Inventory adjustment device, inventory adjustment method and program

Abstract

To reduce a space required to store commodities in a shelter.SOLUTION: An inventory adjustment device includes an acquisition part, an administrative part, an estimation part and a determination part. The acquisition part obtains first inventory information showing a quantity of commodity stock by each of a plurality of shops within an object area. The administrative part uses the first inventory information to generate integration information showing a quantity of commodity stock by an object area unit. The estimation part calculates a necessary commodity amount being an estimation result of a commodity amount needed for a plurality of object persons present within the object area. The determination part uses the integration information and the necessary commodity amount to generate first adjustment information showing an inventory adjustment necessity of commodities in each of the plurality of shops.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an inventory adjustment device, an inventory adjustment method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] In preparation for emergencies, supplies are often stockpiled. For example, the device described in Patent Document 1 performs a process to procure the shortage of stockpiled supplies at evacuation shelters compared to the required quantity by bidding with local businesses before a disaster occurs. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-191793 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] As exemplified in Patent Document 1, supplies necessary in the event of a disaster are often stockpiled at evacuation shelters. However, this method requires that the necessary amount of supplies be stored, which results in a large amount of space being required to store the supplies at the evacuation shelter. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The inventory adjustment device in the present disclosure includes: an acquisition means for acquiring first inventory information indicating the inventory quantity of goods for each of a plurality of stores within a target area; a management means for generating aggregate information indicating the inventory quantity of the material for each of the target areas using the first inventory information; an estimation means for calculating a required amount of supplies, which is an estimation result of the amount of supplies required by a plurality of subjects located in the target area; a determining means for generating first adjustment information indicating the need for inventory adjustment of the material at each of the plurality of stores using the aggregated information and the required material amount; Equipped with.

[0006] The inventory adjustment method of the present disclosure includes: Obtain first inventory information showing the stock quantity of goods at multiple stores within the target area, generating aggregate information indicating the inventory quantity of the material for each of the target areas using the first inventory information; calculating a required amount of supplies, which is an estimate of the amount of supplies required for a plurality of subjects located in the target area; The aggregate information and the required quantity of materials are used to generate first adjustment information indicating the need for inventory adjustment of the materials at each of the plurality of stores.

[0007] The program in the present disclosure is installed on at least one computer. an acquisition means for acquiring first inventory information indicating the inventory quantity of goods for each of a plurality of stores within a target area; a management means for generating aggregate information indicating the inventory quantity of the material for each of the target areas using the first inventory information; an estimation means for calculating a required amount of supplies, which is an estimation result of the amount of supplies required by a plurality of subjects located in the target area; a determining means for generating first adjustment information indicating the need for inventory adjustment of the material at each of the plurality of stores using the aggregated information and the required material amount; Let them have it. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce the space required to store supplies at evacuation shelters. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an environment in which an inventory adjustment device according to the present disclosure is used. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of an inventory adjustment device. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an inventory adjustment device. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing operation of the inventory adjustment device. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of an inventory adjustment device. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of information stored in a personal information storage unit. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of information stored in a store information storage unit. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing operation of the inventory adjustment device. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an environment in which an inventory adjustment device is used. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen displayed by a personal device. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of information stored in a personal information storage unit. [Figure 12] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of information stored in a personal information storage unit. [Figure 13] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an environment in which an inventory adjustment device is used. [Figure 14] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing operation of the inventory adjustment device. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of an inventory adjustment device. [Figure 16] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of information stored in a disaster information storage unit. [Figure 17] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of information stored in a material information storage unit. [Figure 18] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of an inventory adjustment device. [Figure 19] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of an inventory adjustment device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, in this disclosure, the drawings relate to one or more embodiments. In all drawings, similar components are denoted by similar reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted as appropriate. In this disclosure, the store functions as a warehouse for storing supplies to be supplied to the target person in an emergency.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 1, the inventory adjustment device 10 is used together with a store device 20. The store device 20 manages inventory of goods at multiple stores. Examples of goods are commodities, such as food, beverages, medicines, and clothing, which are necessary in emergencies. The multiple stores may belong to the same category or may belong to different categories. For example, some stores, such as supermarkets and convenience stores, sell multiple types of goods (e.g., food, beverages, and clothing). Other stores may sell only specific goods, such as medicines or clothing. In the example shown in this figure, a store device 20 is provided for each of the multiple stores. However, one store device 20 may manage inventory of goods at multiple stores.

[0012] The store device 20 may be at least a part of a POS (Point of Sales) system. In this case, the inventory adjustment device 10 can use inventory data managed by the POS system for each store. Note that multiple stores may have independent POS systems. One example of such a case is when multiple stores belong to different companies. In this case, the inventory adjustment device 10 can use inventory data managed by these multiple POS systems for each store.

[0013] The inventory adjustment device 10 performs a process to adjust the inventory of materials needed in an emergency among multiple stores. At least a portion of the data generated by this process is sent to the store device 20. The inventory adjustment device 10 performs the above-mentioned process during normal times, and also during an emergency. Here, at least a portion of the process performed by the inventory adjustment device 10 during normal times may be different from the process performed by the inventory adjustment device 10 during an emergency.

