System, method, and program for acquiring basic credit information

Abstract

To assist in giving appropriate credit to companies.SOLUTION: A credit information management server 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention provides a credit information management service to a user who operates a credit information management terminal 30 that is communicatively connected via a communication network NW. The credit information management server 10 acquires basic credit information for giving credit to a company based on decision-making related information related to a decision-making process carried out by the company, thereby making it possible to acquire basic credit information based on information from a decision-making stage before a transaction is made.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a system, method, and program for acquiring basic credit information for extending credit to a company. [Background technology]

[0002] Various techniques have been proposed for providing credit to companies. For example, the following Patent Document 1 discloses that when a loan application is received from a business, transaction information on the business's office supplies, daily necessities, home appliances, etc. is acquired, and a credit index is calculated based on the transaction information. Such a mechanism can realize credit based on the actual activities of the business. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-120583 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, while the above-mentioned conventional technology makes it possible to provide credit based on past transaction information, there may be cases where it is difficult to obtain such transaction information. Therefore, it is desirable to realize a mechanism that supports credit based on various information.

[0005] One of the objects of the embodiment of the present invention is to support the realization of appropriate credit for companies. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A system according to one embodiment of the present invention is a system having one or more computer processors, which execute the steps of acquiring approval-related information related to approvals made in a company, and acquiring basic credit information for extending credit to the company based on the approval-related information.

[0007] A method according to one embodiment of the present invention is a method executed by one or more computers, and includes the steps of obtaining approval-related information related to an approval made in a company, and obtaining basic credit information for extending credit to the company based on the approval-related information.

[0008] A program according to one embodiment of the present invention causes one or more computers to execute the steps of acquiring approval-related information related to approvals made within a company, and acquiring basic credit information for extending credit to the company based on the approval-related information. Effect of the Invention

[0009] Various embodiments of the present invention assist in achieving appropriate credit for businesses. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a network including a credit information management server 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of information managed by a user information table 1511. [Diagram 3] FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of information managed by a company information table 1512. [Figure 4] FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of information managed by an organization information table 1513. [Diagram 5] FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of information managed by a position information table 1514. [Figure 6] FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of information managed by a workflow information management table 1515. [Figure 7] 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of information managed by a workflow stage information management table 1516. [Figure 8] 15 is a diagram illustrating examples of values ​​set in a workflow information management table 1515 and a workflow stage information management table 1516. [Figure 9] 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of information managed by an approval item management table 1517. [Figure 10] 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of information managed by a request for approval information management table 1518. FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of information managed by a payment information management table 1519. [Figure 12] FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of information managed by a credit information management table 1520. [Figure 13] 4 is a flowchart illustrating a process executed by the credit information management server 10 when submitting an application for approval. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a message 200 sent to an approval application proxy account. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an approval information confirmation message 210. [Figure 16] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an approval request message 220. [Figure 17] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a credit information management screen 50. [Figure 18] 6 is a flowchart illustrating a process executed by the credit information management server 10 in response to selection of a transaction status information acquisition button 52. [Figure 19] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a transaction status management screen 60. [Figure 20] 11 is a flowchart illustrating a process executed by the credit information management server 10 in response to selection of a governance information acquisition button 54. [Figure 21] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a governance management screen 70. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same reference numerals may be used for the same or similar components. Other objects of the embodiment of the present invention will become apparent by referring to the entire specification.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a network including a credit information management server 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the credit information management server 10 is communicatively connected to a user terminal 20 and a credit information management terminal 30 via a communication network NW such as the Internet. Although only one user terminal 20 and one credit information management terminal 30 are shown in FIG. 1, the credit information management server 10 is communicatively connected to a plurality of user terminals 20 and credit information management terminals 30. The credit information management server 10 provides a credit information management service to a user who operates the credit information management terminal 30. The credit information management server 10 is an example of a device that implements all or a part of the system of the present invention.

[0013] The credit information management service in this embodiment also has a decision management function for managing application and approval of decisions. The credit information management server 10 provides the decision management function to a user who operates the user terminal 20.

[0014] First, we will explain the hardware configuration of the credit information management server 10. The credit information management server 10 is configured as a general computer, and as shown in Fig. 1, includes a computer processor 11, a main memory 12, an input / output I / F 13, a communication I / F 14, and a storage (storage device) 15, and these components are electrically connected via a bus or the like (not shown).

[0015] The computer processor 11 is configured with a CPU, a GPU, an FPGA, or the like, or a circuit including them, and loads various programs stored in the storage 15 or the like into the main memory 12 and executes various instructions included in the programs. The main memory 12 is configured with, for example, a DRAM, etc.

[0016] The input / output I / F 13 includes various input / output devices for exchanging information with an operator, etc. The input / output I / F 13 includes, for example, an information input device such as a keyboard, a pointing device (e.g., a mouse, a touch panel, etc.), an audio input device such as a microphone, and an image input device such as a camera. The input / output I / F 13 also includes an image output device such as a display, and an audio output device such as a speaker.

[0017] The communication I / F 14 is implemented as hardware such as a network adapter, various communication software, or a combination of these, and is configured to realize wired or wireless communication via a communication network 20 or the like.

