Supply chain management method and supply chain management system

Abstract

To support constructing a supply chain which is resilient to disruption risks.SOLUTION: A supply chain management method comprises: a step for forming, on the basis of transaction information and company information, a plurality of communities each including one or more companies and storing community information in a storage unit; a step for outputting the community information; a step for storing, in the storage unit, partner information pertaining to a partnership agreement upon receipt of input of information which indicates that the partnership agreement has been concluded between companies; a step for adding, on the basis of the partner information and supply chain information, information indicating a candidate for a new business partner to the supply chain information; a step for updating the supply chain information upon receipt of input of information indicating that a new transaction agreement has been concluded; and a step for generating, on the basis of an order of an article, the partner information, and the supply chain information, a purchase plan which includes the quantity of articles purchased according to the order and a delivery date between companies, and outputting the purchase plan.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a technology for managing a supply chain.

Background Art

[0002] As technologies for supporting a company's stable procurement activities, there are conventional technologies such as Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2023-66948 (Patent Document 1) and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-30466 (Patent Document 2).

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a technology that "in a procurement management system, a procurement management server includes an acquisition unit that acquires a request condition including a requested quantity of an item requested by a user and a supply condition including a supply quantity of the item by each of a plurality of suppliers capable of supplying the item, a determination unit that determines whether a distribution condition for distributing the requested quantity of the item to two or more of the plurality of suppliers is satisfied based on the request condition and the supply condition, a selection unit that selects two or more of the plurality of suppliers as a supply supplier group when the distribution condition is satisfied, a distribution step of distributing the requested quantity to the supply supplier group, and a server control unit." (See the abstract).

[0004] Patent Document 2 describes a technology that "includes a terminal server that connects an order-receiving company to a network, an authentication server that determines whether connection to the network is possible based on individual information input from the terminal of the order-receiving company according to an instruction from the terminal server, and an authentication database that manages the individual information of the order-receiving company for each user, and includes a determination means for the authentication server to determine whether connection to the network is possible based on the individual information input from the order-receiving company, a receiving means for receiving a quotation request case distributed to the terminal server, a storing means for storing the received quotation request case in a storage device, a distributing means for distributing the stored quotation request case to the terminal of the order-receiving company, a distributing means for distributing a quotation response of the order-receiving company to the distributed quotation request case to the terminal server, and a distributing means for distributing the distributed quotation response to the terminal of the ordering company according to the distribution request of the ordering company." (See the abstract).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] In recent years, the risk of supply chain disruption due to diseases, disasters, conflicts, etc. has been increasing. When the supply chain is disrupted, a significant impact on the procurement activities of enterprises is expected. Since it is difficult for individual enterprises to respond alone, there are signs that enterprises will cooperate to respond.

[0007] To address the risk of supply chain disruption, it is desirable to promote cooperation among enterprises in advance before an event that causes disruption occurs. For this purpose, it is assumed that enterprises will search for enterprises that are considered suitable as cooperation partners. However, since the number of enterprises operating in society is large and the conditions for determining whether a potential partner is suitable and the forms of cooperation are not uniform, a great deal of effort is required to find a suitable cooperation partner and build a supply chain. However, conventionally, technologies to support such activities have not been fully studied.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] To solve at least one of the above problems, the present invention provides a supply chain management method by a supply chain management system, where the supply chain management system includes an arithmetic unit and a storage unit. The storage unit holds transaction information including transaction records for each item of goods between enterprises, enterprise information including information related to the business of each enterprise, and supply chain information including information on contracts concluded regarding the transaction of goods between the enterprises. The supply chain management method includes: a first step in which the arithmetic unit forms a plurality of communities each including one or more enterprises by grouping enterprises that are mutually related based on the transaction information and the enterprise information, and stores community information regarding the formed communities in the storage unit; a second step in which the arithmetic unit outputs the community information; a third step in which when the arithmetic unit receives an input of information indicating that a partnership contract regarding cooperation in enterprise activities has been concluded between a first enterprise and a second enterprise among the plurality of enterprises, the arithmetic unit stores information regarding the partnership contract as partner information in the storage unit; a fourth step in which when the contract between a third enterprise and the first enterprise is included in the supply chain information based on the partner information and the supply chain information, and the contract between the third enterprise and the second enterprise is not included in the supply chain information, the arithmetic unit adds information indicating that the second enterprise is a candidate for a new trading partner of the third enterprise to the supply chain information; a fifth step in which when the arithmetic unit receives an input of information indicating that a new transaction contract has been concluded between the third enterprise and the second enterprise, the arithmetic unit updates the supply chain information based on the input information; and a sixth step in which the arithmetic unit generates and outputs a purchase plan including the purchase quantity and delivery date of the goods between the enterprises corresponding to the order based on the order for goods, the partner information, and the supply chain information.

Advantages of the Invention

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to support the construction of a supply chain that is resilient to the risk of disruption. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will be clarified by the description of the following embodiments.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a supply chain community system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] The supply chain community system 100 is a system for managing a supply chain based on a community of enterprises or the like, and is an information processing device such as a PC or a server computer. The supply chain community system 100 includes an input unit 110, an arithmetic unit 120, a storage unit 130, a communication unit 140, an output unit 150, and a display unit 160.

[0014] The calculation unit 120 includes a community formation unit 121, a supply chain update unit 122, and a supply chain planning unit 123. The calculation unit 120 may be a general-purpose CPU. In that case, the calculation unit 120 realizes the functions of the community formation unit 121, the supply chain update unit 122, and the supply chain planning unit 123 by executing the programs stored in the storage unit 130. The functions of these respective units will be described later (see FIGS. 9A, 9B, etc.).

[0015] The storage unit 130 stores community information 133, partner information 134, supply chain information 135, supply chain plan 136, and purchase plan 137. The storage unit 130 is constituted by, for example, a main storage device such as a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), and an auxiliary storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive).