[0014] The inventory adjustment device 10 adjusts inventory among multiple stores located within the same target area. This target area is set in advance. As an example, one target area is an area where evacuation to the same evacuation facility is set. However, the criteria for setting one target area are not limited to this example. Then, in an emergency, for example, when a disaster occurs, each of multiple target people located within the target area will go to a store located within the target area to pick up supplies. At this time, the target people will go to, for example, the nearest store among the stores managed by the inventory adjustment device 10.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 2, the inventory adjustment device 10 includes an acquisition unit 110, a management unit 120, an estimation unit 130, and a determination unit 140.

[0016] The acquisition unit 110 acquires first inventory information. For example, the acquisition unit 110 acquires the first inventory information from the store device 20. The first inventory information indicates the inventory quantity of materials for each of multiple stores within the target area. The first inventory information may be independent information for each store, or may be information indicating the inventory quantity of materials for each of multiple stores in list form. When there are multiple types of materials to be managed by the inventory adjustment device 10, the first inventory information indicates the inventory quantity for each of these multiple types of materials.

[0017] The first inventory information may indicate the number of items actually in stock at the store, or may indicate the number of items in stock plus the number of items scheduled to arrive in the future. This addition process may be performed by the acquisition unit 110 or the in-store device 20. The number of items scheduled to arrive in the future is identified, for example, using order information from the store.

[0018] The management unit 120 generates aggregated information using the first inventory information. The aggregated information includes the inventory quantity of the material throughout the target area. For example, the management unit 120 generates aggregated information for a material by adding up the inventory quantities of the material at multiple stores. If there are multiple types of material to be managed by the inventory adjustment device 10, the management unit 120 generates aggregated information for each of the multiple types of material.

[0019] The estimation unit 130 calculates the amount of supplies needed. The amount of supplies needed is an estimation result of the amount of supplies needed for multiple subjects located in the target area. For example, the estimation unit 130 calculates the amount of supplies needed using information about people located in the target area. In this case, the estimation unit 130 may use information indicating the amount of supplies needed per person, for example. This information is prepared in advance. For example, the estimation unit 130 calculates the amount of supplies needed using the number of subjects located in the target area and the amount of supplies needed per person.

[0020] For example, the estimation unit 130 estimates the number of target people using the number of wireless communication devices connected to the wireless base station that has the target area within its communication range, and calculates the amount of supplies needed using this number and the amount of supplies needed per person. In this way, the estimation unit 130 can accurately calculate the amount of supplies needed.

[0021] Here, wireless base stations are maintained by companies responsible for communication infrastructure, such as mobile phone companies. The number of wireless communication devices connected to a wireless base station, such as mobile phones and tablet devices, is proportional to the number of people in the target area. Therefore, the estimation unit 130 can estimate the number of subjects by multiplying the number of wireless communication devices connected to the wireless base station by a predetermined coefficient. The estimated number of subjects reflects the number of people whose addresses are within the target area and the number of people commuting to work or school from other areas. The number of wireless communication devices connected to a wireless base station is calculated, for example, as an average value over a predetermined period, but is not limited to this. The predetermined period used here is, for example, one week or more. The estimation unit 130 may calculate average values by time period and then use the maximum value as the number of subjects. The process of estimating the number of subjects may be performed by a device external to the inventory adjustment device 10. In this case, the estimation unit 130 obtains the estimated number of subjects from this external device.

[0022] The estimation unit 130 may calculate the amount of supplies needed using sales information for supplies at multiple stores located within the target area. The estimation unit 130 may acquire sales information from, for example, a POS system. For example, the estimation unit 130 may use the sales information for supplies at multiple stores to calculate the number of sales of the supplies at these multiple stores per unit period (e.g., one day), and calculate the amount of supplies needed by multiplying this sales number by a predetermined coefficient. In this way, the estimation unit 130 can also accurately calculate the amount of supplies needed.

[0023] The determination unit 140 generates first adjustment information using the aggregate information and the required quantity of supplies. The first adjustment information indicates the need for inventory adjustment of supplies at each of multiple stores. For example, the first adjustment information includes information for sharing supplies among multiple stores located within a target area. As an example, the first adjustment information includes the type and quantity of supplies to be transported from one store to another. However, the first adjustment information does not need to include this information, or may include other information.

[0024] The inventory adjustment device 10 has, as a hardware configuration, for example, a bus 1010, a processor 1020, a memory 1030, a storage device 1040, an input / output interface 1050, and a network interface 1060, as shown in FIG.

[0025] The bus 1010 is a data transmission path for transmitting and receiving data among the processor 1020, memory 1030, storage device 1040, input / output interface 1050, and network interface 1060. However, the method of connecting the processor 1020 and the like to each other is not limited to bus connection.

[0026] The processor 1020 is implemented by a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or the like.

[0027] The memory 1030 is a main storage device realized by a RAM (Random Access Memory) or the like.