[0018] The storage 15 is configured, for example, by a magnetic disk or a flash memory. The storage 15 stores various programs including an operating system and various data. For example, the storage 15 has various tables 151 that manage various information. In addition, for example, the storage 15 stores a server-side program 40 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The program 40 is a program for causing the credit information management server 10 to function as all or part of a system for providing a credit information management service. At least a part of the server-side program 40 can be configured to be executed on the user terminal 20 or the credit information management terminal 30 side via a user terminal-side program 42 or a credit information management terminal-side program 44 described later.

[0019] In this embodiment, the credit information management server 10 may be configured using a plurality of computers each having the above-mentioned hardware configuration. For example, the credit information management server 10 may be configured by one or a plurality of server devices.

[0020] The credit information management server 10 configured in this manner functions as a web server and an application server, executes various processes in response to requests from the user terminal side program 42 and the credit information management terminal side program 44 installed in the user terminal 20 and the credit information management terminal 30, respectively, and transmits screen data (e.g., HTML data) and control data according to the results of the processes to the user terminal 20 and the credit information management terminal 30. The user terminal 20 and the credit information management terminal 30 output web pages or other screens based on the received data.

[0021] Next, a description will be given of the hardware configuration of the user terminal 20. The user terminal 20 is configured as a general computer, and as shown in Fig. 1, includes a computer processor 21, a main memory 22, an input / output I / F 23, a communication I / F 24, and a storage (storage device) 25, and these components are electrically connected via a bus or the like (not shown).

[0022] The computer processor 21 is configured with a CPU, a GPU, an FPGA, or the like, or a circuit including them, and loads various programs stored in the storage 25 or the like into the main memory 22 and executes various instructions included in the programs. The main memory 22 is configured with, for example, a DRAM, or the like.

[0023] The input / output I / F 23 includes various input / output devices for exchanging information with an operator, etc. The input / output I / F 23 includes, for example, an information input device such as a keyboard or a pointing device (e.g., a mouse, a touch panel, etc.), an audio input device such as a microphone, and an image input device such as a camera. The input / output I / F 23 also includes an image output device such as a display, and an audio output device such as a speaker.

[0024] The communication I / F 24 is implemented as hardware such as a network adapter, various communication software, or a combination of these, and is configured to realize wired or wireless communication via a communication network NW or the like.

[0025] The storage 25 is configured, for example, by a magnetic disk or a flash memory. The storage 25 stores various programs including an operating system and various data. The programs stored in the storage 25 can be downloaded from an application market or the like and installed. The storage 25 also stores the above-mentioned user terminal side program 42. The program 42 is configured as a web browser or other application (for example, an application for the approval management function of the credit information management service, etc.) and can be configured to execute at least a part of the server side program 40 as described above.

[0026] In this embodiment, the user terminal 20 may be configured as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a wearable device, a personal computer, or the like.

[0027] A user operating a user terminal 20 configured in this manner can utilize the approval management function of the credit information management service provided by the credit information management server 10 by communicating with the credit information management server 10 via a user terminal side program 42 installed in storage 25 or the like.

[0028] Next, we will explain the hardware configuration of the credit information management terminal 30. The credit information management terminal 30, like the above-mentioned user terminal 20, is configured as a general computer, and as shown in Fig. 1, includes a computer processor 31, a main memory 32, an input / output I / F 33, a communication I / F 34, and a storage (storage device) 35, and these components are electrically connected via a bus or the like (not shown).

[0029] The storage 35 stores the above-mentioned credit information management terminal-side program 44. The program 44 is configured as a web browser or other application (e.g., an application for a credit information management service, etc.) and can be configured to execute at least a part of the server-side program 40 as described above. In this embodiment, the credit information management terminal 30 can be configured as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a wearable device, a personal computer, or the like.

[0030] A user operating the credit information management terminal 30 configured in this manner can use the credit information management service provided by the credit information management server 10 by communicating with the credit information management server 10 via a credit information management terminal side program 42 installed in storage 35 or the like.

[0031] Next, a description will be given of the functions of the credit information management server 10 configured in this manner. The computer processor 11 of the credit information management server 10 is configured to function as a management function control unit 112, an approval control unit 114, and a credit information management unit 116 by executing instructions included in a program (e.g., at least a part of the server-side program 40) loaded into the main memory 12, as shown in Fig. 1.

[0032] The management function control unit 112 is configured to execute various processes related to the control of the management functions of the credit information management service. For example, the management function control unit 112 transmits screen data and control data of various screens related to the management functions to the user terminal 20 or the credit information management terminal 30, executes various processes in response to operation input by the user via the screens output on the user terminal 20 or the credit information management terminal 30, and transmits screen data and control data according to the results of the processes to the user terminal 20 or the credit information management terminal 30. The management functions controlled by the management function control unit 112 include, for example, login processing (user authentication), billing control, and management of user information.

