Profit margin management apparatus

Abstract

To enable accurate calculation of a profit margin when selling printed matter produced by a printer.SOLUTION: A profit margin management apparatus 100 includes: a cost acquisition unit 103 configured to acquire a printing cost 125 required for printing for each roll-shaped medium 5 printed by a printer 10; a sales acquisition unit 105 configured to acquire a sales amount 126 obtained by selling printed matter 6 printed on each medium 5; and a profit margin calculation unit 107 configured to calculate a profit margin 129 for each medium 5 on the basis of the printing cost 125 acquired by the cost acquisition unit 103 and the sales amount 126 acquired by the sales acquisition unit 105.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a profit margin management device. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a printer that prints on rolled media. This printer includes a platen that supports the unfolded roll media, a media supply device that holds the roll media and supplies the roll media toward the platen, and an ink head.

[0003] The roll media supplied from the media supply device is supported by the platen in an unfolded state. An image is printed on the unfolded roll media by ejecting ink from the ink head toward the roll media supported by the platen. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-127397 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the printer described above, printed matter printed on roll media may be cut up and sold. It is possible to calculate a profit margin based on the sales amount obtained when the printed matter is sold and the costs incurred in printing the printed matter. However, in the past, the costs used to calculate the profit margin were calculated manually by the user. Therefore, there is a need for a more accurate calculation of the profit margin.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of these points, and its purpose is to provide a profit margin management device that can accurately calculate profit margins when selling printed materials printed using a printer. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The profit margin management device of the present invention comprises a cost acquisition unit that acquires the printing cost required for printing for each roll-shaped medium printed by the printer, a sales acquisition unit that acquires the sales amount obtained by selling printed materials printed on each medium, and a profit margin calculation unit that calculates the profit margin for each medium based on the printing cost acquired by the cost acquisition unit and the sales amount acquired by the sales acquisition unit.

[0008] The profit margin management device allows users to know the profit margin for each medium. Here, the profit margin is calculated based on the actual printing costs and the sales amount of the actual printed matter, so the profit margin can be calculated with high accuracy. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a profit margin management device that can accurately calculate a profit margin when selling printed materials printed using a printer. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a printing system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the printer. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the printer taken along the line III-III in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a bottom view schematically illustrating the configuration of the bottom surface of the carriage and the ink head. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a printing system according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing profit margin information. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing single item profit margin information. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of printing costs. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a medium on which a printed matter is printed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments described here are not intended to limit the present invention in any particular way. Furthermore, the same reference numerals are used to designate components and parts that perform the same functions, and redundant descriptions will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0012] Fig. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a printing system 1 equipped with a profit margin management device 100 according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1, the printing system 1 includes a printer 10, a terminal 150, and the profit margin management device 100. The printing system 1 calculates and manages the profit margin for each roll of media 5 (see Fig. 3) printed by the printer 10.

[0013] In FIG. 1, the printing system 1 includes two printers 10 and two terminals 150, and one profit margin management device 100. However, the number of printers 10, terminals 150, and profit margin management devices 100 is not particularly limited, and each may be one or more. For example, the printing system 1 includes one printer 10 and one terminal 150, or three or more. The number of printers 10 and the number of terminals 150 may be the same or different. The printing system 1 may include two or more profit margin management devices 100. The printers 10, terminals 150, and profit margin management device 100 will be described below in that order.

[0014] First, the printer 10 will be described. FIG. 2 is a front view of the printer 10 according to this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the printer 10 taken along the line III-III in FIG. 2. The symbols F, Rr, L, R, U, and D in the drawings indicate the front, rear, left, right, top, and bottom of the printer 10, respectively. The symbol Y in the drawings indicates the main scanning direction, and the symbol X indicates the sub-scanning direction. In this embodiment, the main scanning direction Y is the left-right direction. The sub-scanning direction X intersects (here, is perpendicular to) the main scanning direction Y in a plan view, and is, for example, the front-to-rear direction. However, these directions are merely defined for the convenience of explanation and do not limit the installation mode of the printer 10 or the present invention in any way.

[0015] Printer 10 is an inkjet printer, or what is known as an inkjet printer. However, the printing method of printer 10 is not limited to inkjet printing, and may be, for example, a thermal printer or a laser printer. In this embodiment, printer 10 is a roll-to-roll type printer in which medium 5 is laid out on a support base 16 (see FIG. 3 ), which will be described later, and moved in the sub-scanning direction X. In this embodiment, printer 10 is a large printer, or what is known as a commercial printer.