[0016] The input unit 110 receives the input of information to the item search device 10 via an input device such as a keyboard, a touch panel, or a mouse.

[0017] The output unit 150 outputs, for example, the result of performing a predetermined process.

[0018] The display unit 160 outputs, for example, screen information including the result of performing a predetermined process via an output device such as a display.

[0019] The communication unit 140 transmits and receives information to and from devices connected via the network 200. For example, servers that manage, for example, transaction information 131, servers that manage company information 132, and servers of each company 300 are connected to the network 200. The communication unit 140 communicates necessary information with these servers.

[0020] The network 200 is, for example, any one of communication networks that use in part or in whole a general public line such as a LAN (Local Area Network), WAN (Wide Area Network), VPN (Virtual Private Network), or the Internet.

[0021] Next, the information that the supply chain community system 100 refers to for processing and the information generated by the processing will be described.

[0022] First, the information that the supply chain community system 100 refers to will be described. The supply chain community system 100 refers to transaction information 131 and enterprise information 132 and executes the processing described later. These pieces of information are managed by an external server or the like outside the supply chain community system 100. At least the information necessary for the processing described later among the transaction information 131 and the enterprise information 132 may be acquired by the supply chain community system 100 from an external server or the like and stored in the storage unit 130.

[0023] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the transaction information 131 that the supply chain community system 100 of the embodiment of the present invention refers to.

[0024] The transaction information 131 is information recording the results of transactions conducted between enterprises, and includes, for example, ID131a, branch number 131b, supplier 131c, buyer 131d, item 131e, required delivery date 131f, quantity 131g, delivery location 131h, delivery date 131i, and delivered quantity 131j, etc.

[0025] ID131a is information that identifies each transaction. Branch number 131b is a number that identifies each instance when a single transaction is carried out in multiple installments. Supplier 131c and buyer 131d indicate the seller and the purchaser in each transaction, respectively. Item 131e, requested delivery date 131f, quantity 131g, and delivery location 131h indicate the item, requested delivery date, quantity, and delivery location of the item subject to each transaction (e.g., product or part, etc.), respectively. Delivery date 131i and delivered quantity 131j indicate the date when the item subject to each transaction was actually delivered and the quantity actually delivered, respectively.

[0026] For example, the first row of the transaction information 131 shown in FIG. 2 indicates that Company A had an agreement to deliver 200 units of product Z to Company F1 by June 30, and actually 200 units were delivered on June 30. Also, the second and third rows indicate that Company P2 had an agreement to deliver 200 units of part X to Company A by June 30, but actually 180 units were delivered on June 30 and 20 units were delivered on July 1.

[0027] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the enterprise information 132 referred to by the supply chain community system 100 of the embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Enterprise information 132 is information about each enterprise and includes, for example, enterprise 132a, company name 132b, address 132c, phone number 132d, and business type 132e, etc. These indicate the identification information, name, location, contact information, and business type of each enterprise, respectively.

[0029] Next, the information generated by the supply chain community system 100 will be described. The supply chain community system 100 generates community information 133, partner information 134, supply chain information 135, supply chain plan 136, and purchase plan 137 by the processes described later and stores them in the storage unit 130.

[0030] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of community information 133 generated by the supply chain community system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Community information 133 is information regarding a community formed by a plurality of companies, and includes, for example, a community ID 133a, a community type 133b, a company 1_133c, a company 2_133d, and the like.

[0032] The community ID 133a is identification information for each community. The community type 133b indicates the type of each community. Examples of the community type include "transaction", "item", "location", and "industry type". "Transaction" indicates a community formed by companies that have a transaction record with each other. "Item" indicates a community formed by companies that handle similar items. "Location" indicates a community formed by companies that are close in location. "Industry type" indicates a community formed by companies that have a similar industry type.

[0033] The company 1_133c, the company 2_133d, and the like are identification information of the companies belonging to each community. In the example of FIG. 4, the company 1_133c and the company 2_133d are shown as the identification information of the companies belonging to each community. Generally, each community is formed by more companies, and the identification information of all those companies is recorded in the community information 133.

[0034] Note that one company may belong to a plurality of communities. For example, when one company handles a plurality of items, it may belong to different communities for each item. Alternatively, when one company conducts a plurality of businesses of different types, it may belong to different communities for each business. Alternatively, one company may belong to a community where the community type 133b is "transaction", a community where it is "item", a community where it is "location", and a community where it is "industry type", respectively.

[0035] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of partner information 134 generated by the supply chain community system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] The partner information 134 is information regarding partner contracts concluded among a plurality of companies, and includes, for example, a contract ID 134a, a contract type 134b, an item 134c, a company 1_134d, and a company 2_134e.

[0037] The contract ID 134a is identification information for each contract. The contract type 134b indicates the type of each contract. Examples of contract types include "joint purchase", "production financing", "inventory financing", and "referral". "Joint purchase" indicates a contract in which multiple companies jointly purchase the same item. "Production financing" indicates a contract in which alternative production is requested when the supply capacity is strained. "Inventory financing" indicates a contract in which surplus inventory is lent when inventory is strained. "Referral" indicates a contract in which multiple companies produce one product.

[0038] The item 134c indicates the item in a contract in which the target item is specified. The company 1_134d, the company 2_134e, etc. are identification information of the companies that concluded each contract. In the example of FIG. 5, the company 1_134c and the company 2_134d are shown as the identification information of the companies that concluded each contract, but for contracts concluded by three or more companies, the identification information of all those companies is recorded in the partner information 134.

[0039] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of supply chain information 135 generated by the supply chain community system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] The supply chain information 135 is information regarding the supply chain formed among a plurality of companies, and includes, for example, an item 135a, a supplier 135b, a customer 135c, a contract type 135d, a contract ID 135e, and a lead time (LT) 135f.

