Retrieval method and retrieval device

Abstract

To support setting and update of a keyword for describing an item supplied by a supplier.SOLUTION: There is provided a retrieval method executed by a retrieval device having a processing part and a storage part, wherein the storage part holds enterprise information, classification code information, and item keyword information corresponding to an enterprise and an item of an article supplied by the enterprise, the retrieval method includes the steps of: allowing the processing part to receive at least one of a keyword indicating business of a first enterprise and a classification code of an item registered by the first enterprise as input; allowing the processing part to extract one or more item keywords corresponding to at least any one of an enterprise similar to the first enterprise, and the item similar to the item registered by the first enterprise, on the basis of at least one of the keyword indicating the business of the first enterprise and the classification code of the item registered by the first enterprise, by referring to the enterprise information, the classification code information and the item keyword information; and allowing the processing part to output the one or more extracted item keywords.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technology for assisting in a search for a supplier. [Background technology]

[0002] In the manufacturing industry, a supply chain consisting of multiple companies such as suppliers, factories, and sales companies works in sync to meet market demand. In recent years, the risks of disrupting the synchronization of the supply chain have been increasing. Typical risks that can affect the supply chain include environmental risks such as natural disasters and pandemics, geopolitical risks such as terrorism and political instability, economic risks such as economic crises and fluctuations in the price of raw materials, and technical risks such as cyber attacks and system failures. When these risks occur and problems arise with trading suppliers, it is necessary to immediately switch suppliers. In addition, when selecting a new supplier, it is necessary to select a supplier while considering the impact of the above risks. When a buyer searches for a supplier, it is necessary for the supplier to disclose sufficient information for the buyer to determine whether the supplier can supply the items and specifications that the buyer wants to procure. On the other hand, for the supplier, it is necessary to check whether the information required by the buyer has been registered and whether information that shows differentiation and advantages over other companies' items has been registered so that the supplier can easily be found in the buyer's search, and then register the information. Even after registration, it is desirable for the supplier to update the information required for searches according to the needs of the buyer and changes in the product lineup of other companies.

[0003] As a technology for searching for a supplier, there exist conventional technologies such as those disclosed in JP 2019-212016 A (Patent Document 1) and WO 2017 / 212667 (Patent Document 2).

[0004] Patent Document 1 describes the following technology (see abstract): "We provide a transaction management system that enables buyer companies to search for suitable candidate supplier companies from information on existing and new supplier companies. (Omitted) When the data registration function detects category information for an unregistered product name code in the product name information, it registers the detected category information, and when the category matching function detects a category relationship in the category information registered by the data registration function, it registers information indicating the degree of relevance in the category relationship information."

[0005] Patent document 2 describes the following technology (see summary): "The matching unit selects suppliers as selected suppliers from supplier company information based on the purchase request information. The matching unit also determines the degree to which the specifications of the product supplied by the selected supplier match the specifications of the product requested to be purchased." [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-212016 A [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2017 / 212667 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The technology described in Patent Document 1 has a function for registering data from information on electronic commerce, etc., and a matching function for indicating the degree of relationship between buyer and supplier category information, but does not have a function for updating the registered contents, so it may be difficult to speed up matching between buyers and suppliers. Also, the technology described in Patent Document 2 has a function for matching the specifications of a product desired to be purchased with the specifications of a product to be supplied and searching for an appropriate supplier, but does not describe a means for prompting correction or updating of the specification contents when the method of describing the specification contents is different or the contents are insufficient, so it may be difficult to speed up matching between buyers and suppliers.

[0008] Therefore, the object of this invention is to register information that enables a buyer to determine whether a product or company is suitable as a trading partner when searching for an alternative supplier or a new supplier, and to allow a supplier to properly register and update information that describes the items it supplies so that the supplier will often be found in a buyer search and will be able to register information that differentiates the supplier from its competitors and shows its superiority. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve at least one of the above problems, the present invention provides a search method executed by a search device having a processing unit and a memory unit, wherein the memory unit holds company information including business keywords representing the business of each company, classification code information indicating the classification of each item, and item keyword information including item keywords corresponding to the company and the items of goods supplied by the company, and the search method includes a first step in which the processing unit receives as input at least one of the keywords representing the business of a first company and the classification codes of items registered by the first company, by referring to the company information, the classification code information, and the item keyword information, and extracts one or more item keywords corresponding to at least one of a company similar to the first company and an item similar to the item registered by the first company based on at least one of the keywords representing the business of the first company and the classification codes of items registered by the first company, and a third step in which the processing unit outputs the one or more extracted item keywords. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to one aspect of the present invention, by proposing to suppliers the setting of keywords that are easy to search and not buried in other companies' information, it is possible to accelerate company matching. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become clear from the description of the following embodiment. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a supplier search system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 3 is a diagram showing an example of a data structure of company information held by a supplier search device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Diagram 3] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a data structure of confidential information held by a supplier search device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] 3 is a diagram showing an example of a data structure of company-item classification code information held by a supplier search device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 5] 4 is a diagram showing an example of a data structure of company-item-specific keyword information held by a supplier search device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 6] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a data structure of access record information held by a supplier search device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 7] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a data structure of transaction record information held by a supplier search device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 8] 4 is a diagram showing an example of a data structure of search target information held by a supplier search device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 9] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a data structure of similar item keyword information stored in a supplier search device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 10] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a data structure of similar search result information held by a supplier search device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 11] 4 is a diagram showing an example of a data structure of search history information held by a supplier search device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 12] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a data structure of access history information held by a supplier search device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a data structure of accessed company-item information held by a supplier search device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] 10 is a diagram showing an example of a data structure of additional search keyword information held by a supplier search device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 15] 4 is a diagram showing an example of a data structure of recommendation information held by a supplier search device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 16] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a keyword registration process executed by the supplier search device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed when a supplier registers a keyword for an item in the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18]11 is a flowchart showing an example of a keyword update process executed by the supplier search device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 19] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed when a supplier updates keywords for an item in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 20] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a supplier search device according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Examples will be described below, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, keywords describing target goods supplied by a supplier to a buyer are set and updated. Examples of target goods include, but are not limited to, automobiles, electrical products, mechanical products, elevators, trains, aircraft, generators, control devices, control panels, storage devices, network storage such as NAS (Network Attached Storage), servers, water treatment devices, and other parts and materials.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a supplier search system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] The supplier search system 1 includes a supplier search device 10 and a user terminal 20 of each company, which are communicatively connected via a network CN. The user terminal 20 of each company includes a communication unit 21, an input unit 22, and an output unit 23. The user terminal 20 is an information processing device such as a PC (Personal Computer) and is operated by a user of the supplier search service provided by the supplier search device 10. The communication unit 21 transmits or receives information between devices connected via the network CN. The input unit 22 accepts information input to the user terminal 20 via an input device such as a keyboard or a touch panel. The output unit 23 outputs information to an output device such as a display.

[0016] The network CN communicatively connects the supplier search device 10 and the user terminal 20. The network CN is, for example, any of a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), a VPN (Virtual Private Network), and a communication network that uses a general public line such as the Internet in part or in whole.

[0017] The supplier search device 10 is an information processing device such as a PC or a server computer. The supplier search device 10 includes a processing unit 11, a storage unit 12, an input unit 14, an output unit 15, and a communication unit 16.

[0018] The processing unit 11 includes a similar company-item information generation unit 110, a related performance information generation unit 111, a similar search result display unit 112, a keyword registration unit 113, an accessed company-item information generation unit 114, an additional search keyword information generation unit 115, a recommended information generation unit 116, a recommended information display unit 117, and a keyword update unit 118.

[0019] The similar company-item information generation unit 110 generates similar company-item information for the search target information received from the supplier from the company information, company-item classification code information, and company-item keyword information described below, and stores the created similar item keyword information 127 in the memory unit 12.

[0020] The related performance information generation unit 111 generates the number of accesses and transaction performance information for each similar item keyword from the access performance information and transaction performance information described below for the similar item keyword information 127, and stores the created similar search result information 128 in the memory unit 12.

[0021] The similar search result display unit 112 outputs the similar search result information 128 to a terminal of the supplier (for example, any of the user terminals 20). At that time, the similar search result display unit 112 outputs the information of the non-disclosure items after performing an anonymization process on the information based on the confidential information 121 described later.

[0022] The keyword registration unit 113 stores the keywords explaining the items received from the suppliers in the company-item-specific keyword information 123 .