[0033] The decision-making control unit 114 is configured to execute various processes related to the control of decision-making in a company. For example, the decision-making control unit 114 transmits screen data and control data of various screens for controlling decision-making to the user terminal 20, executes various processes in response to operation input by a user via the screen output on the user terminal 20, and transmits screen data and control data according to the results of the processes to the user terminal 20.

[0034] For example, the approval control unit 114 generates approval information (approval content) based on information input via the user terminal 20 of the approval applicant, notifies the user terminal 20 of the approval approver of a request for approval of the approval information, and accepts approval from the approver. The approval route for such approval is managed in one or more tables included in the various tables 151, for example, as setting information for the approval workflow. In this way, the credit information management service in this embodiment has a function of managing approval applications.

[0035] The credit information management unit 116 is configured to execute various processes related to the management of credit information. For example, the credit information management unit 116 transmits screen data and control data of various screens for managing credit information to the credit information management terminal 30, executes various processes in response to operation input by a user via the screens outputted in the credit information management terminal 30, and transmits screen data and control data according to the results of the processes to the credit information management terminal 30.

[0036] In this embodiment, the credit information management unit 116 is configured to acquire decision-making related information related to decision-making made in a company, and acquire basic credit information for crediting the company based on the decision-making related information. For example, the credit information management unit 116 calculates and acquires basic credit information by aggregating decision-making related information of multiple decisions according to a predetermined rule. The decision-making related information is managed in one or more tables included in the various tables 151, for example.

[0037] In this way, the credit information management server 10 in this embodiment obtains basic credit information for providing credit to a company based on approval-related information related to approvals made by the company, making it possible to obtain basic credit information based on information from the approval stage before a transaction is made. In other words, the credit information management server 10 supports the realization of appropriate credit for companies.

[0038] In this embodiment, the decision-making related information and the basic credit information may each include various information. For example, the basic credit information may include transaction status information indicating the status of a company's transactions in a specific period. In this case, the decision-making related information includes decision-making application information indicating the contents of the decision-making application, and the decision-making application information may typically include dates related to the transaction that is the subject of the decision-making (e.g., the contract start date, the invoice issue date, and the payment due date). In this case, the credit information management unit 116 may be configured to acquire transaction status information for a specific period based on the decision-making application information. Such a configuration enables credit based on transaction status information for a specific period.

[0039] In this embodiment, the transaction status information may include transaction volume information indicating the volume of transactions in a company. The transaction volume information may also include information indicating the volume of transactions planned for a future period. The transaction volume information includes, for example, sales, expenses, the number of contracts, and the number of payments. For example, the number of payments planned for a future period is estimated based on the payment due date (future date related to the transaction) included in the above-mentioned request information. The request information is transaction type information indicating the type of transaction that is the subject of the request, and includes the transaction type status including information on the continuity of the transaction, and the credit information management unit 116 may be configured to acquire transaction volume information for a future period based on the transaction type information. For example, when the type of transaction is a subscription (continuous purchase), the planned future sales or purchases are reflected in the transaction volume information (sales, expenses, the number of payments, etc.). This configuration enables credit based on transaction volume information for a future period.

[0040] The transaction status information may also include transaction stability information indicating the stability of transactions in a company. The transaction stability information includes, for example, the frequency and percentage at which payments are made on time. Information regarding the date of payment (payment date) is obtained, for example, from an accounting management system (not shown) of the corresponding company. The transaction stability information also includes, for example, information indicating the variance of sales or expenses for each month (variance, etc.). This configuration enables credit to be granted based on the transaction stability information.

[0041] Also, for example, the credit basic information may include governance information indicating an evaluation of the corporate governance of the company. In this case, for example, the decision-making related information includes decision-making rule information indicating the decision-making rules in the company, the governance information includes decision-making rule appropriateness information indicating the appropriateness of the decision-making rules in the company, and the credit information management unit 116 may be configured to acquire the decision-making rule appropriateness information based on the decision-making rule information. For example, it can be considered that the higher the appropriateness of the decision-making rules, the better the evaluation of corporate governance of the company. The decision-making rule information includes, for example, the number of types of decision-making rules, the number of approval stages in the decision-making, and the organization or position of the approver at each approval stage, and is acquired based on the setting information of the above-mentioned approval route (approval workflow). For example, it can be considered that a company with a large number of types of decision-making rules has appropriate rules set according to the content of the decision-making, and a company with a large number of approval stages in the decision-making can be considered that appropriate approval is performed by multiple people. This configuration makes it possible to grant credit based on the appropriateness of the approval rules.

[0042] Furthermore, for example, the governance information may include decision-making-related volume information indicating the volume of decision-making applications or approvals in a company. The decision-making-related volume information may include, for example, the number of decision-making applications, the number of approvals, and the number of decisions (final approvals). In this case, the decision-making-related information may include approval status information indicating the approval status of the decision-making, and the credit information management unit 116 may be configured to acquire the decision-making-related volume information based on the decision-making-related information. Such a configuration enables credit based on the volume of decision-making applications and approvals.

[0043] Furthermore, the governance information may include approval speed information indicating the speed from the application of a request for approval in a company to approval (e.g., final approval). The approval speed information may include, for example, the number of days required from the application of a request for approval to its approval. In this case, the credit information management unit 116 may be configured to acquire the approval speed information based on the request-related information. Such a configuration enables credit based on the speed from the application of a request for approval to its approval.