[0041] Item 135a is the identification information of the item of the goods to be traded. Supplier 135b and recipient 135c are the identification information of the supplier (for example, a company that is a seller) and the recipient (for example, a company that is a purchaser) in the transaction of the goods, respectively. Contract type 135d indicates the type of the contract. As the contract type 135d, for example, information indicating that a contract has been concluded and the transaction has started (for example, "transaction"), or information indicating that it is a candidate for a contract to be concluded in the future (for example, "procurement candidate", "sales candidate", etc.) is recorded.

[0042] Contract ID 135e is the identification information of the contract. Lead time 135f indicates the lead time determined by the contract in the transaction.

[0043] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the supply chain plan 136 generated by the supply chain community system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] As described later (FIG. 9B), the supply chain planning unit 123 creates a supply chain plan based on the supply chain information 135 and the like, and stores it in the storage unit 130 as the supply chain plan 136. The supply chain plan 136 includes, for example, a plan ID 136a, a supplier 136b, a recipient 136c, an item 136d, a delivery date 136e, and a quantity 136f.

[0045] Plan ID 136a is the identification information of the created supply chain plan. Supplier 136b and recipient 136c are the identification information of the supplier and the recipient of the target goods of each supply chain plan, respectively. Item 136d, delivery date 136e, and quantity 136f indicate the identification information of the item of the target goods of each supply chain plan, the delivery date, and the quantity to be procured, respectively.

[0046] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the purchase plan 137 generated by the supply chain community system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] As will be described later (Fig. 9B), the supply chain planning department 123 creates a purchase plan based on the supply chain plan 136 or the like, and stores it in the storage unit 130 as the purchase plan 137. The purchase plan 137 includes, for example, a purchase ID 137a, an item number 137b, a supplier 137c, a buyer 137d, an item 137e, a delivery date 137f, and a quantity 137g.

[0048] The purchase ID 137a is identification information of the created purchase plan. The item number 137b is information for identifying each when one created purchase plan (for example, a purchase plan based on one order) includes transactions related to a plurality of purchases. The supplier 137c and the buyer 137d are identification information of the seller and the purchaser of the target item of each purchase plan, respectively. The item 137e, the delivery date 137f, and the quantity 137g indicate the identification information of the item, the delivery date, and the quantity to be purchased of the target item of each purchase plan, respectively.

[0049] Next, the processing executed by the supply chain community system 100 will be described.

[0050] Figs. 9A and 9B are flowcharts showing an example of the processing executed by the supply chain community system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0051] Among the arithmetic units 120 of the supply chain community system 100, the community formation unit 121 refers to the transaction information 131 and the enterprise information 132, forms a community based on conditions, and stores it in the community information 133 (step S901).

[0052] For example, the community formation unit 121 may form a community including a plurality of companies that have transactions with each other and store the information in the community information 133. In that case, the community type 133b becomes "transaction". Similarly, when forming a community including a plurality of companies handling similar items, the community type 133b becomes "item". When forming a community including a plurality of companies with nearby locations, the community type 133b becomes "location". When forming a community including a plurality of companies with similar industries, the community type 133b becomes "industry".

[0053] The community formation unit 121 may refer to the transaction information 131 and the company information 132 and execute step S901, and update the community information 133, for example, periodically or when either the transaction information 131 or the company information 132 is changed.

[0054] A company joining the service of the supply chain community system 100 logs in to the supply chain community system 100 and selects any one of confirmation of the community, confirmation of transaction candidates, and execution of a plan (step S902). When confirmation of the community is selected, the community formation unit 121 refers to the community information 133 and outputs information indicating the community to which the logged-in company belongs, and the person in charge of the company confirms the community to which the company belongs based on the output information (step S903). Then, the person in charge of the company confirms information about the companies belonging to the same community as the company itself and concludes a partnership contract with any one of the companies (step S904). This process is performed by the person in charge outside the supply chain community system 100. Information on the concluded partnership contract is recorded in the partner information 134.

[0055] Thus, the process of confirming the community ends, and the company that has performed the process logs out (step S915).

[0056] Among the computing units 120 of the supply chain community system 100, the supply chain update unit 122 of the computing unit 120 refers to the partner information 134 and automatically registers candidate trading partners. Specifically, according to the type of transaction of the newly concluded partner contract, the supply chain update unit 122 adds information including the enterprise of the party as a candidate trading partner to the supply chain information 135 in the supply chains of the downstream enterprises and upstream enterprises that have transaction records with each enterprise that is a party to the contract in the supply chain of the newly concluded partner contract (step S905).

[0057] Here, an example of updating supply chain information based on a partner contract will be described.

[0058] FIGS. 10A to 10C are diagrams showing an example of updating supply chain information executed by the supply chain community system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0059] FIG. 10A shows an example of updating supply chain information when enterprise A and enterprise B conclude a production financing partner contract. In this example, both enterprise A and enterprise B are manufacturers. As shown by the solid arrows in FIG. 10A, enterprise A purchases part X from upstream enterprise (for example, a parts manufacturer) enterprise P1 and another part from enterprise P2, manufactures product Z, and sells the product Z to downstream enterprises (for example, trading companies) enterprise F1 and enterprise F2. On the other hand, enterprise B purchases parts from upstream enterprises enterprise P2 and enterprise P3 respectively, manufactures product Y, and sells the product Y to downstream enterprise enterprise F3. Information indicating these goods transactions is included in the supply chain information 135. On the other hand, at this point, since there is at least no transaction of product Z between enterprise B and enterprise F1, information regarding the transaction is not yet recorded in the supply chain information 135.