[0028] The storage device 1040 is an auxiliary storage device realized by removable media such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or a memory card, or a read-only memory (ROM), and includes a recording medium. The recording medium of the storage device 1040 stores program modules that realize each function of the inventory adjustment device 10 (e.g., the acquisition unit 110, the management unit 120, the estimation unit 130, the determination unit 140, and the limiting unit 200 described below). The processor 1020 loads and executes each of these program modules into the memory 1030, thereby realizing each function corresponding to the program module. The storage device 1040 may also function as a memory unit that stores various information (e.g., at least one of the personal information memory unit 150, the store information memory unit 160, the disaster information memory unit 170, the supplies information memory unit 180, and the stockpiled information memory unit 190 described below).

[0029] The input / output interface 1050 is an interface for connecting the inventory adjustment device 10 to various input / output devices.

[0030] The network interface 1060 is an interface for connecting the inventory adjustment device 10 to a network. This network may be, for example, a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN). The network interface 1060 may connect to the network wirelessly or via a wired connection. The inventory adjustment device 10 may communicate with the store devices 20 and the personal devices 30 (described later) via the network interface 1060.

[0031] The inventory adjustment device 10 may be realized by a plurality of devices each having the configuration shown in FIG.

[0032] The inventory adjustment device 10 operates, for example, as shown in FIG. 4. First, the acquisition unit 110 acquires first inventory information (step S10). Next, the management unit 120 generates aggregated information using the first inventory information acquired in step S10 (step S20). The estimation unit 130 calculates the amount of required supplies (step S30). Step S30 may be performed before steps S10 and S20, or may be performed in parallel with these. Then, the determination unit 140 generates and outputs first adjustment information (step S40). An example of a destination to which the first adjustment information is output is the store device 20.

[0033] The inventory adjustment device 10 may periodically perform the process shown in Fig. 4 during normal times, or may perform the process shown in Fig. 4 during an emergency.

[0034] In this manner, the determination unit 140 of the inventory adjustment device 10 generates first adjustment information. The first adjustment information indicates the need for inventory adjustment of goods at each of the multiple stores. This allows the multiple stores to be used as spaces for storing goods to be used in emergencies. This reduces the space required to store goods at evacuation shelters.

[0035] Furthermore, if supplies are stockpiled at evacuation centers, they will not be used unless an emergency occurs, and there is a possibility that the supplies will reach their expiration date. In this case, the supplies will need to be discarded. In contrast, if multiple stores are used as a space to store supplies to be used in emergencies, the inventory will rotate through sales, and the frequency of discarding supplies will be significantly reduced.

[0036] 5, the inventory adjustment device 10 may use information stored in a personal information storage unit 150 and a store information storage unit 160. The personal information storage unit 150 and the store information storage unit 160 may be part of the inventory adjustment device 10 or may be located external to the inventory adjustment device 10.

[0037] The personal information storage unit 150 stores personal information for each of multiple subjects located in the target area. The personal information includes addresses and attribute information of the subjects, for example, as shown in FIG. 6. The attribute information includes information that may affect the amount of supplies required per person, such as gender and age. In the example shown in FIG. 6, each of the multiple subjects is assigned personal identification information, and the address and attribute information are linked to the personal identification information and stored in the personal information storage unit 150. Note that the personal identification information may be a string of alphanumeric characters or biometric information of the individual, such as facial information. The personal information stored in the personal information storage unit 150 includes addresses. These addresses can also be considered information regarding the distribution of the locations of the multiple subjects within the target area, i.e., distribution information.

[0038] If the inventory adjustment device 10 can use the personal information storage unit 150, the estimation unit 130 may estimate the number of subjects using the personal information storage unit 150. For example, the estimation unit 130 may estimate the number of subjects by multiplying the number of people whose personal information is registered in the personal information storage unit 150 by a predetermined coefficient. The predetermined coefficient may be 1 or greater.

[0039] The store information storage unit 160 stores detailed information for each of a plurality of stores located in the target area. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the detailed information stores the store name, information indicating the store's location, information indicating the area covered by the store, i.e., the area to which the store should distribute supplies in an emergency, and attribute information for the store. The information indicating the store's location and the information indicating the area covered by the store may be an address or latitude and longitude information. The attribute information for the store includes at least the category of supplies that the store normally sells. Note that the store information storage unit 160 does not have to store at least one of the information indicating the area covered by the store and the attribute information.

[0040] The inventory adjustment device 10 shown in Figure 5 performs, for example, the process shown in Figure 8. First, the acquisition unit 110 of the inventory adjustment device 10 acquires first inventory information (step S10). Next, the management unit 120 generates aggregated information (step S20).

[0041] Next, the determination unit 140 acquires distribution information. As an example, the determination unit 140 acquires the addresses of each of the multiple subjects within the target area as distribution information from the personal information storage unit 150 (step S32). The determination unit 140 also acquires information regarding the locations of multiple stores located within the target area. An example of this information is at least one of the address and area of each store stored in the store information storage unit 160.