[0044] In this embodiment, the credit information management unit 116 can be configured to calculate a credit score for a company based on the various basic credit information described above. The credit score is defined, for example, as a numerical representation of the creditworthiness of a company. For example, the credit information management unit 116 is configured to calculate a credit score such that the credit score increases as the volume of transactions with a company in a specific period increases. Also, for example, the credit information management unit 116 is configured to calculate a credit score such that the credit score increases as the evaluation of the company's corporate governance increases. Such a configuration enables the calculation of a credit score based on basic credit information.

[0045] Next, a specific example of one aspect of the credit information management server 10 of this embodiment having such functions will be described. The credit information management server 10 in this example provides a groupware tool that realizes the decision-making management function (workflow management function) of the credit information management service.

[0046] First, in this example, information managed by each table included in various tables 151 will be described. Fig. 2 illustrates information managed by user information table 1511 in this example. User information table 1511 in this example manages information related to users of the groupware tool, and as shown in the figure, manages information such as "name," "company ID" identifying the company to which the user belongs, "affiliated organization ID" identifying the organization to which the user belongs, and "position ID" identifying the position, in association with a "user ID" identifying an individual user.

[0047] 3 illustrates information managed by company information table 1512 in this example. Company information table 1512 in this example manages information related to companies in which the groupware tool in this example has been introduced, and as illustrated, manages information such as "name" in association with a "company ID" that identifies an individual company.

[0048] 4 illustrates information managed by organization information table 1513 in this example. Organization information table 1513 in this example manages information related to organizations in a company, and as shown in the figure, manages information such as a "name" and a "parent organization ID" that identifies a parent organization in association with a combination of a "company ID" that identifies an individual company and an "organization ID" that identifies an individual organization in the company. The parent-child relationship of the organizations is managed by the parent organization ID.

[0049] 5 illustrates information managed by position information table 1514 in this example. Position information table 1514 in this example manages information related to positions in a company, and as shown in the figure, manages information such as "name" in association with a combination of a "company ID" that identifies an individual company and a "position ID" that identifies an individual position in the company.

[0050] 6 illustrates information managed by workflow information management table 1515 in this example. Workflow information management table 1515 in this example manages information related to approval workflows for which setting information is registered, and as shown in the figure, manages information such as "name," "number of approval stages," and "start date of application" in association with a combination of a "company ID" that identifies an individual company and a "workflow ID" that identifies an individual approval workflow in that company. An approval workflow is a workflow for obtaining approval within a company.

[0051] 7 illustrates an example of information managed by workflow stage information management table 1516 in this example. Workflow stage information management table 1516 in this example manages information related to each stage in the approval workflow, and as shown in the figure, manages information such as "approver condition information" which is information related to the approver's conditions, and a "final stage flag" which indicates whether or not it is the final stage, in association with a combination of a "company ID" which identifies an individual company, a "workflow ID" which identifies an individual approval workflow, and a "stage" which indicates an individual stage in the approval workflow. The approver at the final stage of the approval workflow can also be called the decision maker.

[0052] The approver condition information includes conditions regarding the approver's organization and / or position. For example, the conditions regarding the approver's organization include belonging to a specific organization (e.g., a department or division such as the accounting department) and belonging to the same organization as the applicant who applies for approval. In addition, the conditions regarding the approver's position include, for example, a specific position (e.g., a manager of xx department).

[0053] Fig. 8 shows an example of approval workflow setting information managed in workflow information management table 1515 and workflow stage information management table 1516. In the example of Fig. 8, an approval workflow for "bill payment" is set, and in this flow, the approver for the first stage is the manager of the department to which the applicant belongs, and the approver for the second stage is the manager of the accounting department, with the second stage being the final stage. For example, such approval workflow setting information is registered via a screen output on user terminal 20. The approval workflow setting information can also be said to be information that specifies the rules for approval requests.

[0054] FIG. 9 illustrates information managed by the decision-making item management table 1517 in this example. The decision-making item management table 1517 in this example manages the decision-making items that have been applied for, and as illustrated, manages information such as an "applicant user ID" that identifies the applicant of the decision-making item, a "workflow ID" that identifies the approval workflow to be applied, the "application date", the "last approval date", "decision-making information" that is information about the content of the decision-making item, "contract information" that is information about a related contract, "invoice information" that is information about a related invoice, "receipt information" that is information about a related receipt, and "decision-making status" in association with a "company ID" that identifies an individual company and a "decision-making item ID" that identifies an individual decision-making item in the company. In this example, the contract information is set when the approval target in the decision-making item is "contract conclusion", and includes link information to contract data, etc. Furthermore, the invoice information is set when the approval target in the decision-making item is "invoice payment", and includes link information to invoice data, etc. In addition, receipt information is set when the subject of approval in the request is "expense settlement", and includes link information to receipt data, etc. In the request status, a value corresponding to one of "not approved", "approved" (only some approvers have approved), "approved", and "rejected" is set.