[0016] In this embodiment, the printer 10 prints on a roll-shaped medium 5. Here, printing on the medium 5 refers to printing on a portion of the roll-shaped medium 5 when the roll-shaped medium 5 is unfolded. When the medium 5 is installed in the printer 10, the medium 5 is wound in a roll shape around a rotation axis A1 (see FIG. 3) extending in the main scanning direction Y. The medium 5 has a shape that allows it to be wound around a winding roller 71 (see FIG. 3) of a winding device 70 (described later). The medium 5 is printed on by the printer 10 in its unrolled, i.e., unfolded, state. Note that the type of material of the medium 5 is not particularly limited. For example, the medium 5 may be paper such as plain paper or inkjet printing paper, or may be a resin sheet or film, a cloth sheet such as a woven or nonwoven fabric, or a metal sheet made of aluminum or iron. The thickness of the medium 5 is also not particularly limited, and media 5s of various thicknesses can be used.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 3, the printer 10 includes a printer body 10a and legs 11. As shown in FIG. 2, the printer body 10a has a casing that extends in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. 3, the legs 11 support the printer body 10a. The legs 11 are provided on the bottom surface of the printer body 10a and extend downward from the printer body 10a. Note that the legs 11 are not shown in FIG. 2.

[0018] The printer 10 includes a support table 16. The support table 16 supports the medium 5 when printing on the medium 5. Here, the support table 16 supports the rolled medium 5 in an unfolded state. In the following description, the medium 5 includes the unfolded state of the medium 5. The rolled medium 5 is placed on the support table 16 in an unfolded state. Printing on the medium 5 is performed on the support table 16. The support table 16 is a so-called platen. In this embodiment, the upper surface of the support table 16 (more specifically, the upper surface of the central portion of the support table 16 in the sub-scanning direction X) extends in the main scanning direction Y and the sub-scanning direction X. The upstream portion of the support table 16 (here, the rear portion) has an arc-shaped cross section that curves downward as it moves rearward. The downstream portion of the support table 16 (here, the front portion) has an arc-shaped cross section that curves downward as it moves forward.

[0019] The printer 10 includes a guide rail 17, a carriage 20, and an ink head 22. The guide rail 17 is disposed above a support base 16. As shown in FIG. 2, the guide rail 17 is disposed parallel to the upper surface of the support base 16 and extends in the main scanning direction Y. A carriage 20 is engaged with the guide rail 17. The carriage 20 is slidably mounted on the guide rail 17 and is configured to be movable in the main scanning direction Y.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 3, the ink head 22 ejects ink. The ink head 22 is provided on the carriage 20. The ink head 22 is supported by the carriage 20 so that its bottom surface is exposed downward. There is no particular limitation on the number of ink heads 22. FIG. 4 is a bottom view schematically showing the configuration of the bottom surfaces of the carriage 20 and the ink head 22. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, there are four ink heads 22. The four ink heads 22 are arranged side by side in the main scanning direction Y.

[0021] Each ink head 22 has a nozzle surface 25. The nozzle surface 25 forms the bottom surface of the ink head 22. Nozzles 26 that eject ink are formed on each nozzle surface 25. A plurality of nozzles 26 are formed and aligned in the sub-scanning direction X. Here, a row of a plurality of nozzles 26 aligned in the sub-scanning direction X is referred to as a nozzle row 28. There are two nozzle rows 28 per ink head 22. However, there are no particular limitations on the number of nozzle rows 28 per ink head 22, and the number may be one, or three or more.

[0022] The ink ejected from the ink head 22 (nozzles 26 in this example) is, for example, a process color ink or one of the spot color inks. Here, process color inks include, for example, cyan ink, magenta ink, yellow ink, and black ink. Spot color inks are inks of colors other than the process color inks. Spot color inks include, for example, white ink, clear ink, gloss ink, primer ink, fluorescent ink, metallic ink, orange ink, red ink, violet ink, blue ink, and green ink. Here, one color of ink is ejected from one nozzle row 28. Note that the ink material is not limited in any way, and various materials conventionally used as ink materials for inkjet printers and the like can be used. The ink may be, for example, a solvent-based pigment ink or a water-based pigment ink. Alternatively, the ink may be, for example, a water-based dye ink or a UV-curable ink that cures when exposed to UV light.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 3, the printer 10 is equipped with a sheet cutter 32. The sheet cutter 32 cuts the medium 5 (here, the medium 5 in an unfolded state) supported on the support base 16. In this example, the sheet cutter 32 is used to cut the medium 5 linearly along the main scanning direction Y. The medium 5 cut by the sheet cutter 32 is divided into two portions: one on the upstream side of the sub-scanning direction X (here, the rear side), and one on the downstream side of the sub-scanning direction X (here, the front side). In the following description, cutting the medium 5 linearly in the main scanning direction Y to divide the medium 5 into two portions is referred to as a "sheet cut." Note that the sheet cutter 32 is not shown in FIG. 4.

[0024] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the sheet cutter 32 is provided on the carriage 20. Therefore, the sheet cutter 32 is configured to be movable in the main scanning direction Y along the guide rail 17 together with the carriage 20. The sheet cutter 32 can perform sheet cutting on the medium 5 by moving in the main scanning direction Y along the guide rail 17. The sheet cutter 32 is also configured to be movable in the vertical direction relative to the carriage 20. For example, the sheet cutter 32 may be attached to a solenoid 32A (see FIG. 5) provided on the carriage 20, and configured to be moved in the vertical direction by turning the solenoid 32A ON or OFF.