[0042] Then, the determining unit 140 generates first adjustment information using the distribution information and information on the locations of the plurality of stores.

[0043] For example, the determination unit 140 calculates, for each store, the number of people who live in the area covered by that store. The determination unit 140 then calculates the amount of supplies needed for that store using this number of people and the amount of supplies needed per person. In this way, the determination unit 140 calculates the amount of supplies needed for each of the multiple stores (step S34).

[0044] The determination unit 140 then generates first adjustment information using the necessary supply quantities for each of the multiple stores and the aggregate information. This first adjustment information includes at least information indicating the type and quantity of supplies to be transported from one store to another. Here, it is preferable that both the delivery source store and the delivery destination store are stores that sell the supplies. As an example, it is preferable that the delivery source store and the delivery destination store have the same supply category stored in the store information storage unit 160 shown in FIG. 7. However, this is not limited to the case in an emergency.

[0045] The determination unit 140 then outputs the generated first adjustment information (Step S40). For example, the determination unit 140 outputs, to the in-store device 20, the first adjustment information in which the store corresponding to the in-store device 20 is the delivery origin or delivery destination.

[0046] For example, the determination unit 140 calculates an allocation ratio for each item by dividing the required amount of the item at the store by the total amount of the required items at each of the multiple stores, and then calculates the amount of the item to be allocated to the store by multiplying the inventory quantity indicated by the consolidated information by this allocation ratio.The determination unit 140 then generates first adjustment information so that the inventory amount at the store becomes equal to or close to the calculated amount of the item.

[0047] The determination unit 140 may determine, for each of a plurality of subjects, the store closest to the address of that subject as the store to which that subject should be assigned. In this case, the determination unit 140 calculates, for each of a plurality of stores, the number of subjects assigned to that store. Note that "closest" may mean the closest in terms of straight-line distance, or the shortest length of the road from the address of the subject to the store.

[0048] The estimation unit 130 may perform the following process instead of the processes shown in steps S32 and S34. In this example, the personal information storage unit 150 stores information about people who have addresses within the target area, as well as information about people who have addresses outside the target area. First, the estimation unit 130 extracts people who have addresses within the target area from the personal information storage unit 150. This allows the estimation unit 130 to identify the number of target people. The estimation unit 130 then calculates the amount of supplies needed using this number of people and the amount of supplies needed per person. In this way, the accuracy of the amount of supplies needed calculated by the estimation unit 130 is improved.

[0049] In this example and the example shown in FIG. 8, the required amount of supplies per person may vary depending on attribute information. For example, the required amount of supplies per person may vary depending on at least one of age and gender. In this case, the estimation unit 130, for example, determines the required amount of supplies corresponding to the attribute information of each of multiple subjects and calculates the required amount of supplies by aggregating these required amounts. The estimation unit 130 may also calculate the number of subjects for each attribute information, multiply this number by the "required amount of supplies per person" corresponding to the attribute information, and calculate the required amount of supplies by aggregating these multiplied values. In this way, the accuracy of the required amount of supplies calculated by the estimation unit 130 is further improved.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 9, the inventory adjustment device 10 may be used with a plurality of personal devices 30 in addition to a plurality of in-store devices 20. The personal devices 30 are operated by, for example, each of a plurality of subjects. An example of the personal devices 30 is a portable wireless communication device such as a smartphone or tablet terminal. The information stored in the personal information storage unit 150 is input by the subjects via the personal devices 30.

[0051] When inventory adjustment of a material at each of a plurality of stores is performed using the first inventory information, the determination unit 140 of the inventory adjustment device 10 may transmit second inventory information indicating the presence or absence of the material in stock at at least one store to at least one personal device 30. The second inventory information may include the quantity of stock in each of the plurality of stores after the inventory adjustment is performed. The second inventory information may also include information that can identify a store assigned to the subject operating the personal device 30 to which the information is to be transmitted, and the quantity of stock in that store. An example of information that can identify a store is at least one of an address and a store name.

[0052] The personal device 30 then displays the second inventory information as shown in Figure 10. In this way, the subject can easily know which store they should go to to obtain the goods.

[0053] When transmitting the second inventory information to the personal device 30, the determination unit 140 uses information necessary to transmit information to the personal device 30, such as an email address assigned to the target person or account information for a social networking service (SNS). Hereinafter, this information will be referred to as communication destination information.

[0054] 11 , the personal information storage unit 150 may store communication destination information of the personal device 30. In this case, the determination unit 140 transmits the second inventory information to the personal device 30 using the communication destination information stored in the personal information storage unit 150. The communication destination information is registered in the personal information storage unit 150 by the subject via the personal device 30, for example.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 12, the personal information storage unit 150 may store physical constitution information of subjects. Physical constitution information is information that can identify the number of subjects who have a specific physical constitution. An example of a specific physical constitution is an allergic reaction to a specific ingredient. In this case, there are multiple types of the specific ingredient. The physical constitution information can identify the number of subjects for each of the multiple ingredients. An example of physical constitution information is information that indicates, for each subject, the ingredients to which the subject has an allergic reaction.