[0055] 10 illustrates information managed by the request approval information management table 1518 in this example. The request approval information management table 1518 in this example manages information related to approval in a request, and as shown in the figure, manages information such as "approver information" which is information about the approver, "approval request date", "approval date", "approval status", and "final stage flag" which indicates whether it is the final stage, in association with a combination of a "company ID" which identifies an individual company, a "request case ID" which identifies an individual request case, and a "stage" which indicates an individual stage in the approval workflow of the request case. The approval status is set to a value corresponding to any one of "unapproved", "approved", and "rejected".

[0056] FIG. 11 illustrates information managed by the payment information management table 1519 in this example. The payment information management table 1519 in this example manages information related to payments based on approval information, and as shown in the figure, manages information such as a "approval case ID" that identifies a related approval case, "customer information" that is information about a customer to be paid, "payment due date", "payment amount", "payment date", a "responsible organization ID" that identifies an organization in charge at the company, and a "payment status" in association with a combination of a "company ID" that identifies an individual company and a "payment ID" that identifies an individual payment at the company. The payment status is set to a value corresponding to either "unpaid" or "paid". The payment date is automatically acquired and updated from an accounting management system or the like of the corresponding company. The payment status is updated in response to the update of the payment date.

[0057] 12 illustrates information managed by the credit information management table 1520 in this example. The credit information management table 1520 in this example manages information related to credit, and as illustrated, manages information such as an "acquisition date" which is the date on which the credit information was acquired, "transaction volume information" which indicates the amount of transactions at the company, "transaction stability information" which indicates the stability of transactions at the company, "approval rule appropriateness information" which indicates the appropriateness of the approval rules at the company, "approval related volume information" which indicates the amount of approval applications or approvals at the company, "approval speed information" which indicates the speed from application to approval of approval at the company, and a "credit score" in association with the combination of a "company ID" which identifies an individual company and a "credit information ID" which identifies individual credit information at the company.

[0058] The information managed by each table in this example has been described above. Next, the process executed by the credit information management server 10 and the screens output on the user terminal 20 and the credit information management terminal 30 in this example will be described.

[0059] First, the management of approval requests will be described. Fig. 13 is a flow chart illustrating the processing executed by the credit information management server 10 when applying for approval. As shown in the figure, the credit information management server 10 first waits to receive a message to the approval request application proxy account (NO in step S100). Specifically, the groupware tool in this example has a chat function, and waits to receive a chat message to the approval request application proxy account. For example, a user (applicant) making an approval request sends a chat message addressed to the approval request application proxy account.

[0060] 14 shows an example of an approval request message 200 for requesting an approval request to an approval request proxy account. As shown in the figure, the message 200 contains the sentence "Please apply for invoice payment" and has invoice data (electronic file) attached. Note that if the approval request is for contract conclusion, contract data is attached, and if the approval request is for expense settlement, receipt data is attached.

[0061] Returning to the flowchart of FIG. 13, when a message to the approval application proxy account is received (YES in step S100), the credit information management server 10 identifies an approval workflow to be applied (step S110). Specifically, among the multiple approval workflows of the target company managed in the workflow information management table 1515, an approval workflow whose name is included in the body of the received message is identified as the approval workflow to be applied. Note that the similarity (e.g., cosine similarity, etc.) between the received message and a sample message associated with each approval workflow may be determined, and an approval workflow with a high similarity may be identified as the approval workflow to be applied. Also, the similarity (e.g., cosine similarity, etc.) between the received electronic file and a sample electronic file associated with each approval workflow may be determined, and an approval workflow with a high similarity may be identified as the approval workflow to be applied.

[0062] Next, the credit information management server 10 acquires the text included in the attachment of the received message (step S120). Specifically, the text is acquired through character recognition processing (e.g., OCR) on the attachment. As described above, the attachment includes contract data, invoice data, or receipt data.

[0063] Next, the credit information management server 10 generates approval information (step S130). Specifically, the approval information is generated based on the text included in the attached file. For example, if the subject of the approval application is bill payment, character strings corresponding to the values ​​of the items included in the approval information, such as "payee," "payee account," "billing date," "payment due date," and "payment amount," are extracted from the invoice data, and the approval information is generated using the character strings. The items included in the approval information are set in advance according to the subject of the approval application (contract conclusion, bill payment, or expense settlement).

[0064] Next, the credit information management server 10 accepts confirmation of the approval information by the applicant (step S140). Specifically, a confirmation message for confirming the approval information is sent to the applicant. The applicant is the user who sent the chat message to the approval application proxy account.

[0065] 15 illustrates an example of a request for approval information confirmation message 210 output on the applicant's user terminal 20. As illustrated, the message 210 displays the generated request for approval information and has an OK button 212, a Modify button 214, and a Cancel button 216. When the OK button 212 is selected, the applicant's confirmation of the request for approval information is accepted. When the Modify button 214 is selected, a screen (not shown) for modifying the request for approval information is output, and the applicant can modify the request for approval information via this screen. When the Cancel button 216 is selected, the request for approval application is canceled.