[0023] The accessed company-item information generating unit 114 generates information from search history information 129 and access history information 130 described later to indicate that an already registered item is included in the buyer's search results but is not accessed by the buyer and an item of another company has been accessed, and stores the generated information in the memory unit 12 as accessed company-item information 131.

[0024] The additional search keyword information generating unit 115 generates additional search keyword information 132 indicating keywords used in additional searches after an already registered item is included in a buyer's search results from the search history information 129 and the access history information 130, and stores the generated additional search keyword information 132 in the memory unit 12.

[0025] The recommended information generation unit 116 generates recommended information including access status and transaction history information of currently registered keywords, company-item keywords related to the registered keywords and their access status and transaction history information, additional searched keywords and the number of searches and transaction history information, from accessed company-item information 131, additional search keyword information 132, company-item classification code information 122, company-item keyword information 123, access history information 124, and transaction history information 125, and stores the created recommended information in the memory unit 12.

[0026] The recommended information display unit 117 outputs the recommended information 133 to the terminal of the supplier. At that time, the recommended information display unit 117 performs anonymity processing on the information of non-disclosure items based on confidential information 121 described later before outputting the information.

[0027] The keyword update unit 118 stores the updated contents of the keywords explaining the items received from the supplier in the company-item-specific keyword information 123.

[0028] The memory unit 12 stores company information 120, confidential information 121, company-item classification code information 122, company-item keyword information 123, access history information 124, transaction history information 125, search target information 126, similar item keyword information 127, similar search result information 128, search history information 129, access history information 130, accessed company-item information 131, additional search keyword information 132, and recommendation information 133.

[0029] The company information 120 is information indicating whether each company is a supplier or a buyer, and information indicating what type of business each company is engaged in.

[0030] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the company information 120 held by the supplier search device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] The company information 120 includes a company name 120a, a category 120b, and a business keyword 120c. The company name 120a is a name that identifies each company. The category 120b indicates whether each company is a supplier or a buyer. The business keyword 120c is a keyword that indicates the business that each company is engaged in. In general, multiple keywords that indicate one business carried out by one company may be recorded. Also, one company may carry out multiple businesses. Also, one company may be both a supplier and a buyer. Information related to these is registered in the company information 120.

[0032] For example, if a company C is a supplier of parts for automobiles, "supplier" may be registered as the category 120b corresponding to "Company C," and "automobiles" and "parts" may be registered as the business keywords 120c.

[0033] The confidential information 121 is information on the conditions under which each company can disclose various information to other companies.

[0034] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a data structure of the secret information 121 held by the supplier search device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] The confidential information 121 includes a company name 121a, an item 121b, and disclosure / non-disclosure 121c. When the disclosure / non-disclosure 121c is set to “non-disclosure”, the information corresponding to the company name 121a and the item 121b is subjected to anonymization processing so that the content of the information cannot be identified when the information is output to the user terminal 20.

[0036] The company-item classification code information 122 is information on the classification code of each item of the supplier.

[0037] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the company-item classification code information 122 held by the supplier search device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] The company-item classification code information 122 includes a supplier name 122a, an item 122b, a classification name 122c, and a classification code 122d. Any classification code may be applied in the present invention, for example, UNSPSC (United Nations Standard Product and Service Code) or HS code (Customs Classification Number). In this case, the classification name 122c specifies either the UNSPSC or the HS code, and the classification code 122d indicates a specific code in a specified classification code system for the item supplied by each supplier company.

[0039] Here, when "-" is entered in the classification name 122c and the classification code 122d, it indicates that the classification name or classification code is not registered. In addition, for one item, multiple classification names 122c and classification codes 122d may be registered for each of them.

[0040] Company-item-specific keyword information 123 is information on keywords that explain each item of the supplier.

[0041] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the company-item-specific keyword information 123 held by the supplier search device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] The company-item-specific keyword information 123 includes supplier name 123a, item 123b, and item keyword 123c. The supplier name 123a is a name that identifies a company that is a supplier. The item 123b indicates the item of an item supplied by each supplier company. The item keyword 123c is a keyword that describes an item supplied by each supplier company, such as a keyword indicating specifications, properties, or use. The company-item-specific keyword information 123 can be updated while the supplier search system 1 is in operation, as described below.

[0043] The access record information 124 is information on the access record from buyers to each item keyword registered in the company-item-specific keyword information 123 .

[0044] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the access record information 124 held by the supplier search device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] The access record information 124 includes a supplier name 124a, an item 124b, an item keyword 124c, a registration date 124d, and a number of accesses 124e. The supplier name 124a to the item keyword 124c correspond to the supplier name 123a to the item keyword 123c in the company-item keyword information 123, respectively. The registration date 124d indicates the date on which each item keyword was registered. The number of accesses 124e indicates the cumulative number of times that a buyer has used the item keyword to search for a supplier and accessed the page of the supplier's item from the date of registration until the present day.

[0046] The transaction record information 125 is information regarding the transaction record between the supplier and the buyer.

[0047] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the transaction record information 125 held by the supplier search device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0048] The transaction record information 125 includes a supplier name 125a, an item 125b, a buyer name 125c, a start date 125d, an end date 125e, and a transaction number 125f. The supplier name 125a is a name that identifies each supplier company. The item 125b indicates the item of the goods to be traded that is supplied by the supplier company. The buyer name 125c is a name that identifies the buyer company that traded the item with the supplier company. The start date 125d and the end date 125e indicate the start date and end date of the transaction, and the transaction number 125f indicates the number of goods traded in the transaction. Here, when "-" is written in the end date 125e, it indicates that the transaction is still ongoing. And the transaction number 125f indicates the cumulative value of the number of transactions from the start date to the end date. The transaction end date may be estimated from past transaction record information.

[0049] The search target information 126 includes information on the keyword that is input for search when the keyword is registered or updated.

[0050] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the search target information 126 held by the supplier search device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0051] For example, it is assumed that a person in charge of a certain supplier company (Company A in this embodiment) will perform a search to obtain reference information when he or she is about to set keywords related to products supplied by the company in the supplier search device 10. At this time, search target information 126 is generated based on the search keywords entered by the user (the person in charge of the supplier company in this example).

[0052] The search target information 126 includes a company name 126a, company keywords 126b, item 126c, classification name 126d, and classification code 126e. The company name 126a is a name that identifies the company. The company keywords 126b are keywords related to the company's business, and may be, for example, business keywords 120c registered in the company information 120. A plurality of keywords may be entered in the company keywords 126b. In this case, the keywords may be separated by a space character, or a symbol such as a comma or # may be used as an identifier.

[0053] The item 126c, the classification name 126d, and the classification code 126e indicate the item of the company's product for which a keyword is to be set and the corresponding classification code. If no corresponding item is entered for the classification name 126d and the classification code 126e, "-" will be displayed.

[0054] The example in Fig. 8 shows information entered when attempting to set keywords for an item named A01 supplied by a supplier company named Company A. In this example, "automobiles" and "parts", which correspond to Company A's business keywords 120c, are entered as the company's keywords 126b. Then, "Code 2", which is the classification name 122c of Company A's A01, and "111", which is the classification code 122d, are entered as the classification name 126d and classification code 126e, respectively.

[0055] The similar item keyword information 127 is information on a company-item that is similar to a combination of a company and an item (hereinafter, also referred to as a “company-item”) included in the search target information 126 and on keywords set for that item. In other words, the similar item keyword information 127 includes information on the company, item, and keyword obtained as a result of a search based on the search target information 126.

[0056] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the similar item keyword information 127 held by the supplier search device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0057] The similar item keyword information 127 includes a company name 127a, an item 127b, a similar company name 127c, a similar item name 127d, and a similar item keyword 127e. The company name 127a and the item 127b indicate the company and the item that are the subject of the search. The similar company name 127c, the similar item name 127d, and the similar item keyword 127e indicate the company and the item obtained by the search, and the keywords registered corresponding to the item.

[0058] Fig. 9 shows an example of search results obtained when search keywords related to A01 of company A are input as shown in Fig. 8. In this case, company name 127a and item 127b are "A company" and "A01", respectively. Similar company name 127c, similar item name 127d, and similar item keyword 127e show that the keywords "20 inch", "aluminum", and "virgin material" registered for "C01" of "C company", "wheel" and "steel" registered for "D01" of "D company", and "wheel" and "free wheel" registered for "F01" of "F company" are obtained as search results.

[0059] The similar search result information 128 is information in which the access record information 124 and the transaction record information 125 are added to the similar item keyword information 127 .