[0056] There may be multiple materials managed by the inventory adjustment device 10, and at least one of these materials may correspond to a specific physical constitution. One example of such a material, i.e., a first material, is a food product that corresponds to an allergy to a specific ingredient. In this case, the second inventory information transmitted to the personal device 30 of a subject with that physical constitution preferably indicates at least a store that has in stock the first material that corresponds to that physical constitution. As an example, the second inventory information is information for displaying on the personal device 30 information indicating the first material in association with at least one of the name and address of a store that has the first material in stock. In this way, the subject can easily know which store to go to to obtain the first material.

[0057] Generally, the inventory of a first material corresponding to a specific physical constitution is smaller than the inventory of other materials. Therefore, it is preferable to deliver the first material only to those subjects who need the first material. Therefore, the determination unit 140 may calculate the required amount of the first material in the target area using the number of subjects with a specific physical constitution. In this case, the determination unit 140 calculates the required amount of the first material using this number of people and the required amount of the first material per person. In this way, the accuracy of the required amount of the first material calculated by the estimation unit 130 is improved.

[0058] Here, the determination unit 140 preferably calculates the required quantity of the first material at each store using the number of subjects who live in the area covered by that store and have a constitution corresponding to the first material. In this case, the determination unit 140 calculates an allocation ratio for each type of first material by dividing the required quantity of the store by the total amount of the required material at each of the multiple stores, and calculates the amount of the first material to be allocated to that store by multiplying the inventory quantity of the first material indicated by the aggregate information by this allocation ratio. The determination unit 140 then generates first adjustment information so that the inventory quantity of the first material at that store becomes the calculated amount of the first material.

[0059] As shown in Figure 13, the inventory adjustment device 10 may correspond to multiple target areas. At least two of these multiple target areas may be adjacent to each other, or none of the target areas may be adjacent to the other target areas. Each of the multiple target areas has multiple stores. Each of the multiple stores has a store device 20 installed. The inventory adjustment device 10 manages the multiple store devices 20 for each target area.

[0060] The inventory adjustment device 10 then performs the above-described processing for each of the multiple target areas. The inventory adjustment device 10 also generates information for adjusting the inventory of goods between the multiple target areas. Hereinafter, this information will be referred to as second adjustment information. The second inventory adjustment information may indicate the amount of goods to be moved from one target area to another target area, or may indicate the amount of goods to be moved from a store located in one target area to a store located in another target area.

[0061] The second inventory adjustment information can also be considered as information indicating the need for inventory adjustment of materials between at least one of a plurality of stores located in the target area and an external store located outside the target area. In other words, a store located in a certain target area and its first inventory information become an external store and external inventory information when viewed from a store located in another target area.

[0062] When generating the second inventory adjustment information, the inventory adjustment device 10 performs, for example, the process shown in Fig. 14. This process may be performed only in an emergency, for example, when a disaster occurs.

[0063] First, the inventory adjustment device 10 performs the processes shown in steps S10 to S34 for each of the multiple target areas. An example of these processes is as described with reference to Figure 8. Through these processes, the required amount of supplies for each of the multiple stores is calculated for each of the multiple target areas.

[0064] The determination unit 140 of the inventory adjustment device 10 then generates first adjustment information using the required supply quantities for each of the multiple stores and the aggregated information. This process is performed for each of the multiple target areas. In this example, the first adjustment information includes at least information indicating the type and quantity of supplies to be transported from one store to another.

[0065] Next, the determination unit 140 generates first adjustment information, surplus information, and shortage information for each of the multiple target areas (step S42). The surplus information indicates the difference when there is a surplus of a material in the target area, i.e., when the amount indicated by the aggregated information is greater than the amount of material required. When there are multiple materials, the surplus information indicates the surplus amount for each material. The shortage information indicates the difference when there is a shortage of a material in the target area, i.e., when the amount of material required is greater than the amount indicated by the aggregated information. When there are multiple materials, the shortage information indicates the shortage amount for each material.

[0066] Next, the determination unit 140 generates second adjustment information using the surplus information and shortage information (step S44). For example, if shortage information for a certain material has been generated in the first target area and surplus information for the material has been generated in the second target area, the second inventory information indicates that the material should be moved from the second target area to the first target area.

[0067] The second inventory information may indicate the movement of goods by area. In this case, the second inventory information indicates, for example, the movement of goods from a representative store in the second target area to a representative store in the first target area, and the quantity of goods. The representative store is designated in advance.

[0068] The second inventory information may indicate the movement of goods at a store level, in which case the second inventory information indicates the movement of goods from stores in the second target area that have a surplus of the goods to stores in the first target area that have a shortage of the goods, and the quantity of the goods to be moved.

[0069] Then, the determination unit 140 outputs the first adjustment information and the second adjustment information (step S46). For example, the determination unit 140 outputs to the in-store device 20 the first adjustment information and the second adjustment information in which the store corresponding to the in-store device 20 is the delivery origin or delivery destination.