[0066] Returning to the flowchart in Fig. 13, when the applicant's confirmation of the approval information is accepted, the credit information management server 10 then identifies an approver and registers the corresponding approval case (step S150). Specifically, the approver is an approver who meets the approver conditions at each stage of the applied approval workflow, and is identified from among the users managed in the user information table 1511. To register the approval case, specifically, a new record is inserted and corresponding values ​​are set in the approval case management table 1517 and the approval information management table 1518.

[0067] Next, the credit information management server 10 accepts the approval from the approver at that stage (step S160). Specifically, an approval request message is sent to the approver at the first stage among one or more unapproved stages in the applied approval workflow to request approval of the approval request information. The sender of the approval request message is the approval request application proxy account.

[0068] 16 shows an example of an approval request message 220 output on the approver's user terminal 20. As shown in the figure, the message 220 displays the approval request information and has an approval button 222, a return button 224, and a reject button 226. When the approval button 222 is selected, the approval by the approver is accepted. When the return button 224 is selected, the request is returned to the applicant. When the reject button 226 is selected, the approval request application is rejected. Depending on the selection of these buttons 222 to 226, the approval status of the corresponding request case and stage is updated in the approval request approval information management table 1518.

[0069] Returning to the flowchart of FIG. 13, the acceptance of approval by the approver is repeated (NO in step S170) until the approver becomes the final approver (decision maker) (i.e., the final stage of approval is given). Then, when the final approver gives approval (i.e., decision) (YES in step S170), the credit information management server 10 next registers payment information (step S190) if the subject of the approval request is an invoice payment (YES in step S180). Specifically, a new record is inserted in the payment information management table 1519 and the corresponding values ​​are set. The payment information is obtained based on the approval information.

[0070] The management of approval requests has been described above. Next, the management of credit information will be described. FIG. 17 illustrates a credit information management screen 50 outputted on the credit information management terminal 30. The screen 50 is a screen for managing the credit information of companies, and as shown in the figure, has a target company input area 51 for inputting a target company, a transaction status information acquisition button 52 for acquiring transaction status information, a governance information acquisition button 54 for acquiring governance information, and a credit score calculation button 56 for calculating a credit score. The target company input area 51 is configured so that any company can be selected and input from among a plurality of companies (managed in the company information table 1512) in which the groupware tool in this example has been introduced, as a target company for which credit information is to be managed.

[0071] 18 is a flowchart illustrating a process executed by the credit information management server 10 in response to selection of the transaction status information acquisition button 52 on the credit information management screen 50. As shown in the figure, the credit information management server 10 first acquires transaction volume information for the target period (past) (step S200). In this example, transaction volume information is aggregated in half-yearly (six-month) units, and information for the past year prior to the half-year to which the current time belongs is acquired. Note that the target period for which transaction volume information is acquired and the aggregation unit may be specified by the user.

[0072] In this example, transaction volume information for the target period (past) includes sales amount, expense amount, number of contracts, and number of payments. The sales amount and expense amount are obtained from the accounting management system of the corresponding company. Furthermore, the number of contracts for the target period (past) is calculated by tallying up the number of approval requests managed in approval request management table 1517, whose final approval date falls within the corresponding period, and whose contract information is set. Furthermore, the number of payments for the target period (past) is calculated by tallying up the number of payments managed in payment information management table 1519, whose payment due date falls within the corresponding period.

[0073] Next, the credit information management server 10 acquires transaction volume information for the target period (planned) (step S210). In this example, information on the half-year to which the current time belongs is acquired as the planned transaction volume information. The planned transaction volume information includes transaction volume information scheduled for the future.

[0074] In this example, the transaction volume information for the target period (planned) includes the cost amount, the number of contracts, and the number of payments (but does not include the sales amount). The cost amount for the target period (planned) is calculated by tallying up the payment amounts of payments managed in the payment information management table 1519 whose payment date or payment due date falls in the half year to which the current time belongs. The number of contracts for the target period (planned) is calculated by tallying up the number of approval requests managed in the approval request request management table 1517 whose contract information is set and whose final approval date falls in the corresponding period, or whose approval status is "not approved" or "being approved". The number of payments for the target period (planned) is calculated by tallying up the number of payments managed in the payment information management table 1519 whose payment date or payment due date falls in the half year to which the current time belongs.

[0075] Next, the credit information management server 10 acquires transaction stability information for the target period (past) (step S220). The transaction stability information includes the on-time payment rate and the on-time deposit rate.

[0076] The on-time payment rate is the proportion of payments that were made by the payment due date out of the total number of payments. As described above, the number of payments for the target period (past) is calculated by tallying the number of payments managed in the payment information management table 1519 whose payment due date falls within the corresponding period. Whether or not a payment has been made by the payment due date is determined by comparing the payment due date in the payment information management table 1519 with the payment date. The on-time payment rate is the proportion of payments that were made by the payment due date out of the total number of payments. The number of payments for the target period (past) and whether or not a payment has been made by the payment due date are calculated based on payment data obtained from the accounting management system of the corresponding company.

[0077] Next, the credit information management server 10 registers and displays the acquired transaction status information (step S230). The transaction status information (transaction volume information and transaction stability information) is specifically registered in the credit information management table 1521.