[0060] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the similar search result information 128 held by the supplier search device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0061] The similar search result information 128 includes a similar company name 128a, a similar item 128b, a classification name 128c, a classification code 128d, a similar company name 128e, a similar item 128f, a similar item keyword 128g, a registration date 128h, a number of accesses 128i, a similar company name 128j, a similar item 128k, a buyer name 128l, a start date 128m, an end date 128n, and a number of transactions 128o. These will be described in detail later (see the explanation of FIG. 16).

[0062] The search history information 129 is information related to the keywords searched by the buyer company and the date and time of the search.

[0063] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the search history information 129 held by the supplier search device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0064] The search history information 129 includes a buyer name 129a, a search keyword 129b, and a search date and time 129c. A plurality of keywords may be input as the search keyword 129b. In this case, the keywords may be separated by a space character, or a symbol such as a comma or # may be used as an identifier.

[0065] The example in Figure 11 shows that a buyer, Company N, first conducted a search using the keyword "wheel", then conducted a search using the keywords "wheel" and "material", and then conducted a search using the keywords "wheel" and "recycled".

[0066] The access history information 130 is information relating to the item information of the accessed supplier and the date and time of access when a buyer searches for a supplier and actually accesses the search result.

[0067] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the access history information 130 held by the supplier search device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0068] The access history information 130 includes a buyer name 130a, an accessed supplier name 130b, an accessed item 130c, and an access date and time 130d.

[0069] The accessed company-item information 131 is information indicating which company-item was actually accessed when a buyer searches for a supplier and among the company-items displayed in the search result, there are company-items that were not accessed by the buyer and company-items that were accessed by the buyer.

[0070] The example of Fig. 12 shows that a buyer, Company N, accessed a company-item named "D01" of "Company D" at "March 10, 2023, 9:02:00". Similarly, the example of Fig. 12 includes information showing which company-item was accessed by Company N and other buyer companies and when.

[0071] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the accessed company-item information 131 held by the supplier search device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0072] The access company-item information 131 includes a non-access supplier name 131a, a non-access item 131b, an access supplier name 131c, an access item 131d, and an item keyword 131e.

[0073] The first line in the example of Figure 13 indicates that when a buyer searches for suppliers, "A01" of "Company A" and "D01" of "Company D" are obtained as search results, and the buyer accessed "D01" of "Company D" but did not access "A01" of "Company A". Similarly, the second line indicates that when a buyer searches for suppliers, "A01" of "Company A" and "F01" of "Company F" are obtained as search results, and the buyer accessed "F01" of "Company F" but did not access "A01" of "Company A".

[0074] The additional search keyword information 132 is information about keywords that are used when a buyer searches for a supplier and, for a company-item included in the search results, is additionally searched for in a subsequent supplier search.

[0075] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a data structure of the additional search keyword information 132 held by the supplier search device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0076] The additional search keyword information 132 includes a supplier name 132a, an item 132b, an additional search keyword 132c, and a search count 132d.

[0077] The first line in the example of Figure 14 shows that a buyer entered a keyword to search for a supplier, resulting in "A01" from "Company A" as the search result, and that the buyer then added the keyword "material" and performed a search, and that this has been done four times in the past. Similarly, the second line shows that after "D01" from "Company D" was obtained as the search result, a search was performed with the keyword "material" added, and that this search was done three times. Furthermore, the third line shows that after "F01" from "Company F" was obtained as the search result, a search was performed with the keyword "material" added, and that this search was done three times.

[0078] For example, as shown in Figure 11, a buyer, Company N, first performs a search entering the keyword "wheels," obtaining search results of "A01" from "Company A," "D01" from "Company D," and "F01" from "Company F." After that, the buyer adds the keyword "material" and searches again, obtaining search results of "D01" from "Company D" and "F01" from "Company F." When Company N accesses these two company-items, it obtains information such as that shown in Figures 12 and 13.

[0079] For example, if "D01" from "Company D" and "F01" from "Company F" are the same type of item as "A01" from "Company A," and Company A wishes to do business with Company N (or a company that conducts a similar business to Company N), adding a keyword containing "material" (e.g. aluminum material, recycled material, etc.) to "A01" from "Company A" can be expected to increase the chances of it being found in searches and accessed by buyer companies.

[0080] The recommendation information 133 is information on the access status and additional searched keywords for the currently registered company-item keywords.

[0081] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a data structure of the recommendation information 133 held by the supplier search device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0082] The recommendation information 133 is composed of four tables. The first table stores additionally searched keyword information for the search target company-item, the number of searches, and information indicating which company-item the keyword is registered for (additional search keyword 133a, number of searches 133b, keyword-registered supplier name 133c, keyword-registered item 133d). The second table stores information indicating the classification name and classification code of the search target company-item and related company-item (supplier name 133e, item 133f, classification name 133g, classification code 133h). The third table stores information indicating the keyword of the search target company-item and related company-item, the date the keyword was registered, and the cumulative number of accesses (supplier name 133i, item 133j, item keyword 133k, registration date 133l, number of accesses 133m). The fourth and final table stores information indicating the business partner buyer, transaction start date, transaction end date, and cumulative transaction number of the search target company-item and related company-item (Supplier name 133n, item 133o, business partner buyer name 133p, transaction start date 133q, transaction end date 133r, transaction number 133s). Details of these will be described later (see the explanation of FIG. 18).

[0083] The input unit 14 is displayed and operated on, for example, a screen, and accepts information input to the supplier search device 10 via an input device such as a keyboard, a touch panel, or a mouse.

[0084] The output unit 15 outputs, for example, screen information including the results of a predetermined process to an output device such as a display.

[0085] The communication unit 16 transmits and receives information to and from a user terminal 20 connected via a network CN.

[0086] FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing an example of a keyword registration process executed by the supplier search device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0087] This process is started when the supplier retrieval device 10 is called up from the user terminal 20 of each company at the timing when a supplier registers a keyword that describes an item.

[0088] First, the input unit 14 accepts search target information 126 from a company and stores it in the storage unit 12 (step S01). Here, a screen that is displayed when the process is executed will be described.

[0089] FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed when a supplier registers a keyword for an item in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0090] The keyword registration screen 300 is displayed by the output unit 23 of the user terminal 20, for example, when the user terminal 20 of a supplier company that wishes to register a keyword calls up the supplier search device 10. The keyword registration screen 300 includes an input information area 301 that receives input of search target information 126 from the company, a search result area 302 that displays search results described below, and a keyword registration area 303 in which the supplier sets a keyword for the item in response to the search results.

[0091] In step S01, an input information area 301 is used. The input information area 301 includes a company name 301a, a company keyword 301b, an item 301c, a classification name 301d, a classification code 301e, and a search button 301f. When a supplier company inputs information from the company name 301a to the classification code 301e and operates the search button 301f, search target information 126 is generated that includes the input information from the company name 301a to the classification code 301e as the company name 126a to the classification code 126e, respectively. In this example, since company A is attempting to set an item keyword related to item A01, search target information 126 as shown in FIG. 8 is generated.

[0092] It should be noted that the screen for inputting search target information is not limited to the form shown in the input information area 301 of FIG.

[0093] Referring again to Fig. 16, the similar company-item information generating unit 110 reads the company information 120, the company-item classification code information 122, the company-item keyword information 123, and the search target information 126 from the storage unit 12, and generates keywords related to similar companies and items (step S02). Specifically, the similar company-item information generating unit 110 performs a process of generating keywords based on the company's keywords, and a process of generating keywords based on the classification name and classification code.

[0094] First, the similar company-item information generating unit 110 extracts company names for which similar business keywords are set from the company information 120 based on the company keywords 126b in the search target information 126. In this example, the company keywords 126b of "automobiles" and "parts" are set, and Company C is extracted as the company name 120a for which the category 120b of the company information 120 is "supplier" and the business keywords 120c are set to "automobiles" and "parts."

[0095] Then, the similar company-item information generation unit 110 extracts Company C's item (e.g., "C01") and item keywords (e.g., "20 inch," "aluminum," and "virgin material") from the company-item keyword information 123, and creates similar item keyword information 127 (lines 1 to 3 in the example of FIG. 9). Here, when multiple business keywords are set, only company names for which all the keywords are set are extracted, but company names for which only some of the keywords (e.g., only one of "automobiles" or "parts") are set may also be extracted.