[0060] Here, when Company A and Company B newly conclude a production financing partnership contract for Product Z, it is presumed that Company B may produce Product Z in the same way as Company A, that is, it is presumed that Company F1 may purchase Product Z from Company B (instead of Company A or in addition to Company A). Therefore, in step S905, the supply chain update unit 122 generates information indicating a new transaction candidate with the target item 135a being "Product Z", the supplier 135b being "Company B", and the recipient 135c being "Company F1", and adds it to the supply chain information 135 (for example, the third line of the supply chain information 135 in FIG. 6).

[0061] At this point, no contract has been concluded between Company B and Company F1. Therefore, as the contract type 135d of the added information, information indicating that Company B is a candidate for a new purchase destination of Product Z by Company F1 (for example, "procurement candidate") is recorded. On the other hand, the contract ID 135e and the lead time 135f are blank. The supply chain community system 100 may notify Company F1 that Company A and Company B have newly concluded a production financing partnership contract for Product Z. Company F1 can use this notice as an opportunity for a new contract with Company B.

[0062] In addition, when Company A and Company B are trading companies or the like and conclude an inventory financing partnership contract, information regarding the procurement candidate between Company B and Company F1 for Product Z can also be added to the supply chain information 135 in the same manner as above.

[0063] FIG. 10B shows an example of the update of the supply chain information when Company A and Company B conclude a joint purchase partnership contract. The relationships between Company A and Company B and their upstream and downstream companies are the same as those shown by the solid arrows in FIG. 10A.

[0064] Here, when Company A and Company B newly conclude a partnering contract for co-purchasing component X, it is presumed that Company B may purchase component X in the same way as Company A, that is, it is presumed that there is a possibility that Company P1 can also sell component X to Company B. Therefore, in step S905, the supply chain update unit 122 generates information indicating a new transaction candidate with the target item 135a being "component X", the supplier 135b being "Company P1", and the recipient 135c being "Company B", and adds it to the supply chain information 135.

[0065] At this point, no contract has been concluded between Company P1 and Company B yet. Therefore, as the contract type 135d of the added information, information indicating that Company B is a candidate for the sales destination of component X by Company P1 (for example, "sales candidate") is recorded. On the other hand, the contract ID 135e and the lead time 135f are left blank. The supply chain community system 100 may notify Company P1 that Company A and Company B have newly concluded a partnering contract for co-purchasing component X. Company P1 can use this notice as an opportunity for a new contract with Company B.

[0066] FIG. 10C shows an example of the update of the supply chain information when Company A and Company B conclude a partnering contract for buddying. The relationships between Company A and Company B and their upstream and downstream companies are the same as those shown by the solid arrows in FIG. 10A.

[0067] Here, the case where Company A and Company B newly conclude a partnering contract for buddying will be described. In this example, Company A and Company B produce product Z. For example, when a partnering contract is concluded such that Company B performs the previous process and Company A performs the subsequent process among a plurality of processes for producing product Z, in step S905, the supply chain update unit 122 generates information indicating a new transaction candidate with the target item 135a being "product Z", the supplier 135b being "Company B", and the recipient 135c being "Company A", and adds it to the supply chain information 135.

[0068] At this point, since the subcontracting contract has already been concluded, the contract type 135d of the added information indicates that the contract type is subcontracting, the contract ID 135e contains the identification information of the contract, and the lead time 135f records the time required for the work of the process undertaken by Company B (for example, 1 day).

[0069] Furthermore, for example, when Company A sells product Z produced through subcontracting with Company B to Company F1, the supply chain update unit 122 adds information indicating that product Z is the subject of a subcontracting contract to the contract type 135d of the information with the target item 135a as "product Z", the supplier 135b as "Company A", and the recipient 135c as "Company F1" (the first line in the example of FIG. 6).

[0070] When the company that logged in at step S902 selects to confirm potential trading partners, the person in charge of the logged-in company checks the potential trading partner companies of its own company included in the supply chain information 135, negotiates with the potential trading partner companies as necessary, and inputs the result (that is, whether a contract has been concluded or not) into the supply chain community system 100 (step S906).

[0071] For example, after the production loan partnership contract shown in FIG. 10A is concluded and the supply chain information 135 is updated, if the person in charge of Company F1 logs in, the person in charge may negotiate with Company B and conclude a new contract to purchase product Z from Company B. Alternatively, after the co-purchase partnership contract shown in FIG. 10B is concluded and the supply chain information 135 is updated, if the person in charge of Company P1 logs in, the person in charge may negotiate with Company B and conclude a new contract to sell part X to Company B.

[0072] When information indicating that a contract has been concluded is input in step S906, the supply chain update unit 122 updates the supply chain information 135 so as to reflect the concluded contract (step S907). For example, the supply chain update unit 122 may update the contract type 135d of the corresponding information in the supply chain information 135 to "transaction" indicating that the contract has been concluded and transactions based thereon are being conducted, record the identification information of the contract in the contract ID 135e, and record the lead time determined in the contract in the lead time 135f.

[0073] Furthermore, in step S906, the community formation unit 121 updates the partner information 134 so as to reflect the concluded contract.

[0074] Thus, the process of confirming transaction candidates ends, and the company that has performed the process logs out (step S915).

[0075] When the company that logged in at step S902 selects plan execution, the person in charge of the logged-in company inputs transaction information into the supply chain community system 100 (step S908). The transaction information input here may include, for example, demand plans and inventory information. For example, when any company wants to purchase any item (e.g., a product or a part), the demand information may include order information such as the item number, required quantity, and required delivery date of the item. Also, the inventory information may include the latest inventory quantity for each item of each company.

[0076] Next, the supply chain planning unit 123 in the arithmetic unit 120 of the supply chain community system 100 executes the formulation of a supply chain plan (step S909). Specifically, the supply chain planning unit 123 formulates a supply chain plan based on the updated supply chain information 135 and creates a purchase plan based thereon (step S910). The formulated supply chain plan is stored as the supply chain plan 136, and the created purchase plan is stored as the purchase plan 137.