[0078] FIG. 19 illustrates a transaction status management screen 60 that displays transaction status information outputted from the credit information management terminal 30. As illustrated, the screen 60 has a transaction volume display area 62 that displays transaction volume information and a transaction stability display area 64 that displays transaction stability information. The transaction status management screen 60 illustrated in FIG. 19 corresponds to a case where the current time belongs to the "first half of 2024", the past part of the target period is the first half of 2023 and the second half of 2023, and the planned part is the first half of 2024. Among the transaction status information, the cost amount, the number of contracts, and the number of payments are displayed as values ​​aggregated by half year for information from the past to the planned part, and the sales amount, the on-time payment rate, and the on-time payment rate are displayed as values ​​aggregated by half year for information from the past.

[0079] FIG. 20 is a flowchart illustrating a process executed by the credit information management server 10 in response to selection of the obtain governance information button 54 on the credit information management screen 50 illustrated in FIG. 17. The credit information management server 10 first obtains approval rule appropriateness information as shown in the figure (step S300). In this example, the approval rule appropriateness information includes the average number of stages in the approval workflow and the number of registered approval workflows. The average number of stages is calculated based on the number of stages in the workflow information management table 1515. The number of approval workflows is calculated by tallying up the number of approval workflows managed in the workflow information management table 1515.

[0080] Next, the credit information management server 10 acquires the decision-making related amount information for the target period (past) (step S310). In this example, the decision-making related amount information includes the number of decision-making applications, the number of approvals in the decision-making, and the number of decisions (final approvals).

[0081] The number of approval requests in the target period (past) is calculated by counting the number of approval cases whose application date falls within the corresponding period among the approval cases managed in the approval case management table 1517. The number of approvals in the target period (past) is calculated by counting the number of approvals whose approval date falls within the corresponding period among the stages of approval cases managed in the approval information management table 1518. The number of decisions made in the target period (past) is calculated by counting the number of decisions whose approval date falls within the corresponding period and is the final stage among the stages of approval cases managed in the approval information management table 1518.

[0082] Next, the credit information management server 10 acquires approval speed information for the target period (past) (step S320). In this example, the approval speed information includes the average number of days required from application to final approval and the maximum number of days required.

[0083] The average number of days and maximum number of days required until final approval during the target period (past) are calculated based on the number of days required for approval cases managed in approval case management table 1517, whose final approval date falls within the corresponding period (determined by subtracting the application date from the final approval date).

[0084] Next, the credit information management server 10 registers and displays the acquired governance information (step S330). The governance information (approval rule appropriateness information, approval related amount information, and approval speed information) is specifically registered in the credit information management table 1521.

[0085] 21 illustrates a governance management screen 70 that displays governance information, outputted on the credit information management terminal 30. As shown in the figure, the screen 70 has a decision-making rule appropriateness display area 72 that displays decision-making rule appropriateness information, a decision-making related amount display area 74 that displays decision-making related amount information, and an approval speed display area 76 that displays approval speed information. Of the governance information, the decision-making rule appropriateness information displays a value based on the information at that time, and the decision-making related amount information and approval speed information display values ​​aggregated on a semi-annual basis for past information for the target period.

[0086] 17 is selected, the credit information management server 10 calculates a credit score based on the transaction status information and governance information described above. The calculated credit score is managed in the credit information management table 1521.

[0087] The credit score is calculated using a predetermined formula, and different formulas may be applied depending on the industry and business model. For example, the higher the sales amount, the smaller the expense amount, the larger the number of contracts, and the smaller the number of payments, the higher the credit score. Also, for example, the higher the on-time payment rate and the on-time deposit rate, the higher the credit score. Also, for example, the higher the average number of stages in the approval rule and the more approval workflows registered, the higher the credit score. Also, for example, the higher the number of approval requests, the more approvals, and the more decisions are made, the higher the credit score. Also, for example, the shorter the average number of days and maximum number of days required from application to final approval in the approval process, the higher the credit score.

[0088] In the above example, when the subject of the request is the conclusion of a purchase contract and a subscription transaction format is adopted (determined based on the request information), for example, the amount of the planned continuing purchase may be reflected in the planned cost amount.

[0089] In the above example, the transaction status information and governance information may be acquired based on the journal data acquired from the accounting management system. Also, the credit information management server 10 may be configured to have an accounting management function.

[0090] The credit information management server 10 according to the present embodiment described above obtains basic credit information (e.g., transaction status information and governance information) for providing credit to a company based on decision-making information related to the decision-making process carried out by the company, making it possible to obtain basic credit information based on information from the decision-making stage before a transaction is made. In other words, the credit information management server 10 supports the realization of appropriate credit for companies.

[0091] In other embodiments of the present invention, some or all of the functions of the credit information management server 10 in the above-described embodiments may be realized by cooperation between the credit information management server 10 and the user terminal 20 or the credit information management terminal 30, or may be realized by the user terminal 20 or the credit information management terminal 30. In other words, the system of the present invention may be constituted by the credit information management server 10, as well as by the credit information management server 10 and the user terminal 20 or the credit information management terminal 30, or may be constituted by the user terminal 20 or the credit information management terminal 30.