[0096] Next, the similar company-item information generating unit 110 extracts similar company-items (i.e., items of items similar to the target item for which a keyword is to be registered and the companies that supply them) from the company-item classification code information 122 based on the classification name 126d and classification code 126e of the search target information 126. In this example, since the classification name "Code 2" is set with the classification code "111", D01 of company D is extracted as a supplier name-item with the classification name 122c of the company-item classification code information 122 being "Code 2" and the classification code 122d being "111". In this case, the similar company-item information generating unit 110 acquires the item keywords set in D01 of company D from the company-item keyword information 123. In this example, "wheel" and "steel" are extracted as item keywords set in D01 of company D and added to the similar item keyword information 127 (lines 4 and 5).

[0097] Furthermore, the similar company-item information generation unit 110 considers the company-item for which each of the extracted keywords is set to be a similar company-item, extracts F01 of Company F, for which "wheel" is set as the item keyword, as a similar company-item, and adds "freewheel" in addition to "wheel" set in F01 of Company F to the similar item keyword information 127 (lines 6 and 7).

[0098] In the example of Figure 4, the classification code "C11" of the classification name "Code 3" is set for the item supplied by Company F. This is a classification system different from the classification code "111" of the classification name "Code 2" in the search target information 126, so a search using "Code 2" and "111" as search keywords will not find Company F's items. However, as described above, by performing a search using the classification code of the search target information 126 as a keyword and then performing a search using the item hit in that search as a keyword, it is possible to obtain similar items even if they are assigned classification codes of different classification systems.

[0099] 9 shows an example of similar item keyword information 127 generated when search target information 126 includes all of company keyword 126b, classification name 126d, and classification code 126e, but in reality, there may be cases where company keyword 126b is not input, or where classification name 126d and classification code 126e are not input. When company keyword 126b is not input, information on lines 1 to 3 in the example of FIG. 9 is not generated. When classification name 126d and classification code 126e are not input, information on lines 4 to 7 in the example of FIG. 9 is not generated.

[0100] Then, the related performance information generating unit 111 reads the company-item classification code information 122, the access performance information 124, the transaction performance information 125, and the similar item keyword information 127 from the storage unit 12, and links the related performance information to generate similar search result information 128 (step S03). Specifically, the related performance information generating unit 111 performs the following three processes.

[0101] First, the related performance information generation unit 111 combines the similar company names 127c and similar item names 127d of the similar item keyword information 127 with the supplier names 122a and items 122b of the company-item classification code information 122 as keys to obtain the classification names 122c and classification codes 122d for each company-item, and creates similar company names 128a to classification codes 128d of the similar search result information 128.

[0102] For example, in the similar item keyword information 127 in FIG. 9, three pairs of similar company names 127c and similar item names 127d are registered: "Company C" and "C01", "Company D" and "D01", and "Company F" and "F01". These are registered as similar company names 128a and similar items 128b in the similar search result information 128 in FIG. 10. Then, referring to the company-item classification code information 122 in FIG. 4, the classification name 122c and classification code 122d corresponding to "C01" of "Company C" are "Code 1" and "123". Similarly, "Code 2" and "111" correspond to "D01" of "Company D", and "Code 3" and "C11" correspond to "F01" of "Company F". These are registered as the classification name 128c and classification code 128d in the similar search result information 128 in FIG. 10.

[0103] Secondly, the related performance information generation unit 111 combines the similar company name 127c, similar item name 127d, and similar item keyword 127e of the similar item keyword information 127 with the supplier name 124a, item 124b, and item keyword 124c of the access performance information 124 using as keys, obtains the registration date 124d and the number of accesses 124e as access performance information for each company-item-keyword, and creates similar search result information 128 from the similar company name 128e to the number of accesses 128i.

[0104] For example, referring to the access history information 124 in FIG. 6, for "C01" of "Company C", the keywords "20 inch", "aluminum material", and "virgin material" are all registered on "April 1, 2020", and the number of accesses for "20 inch" and "aluminum material" is "200", and the number of accesses for "virgin material" is "80". This information is registered as the similar item keyword 128g, registration date 128h, and number of accesses 128i corresponding to "C01" of "Company C" in the similar search result information 128. Similarly, for "D01" of "Company D" and "F01" of "Company F", information read from the access history information 124 is registered as the similar item keyword 128g, registration date 128h, and number of accesses 128i.

[0105] Thirdly, the related performance information generation unit 111 combines the similar company names 127c and similar item names 127d of the similar item keyword information 127 with the supplier names 125a and items 125b of the transaction performance information 125 using as keys, obtains the buyer name 125c, start date 125d, end date 125e and number of transactions 125f as transaction performance information for each company-item, and creates similar company names 128j through number of transactions 128o of the similar search result information 128.

[0106] For example, referring to the transaction performance information 125 in FIG. 7, for "C01" of "Company C", transactions are being conducted with buyer companies "Company M", "Company N" and "Company P". Transactions with "Company M" began on "April 1, 2021" and are still ongoing, with "300 units" having been traded so far. Transactions with "Company N" were conducted from "July 1, 2021" to "September 30, 2021", with "50 units" having been traded. Transactions with "Company P" began on "November 1, 2022", are still ongoing, with "120 units" having been traded so far. These pieces of information are registered as the buyer name 128l, start date 128m, end date 128n and number of transactions 128o corresponding to "C01" of "Company C" in the similar search result information 128. Similarly, for "D01" of "Company D" and "F01" of "Company F", information read from the transaction history information 125 is registered as the buyer name 128l, start date 128m, end date 128n, and number of transactions 128o.

[0107] Then, the similar search result display unit 112 reads the confidential information 121 and the similar search result information 128 from the storage unit 12, performs an anonymization process based on the disclosure / non-disclosure conditions for each item of each company stored in the confidential information 121, and passes the information to the output unit 15. The output unit 15 transmits the similar search result information 128 to the user terminal 20 via the communication unit 16 (step S04).

[0108] 17 shows an example of a screen displaying similar search results. The search result area 302 includes a company name 302a, an item 302b, a classification name 302c, a classification code 302d, an explanatory keyword 302e, a registration date 302f, an access count 302g, a trading record 302h, a tab 302i, a buyer 302j, a trading start date 302k, a trading end date 302l, a trading count 302m, and a buyer filter 302n.

[0109] The company name 302a corresponds to the similar company names 128a, 128e, and 128j of the similar search result information 128 shown in Fig. 10. The item 302b corresponds to the similar items 128b, 128f, and 128k of the similar search result information 128. The category name 302c and the category code 302d correspond to the category name 128c and the category code 128d of the similar search result information 128. The explanatory keyword 302e, the registration date 302f, and the number of accesses 302g correspond to the similar item keyword 128g, the registration date 128h, and the number of accesses 128i of the similar search result information 128. The transaction record 302h displays the number of buyer companies that have a transaction record for the company-item indicated by the company name 302a and the item 302b.

[0110] The buyer 302j, transaction start date 302k, transaction end date 302l, and transaction number 302m correspond to the buyer name 128l, start date 128m, end date 128n, and transaction number 128o of the similar search result information 128.

[0111] However, for buyer 302j, trading start date 302k, trading end date 302l, and number of transactions 302m, a tab 302i is provided to select details of trading performance by company and item, and information regarding the combination of buyer company and item selected using tab 302i is displayed.

[0112] Furthermore, even if information is included in the similar search result information 128 , information that has been set as non-disclosure in the confidential information 121 is not displayed in the search result area 302 .

[0113] Specifically, in this example, when the number of transactions 128o is referenced from the similar company names 128j, C01 of Company C has a track record of transactions with three buyers (Company M, Company N, and Company P). When the confidential information 121 is referenced for these three companies, the transaction record_company name and transaction record_number of transactions for Company N are "not disclosed." Therefore, the buyer 302j in FIG. 17 is described as "not disclosed" instead of "Company N" according to the similar search result information 128. Also, the number of transactions 302m is described as "not disclosed" instead of "50" according to the similar search result information 128.

[0114] 17 includes a buyer filter 302n that filters companies with trading history based on the buyer's business keywords. For example, if A01 of a supplier, Company A, is an automobile part and Company A wishes to trade A01 with a buyer company that handles automobile parts (e.g., an automobile manufacturer or a trading company that sells parts to automobile manufacturers), the buyer may select "automobile" and "parts" in the buyer filter 302n.

[0115] In this case, supplier companies that have a track record of doing business with buyer companies that have registered "automobiles" and "parts" as the business keywords 120c are identified, and only the information on the item keywords set by the identified supplier companies is displayed in the search result area 302. This allows a company to know the item keywords set by supplier companies that already do business with a buyer company with which the company wishes to do business, and by using this as a reference for setting the company's own item keywords, it is expected that the buyer company with which the company wishes to do business will be able to more easily find the company's products.

