheral devices that perform various calculations and motion control according to a prescribed program. In addition, the user terminal 40 includes a display device and an input device that are not shown in the figure. In addition, the input device that is not shown in the figure is a keyboard, a numeric keypad, a touch panel, etc., and the user uses the input device to input the requested quantity, etc. In addition, the display device that is not shown in the figure displays web pages such as various screens, and the user places an order for the purchase of the item according to the displayed web page.

[0114] In addition, the supplier terminal 60 includes a supplier terminal control unit 65 for controlling the supplier terminal 60 and a supplier terminal memory 64 storing a control program. The supplier terminal control unit 65 is a computer composed of a processor that performs various calculations and motion control according to a predetermined program and its peripheral devices. In addition, the supplier terminal 60 includes a display device and an input device (not shown). The supplier uses the input device to input the supply amount, etc.

[0115] As an example, the processor of the user terminal control unit 45 and the supplier terminal control unit 65 is, for example, a CPU or an MPU, which controls the entire terminal based on the control program stored in the user terminal memory 44 and the supplier terminal memory 64, and also controls various processes in a unified manner. In addition, the user terminal memory 44 and the supplier terminal memory 64 include a system working memory, i.e., a RAM, for the processor to operate, and a storage device such as a ROM, HDD, and SSD for storing programs and system software. In addition, the user terminal control unit 45 and the supplier terminal control unit 65 can also be controlled according to a program stored in a portable recording medium such as a CD, DVD, CF card, and USB memory, or an external storage medium such as a cloud server on the Internet. In addition, the user terminal memory 44 and the supplier terminal memory 64 are external storage devices including non-volatile storage media (computer-readable non-transient storage media) such as a hard disk and a semiconductor storage device.

[0116] [Allocation Processing]

[0117] Reference Figure 8, to illustrate the allocation processing in the supply management system. When the supplier sends a supply condition including a supply quantity to the inventory management server 10, the update unit 13A obtains the supply condition (S101). Then, based on the obtained supply condition, the update unit 13A updates the supply condition stored in the inventory management memory 12 to the latest supply condition (S102). Alternatively, in the case of the initial supply condition transmission, the update unit 13A stores the obtained supply condition in the inventory management memory 12. In addition, the user inputs a request condition including a requested quantity of items to be purchased via a web page provided by the server control unit 23. Then, the acquisition unit 23A obtains the request condition input by the user (S103). In addition, the acquisition unit 23A obtains the supply quantity from the inventory management server 10.

[0118] The determination unit 23G compares the requested quantity acquired by the acquisition unit 23A with the supply quantity (S104) to determine whether the allocation condition is met (S105). At this time, when the requested quantity is less than the supply quantity of the specific supplier, the determination unit 23G determines that the allocation condition is not met (S105: "No"). In other words, the determination unit 23G determines that the specific supplier can supply the item alone. In this case, the requested quantity is not allocated, so the quotation unit 23F notifies the user of the same quantity as the requested quantity as the purchasable quantity (S106). For example, the quotation unit 23F displays the quantity and shipping date of the item on the display device of the user terminal 40. Then, the user confirms the quantity and performs the operation to confirm the purchase order, and the ordering unit 23D accepts the purchase order (S107). Next, the ordering unit 23D sends a purchase order to the specific supplier to order the item (S108).

[0119] On the other hand, when the requested quantity is greater than the supply quantity of a specific supplier, the determination unit 23G determines that the allocation condition is satisfied (S105: "Yes"). Then, the selection unit 23B selects the specific supplier and other suppliers that can supply the goods before the delivery date of the request condition as the supply supplier group (S109). In addition, the allocation unit 23C allocates the requested quantity of the request condition to the supply supplier group selected by the selection unit 23B (S110). Next, the quotation unit 23F notifies the user of the allocated quantity (S106). For example, the quotation unit 23F displays the allocated quantity and the shipping date of the goods on the display device of the user terminal 40. Then, the user confirms the quantity and performs the operation of confirming the purchase order, and the ordering unit 23D accepts the purchase order (S107). Next, the ordering unit 23D sends a purchase order to each supplier of the supply supplier group to order the goods (S108). Thus, the allocation process ends.