[0092] In another embodiment of the present invention, the control of the approval process may be performed by a device other than the credit information management server 10. In this case, the credit information management server 10 obtains approval-related information from the other device.

[0093] The processes and procedures described herein may be realized by software, hardware, or any combination thereof, other than those explicitly described. For example, the processes and procedures described herein may be realized by implementing logic corresponding to the processes and procedures in a medium such as an integrated circuit, a volatile memory, a non-volatile memory, or a magnetic disk. In addition, the processes and procedures described herein may be implemented as a computer program corresponding to the processes and procedures, and executed by various computers.

[0094] Although processes and procedures described herein are described as being performed by a single device, software, component, or module, such processes or procedures may be performed by multiple devices, software, components, and / or modules. Also, the software and hardware elements described herein may be realized by combining them into fewer components or breaking them down into more components.

[0095] In this specification, even if a component of the invention is described as either singular or plural, or described without limitation to either singular or plural, the component may be either singular or plural unless the context requires otherwise. [Explanation of symbols]

[0096] 10 Credit information management server 11. Computer Processors 112 Management function control section 114 Approval Control Department 116 Credit Information Management Department 15. Storage 151 Various Tables 1511 User Information Table 1512 Company Information Table 1513 Organization Information Table 1514 Job Title Information Table 1515 Workflow Information Management Table 1516 Workflow Stage Information Management Table 1517 Approval Management Table 1518 Approval Information Management Table 1519 Payment Information Management Table 1520 Credit Information Management Table 20 User terminal 30 Credit information management terminal 40 Server-side programs 42 User terminal program 44 Credit information management terminal program 50 Credit information management screen 60 Transaction status management screen 70 Governance Management Screen 200 Approval application request message 210 Approval information confirmation message 220 Approval Request Message

Claims

1. 1. A system comprising one or more computer processors, the one or more computer processors comprising: Obtaining decision-making related information related to a decision-making process carried out in a company; and acquiring basic credit information for providing credit to the company based on the approval-related information. system.

2. The basic credit information includes transaction status information indicating the transaction status of the company during a specific period. The system of claim 1.

3. The decision-making related information is decision-making application information indicating the contents of the decision-making application, and includes the decision-making application information including a date related to the transaction that is the subject of the decision-making, The step of acquiring basic credit information includes acquiring the transaction status information for the specific period based on the request for approval information. The system of claim 2.

4. The trading status information includes trading volume information indicating the volume of trading in the company. The system of claim 3.

5. the specified period includes a future period; The approval request information includes a future date related to the transaction that is the subject of the approval request; The step of acquiring basic credit information includes acquiring transaction volume information indicating a volume of transactions planned in the future period based on the request information. The system of claim 4.

6. The request information includes transaction type information indicating the type of transaction that is the subject of the request, the transaction type information including information regarding the continuity of the transaction, the step of acquiring basic credit information includes acquiring the transaction volume information for the future period based on the transaction type information; The system of claim 5.

7. The transaction status information includes transaction stability information indicating the stability of transactions in the company. The system of claim 2.

8. The credit basic information includes governance information indicating an evaluation of the corporate governance of the company. The system of claim 1.

9. The decision-making related information includes decision-making rule information indicating decision-making rules in the company, The governance information includes decision-making rule appropriateness information indicating the appropriateness of decision-making rules in the company, The step of acquiring basic credit information includes acquiring the decision-making rule appropriateness information based on the decision-making rule information. The system of claim 8.

10. The decision-making related information includes decision-making application information indicating the content of the decision-making application, and approval status information indicating the approval status of the decision-making, The governance information includes decision-making volume information indicating the volume of decision-making applications or approvals in the company, The step of acquiring basic credit information includes acquiring the decision-making related amount information based on the decision-making related information. The system of claim 8.

11. The decision-making related information includes decision-making application information indicating the content of the decision-making application, and approval status information indicating the approval status of the decision-making, The governance information includes approval speed information indicating the speed from application to approval of a request for approval in the company, The step of acquiring basic credit information includes acquiring the approval speed information based on the approval request-related information. The system of claim 8.

12. The one or more computer processors further perform the step of calculating a credit score for the company based on the credit basic information. The system of claim 1.

13. The basic credit information includes transaction volume information indicating the volume of transactions in the company, The step of calculating the credit score includes calculating the credit score such that the credit score is higher as the amount of the transaction is larger. The system of claim 12.

14. The credit basic information includes governance information indicating an evaluation of the corporate governance of the company, The step of calculating the credit score includes calculating the credit score such that the higher the evaluation of the corporate governance of the company, the higher the credit score. The system of claim 12.

15. A method implemented by one or more computers, comprising: Obtaining decision-making related information related to a decision-making process carried out in a company; and acquiring basic credit information for providing credit to the company based on the approval-related information. method.

16. On one or more computers, Obtaining decision-making related information related to a decision-making process carried out in a company; and acquiring basic credit information for providing credit to the company based on the approval-related information. program.

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