[0116] It should be noted that the screen displaying the similar search result information is not limited to the form shown in the search result area 302 of FIG.

[0117] Finally, the input unit 14 accepts the company information 120, the company-item classification code information 122, and the company-item keyword information 123 from the user terminal 20 via the communication unit 16, and passes them to the keyword registration unit 113. The keyword registration unit 113 stores the information in the memory unit 12 (step S05).

[0118] 17 shows an example of a screen for inputting a keyword describing a target item. The keyword registration area 303 includes a keyword input field 303a and a registration button 303b for executing a registration process.

[0119] For example, a person in charge at a supplier company refers to item keywords already set by each supplier company displayed in the search result area 302, determines item keywords to be set for the target item of the company, and inputs them into the keyword input field 303a. In the example of FIG. 17, "20 inch" and "wheel" are input. After that, when the user operates the registration button 303b, the input keywords are transmitted from the user terminal 20 to the supplier search device 10 and stored in the memory unit 12.

[0120] It should be noted that the screen for inputting keywords describing the target item is not limited to the form shown in the keyword registration area 303 in FIG.

[0121] Thereafter, the processing unit 11 ends the process of this flowchart.

[0122] According to this embodiment, for example, when a supplier company wants to set a new keyword related to an item that the company provides, the company can search for keywords set for similar companies and items, and can register keywords that describe the target item by referring to the search results. This can promote matching between suppliers and buyers.

[0123] FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing an example of a keyword update process executed by the supplier search device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0124] This process is started when the supplier search device 10 is called up from the user terminal 20 of each company at the timing when the supplier checks the keywords describing the item and updates them appropriately.

[0125] First, the input unit 14 accepts search target information 126 from a company and stores it in the storage unit 12 (step S11). Here, a screen that is displayed when the process is executed will be described.

[0126] FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed when a supplier updates keywords for an item in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0127] The keyword update screen 400 is displayed by the output unit 23 of the user terminal 20, for example, when the user terminal 20 of a supplier company that wishes to update a keyword calls up the supplier search device 10. The keyword update screen 400 includes an input information area 401 that receives input of search target information 126 from the company, a search result area 402 that displays search results, which will be described later, and a keyword update area 403 where the supplier updates the keyword for the item in response to the search results.

[0128] In step S11, an input information area 401 is used. The input information area 401 includes a company name 401a, company keywords 401b, item 401c, classification name 401d, classification code 401e, and a search button 401f. A supplier company selects a target item with item 401c and operates search button 401f, thereby generating search target information 126. In this example, company A is attempting to update item keywords related to item A01, so search target information 126 as shown in FIG. 8 is generated.

[0129] It should be noted that the screen for inputting search target information is not limited to the form shown in the input information area 401 of FIG.

[0130] Referring again to FIG. 18, the accessed company-item information generating unit 114 reads the search history information 129 and the access history information 130 from the storage unit 12, and generates the accessed company-item information 131 (step S12). Specifically, for example, as shown in the search history information 129 of FIG. 11, Company N enters the keyword "wheel" at 9:00 on March 10, 2023 to perform a supplier search, and the company-item keyword information 123 shown in FIG. 5 hits the companies-items whose item keyword 123c is "wheel", that is, "Company A-A01", "Company D-D01" and "Company F-F01". Then, it can be seen from the access history information 130 of FIG. 12 that Company N accessed the pages of Company D-D01 and Company F-F01, among the three hit companies, and did not access the page of Company A-A01.

[0131] The accessed company-item information generating unit 114 generates accessed company-item information 131 based on this buyer transition information. Specifically, the accessed company-item information generating unit 114 stores "Company A" and "A01", which are company-items that were hit in the search but not accessed, in non-accessed supplier name 131a and non-accessed item 131b, respectively. Then, the accessed company-item information generating unit 114 stores "Company D" and "D01", which are company-items accessed by the buyer, in accessed supplier name 131c and accessed item 131d, respectively. The same applies to "Company F" and "F01", which are company-items accessed by the buyer.

[0132] Next, the additional search keyword information generating unit 115 reads the search history information 129 and the access history information 130 from the storage unit 12, and generates the additional search keyword information 132 (step S13). This will be explained using the above example.

[0133] By referring to the search date and time 129c in the search history information 129 and the access date and time 130d in the access history information 130, it is found that N company input "wheels" to search, accessed the page of D company-D01, and then N company input "wheel material" to search. The additional search keyword information generating unit 115 generates additional search keyword information 132 based on this buyer transition information.

[0134] Here, a method of determining an additional search keyword will be described. For example, the additional search keyword information generating unit 115 compares the first and second search keywords, and determines as an additional keyword a keyword that is in the second search keyword but not in the first search keyword. In this example, the first search is for "wheels", and A-company-A01, D-company-D01, and F-company-F01 are hits, and the second search is for "wheel material", so A-company-A01, D-company-D01, and F-company-F01 are stored in the supplier name 132a and item 132b of the additional search keyword information 132, respectively, and "material" is stored in the additional search keyword 132c. When the combination of the supplier name 132a, item 132b, and additional search keyword 132c appears for the first time, the search count 132d is set to "1", and if a record with the same combination already exists, the number of search counts 132d is incremented by one.

[0135] Next, the recommendation information generating unit 116 reads the company information 120, the company-item classification code information 122, the company-item keyword information 123, the access record information 124, the transaction record information 125, the search target information 126, the accessed company-item information 131, and the additional search keyword information 132 from the storage unit 12, and generates the recommendation information 133 (step S14). Specifically, the recommendation information generating unit 116 performs the following four processes.

[0136] In the first process, a keyword-registered item 133d is generated from an additional search keyword 133a in the recommended information 133. First, the recommended information generating unit 116 filters records in which the supplier name 132a and the item 132b in the additional search keyword information 132 match the company name 126a and the item 126c in the search target information 126, and stores the additional search keyword 132c and the number of searches 132d in the additional search keyword 133a and the number of searches 133b in the recommended information 133, respectively. Next, the supplier name 123a and the item 123b obtained by filtering records in which the additional search keyword 133a is included in the item keyword in the company-item keyword information 123 are stored in the keyword-registered supplier name 133c and the keyword-registered item 133d in the recommended information 133, respectively.

[0137] For example, when "Company A" and "A01" are input as search targets as shown in FIG. 8, "material" and "recycling" are obtained as additional search keywords 132c corresponding to "Company A" and "A01" from the additional search keyword information 132 shown in FIG. 14. In this case, the number of searches for "material" is "4", and the number of searches for "recycling" is "5". Then, from the company-item keyword information 123 shown in FIG. 5, "G01" of "Company G" in which an item keyword 123c including "material" is registered is obtained. Similarly, "G01" of "Company G" and "H01" of "Company H" in which an item keyword 123c including "recycling" is registered are obtained. These pieces of information are registered in the keyword registered items 133d from the additional search keywords 133a of the recommendation information 133.

[0138] That is, the additional search keywords 133a to the keyword registered items 133d shown in Fig. 15 indicate that, among past searches, after a search in which "A01" by "Company A" was a hit, four searches were performed by adding the keyword "material," and it is estimated that "A01" by "Company A" was not a hit in these additional searches, but "G01" by "Company G" was a hit. Similarly, among past searches, after a search in which "A01" by "Company A" was a hit, five searches were performed by adding the keyword "recycling," and it is estimated that "A01" by "Company A" was not a hit in these additional searches, but "G01" by "Company G" and "H01" by "Company H" were hits.

[0139] The second process generates a classification code 133h from the supplier name 133e of the recommended information 133. First, the recommended information generating unit 116 stores the company name 126a, item 126c, classification name 126d, and classification code 126e of the search target information 126 in the supplier name 133e, item 133f, classification name 133g, and classification code 133h of the recommended information 133. Next, the recommended information generating unit 116 stores the accessed supplier name 131c and accessed item 131d obtained by filtering the records in which the non-accessed supplier name 131a and non-accessed item 131b of the accessed company-item information 131 match the company name 126a and item 126c of the search target information 126 in the supplier name 133e and item 133f of the recommended information 133.