[0077] The purchase plan created here may include a multi-company purchase plan based on the established supply chain plan. For example, as shown in FIG. 10A, as a result of the conclusion of a partnership contract for production financing or inventory financing regarding product Z between Company A and Company B, when a supply chain plan regarding product Z with Company B as the supplier and Company F1 as the customer is added (see FIG. 7), the supply chain planning department 123 may create a multi-company purchase plan in which Company F1 purchases product Z from two companies, Company A and Company B (see, for example, the first and second lines of FIG. 8).

[0078] At this time, the supply chain planning department 123 determines the purchase quantity and delivery date of product Z from each of them so as not to exceed the upper limits of the supply capabilities (for example, production capacity or inventory level) of Company A and Company B. For example, when Company A sells product Z to Company F1 and F2, and Company B sells product Z and product Y to Company F1 and Company F3 respectively, the total production volume of product Z for Company F1 by Company A and the production volume of product Z for Company F2 by Company A does not exceed the production capacity of Company A, and the total production volume of product Z for Company F1 by Company B and the production volume of product Y for Company F3 by Company B does not exceed the production capacity of Company B, the purchase quantity and delivery date of product Z from Company A and Company B may be determined.

[0079] Furthermore, the supply chain planning department 123 creates a joint purchase plan based on the partnership contracts 134 to the supply chain plan 136 and adds it to the purchase plan 137 (step S911). For example, as shown in FIG. 10B, as a result of the conclusion of a partnership contract regarding the joint purchase of component X between Company A and Company B, when a supply chain plan regarding component X with Company P1 as the supplier and Company B as the customer is added, the supply chain planning department 123 may create a multi-company purchase plan in which Company A and Company B jointly (in other words, in one order) purchase component X from Company P1. In this case, the same purchase ID is assigned to the purchase plan in which a plurality of companies purchase in one order, and different branch numbers are assigned to the purchase plans of each company (see, for example, the third and fourth lines of FIG. 8).

[0080] Furthermore, the supply chain planning department 123 creates a purchasing plan for partner companies involved in the buddy system based on the partner contract 134 to the supply chain plan 136 and adds it to the purchasing plan 137 (step S912). For example, as shown in Fig. 10C, as a result of a buddy system partner contract regarding the manufacture of product Z being concluded between company A and company B, a supply chain plan for product Z with company B as the supplier and company A as the recipient, and a supply chain plan for product Z with company A as the supplier and company F1 as the recipient are added. In this case, the supply chain planning department 123 may create a purchasing plan in which company A purchases product Z (for example, semi-finished products of product Z, etc., where some processes have not yet been completed) from company B, and company F1 purchases product Z from company A.

[0081] In the purchasing plan created in this way, the same purchase ID is assigned to the purchasing plans among partner companies involved in the buddy system based on one order, and different branch numbers are assigned to each company. For example, as shown in the 5th and 6th rows of Fig. 8, when product Z is completed by the process of company A after the process of company B and sold to company F1, the same purchase ID is assigned to the purchasing plans of company B and company A regarding that product Z, and each is distinguished by a different branch number. At this time, for example, if the lead time of product Z of company A (in other words, the time required from when company A receives product Z from company B until it performs its own process and sells it to company F1) is 1 day, the delivery date of product Z from company B to company A is set 1 day before the delivery date of product Z from company A to company F1.

[0082] Note that the planning in steps S909 to S912 can be realized by any method, such as known discrete simulation or mathematical programming methods, etc., so detailed description is omitted.

[0083] The supply chain planning department 123 checks the created supply chain plan 136 and purchase plan 137, and when the replanning button 1307 in FIG. 13 described later is operated, it changes the transaction information and the supply chain plan 136 as necessary (step S913). Then, the supply chain planning department 123 determines whether replanning is necessary (step S914), and if it is determined that replanning is necessary, it returns to step S909. For example, when the transaction information and the supply chain plan 136 are changed in step S913, it may be determined whether replanning is necessary based on the changed content.

[0084] If it is determined in step S914 that replanning is not necessary, the process of purchase automation ends, and the enterprise that has performed the process logs out (step S915).

[0085] Next, an example of the information displayed in the process of the supply chain community system 100 will be described. The information described below may be displayed by the display unit 160 of the supply chain community system 100, or may be displayed by a display device (not shown) within the system of the enterprise 300 logged in to the supply chain community system 100. In the latter case, the communication unit 140 of the supply chain community system 100 transmits the information for display to the system of the enterprise 300 via the network 200.

[0086] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed in the community formation process executed by the supply chain community system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0087] FIG. 11 shows a community list display screen 1110, an enterprise list display screen 1120, a map display screen 1130, and a partner registration screen 1140.

[0088] The community list display screen 1110 is, for example, the screen displayed in step S903 of FIG. 9A, and includes a community list 1111, a list display button 1112, and a map display button 1113. As the community list 1111, a list of communities stored in the community information 133 is displayed. For example, the community list 1111 may include the number of registered communities, the number of affiliated companies, the last update date of information, and the status for each type of community. Here, the status is information indicating whether the logged-in company has confirmed information regarding the community in step S903, for example.

[0089] When the person in charge of the logged-in company selects any community type and operates the list display button 1112, the company list display screen 1120 is displayed. The company list display screen 1120 includes, for example, a company list 1121, an inquiry button 1122, and a partner registration button 1123.

[0090] As the company list 1121, a list of companies belonging to each community of the selected type is displayed. This company list 1121 may include, for example, the identification information, name, address, phone number, and email address of the company. When the person in charge of the logged-in company selects any company and operates the inquiry button 1122, the means of contacting the selected company (such as a call application or a mailer, etc.) is launched, and the person in charge can contact the company. As a result, if a partner contract is concluded with any company, the person in charge operates the partner registration button 1123 to register it, and the partner registration screen 1140 is displayed.