[0070] By using the inventory adjustment device 10 shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, it is possible to adjust the inventory of materials among a plurality of target areas.

[0071] In the example shown in Fig. 14, the inventory adjustment device 10 may perform step S30 shown in Fig. 4 instead of steps S32 and S34. In this case, the second inventory information indicates the movement of materials in units of areas.

[0072] Note that a store located outside any of the target areas may also be considered an external store. In this case, the acquisition unit 110 of the inventory adjustment device 10 acquires external inventory information indicating the inventory of goods at the external store from, for example, a store device of the external store. An example of such a store device is a POS system.

[0073] When there are three or more target areas, the acquisition unit 110 or the determination unit 140 may narrow down the combination of target areas that are the subject of the external inventory information or the second adjustment information by using traffic information that indicates the traffic conditions between the multiple target areas. The traffic information indicates at least road sections that are closed to traffic.

[0074] For example, in an emergency, some roads may be closed. In this case, depending on the combination of target areas, it may be impossible to move goods between them. Therefore, for example, the acquisition unit 110 uses traffic information to identify combinations of target areas where goods can be moved between them, i.e., where they are passable, and generates second adjustment information for these combinations. This also applies when a store located outside any of the target areas is treated as an external store.

[0075] In addition, in an emergency, the acquisition unit 110 of the inventory adjustment device 10 may acquire the type and amount of materials that are in short supply in at least one target area, for example, by input from the store device 20. In this case, the inventory adjustment device 10 operates using this information as at least part of the shortage information described above.

[0076] 15, the inventory adjustment device 10 may utilize a disaster information storage unit 170 and a supplies information storage unit 180. The disaster information storage unit 170 and the supplies information storage unit 180 may be part of the inventory adjustment device 10 or may be located external to the inventory adjustment device 10.

[0077] The disaster information storage unit 170 stores disaster information, for example, as shown in FIG. 16. The disaster information is information that can identify disasters that are likely to occur in a target area. In the example shown in FIG. 16, the disaster information is information that associates each of a plurality of areas with a disaster that is likely to occur in that area. Each area is identified by, for example, an address or latitude and longitude information. The estimation unit 130 identifies disasters that are likely to occur in the target area, for example, using the disaster information and the address or latitude and longitude information that indicates the target area.

[0078] The supply information storage unit 180 stores supply information. The supply information relates to supplies needed in the event of a disaster that may occur in the target area. For example, as shown in FIG. 17 , the supply information indicates information that can identify the amount of supplies needed in the event of each type of disaster. The information that can identify the amount of supplies indicates, for example, the type of supply and the amount needed per person. The amount needed per person may also be indicated by person attributes, such as at least one of age and gender.

[0079] The estimation unit 130 then reads out supply information corresponding to disasters that are likely to occur in the target area from the supply information storage unit 180, and calculates the amount of supplies needed using the read supply information. In this way, the accuracy of estimating the amount of supplies needed is improved.

[0080] The inventory adjustment device 10 may utilize a stockpiling information storage unit 190, as shown in Figure 18. The stockpiling information storage unit 190 may be a part of the inventory adjustment device 10, or may be located external to the inventory adjustment device 10.

[0081] The stockpiling information storage unit 190 stores, for each target area, the types and quantities of supplies stockpiled at evacuation shelters located in that target area. The information stored in the stockpiling information storage unit 190 is updated, for example, by a communication device operated at the evacuation shelter. The estimation unit 130 calculates the required quantity of supplies using the information stored in the stockpiling information storage unit 190, i.e., the stockpiles of supplies at the evacuation shelter. For example, the estimation unit 130 calculates the provisional required quantity of supplies using the method described above, and then calculates the required quantity of supplies by subtracting the stockpiled quantity of the supplies from this provisional required quantity. In this way, it is possible to prevent the amount of supplies stocked in the store from becoming excessive.

[0082] As shown in Figure 19, the inventory adjustment device 10 may include a restriction unit 200. When there are multiple types of materials targeted by the inventory adjustment device 10, the restriction unit 200 performs processing to restrict sales of the materials that meet a criterion in at least one of the stores. This makes it possible to prevent the inventory of the materials from decreasing too much due to sales.

[0083] For example, under normal circumstances, at least one of the criteria used by the restriction unit 200 is that the inventory quantity of a material falls below a reference value. In this case, the restriction unit 200 performs processing to prohibit the sale of the material in a store where the inventory quantity of the material falls below the reference value. One example of this processing is to send information indicating that the sale of the material is prohibited to the store device 20 of the store. In this case, the store device 20 performs processing to prohibit the sale of the material in the store. As one example, the store device 20 prevents a product registration device used at the time of sale from registering the material.

[0084] Furthermore, in an emergency, such as when a disaster occurs, at least one of the criteria used by the restriction unit 200 is that the material corresponds to a specific physical constitution. The restriction unit 200 then performs processing to limit sales of the material to individuals with the specific physical constitution. One example of this processing is to transmit information to the store device 20 indicating that sales of the material are limited to individuals with the specific physical constitution. In this case, the store device 20, for example, registers the material only when the product registration device acquires information indicating that the customer has a physical constitution corresponding to the material. The information indicating that the customer has a physical constitution corresponding to the material may be, for example, personal identification information. In this case, the store device 20 or the product registration device can confirm whether the customer has a physical constitution corresponding to the material from the personal identification information by using the personal information storage unit 150 shown in FIG. 11 .