[0140] Then, the recommended information generating unit 116 obtains the supplier name 133c and item 133d of the recommended information 133, and stores the result after eliminating duplicate company-item combinations in the supplier name 133e and item 133f of the recommended information 133. Finally, the recommended information generating unit 116 obtains the classification name 133g and classification code 133h corresponding to the supplier name 133e and item 133f of the stored recommended information 133 from the classification name 122c and classification code 122d of the company-item classification code information 122, and stores them.

[0141] For example, "Company A", "A01", "Code 2" and "111" included in the search target information 126 shown in Fig. 8 are stored in the classification code 133h from the supplier name 133e. Furthermore, from the accessed company-item information 131 shown in Fig. 13, information is obtained indicating that "A01" of "Company A" hit in the keyword search by the buyer was not accessed, while "D01" of "Company D" and "F01" of "Company F" hit in the same search were accessed. Then, from the company-item classification code information 122 shown in Fig. 4, "111" of "Code 2" corresponding to "D01" of "Company D" and "C11" of "Code 3" corresponding to "F01" of "Company F" are obtained, and these are stored in the classification code 133h from the supplier name 133e. Furthermore, "G01" of "Company G" and "H01" of "Company H" are obtained from the supplier name 133c and item 133d shown in FIG. 15, and are stored in the supplier name 133e and item 133f.

[0142] The third process is to generate the number of accesses 133m from the supplier name 133i of the recommended information 133. First, the recommended information generation unit 116 stores the company-item stored in the supplier name 133e and item 133f of the recommended information 133 in the supplier name 133i and item 133j. Next, the recommended information generation unit 116 obtains the item keyword 133k, registration date 133l, and number of accesses 133m corresponding to the supplier name 133i and item 133j of the stored recommended information 133 from the item keyword 124c, registration date 124d, and number of accesses 124e of the access record information 124, and stores them.

[0143] For example, in the supplier name 133i and item 133j shown in FIG. 15, "A01" of "Company A", "D01" of "Company D", "F01" of "Company F", "G01" of "Company G" and "H01" of "Company H" obtained from the supplier name 133e and item 133f are stored. For "A01" of "Company A", "20 inches" and "wheels" are obtained from the item keyword 123c of the company-item keyword information 123 shown in FIG. 5, and are stored in the item keyword 133k. Then, the fact that all of these item keywords were registered on "February 1, 2023" and have been accessed 15 times to date is obtained from the access record information 124 shown in FIG. 6, and is stored in the registration date 133l and the number of accesses 133m. Similarly, item keywords, registration dates, and access counts are obtained and stored for other company-items.

[0144] The fourth process generates the number of transactions 133s from the supplier name 133n of the recommended information 133. First, the recommended information generating unit 116 stores the company-item stored in the supplier name 133e and item 133f of the recommended information 133 in the supplier name 133n and item 133o. Next, the recommended information generating unit 116 obtains and stores the business partner buyer name 133p, transaction start date 133q, transaction end date 133r, and number of transactions 133s corresponding to the supplier name 133n and item 133o of the stored recommended information 133 from the buyer name 125c, start date 125d, end date 125e, and number of transactions 125f of the transaction history information 125. At that time, if there is no transaction history information 125 corresponding to the supplier name 133n and item 133o, the recommended information generating unit 116 deletes the record.

[0145] For example, since the transaction record information 125 shown in FIG. 7 does not include information on "A01" of "Company A," "Company A" and "A01" are not stored in the supplier name 133n and item 133o. Regarding "D01" of "Company D," the transaction with the buyer "Company P" that started on "September 1, 2022" is still ongoing, and information indicating that the number of transactions is "20" is stored in the trading partner buyer name 133p, transaction start date 133q, transaction end date 133r, and transaction number 133s. Information regarding transaction records is similarly obtained and stored for other companies and items.

[0146] Then, the recommended information display unit 117 reads the confidential information 121 and the recommended information 133 from the storage unit 12, performs an anonymization process based on the disclosure / non-disclosure conditions for each item of each company stored in the confidential information 121, and passes the information to the output unit 15. The output unit 15 transmits the recommended information 133 to the user terminal 20 via the communication unit 16 (step S15).

[0147] The search result area 402 in Fig. 19 shows an example of a screen displaying recommended information. The search result area 402 includes a company name 402a, an item 402b, a classification name 402c, a classification code 402d, an explanatory keyword 402e, a registration date 402f, an access count 402g, a transaction record 402h, a tab 402i, a buyer name 402j, a transaction start date 402k, a transaction end date 402l, a transaction count 402m, a buyer filter 402n, an additional search keyword 402o, a search count 402p, a transaction record 402q, and a company 402r, which is transaction record information by additional search keyword, an item 402s, an explanatory keyword 402t, a buyer 402u, a transaction start date 402v, a transaction end date 402w, and a transaction count 402x.

[0148] The company name 402a corresponds to the supplier names 133e, 133i, and 133n of the recommended information 133 shown in FIG. 15. The item 402b corresponds to the items 133f, 133j, and 133o of the recommended information 133. The classification name 402c and classification code 402d correspond to the classification name 133g and classification code 133h of the recommended information 133. The explanatory keyword 402e, the registration date 402f, and the number of accesses 402g correspond to the item keyword 133k, the registration date 133l, and the number of accesses 133m of the recommended information 133. The transaction record 402h displays the number of buyer companies that have a transaction record for the company-item indicated by the company name 402a and the item 402b.

[0149] The buyer name 402j, the transaction start date 402k, the transaction end date 402l, and the number of transactions 402m correspond to the trading partner buyer name 133p, the transaction start date 133q, the transaction end date 133r, and the number of transactions 133s of the recommendation information 133.

[0150] However, for the buyer name 402j, the transaction start date 402k, the transaction end date 402l, and the number of transactions 402m, a tab 402i is provided for selecting details of the transaction performance by company and item, and information regarding the combination of the buyer company and item selected using the tab 402i is displayed.

[0151] The buyer filter 402n is provided for filtering companies with trading history based on the buyer's business keywords, and is similar to the buyer filter 302n shown in FIG.

[0152] The additional search keyword 402o and the search count 402p correspond to the additional search keyword 133a and the search count 133b of the recommendation information 133. The transaction record 402q indicates the number of supplier companies that have actually conducted transactions with buyers among the supplier companies that have registered each additional search keyword, calculated based on the keyword-registered supplier names 133c.

[0153] For example, it is known that the supplier for which "materials" is registered in the additional search keyword 133a is one company, "Company G," from the keyword-registered supplier name 133c and keyword-registered item 133d, and the item for which the keyword "materials" is registered is "G01." Then, from the supplier name 133n and item 133o, the transaction record for "G01" of "Company G" is obtained, and from the business partner buyer name 133p, it is known that a transaction is being conducted with "Company N." Therefore, the transaction record 402q is one company. For example, if there is no data for "G01" of "Company G" in the supplier name 133n and item 133o, the transaction record 402q is zero companies.

[0154] The company 402r, item 402s, buyer 402u, transaction start date 402v, transaction end date 402w, and transaction number 402x correspond to the supplier name 133n, item 133o, business partner buyer name 133p, transaction start date 133q, transaction end date 133r, and transaction number 133s. The explanation keyword 402t corresponds to the item keyword 133k of the company-item indicated by the company 402r and the item 402s.

[0155] It should be noted that even if the information is included in the recommended information 133 , information that has been set as non-disclosure in the confidential information 121 is not displayed in the search result area 402 .

[0156] Specifically, in this example, when the number of transactions 133s is referred to from the supplier name 133n, F01 of company F has a trading record with two buyers (company X and company Y). When the confidential information 121 is referred to for these two companies, the trading record_company name and trading record_number of transactions for company X are "not disclosed". Therefore, the buyer name 402j in FIG. 19 is described as "not disclosed" instead of "company Y" according to the recommendation information 133. Also, the number of transactions 402m is described as "not disclosed" instead of "30" according to the recommendation information 133. The same process is also performed for the buyer 402u to the number of transactions 402x.

[0157] It should be noted that the screen displaying the recommended information is not limited to the form shown in the search result area 402 of FIG.

[0158] Finally, the input unit 14 accepts company-item-specific keyword information 123 from the user terminal 20 via the communication unit 16, and passes it to the keyword update unit 118. The keyword update unit 118 stores the information in the storage unit 12 (step S16).

[0159] 19 shows an example of a screen for updating keywords describing a target item. The keyword update area 403 includes a keyword input field 403a and an update button 403b for executing an update process.