[0091] The partner registration screen 1140 includes, for example, a new partner registration section 1141 and an existing partner selection section 1142. When a new partner contract is concluded, the person in charge operates the new partner registration section 1141 to register the information of the partner contract. On the other hand, when newly participating in a partner contract that has already been concluded between other companies, the person in charge operates the existing partner selection section 1142 to add information indicating that the company participates in the partner contract.

[0092] Furthermore, when the person in charge operates the map display button 1113, the map display screen 1130 is displayed. The map display screen 1130 displays, for example, a map including information indicating the distribution of each region of the community of the selected type.

[0093] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed in the automatic registration process of candidate trading partners executed by the supply chain community system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0094] FIG. 12 shows a candidate trading partner list display screen 1200 and a supply chain display screen 1210.

[0095] The candidate trading partner list display screen 1200 is, for example, the screen displayed in step S906 of FIG. 9A, and includes a candidate trading partner list 1201, a supply chain display button 1202, a company information confirmation button 1203, an inquiry button 1204, and a transaction start button 1205. As the candidate trading partner list 1201, a list of information related to the logged-in company among the information stored in the supply chain information 135 is displayed. For example, the candidate trading partner list 1201 includes a list of information in the supply chain information 135 that is a company where either the supplier 135b or the customer 135c has logged in, and the contract type 135d is a value indicating that it is a candidate for a contract to be concluded.

[0096] Specifically, the list of potential business partners 1201 may include the identification information of the partner company, the items handled, the type of candidate (e.g., procurement candidate, purchase candidate, sales candidate, referral candidate, etc.), the date when the information was registered, and the status. Here, the status is information indicating, for example, whether the logged-in company has confirmed the information regarding the community in step S906.

[0097] When a person in charge of the logged-in company selects any of the information displayed as the list of potential business partners 1201 and operates the supply chain display button 1202, the supply chain display screen 1210 is displayed. On the supply chain display screen 1210, information indicating the flow of transactions of items related to the selected supply chain information is displayed.

[0098] FIG. 12 shows an example of the supply chain display screen 1210 that is displayed when a person in charge of company F1 logs in to the supply chain community system 100, refers to the list of potential business partners 1201, selects the first row, and operates the supply chain display button 1202. In this example, the flow of items based on the already concluded contract is indicated by a solid arrow, and the flow of items based on the candidates for contracts to be concluded is indicated by a dashed arrow.

[0099] For example, when a transaction has already been conducted where company F1 purchases parts Item01 and Item11 from company A, produces product Prod01, and ships it to company X1, and company B is presented as a new candidate for the purchase destination of part Item01, a dashed arrow regarding Item01 from company B to company F1 is displayed. The person in charge of company F1 can refer to this information, become aware of the existence of company B, which is a new candidate for the purchase destination of part Item01, and use it as a basis for their next actions.

[0100] For example, when an operator designates Company B and operates the company information confirmation button 1203, information regarding Company B may be displayed. Further, when the operator operates the inquiry button 1204, the means of contacting Company B is activated, and the operator can contact Company B. As a result, when a purchase contract for Item01 is concluded with Company B, if the operator operates the transaction start button 1205 to register it, the supply chain information 135 is updated so that the conclusion of the contract is reflected (step S907). Specifically, the contract type 135d related to the transaction is updated to a value indicating that a contract has been concluded and a transaction is being conducted. Also, the values of the contract ID 135e that identifies the contract and the lead time 135f determined by the contract are filled in.

[0101] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a supply chain plan executed by the supply chain community system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention and a screen displayed in the automated processing of purchasing.

[0102] FIG. 13 shows a proposal result confirmation screen 1300. The proposal result confirmation screen 1300 is, for example, the screen displayed in step S913 of FIG. 9B, and includes a result search section 1301, a supply chain display section 1302, a supply chain plan display section 1303, a purchase plan display section 1304, a transaction data edit button 1305, a plan edit button 1306, a replanning button 1307, and a plan confirmation button 1308.

[0103] Search conditions for the supply chain plan 136 and the purchase plan 137 are input to the result search section 1301. For example, when an operator of a company logged in to the supply chain community system 100 searches for the supply chain plan 136 and the purchase plan 137, desired search conditions can be input to the result search section 1301.

[0104] In the supply chain plan display section 1303 and the purchase plan display section 1304, the results of searching for the supply chain plan 136 and the purchase plan 137 based on the input search conditions are respectively displayed. In the example of FIG. 13, as input to the result search section 1301, the results of searching for the supply chain plan and the purchase plan regarding product Z with a delivery date from June 26, 2023 to July 7, 2023 are displayed. Also, in the supply chain display section 1302, the supply chain regarding product Z (for example, the flow of product Z and component X that constitutes it) is displayed.

[0105] The person in charge of the logged-in company can operate the transaction data editing button 1305 to edit the transaction data. Also, when the person in charge refers to the above information to check the supply chain etc. regarding the items handled by the company and wants to edit these plans, they can operate the plan editing button 1306 to edit. Also, when the person in charge operates the replanning button 1307, it is determined that replanning is necessary in step S914 of FIG. 9B, and when the person in charge operates the plan confirmation button 1308B, it is determined that replanning is not necessary in step 914.

[0106] Also, the system of the embodiment of the present invention may be configured as follows.