[0120] According to the supply management system involved in the first embodiment described above, by allocating the quantity of items requested by the user to multiple sub-suppliers, the period from purchase order to delivery of items can be shortened. That is, by ordering the quantity in the requested quantity that exceeds the supply quantity from other suppliers, the items can be delivered faster. In addition, when the user places a purchase order for a large number of items, there is no need to calculate the quantity to be ordered from each of the multiple suppliers. In addition, the user does not need to place a purchase order from each of the multiple suppliers. Therefore, the calculations and operations when placing a purchase order can be omitted, thereby shortening the time required for the purchase order. In addition, the supply quantity of each supplier is dynamically updated, so it is possible to determine whether the requested quantity needs to be allocated based on the newer supply quantity.

[0121] In addition, the control method of the supply management system described above is executed in cooperation by the inventory management control unit 13 and the server control unit 23 as a computer. Specifically, the control method includes an acquisition process, a determination process, a selection process, and an allocation process. In the acquisition process, a request condition and a supply condition are acquired, wherein the request condition includes the requested quantity of the item requested by the user, and the supply condition includes the supply quantity of the item supplied by each of the multiple suppliers that can supply the item. In addition, in the determination process, based on the request condition and the supply condition, it is determined whether the allocation condition that the requested quantity of the item should be allocated to more than two suppliers among the multiple suppliers is satisfied. And, if the allocation condition is satisfied, in the selection process, more than two suppliers are selected from the multiple suppliers as the supply supplier group. Then, in the allocation process, the requested quantity is allocated to the supply supplier group. Alternatively, one of the inventory management control unit 13 and the server control unit 23 may perform the acquisition process, the determination process, the selection process, and the allocation process.

[0122] [Second Embodiment]

[0123] Reference Fig. 9 and Fig.10 The second embodiment is described below. The supply management system provided by the sales management system 200 of the second embodiment is different from the supply management system of the first embodiment in that multiple purchase orders are made without making multiple sales orders. In addition, in the description of the second embodiment, the differences from the first embodiment are described, and the same reference numbers are given to the structural elements that have been described, and their descriptions are omitted. Except for special descriptions, the structural elements given the same reference numbers perform substantially the same actions and play substantially the same functions, and their effects are also substantially the same.

[0124] Reference Fig. 9, to explain the supply management performed by the supply management system of the second embodiment. The supplier terminal 60 includes a terminal of supplier A and a terminal of supplier B. Each of the supplier terminals 60 sends a supply condition including a stock quantity to the inventory management server 10 at an arbitrary timing. Then, the inventory management control unit 13 of the inventory management server 10 stores the received supply condition in the inventory management memory 12 in a manner associated with each supplier identification information for each item.

[0125] A user who wishes to purchase an item accesses a website provided by the supply management server 20 from the user terminal 40. Specifically, the server control unit 23 of the supply management server 20 uses Fig.10 The item screen 95 shown in the figure is displayed on the display device of the user terminal 40. The item screen 95 is provided with an item column 91A and a delivery date input column 91B. In addition, the item screen 95 is provided with a quantity input column 95C, and the quantity input column 95C is provided with a quantity column 95D for inputting the requested quantity of the item. When the user inputs the requested quantity in the quantity column 95D, the server control unit 23 obtains the requested quantity input by the user, and stores the requested quantity in the server memory 22 in a manner included in the request information 22A. In addition, when the user wishes to purchase an item in a quantity exceeding the purchasable quantity, the user selects a delivery date confirmation button 95E to request confirmation of the delivery date.

[0126] The user inputs the requested quantity and delivery date of the item via the item screen 95. The server control unit 23 of the supply management server 20 obtains the input request conditions and stores them in the server memory 22 of the supply management server 20. Then, the server control unit 23 obtains the inventory from the inventory management server 10 to select a specific supplier that can supply the requested item. Here, the server control unit 23 selects a specific supplier when the inventory of the specific supplier is sufficient for the requested quantity. Then, the server control unit 23 notifies the user that the purchase order can be placed, and the user performs the operation of sending the purchase order. Therefore, in Fig.10 The item screen 95 shown is provided with an order button 95G. When the user selects the order button 95G, the server control unit 23 causes an order confirmation screen (not shown) to be displayed on the display device of the user terminal 40. Then, the user confirms the contents of the purchase order on the order confirmation screen and selects the order confirmation button to place the purchase order. In addition, since the item screen 95 corresponds to the batch delivery, the detailed screen button 91F is not provided.