[0160] For example, a person in charge at a supplier company refers to the item keywords already set by each supplier company displayed in the search result area 402 and the access records and transaction records for those keywords by buyer companies, and inputs information to update the item keywords to be set for the target item of the company in the keyword input field 403a. In the example of FIG. 19, new keywords "aluminum material" and "recycled material" are input to the already set keywords "20 inch" and "wheel." This is an example of an update when "A01" of "Company A" is a 20 inch automobile wheel made from recycled aluminum, but only "20 inch" and "wheel" have been set as keywords.

[0161] In this case, by referring to the search result area 402, it can be seen that the explanatory keyword "steel" has many hits, that there have been searches with the addition of keywords such as "material" or "recycled," and that there have been transactions related to recycled material wheels. From this information, it can be determined that adding keywords related to materials will make the search more likely to hit the search results and lead to actual transactions, and an update can be performed to add "aluminum material" and "recycled material." After that, by operating the update button 403b, update information for the entered keywords is transmitted from the user terminal 20 to the supplier search device 10, and the keywords stored in the memory unit 12 are updated.

[0162] In addition, the screen for updating the keywords describing the target item is not limited to the form shown in the keyword update area 403 in FIG.

[0163] Thereafter, the processing unit 11 ends the process of this flowchart.

[0164] According to this embodiment, it is possible to set keywords that represent differentiation and superiority, which will make it easier for buyers to find your company in a search and will make it easier for them to access your company without it being buried under other companies' information.

[0165] Furthermore, the device configuration of the supplier search system 1 can be modified as appropriate without impairing the object of this embodiment.

[0166] FIG. 20 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the supplier retrieval device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0167] The supplier search device 10 includes an input device 171, an output device 172, an external storage device 173, a calculation device 174, a main storage device 175, and a communication device 176, and each component is connected by a bus 177. The input device 171 is a device that accepts input operations from a user, and is, for example, a touch panel, a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, etc. The output device 172 is a device that performs output processing of data stored in the supplier search device 10, and is, for example, a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or a printer, etc. The input device 171 and the output device 172 may have their functions realized by a user terminal 20 on the network CN. The external storage device 173 is, for example, a writable and readable storage medium such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive). The calculation device 174 is a central processing unit that executes processing according to a program recorded in the main storage device 175 or the external storage device 173. Each processing unit that constitutes the processing unit 11 realizes its respective function by the calculation device 174 executing a program. The main memory 175 is a memory device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a flash memory, and functions as a storage area from which programs and data are temporarily read. The communication device 176 is a device for connecting the supplier search device 10 to the network CN, and is, for example, a communication device such as a NIC (Network Interface Card). The function of the memory unit 12 is realized by the external memory device 173 or the main memory device 175. The processing of each component of the supplier search device 10 may be executed by one piece of hardware or by multiple pieces of hardware. The processing of each component of the supplier search device 10 may be realized by one program or by multiple programs. The user terminal 20 of each company also has the same hardware configuration as the supplier search device 10, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0168] Furthermore, the system according to the embodiment of the present invention may be configured as follows.

[0169] (1) A search method executed by a search device (e.g., supplier search device 10) having a processing unit (e.g., processing unit 11) and a memory unit (e.g., memory unit 12), the memory unit holding company information (e.g., company information 120) including business keywords representing the business of each company, classification code information indicating the classification of each item (e.g., company-item-specific classification code information 122), and item keyword information (e.g., company-item-specific keyword information 123) including item keywords corresponding to the company and the items of goods supplied by the company, the search method being performed by the processing unit storing at least one of the keywords representing the business of a first company and the classification code of an item registered by the first company (e.g., search target information 124). 26) as an input (e.g., step S01); a second step (e.g., steps S02 and S03) in which the processing unit refers to the company information, the classification code information, and the item keyword information, and extracts one or more item keywords (e.g., similar item keyword information 127) corresponding to at least one of a company similar to the first company and an item similar to the item registered by the first company, based on at least one of a keyword representing the first company's business and a classification code of an item registered by the first company; and a third step (e.g., step S04) in which the processing unit outputs the one or more extracted item keywords.

[0170] This outputs keywords that have been set for similar companies and similar items, helping users set keywords that will be easier to search for and not get lost in information about other companies.

[0171] (2) The search method described in (1) above, wherein the memory unit further holds the item keyword set for each item of goods supplied by the company, access record information (e.g., access record information 124) indicating the record of accesses made to information relating to the company and the item after the item keyword was set, and transaction record information (e.g., transaction record information 125) indicating the record of transactions made between the company and the buyer regarding the item, and in the third step, the processing unit outputs, for each of the one or more extracted item keywords, the record of accesses to the information on the corresponding company and item (e.g., the number of accesses 128i) and the record of transactions regarding the corresponding company and item (e.g., the number of transactions 128o).

[0172] This helps to set appropriate keywords based on the record of access from buyers and the record of transactions with buyers.

[0173] (3) In the search method described in (2) above, the company information includes a business keyword (e.g., business keyword 120c) that represents the business of the buyer company, and when information specifying the buyer's business is input (e.g., input to buyer filter 302n), in the third step, the processing unit outputs, from among the extracted item keywords, item keywords corresponding to the company and item that have a track record of transactions with the buyer related to the specified business.

[0174] This helps you choose appropriate keywords based on their relevance to your business.

[0175] (4) A search method as described in (2) above, wherein the memory unit further retains confidential information (e.g., confidential information 121) indicating items of information designated as non-disclosure by each of the companies among the item keyword information, the company information, the classification code information, the access history information, and the transaction history information, and in the third step, the processing unit performs a confidentiality process (e.g., specifying the display of "non-disclosure" as shown in Figure 17) for the items of information designated as non-disclosure, and then outputs the extracted one or more item keywords, the access history, and the transaction history.

[0176] This makes it possible to prevent information from being disclosed against the will of the system users.

[0177] (5) The search method according to (1) above, wherein the storage unit further holds search history information (e.g., search history information 129) including information on search keywords used in searches for the company and the item conducted by the buyer, and access history information (e.g., search history information 129) including a history of accesses from the buyer to the company and the item obtained as a result of the search, and the search method further includes a fourth step (e.g., S11) in which the processing unit receives information specifying the first company and an item for which the first company has already set the item keyword as a company and an item for which the item keyword is to be updated, and the processing unit refers to the access history information and, among the multiple companies and items hit by a search using the item keyword set for the specified company and item, when access has not been made to the specified company and item and access has been made to at least one other company and item, the access has been made to the specified company and item. the processing unit generates additional search keyword information (e.g., additional search keyword information 132) including a search keyword additionally input after a search using the item keyword set for the specified company and item is performed with reference to the search history information; a seventh step (e.g., S14) in which the processing unit generates recommendation information (e.g., recommendation information 133) including the item keyword set corresponding to the company and item for which the access was performed, which is included in the accessed company / item information, the item keyword including the search keyword included in the additional search keyword information, and the company and the item corresponding to the item keyword including the search keyword; and an eighth step (e.g., S15) in which the processing unit outputs the recommendation information.

[0178] This helps buyers to set keywords that are more likely to be found in searches and are more easily accessible.

[0179] (6) The search method described in (5) above, wherein the memory unit further holds the item keyword set for each item of goods supplied by the company, access history information (e.g., access history information 124) indicating the history of accesses made to information relating to the company and the item after the item keyword was set, and transaction history information (e.g., transaction history information 125) indicating the history of transactions made between the company and the item and a buyer, and in the eighth step, the processing unit outputs, for the recommended information, the history of accesses to the information on the corresponding company and item and the history of transactions relating to the corresponding company and item.

[0180] This helps to set appropriate keywords based on the record of access from buyers and the record of transactions with buyers.

[0181] (7) In the search method described in (6) above, the company information includes a business keyword (e.g., business keyword 120c) that represents the business of the buyer company, and when information specifying the buyer's business is input (e.g., input to buyer filter 302n), in the eighth step, the processing unit outputs item keywords corresponding to the company and items that have a track record of transactions with the buyer related to the specified business.

[0182] This helps you choose appropriate keywords based on their relevance to your business.

[0183] (8) The search method described in (6) above, wherein the memory unit further retains confidential information (e.g., confidential information 121) indicating items of information designated as non-disclosure by each of the companies among the item keyword information, the company information, the classification code information, the access history information, and the transaction history information, and in the eighth step, the processing unit performs a confidentiality process (e.g., specifying the display of "non-disclosure" as shown in Figure 19) for the items of information designated as non-disclosure, and then outputs the recommendation information, the access history, and the transaction history.

[0184] This makes it possible to prevent information from being disclosed against the will of the system users.