[0107] (1) A supply chain management method by a supply chain management system (e.g., supply chain community system 100), wherein the supply chain management system includes an arithmetic unit (e.g., arithmetic unit 120) and a storage unit (e.g., storage unit 130), the storage unit holds transaction information including transaction records for each item of goods between enterprises (e.g., at least a part of transaction information 131 copied to storage unit 130), enterprise information including information related to the business of each enterprise (e.g., at least a part of enterprise information 132 copied to storage unit 130), and supply chain information including information on contracts concluded regarding the transaction of goods between the enterprises (e.g., supply chain information 135), the supply chain management method includes a first procedure (e.g., step S901) in which the arithmetic unit forms a plurality of communities each including one or more enterprises by grouping enterprises that are mutually related based on the transaction information and the enterprise information, and stores community information regarding the formed communities in the storage unit, a second procedure (e.g., step S902) in which the arithmetic unit outputs the community information, a third procedure (e.g., step S904) in which when the arithmetic unit receives input of information indicating that a partnership contract regarding cooperation in enterprise activities has been concluded between a first enterprise and a second enterprise among the plurality of enterprises, stores information regarding the partnership contract as partner information in the storage unit, a fourth procedure (e.g., step S905) in which when a contract between a third enterprise and the first enterprise is included in the supply chain information and a contract between the third enterprise and the second enterprise is not included in the supply chain information based on the partner information and the supply chain information, the arithmetic unit adds information indicating that the second enterprise is a candidate for a new trading partner of the third enterprise to the supply chain information, a fifth procedure (e.g., steps S906, S907) in which when the arithmetic unit receives input of information indicating that a new transaction contract has been concluded between the third enterprise and the second enterprise, updates the supply chain information based on the input information, and a procedure in which the arithmetic unit, based on an order for goods, the partner information, and the supply chain information,A sixth step (for example, steps S908 to S912) of generating and outputting a purchase plan including the purchase quantity and delivery date of the goods between the enterprises according to the order, is included.

[0108] This supports the construction of a resilient supply chain by utilizing information on the community to which the enterprise belongs.

[0109] (2) The supply chain management method according to (1) above, wherein the partner information includes information indicating which of production financing for lending production capacity, inventory financing for lending inventory, co-purchasing for jointly purchasing goods from the same enterprise, and subcontracting for producing goods by sharing processes among multiple enterprises is the type of partner contract between the enterprises.

[0110] This supports the construction of a supply chain according to the type of partner contract.

[0111] (3) The supply chain management method according to (2) above, wherein in the fourth step, when the type of partner contract between the first enterprise and the second enterprise is the production financing or the inventory financing, and the supply chain information includes information indicating that the first enterprise is a purchasing destination of the third enterprise, the calculation unit adds information indicating that the second enterprise is a candidate for a new purchasing destination of the third enterprise to the supply chain information.

[0112] This supports the construction of a supply chain according to the type of partner contract.

[0113] (4) The supply chain management method according to (2) above, wherein in the fourth step, when the type of partner contract between the first enterprise and the second enterprise is the co-purchasing, and the supply chain information includes information indicating that the first enterprise is a sales destination of the third enterprise, the calculation unit adds information indicating that the second enterprise is a candidate for a new sales destination of the third enterprise to the supply chain information.

[0114] This supports the construction of a supply chain according to the type of partner contract.

[0115] (5) The supply chain management method according to (2) above, wherein in the sixth step, when the type of partner contract between the first company and the second company is production financing or inventory financing, the arithmetic unit generates the purchase plan so that the supply amounts from the first company and the second company do not exceed their respective supplyable amounts (i.e., the upper limit of supply capacity, such as production capacity or inventory quantity) by purchasing from the first company and the second company (for example, step S910).

[0116] This enables the formulation of a purchase plan according to the type of partner contract and the supply chain information based thereon.

[0117] (6) The supply chain management method according to (2) above, wherein in the sixth step, when the type of partner contract between the first company and the second company is joint purchasing, the arithmetic unit generates the purchase plan so as to include the items purchased by the first company and the second company from the same company in one order (for example, step S911).

[0118] This enables the formulation of a purchase plan according to the type of partner contract and the supply chain information based thereon.

[0119] (7) The supply chain management method according to (2) above, wherein the supply chain information includes information on lead time in the transaction of goods between companies (for example, lead time 135f), and in the sixth step, when the type of partner contract between the first company and the second company is buddy rotation and the process of the first company is performed after the process of the second company, the arithmetic unit determines the required delivery date from the first company to the second company based on the required delivery date of the item ordered for the first company and the lead time in the first company, and generates the purchase plan (for example, step S912).

[0120] Accordingly, it is possible to formulate a purchase plan according to the type of partner contract and the supply chain information based thereon.

[0121] (8) The supply chain management method according to (1) above, wherein the enterprise information includes information on the location and business type of each enterprise, and in the first step, the calculation unit groups at least any one of a plurality of enterprises having a transaction record with each other, a plurality of enterprises having similar transaction items, a plurality of enterprises having a close location, and a plurality of enterprises having a similar business type, thereby forming the plurality of communities.

[0122] Accordingly, it is possible to form appropriate communities from various viewpoints.

[0123] Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail for better understanding of the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations of the description. Also, a part of the configuration of one embodiment can be replaced with the configuration of another embodiment, and the configuration of another embodiment can be added to the configuration of one embodiment. Also, for a part of the configuration of each embodiment, addition, deletion, or replacement with other configurations is possible.

[0124] In addition, each of the above configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, etc. may be realized in hardware by designing a part or all of them, for example, by means of an integrated circuit. Also, each of the above configurations, functions, etc. may be realized in software by a processor interpreting and executing a program for realizing each function. Information such as a program, a table, and a file for realizing each function can be stored in a storage device such as a non-volatile semiconductor memory, a hard disk drive, an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a computer-readable non-temporary data storage medium such as an IC card, an SD card, or a DVD.

[0125] Also, the control lines and information lines show what is considered necessary for explanation, and not all control lines and information lines are necessarily shown on the product. In reality, it may be considered that almost all components are interconnected.