[0127] On the other hand, if the inventory of a specific supplier is insufficient for the requested quantity, the server control unit 23 selects the specific supplier and other suppliers that can supply items from among the multiple suppliers as a supply supplier group. At this time, the server control unit 23 selects the supply supplier group so that the total inventory of the supply supplier group is sufficient for the requested quantity. Then, the server control unit 23 distributes the requested quantity of items to the supply supplier group.

[0128] Furthermore, the server control unit 23 notifies the user that the purchase order can be made by presenting the quantity of the items that can be purchased as the batch shipping information to the user. In addition, when the user selects the order button 95G ( Fig.10 ), the server control unit 23 displays an order confirmation screen (not shown) on the display device of the user terminal 40. Then, the user confirms the content of the purchase order on the order confirmation screen and selects the order confirmation button to place the purchase order. Next, the server control unit 23 accepts the purchase order and creates a plurality of purchase orders associated with the basic sales identification information for identifying the sales order corresponding to the accepted purchase order. The plurality of purchase orders are associated with the basic sales identification information for identifying each purchase order.

[0129] exist Fig. 9 In the example, as multiple purchase orders, the server control unit 23 creates purchase order A and purchase order B corresponding to one sales order. Purchase order A is an order for supplier A, and purchase order B is an order for supplier B. Then, the server control unit 23 sends the multiple purchase orders to the supplier terminals 60 of the respective suppliers. Thereafter, each supplier supplies items corresponding to the purchase order. For example, a supplier ships items determined by a model to a common aggregation base determined according to the purchase order in a quantity and at a shipping period determined according to the purchase order. In this case, supplier A and supplier B respectively transport the allocated quantity of items to the aggregation base. Thereafter, the business operator (e.g., a sales operator) who manages the aggregation base gathers the aggregated items and transports them to the transportation destination specified by the user.

[0130] According to the supply management system involved in the second embodiment, by allocating the quantity of items requested by the user to multiple sub-suppliers, the period from purchase order to delivery of the items can be shortened. In addition, when the user places a purchase order for a large number of items, there is no need to calculate the quantity to be ordered from each of the multiple suppliers. In addition, the user does not need to place a purchase order from each of the multiple suppliers. Therefore, the calculation and operation when placing a purchase order can be omitted, thereby shortening the time required for the purchase order. In addition, the supply quantity of each supplier is dynamically updated, so it is possible to determine whether the requested quantity needs to be allocated based on the latest supply quantity.

[0131] The present invention has been described above with reference to each embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment. Inventions obtained by changing within the scope of the present invention and inventions equivalent to the present invention are also included in the present invention. In addition, each embodiment and each modified mode can be appropriately combined within the scope of the present invention.

[0132] For example, the inventory management server 10 and the supply management server 20 may be one server. In addition, each logical device provided in the inventory management server 10 may be provided in the supply management server 20. Furthermore, each logical device provided in the supply management server 20 may be provided in the inventory management server 10. In addition, each logical device provided in the inventory management server 10 and the supply management server 20 may be provided in another server, respectively. In this case, the other server cooperates with the inventory management server 10 and the supply management server 20 to constitute a supply management system.

[0133] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-177837 filed on October 29, 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0134] Description of Reference Numerals

[0135] 10: Supply management system (inventory management server); 12: Inventory management memory (storage unit); 13A: Update unit (update unit); 20: Supply management system (supply management server); 23: Server control unit (computer); 23A: Acquisition unit (acquisition unit); 23B: Selection unit (selection unit); 23C: Allocation unit (allocation unit); 23D: Ordering unit (ordering unit); 23E: Prediction unit (prediction unit); 23G: Judgment unit (judgment unit); 23H: Presentation unit (presentation unit); PG: Supply management program (computer program).