[0085] Although the present disclosure has been described above with reference to the embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Various modifications that can be understood by those skilled in the art can be made to the configuration and details of the present disclosure within the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, each embodiment can be combined with other embodiments as appropriate.

[0086] In addition, although the flowcharts used in the above description show multiple steps (processes) in a sequential order, the order of the steps executed in each embodiment is not limited to the order shown. In each embodiment, the order of the steps shown in the drawings can be changed as long as it does not cause any problems in terms of the content.

[0087] Some or all of the above-described embodiments can be described as, but are not limited to, the following supplementary notes. 1. An acquisition means for acquiring first inventory information indicating the inventory quantity of goods for each of a plurality of stores within a target area; a management means for generating aggregate information indicating the inventory quantity of the material for each of the target areas using the first inventory information; an estimation means for calculating a required amount of supplies, which is an estimation result of the amount of supplies required by a plurality of subjects located in the target area; a determining means for generating first adjustment information indicating the need for inventory adjustment of the material at each of the plurality of stores using the aggregated information and the required material amount; 2. In the inventory adjustment device described in 1 above, The determination means generates the first adjustment information using distribution information regarding the distribution of the locations of the plurality of subjects within the target area and information regarding the locations of the plurality of stores. 3. In the inventory adjustment device described in 1 or 2 above, The substances correspond to specific constitutions, The estimation means acquires physical constitution information that can identify the number of subjects having a specific physical constitution, and calculates the required amount of materials using the physical constitution information. 4. In the inventory adjustment device described in any one of 1 to 3 above, The acquisition means further acquires external inventory information indicating the inventory quantity of the material at an external store that is a store located outside the target area; The determination means further uses the external inventory information to generate second adjustment information indicating the need for inventory adjustment between at least one of the plurality of stores and the external store. 5. In the inventory adjustment device described in 4 above, There are multiple external stores, An inventory adjustment device in which the acquisition means or the judgment means uses traffic information indicating the traffic conditions between the external store and the target area to narrow down the external stores that are the subject of the external inventory information or the second adjustment information. 6. In the inventory adjustment device described in any one of 1 to 5 above, There are a plurality of said materials, The estimation means calculates the required quantity of supplies using material information regarding materials that will be needed in the event of a disaster that may occur in the target area. 7. In the inventory adjustment device described in any one of 1 to 6 above, There is a shelter within the target area, The estimation means is an inventory adjustment device that calculates the required amount of supplies using the stockpiled amount of supplies at the evacuation shelter. 8. In the inventory adjustment device described in any one of 1 to 7 above, The judgment means is an inventory adjustment device that, when an inventory adjustment of the material is made at each of the plurality of stores, transmits second inventory information indicating whether or not the material is in stock at at least one of the stores to a personal device operated by at least one of the subjects. 9. In the inventory adjustment device described in 8 above, There are a plurality of said materials, a first said substance corresponds to a particular constitution; An inventory adjustment device, wherein the second inventory information sent to the personal device of the subject having the specific constitution indicates at least the stores that have the first material in stock. 10. In the inventory adjustment device described in any one of 1 to 9 above, There are multiple types of said materials, An inventory adjustment device including a limiting means for performing processing to limit sales of said materials meeting a criterion in at least one of said stores. 11. In the inventory adjustment device described in 10 above, At least one of the criteria under normal circumstances is that the inventory quantity of the material is equal to or less than a reference value; The restriction means is an inventory adjustment device that performs processing to prohibit the sale of the material in a store where the inventory quantity of the material falls below a reference value. 12. In the inventory adjustment device described in 10 or 11 above, At least one of the criteria in the event of a disaster is that the material corresponds to a specific constitution; The restriction means is an inventory adjustment device that performs processing to limit sales of the material to the target person having the specific physical constitution. 13. In the inventory adjustment device described in any one of 1 to 12 above, The estimation means uses a personal information storage means indicating the addresses of each of the plurality of people to identify at least the number of the plurality of target persons, and calculates the required amount of supplies using the number of people and the required amount of supplies per person. 14. In the inventory adjustment device described in 13 above, the personal information storage means stores attribute information for each of the plurality of people, the required amount of the material varies depending on the attribute information, The estimation means further calculates the amount of required supplies using the attribute information of each of the plurality of subjects. 15. In the inventory adjustment device described in any one of 1 to 12 above, The estimation means is an inventory adjustment device that estimates the number of the plurality of target persons using the number of wireless communication devices connected to a wireless base station that has the target area within its communication range, and calculates the required amount of supplies using the number of target persons and the required amount of supplies per person. 16. In the inventory adjustment device described in any one of 1 to 12 above, The estimation means calculates the required quantity of the material using sales information of the material at the plurality of stores. 17. At least one computer Obtain first inventory information showing the stock quantity of goods at multiple stores within the target area, generating aggregate information indicating the inventory quantity of the material for each of the target areas using the first inventory information; calculating a required amount of supplies, which is an estimate of the amount of supplies required for a plurality of subjects located in the target area; an inventory adjustment method that uses the aggregated information and the required amount of materials to generate first adjustment information indicating the need for inventory adjustment of the materials at each of the plurality of stores; 18. At least one computer: an acquisition means for acquiring first inventory information indicating the inventory quantity of goods for each of a plurality of stores within a target area; a management means for generating aggregate information indicating the inventory quantity of the material for each of the target areas using the first inventory information; an estimation means for calculating a required amount of supplies, which is an estimation result of the amount of supplies required by a plurality of subjects located in the target area; a determining means for generating first adjustment information indicating the need for inventory adjustment of the material at each of the plurality of stores using the aggregated information and the required material amount; A program that allows you to have 19. A recording medium on which the program set forth in 18 above is recorded.