Explanation of Signs

[0126] 100 Supply Chain Community System 110 Input Unit 120 Arithmetic Unit 121 Community Formation Unit 122 Supply Chain Update Unit 123 Supply Chain Planning Unit 130 Storage Unit 131 Transaction Information 132 Company Information 133 Community Information 134 Partner Information 135 Supply Chain Information 136 Supply Chain Plan 137 Purchase Plan 140 Communication Unit 150 Output Unit 160 Display Unit 200 Network 300 Company

Claims

1. A supply chain management method by a supply chain management system, comprising: The supply chain management system includes an arithmetic unit and a storage unit; The storage unit stores transaction information including transaction records for each item of goods between enterprises, enterprise information including information related to the business of each enterprise, and supply chain information including information on contracts concluded regarding the transaction of goods between the enterprises; The supply chain management method includes: A first step in which the arithmetic unit forms a plurality of communities each including one or more enterprises by grouping enterprises that are mutually related based on the transaction information and the enterprise information, and stores community information regarding the formed communities in the storage unit; A second step in which the arithmetic unit outputs the community information; A third step in which, when the arithmetic unit receives input of information indicating that a partnership contract regarding cooperation in enterprise activities has been concluded between a first enterprise and a second enterprise among the plurality of enterprises, the arithmetic unit stores information regarding the partnership contract in the storage unit as partner information; A fourth step in which, based on the partner information and the supply chain information, when a contract between a third enterprise and the first enterprise is included in the supply chain information and a contract between the third enterprise and the second enterprise is not included in the supply chain information, the arithmetic unit adds information indicating that the second enterprise is a candidate for a new trading partner of the third enterprise to the supply chain information; A fifth step in which, when the arithmetic unit receives input of information indicating that a new transaction contract has been concluded between the third enterprise and the second enterprise, the arithmetic unit updates the supply chain information based on the input information; A sixth step in which the arithmetic unit generates and outputs a purchase plan including the purchase quantity and delivery date of the goods between the enterprises corresponding to the order based on the order, the partner information, and the supply chain information. A supply chain management method characterized by including the above steps.

2. The supply chain management method according to Claim 1, wherein: The partner information includes information indicating which of the following types of partner contracts between the enterprises is: production financing for lending production capacity, inventory financing for lending inventory, co-purchasing for jointly purchasing goods from the same enterprise, or partner rotation for producing goods with multiple enterprises sharing the processes. This is a supply chain management method characterized by this.

3. The supply chain management method according to claim 2, In the fourth step, the calculation unit When the type of partner contract between the first enterprise and the second enterprise is the production financing or the inventory financing, and the supply chain information includes information indicating that the first enterprise is a purchaser of the third enterprise, the supply chain information is added with information indicating that the second enterprise is a candidate for a new purchaser of the third enterprise. This is a supply chain management method characterized by this.

4. The supply chain management method according to claim 2, In the fourth step, the calculation unit When the type of partner contract between the first enterprise and the second enterprise is the co-purchasing, and the supply chain information includes information indicating that the first enterprise is a sales destination of the third enterprise, the supply chain information is added with information indicating that the second enterprise is a candidate for a new sales destination of the third enterprise. This is a supply chain management method characterized by this.

5. The supply chain management method according to claim 2, In the sixth step, when the type of partner contract between the first enterprise and the second enterprise is the production financing or the inventory financing, the calculation unit generates the purchase plan so that the supply amounts from the first enterprise and the second enterprise do not exceed their respective supplyable amounts by the purchases from the first enterprise and the second enterprise. This is a supply chain management method characterized by this.

6. The supply chain management method according to claim 2, In the sixth step, when the type of partner contract between the first enterprise and the second enterprise is the co-purchasing, the calculation unit generates the purchase plan so that the goods purchased by the first enterprise and the second enterprise from the same enterprise are included in one order. This is a supply chain management method characterized by this.

7. The supply chain management method according to claim 2, The supply chain information includes information on the lead time in the transaction of goods between enterprises. In the sixth step, when the type of the partnership contract between the first enterprise and the second enterprise is the buddy system in the sixth step, and the process of the first enterprise is performed after the process of the second enterprise, based on the required delivery date of the goods ordered for the first enterprise and the lead time in the first enterprise, the supply chain management method is characterized in that the required delivery date from the first enterprise to the second enterprise is determined to generate the purchase plan.

8. The supply chain management method according to claim 1, The enterprise information includes information on the location and business type of each enterprise. In the first step, the calculation unit forms the plurality of communities by grouping at least any one of a plurality of enterprises with transaction records with each other, a plurality of enterprises with similar transaction items, a plurality of enterprises with close locations, and a plurality of enterprises with similar business types. The supply chain management method is characterized by this.

9. A supply chain management system, It has a calculation unit and a storage unit, The storage unit holds transaction information including transaction records for each item of goods between enterprises, enterprise information including information on the business of each enterprise, and supply chain information including information on contracts concluded regarding the transaction of goods between the enterprises. The calculation unit, Based on the transaction information and the enterprise information, by grouping related enterprises with each other, a plurality of communities each including one or more enterprises are formed, and community information regarding the formed communities is stored in the storage unit. Output the community information, When receiving the input of information indicating that a partnership contract regarding cooperation in enterprise activities has been concluded between a first enterprise and a second enterprise among the plurality of enterprises, store the information regarding the partnership contract as partner information in the storage unit. Based on the partner information and the supply chain information, when the contract between the third enterprise and the first enterprise is included in the supply chain information and the contract between the third enterprise and the second enterprise is not included in the supply chain information, information indicating that the second enterprise is a candidate for a new trading partner of the third enterprise is added to the supply chain information. When receiving an input of information indicating that a new transaction contract has been concluded between the third company and the second company, update the supply chain information based on the input information, A supply chain management system characterized by generating and outputting a purchase plan including the purchase quantity and delivery date of the goods between the companies according to the order, based on the order of goods, the partner information, and the supply chain information.

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