[0185] (9) A search method as described in (1) above, wherein in the second step, the processing unit searches the company information using a keyword representing the business of the first company and extracts companies that are found as companies similar to the first company.

[0186] This helps you set appropriate keywords based on their similarity to your business.

[0187] (10) The search method described in (1) above, in the second step, the processing unit searches the classification code information using the classification code of the item registered by the first company, obtains from the item keyword information one or more item keywords corresponding to companies and items hit by searching the classification code information, and extracts the one or more obtained item keywords as one or more item keywords corresponding to one or more pairs of companies similar to the first company and items similar to the items registered by the first company.

[0188] For example, when the classification name "Code 2" and classification code "111" are entered for "A01" of "Company A" in step S01, in step S02, the company-item-specific classification code information 122 is referenced, and "D01" of "Company D" in which "Code 2" and "111" are registered is identified, and further the company-item-specific keyword information 123 is referenced, and "Wheels" and "Steel" corresponding to "D01" of "Company D" are obtained and added to the similar item keyword information 127.

[0189] This helps you set appropriate keywords based on their similarity to your business.

[0190] (11) A search method as described in (10) above, wherein in the second step, the processing unit searches the item keyword information using any of the one or more item keywords corresponding to companies and items found in the search of the classification code information, and extracts one or more item keywords other than the item keyword used in the search that correspond to companies and items found in the search of the item keyword information, as one or more item keywords corresponding to one or more pairs of companies similar to the first company and items similar to items registered by the first company.

[0191] For example, when "wheel" and "steel" corresponding to "D01" of "Company D" are obtained as in (11) above, the company-item keyword information 123 is searched for "wheel", and "wheel" and "freewheel" corresponding to "F01" of "Company F" are obtained and added to the similar item keyword information 127.

[0192] This helps users set appropriate keywords based on similarities with their own company's business, even if classification codes based on different classification code systems have been registered.

[0193] The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, but includes various modifications. For example, the above-mentioned embodiment has been described in detail for a better understanding of the present invention, and is not necessarily limited to those including all of the configurations described. Also, it is possible to replace a part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. Also, it is possible to add, delete, or replace a part of the configuration of each embodiment with another configuration.

[0194] In addition, the above-mentioned configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, etc. may be realized in part or in whole by hardware, for example, by designing them as integrated circuits. In addition, the above-mentioned configurations, functions, etc. may be realized in software by a processor interpreting and executing a program that realizes each function. Information such as a program, table, file, etc. that realizes each function can be stored in a storage device such as a non-volatile semiconductor memory, a hard disk drive, or an SSD (Solid State Drive), or in a computer-readable non-transitory data storage medium such as an IC card, an SD card, or a DVD.

[0195] In addition, the control lines and information lines are shown as those considered necessary for the explanation, and not all control lines and information lines in the product are shown. In reality, it can be considered that almost all components are connected to each other. [Explanation of symbols]

[0196] 1. Supplier Search System 10 Supplier Search Device 11 Processing section 12 Storage section 14, 22 Input section 15, 23 Output section 16, 21 Communications Department 20 User terminal CN Network

Claims

1. A search method executed by a search device having a processing unit and a storage unit, the storage unit holds company information including business keywords representing the business of each company, classification code information indicating the classification of each item, and item keyword information including item keywords corresponding to the company and items of goods supplied by the company; The search method includes: a first step in which the processing unit receives as input at least one of a keyword representing a business of a first company and a classification code of an item registered by the first company; a second step in which the processing unit refers to the company information, the classification code information, and the item keyword information, and extracts one or more item keywords corresponding to at least one of a company similar to the first company and an item similar to the item registered by the first company, based on at least one of a keyword representing the business of the first company and a classification code of an item registered by the first company; and a third step in which the processing unit outputs the extracted one or more item keywords.

2. The search method according to claim 1, The storage unit further holds, for each item of goods supplied by the company, the item keyword set, access record information indicating a record of access made to information relating to the company and the item after the item keyword was set, and transaction record information indicating a record of transactions made between the company and a buyer regarding the item, A search method characterized in that in the third step, the processing unit outputs, for each of the extracted one or more item keywords, a record of access to information on the corresponding company and item, and a record of transactions related to the corresponding company and item.

3. The search method according to claim 2, The company information includes a business keyword that represents the business of the company that is the buyer, A search method characterized in that, when information specifying the buyer's business is input, in the third step, the processing unit outputs, from among the extracted item keywords, item keywords corresponding to the companies and items that have a track record of trading with the buyer related to the specified business.

4. The search method according to claim 2, the storage unit further holds confidentiality information indicating items of information designated as non-disclosure by each of the companies among the item keyword information, the company information, the classification code information, the access history information, and the transaction history information; A search method characterized in that in the third step, the processing unit performs an anonymization process on items of information designated as non-disclosure, and then outputs the extracted one or more item keywords, the access history, and the transaction history.

5. The search method according to claim 1, The storage unit further holds search history information including information on search keywords used in searches for the companies and the items conducted by the buyer, and access history information including a history of accesses from the buyer to the companies and the items obtained as a result of the search, The search method includes: a fourth step in which the processing unit receives information that designates the first company and an item for which the first company has already set the item keyword as a company and an item for which the item keyword is to be updated; a fifth step in which the processing unit refers to the access history information, and when the specified company and item are not accessed and at least one other company and item are accessed among the multiple companies and items hit by the search using the item keyword set for the specified company and item, generates accessed company / item information including information on the company and item that have been accessed; a sixth step of generating additional search keyword information including a search keyword additionally input after the processing unit performs a search using the item keyword set for the specified company and item by referring to the search history information; a seventh step in which the processing unit generates recommendation information including the item keyword set corresponding to the company and the item that were accessed and included in the accessed company / item information, the item keyword including the search keyword included in the additional search keyword information, and the company and the item corresponding to the item keyword including the search keyword; The search method further comprises an eighth step of the processing unit outputting the recommendation information.

6. The search method according to claim 5, The storage unit further holds, for each item of goods supplied by the company, the item keyword set, access record information indicating a record of access made to information relating to the company and the item after the item keyword was set, and transaction record information indicating a record of transactions made between the company and a buyer regarding the item, A search method characterized in that in the eighth step, the processing unit outputs, for the recommended information, a record of access to information on the corresponding company and item, and a record of transactions related to the corresponding company and item.

7. The search method according to claim 6, The company information includes a business keyword that represents the business of the company that is the buyer, A search method characterized in that, when information specifying the buyer's business is input, in the eighth step, the processing unit outputs item keywords corresponding to the companies and items that have a track record of trading with the buyer related to the specified business.

8. The search method according to claim 6, the storage unit further holds confidentiality information indicating items of information designated as non-disclosure by each of the companies among the item keyword information, the company information, the classification code information, the access history information, and the transaction history information; A search method characterized in that in the eighth step, the processing unit performs an anonymization process on items of information designated as non-disclosure, and then outputs the recommended information, the access history, and the transaction history.

9. The search method according to claim 1, A search method characterized in that in the second step, the processing unit searches the company information using keywords representing the business of the first company and extracts companies that are found as companies similar to the first company.

10. The search method according to claim 1, In the second step, the processing unit Retrieving the classification code information using classification codes of items registered by the first company; obtaining, from the item keyword information, one or more item keywords corresponding to companies and items found by searching the classification code information; A search method characterized by extracting the one or more acquired item keywords as one or more item keywords corresponding to one or more pairs of companies similar to the first company and items similar to items registered by the first company.

11. The search method according to claim 10, In the second step, the processing unit searching the classification code information for a company and an item using one or more of the item keywords corresponding to the company and the item that are found; A search method characterized by extracting one or more item keywords other than the item keyword used in the search, which correspond to companies and items that are hit by searching the item keyword information, as one or more item keywords corresponding to one or more pairs of companies similar to the first company and items similar to items registered by the first company.

12. A search device having a processing unit and a storage unit, the storage unit holds company information including business keywords representing the business of each company, classification code information indicating the classification of each item, and item keyword information including item keywords corresponding to the company and items of goods supplied by the company; The processing unit includes: accepting, as input, at least one of a keyword representing a business of a first company and a classification code of an item registered by the first company; extracting one or more item keywords corresponding to at least one of a company similar to the first company and an item similar to the item registered by the first company, based on at least one of a keyword representing the business of the first company and a classification code of an item registered by the first company, with reference to the company information, the classification code information, and the item keyword information; A search device which outputs the one or more extracted item keywords.

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