[0088] Furthermore, some or all of the configurations described in Supplementary Notes 2 to 16, which are dependent on Supplementary Note 1, may also be dependent on Supplementary Notes 17, 18, and 19 in the same dependent relationship as Supplementary Notes 2 to 16. Furthermore, not limited to Supplementary Notes 1, 17, 18, and 19, some or all of the configurations described as Supplements may be made dependent on various hardware, software, various recording means for recording software, or systems, within the scope of each of the above-mentioned embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 10 Inventory adjustment device 20 Store equipment 30 personal devices 110 Acquisition Department 120 Management Department 130 Estimation part 140 Judgment Department 150 Personal information storage section 160 Store information storage unit 170 Disaster information storage section 180 Supplies information storage section 190 Stockpile information storage unit 200 Restricted Section

Claims

1. an acquisition means for acquiring first inventory information indicating the inventory quantity of goods for each of a plurality of stores within a target area; a management means for generating aggregate information indicating the inventory quantity of the material for each target area using the first inventory information; an estimation means for calculating a required amount of supplies, which is an estimation result of the amount of supplies required by a plurality of subjects located in the target area; a determining means for generating first adjustment information indicating the need for inventory adjustment of the material at each of the plurality of stores using the aggregated information and the required material amount; An inventory adjustment device comprising:

2. 2. The inventory adjustment device according to claim 1, An inventory adjustment device in which the determination means generates the first adjustment information using distribution information regarding the distribution of the locations of the multiple subjects within the target area and information regarding the locations of the multiple stores.

3. 3. The inventory adjustment device according to claim 1 or 2, The substances correspond to specific constitutions, The estimation means acquires physical constitution information that can identify the number of subjects having a specific physical constitution, and calculates the required amount of materials using the physical constitution information.

4. 3. The inventory adjustment device according to claim 1 or 2, The acquisition means further acquires external inventory information indicating the inventory quantity of the material at an external store that is a store located outside the target area; The determination means further uses the external inventory information to generate second adjustment information indicating the need for inventory adjustment between at least one of the plurality of stores and the external store.

5. 3. The inventory adjustment device according to claim 1 or 2, There are a plurality of said materials, The estimation means calculates the required quantity of supplies using material information regarding materials that will be needed in the event of a disaster that may occur in the target area.

6. 3. The inventory adjustment device according to claim 1 or 2, There is a shelter within the target area, The estimation means is an inventory adjustment device that calculates the required amount of supplies using the stockpiled amount of supplies at the evacuation shelter.

7. 3. The inventory adjustment device according to claim 1 or 2, The judgment means is an inventory adjustment device that, when inventory adjustment of the material is made at each of the plurality of stores, transmits second inventory information indicating whether or not the material is in stock at at least one of the stores to a personal device operated by at least one of the subjects.

8. 3. The inventory adjustment device according to claim 1 or 2, There are multiple types of said materials, An inventory adjustment device including a limiting means for performing processing to limit sales of said materials meeting a criterion in at least one of said stores.

9. At least one computer Obtain first inventory information indicating the stock quantity of goods at each of a plurality of stores within the target area; generating aggregated information indicating an inventory quantity of the material for each of the target areas using the first inventory information; calculating a required amount of supplies, which is an estimate of the amount of supplies required for a plurality of subjects located in the target area; An inventory adjustment method that uses the aggregated information and the required amount of materials to generate first adjustment information that indicates the need for inventory adjustment of the materials at each of the plurality of stores.

10. At least one computer an acquisition means for acquiring first inventory information indicating the inventory quantity of goods for each of a plurality of stores within a target area; a management means for generating aggregate information indicating the inventory quantity of the material for each target area using the first inventory information; an estimation means for calculating a required amount of supplies, which is an estimation result of the amount of supplies required by a plurality of subjects located in the target area; a determining means for generating first adjustment information indicating the need for inventory adjustment of the material at each of the plurality of stores using the aggregated information and the required material amount; A program that allows you to have

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