Claims

1. A supply management system, comprising a processor, wherein: The processor performs the following processing: Update the supply conditions of each supplier stored in the storage medium, On an input screen of a user terminal for inputting a request condition including a requested quantity of an item requested by the user, the available quantity of the item that can be supplied by a plurality of suppliers that can supply the item is displayed based on the latest supply condition, wherein the latest supply condition is a supply condition including supply quantities of the item supplied by the plurality of suppliers respectively and is the latest supply condition stored in the storage medium, The purchaseable quantity includes a daily shipment quantity, which is the quantity of the item that can be shipped on the ordering day. When the requested quantity of the request condition input in the input screen exceeds the quantity of the purchasable quantity that can be shipped on the same day, the processor notifies the user terminal of the available supply day of the item of the quantity exceeding the quantity of the purchasable quantity that can be shipped on the same day.

2. The supply management system according to claim 1, wherein: The processor causes the purchasable quantity and the same-day shippable quantity to be displayed on the input screen of the user terminal.

3. The supply management system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The processor, when acquiring a purchase request for the item in a quantity exceeding the purchasable quantity from the user terminal, notifies the user terminal of a supply available day for the item in a quantity exceeding the purchasable quantity.

4. The supply management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The processor performs the following processing: acquiring the request condition from the user terminal according to the user's input on the input screen, After acquiring the request condition from the user terminal, determining whether a distribution condition that the requested quantity of the item should be distributed to two or more suppliers among the plurality of suppliers is satisfied based on the latest supply condition that also includes the supply time of the item and the request condition, If it is determined that the allocation condition is not satisfied, the requested quantity is allocated to one of the plurality of suppliers based on the latest supply condition, and the supply time of the item supplied by the one supplier is displayed on the user terminal. When it is determined that the allocation condition is satisfied, two or more suppliers are selected from the multiple suppliers as a supply supplier group based on the latest supply condition, the requested quantity is allocated to the supply supplier group, and the supply time of the items supplied by the supply supplier group is displayed on the user terminal.

5. The supply management system according to claim 4, wherein: When it is determined that the allocation condition is satisfied, the processor causes split shipment information to be displayed on the user terminal, wherein the split shipment information is information indicating that the requested quantity of the items is shipped separately, and the split shipment information includes the quantity and supply time of the items divided for each shipment.

6. The supply management system according to claim 4, wherein: When it is determined that the allocation condition is satisfied, the processor causes batch shipment information to be displayed on the user terminal, wherein the batch shipment information is information indicating that the requested number of items are shipped together, and the batch shipment information includes a supply time for supplying the requested number of items together.

7. The supply management system according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein: have: When it is determined that the allocation condition is satisfied, the processor causes the user terminal to display in a manner that allows selection of either separate shipment or batch shipment, wherein the separate shipment involves separate shipment of the items in quantities allocated based on the allocation result of the requested quantity, and the batch shipment involves the shipment of the requested quantity in quantities.

8. A computer program for a supply management system, the supply management system comprising a processor, wherein: The computer program causes the processor to: Update the supply conditions of each supplier stored in the storage medium, On an input screen of a user terminal for inputting a request condition including a requested quantity of an item requested by the user, the available quantity of the item that can be supplied by a plurality of suppliers that can supply the item is displayed based on the latest supply condition, wherein the latest supply condition is a supply condition including supply quantities of the item supplied by the plurality of suppliers respectively and is the latest supply condition stored in the storage medium, The purchaseable quantity includes a daily shipment quantity, which is the quantity of the item that can be shipped on the ordering day. When the requested quantity of the request condition input in the input screen exceeds the quantity of the purchasable quantity that can be shipped on the same day, the processor notifies the user terminal of the available supply day of the quantity of the item that exceeds the quantity of the purchasable quantity that can be shipped on the same day.

9. A control method for a supply management system, the supply management system comprising a processor, wherein: The processor performs the following processing: Update the supply conditions of each supplier stored in the storage medium, On an input screen of a user terminal for inputting a request condition including a requested quantity of an item requested by the user, the available quantity of the item that can be supplied by a plurality of suppliers that can supply the item is displayed based on the latest supply condition, wherein the latest supply condition is a supply condition including supply quantities of the item supplied by the plurality of suppliers respectively and is the latest supply condition stored in the storage medium, The purchaseable quantity includes a daily shipment quantity, which is the quantity of the item that can be shipped on the ordering day. When the requested quantity of the request condition input in the input screen exceeds the quantity of the purchasable quantity that can be shipped on the same day, the processor notifies the user terminal of the available supply day of the item of the quantity exceeding the quantity of the purchasable quantity that can be shipped on the same day.

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