[0025] 3, in this embodiment, a cutter groove 16A extending in the main scanning direction Y is formed on the upper surface of the support base 16. In a plan view, the sheet cutter 32 is positioned so as to overlap the cutter groove 16A in the sub-scanning direction X. When the sheet cutter 32 cuts the medium 5, the sheet cutter 32 is configured to penetrate the medium 5 and enter the cutter groove 16A.

[0026] As shown in Figure 2, the printer 10 includes a head movement mechanism 40 and a medium movement mechanism 50. The head movement mechanism 40 is a mechanism that moves the carriage 20, ink head 22, and sheet cutter 32 (hereinafter also referred to as ink head 22) in the main scanning direction Y relative to the medium 5 supported by the support base 16. Here, the head movement mechanism 40 moves the carriage 20, ink head 22, and sheet cutter 32 in the main scanning direction Y. The configuration of the head movement mechanism 40 is not particularly limited.

[0027] In this embodiment, the head moving mechanism 40 includes left and right pulleys 41 and 42, an endless belt 43, and a scan motor 44. The pulley 41 is provided around the left end of the guide rail 17. The pulley 42 is provided around the right end of the guide rail 17. The belt 43 is wound around the pulleys 41 and 42. As shown in FIG. 3, the belt 43 is fixed to the upper rear surface of the carriage 20. As shown in FIG. 2, the scan motor 44 is connected to the right pulley 42. However, the scan motor 44 may also be connected to the left pulley 41. In this embodiment, the scan motor 44 is driven to rotate the pulley 42, causing the belt 43 to run between the pulleys 41 and 42. As a result, the carriage 20, the ink head 22, and the sheet cutter 32 move in the main scanning direction Y.

[0028] The medium moving mechanism 50 is a mechanism that moves the medium 5 in the sub-scanning direction X relative to the ink head 22 etc. Here, the medium moving mechanism 50 moves the unfolded portion of the medium 5 supported on the support base 16 in the sub-scanning direction X. The configuration of the medium moving mechanism 50 is not particularly limited.

[0029] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the medium moving mechanism 50 includes a grit roller 51, a pinch roller 52, and a feed motor 53. The grit roller 51 is provided on the support base 16. Here, the grit roller 51 is embedded in the support base 16 so that at least a portion of the grit roller 51 is exposed above the support base 16. The pinch roller 52 presses down on the unfolded portion of the medium 5 from above and is disposed above the grit roller 51. The pinch roller 52 sandwiches the medium 5 together with the grit roller 51. The pinch roller 52 faces the grit roller 51. The pinch roller 52 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction. Note that the installation positions and number of the grit rollers 51 and pinch rollers 52 are not particularly limited. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, seven grit rollers 51 and seven pinch rollers 52 are provided. The plurality of grit rollers 51 are arranged side by side in the main scanning direction Y, and the plurality of pinch rollers 52 are arranged side by side in the main scanning direction Y.

[0030] 3, the feed motor 53 is connected to the grit roller 51. When the feed motor 53 is driven to rotate the grit roller 51 while the medium 5 is sandwiched between the grit roller 51 and the pinch roller 52, the developed portion of the medium 5 is transported in the sub-scanning direction X.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 3, the printer 10 includes a supply device 60 having a supply roller 61. The supply device 60 is provided with a removably mounted roll of medium 5. The supply device 60 supplies the medium 5 in an unfolded state to the support base 16. The supply roller 61 is positioned behind and below the support base 16. As shown in FIG. 2, the supply roller 61 has a cylindrical or columnar shape extending in the primary scanning direction Y. The unprinted medium 5 is wound around the periphery of the supply roller 61. The left end of the supply roller 61 is rotatably supported by a left guide plate 62L provided on the printer body 10a, and the right end of the supply roller 61 is rotatably supported by a right guide plate 62R provided on the printer body 10a. The medium moving mechanism 50 transports the unfolded medium 5 downstream in the secondary scanning direction X, and the unfolded portion of the medium 5 is sent from the supply roller 61 toward the support base 16. In this embodiment, the state in which the medium 5 is placed on the supply roller 61 of the supply device 60 and the unfolded portion of the medium 5 is supported on the support base 16 is referred to as the state in which the medium 5 is placed in the printer 10. Note that in this embodiment, the printer 10 does not include a motor for rotating the supply roller 61, but it may include such a motor.

[0032] 3, the printer 10 includes a winding device 70 that is supported by the support base 16 and winds the unfolded medium 5 into a roll. In this embodiment, the winding device 70 includes a winding roller 71 and a winding motor 75 (see FIG. 2).

[0033] The take-up roller 71 winds up the unfolded medium 5. As shown in FIG. 2, the take-up roller 71 is formed in a cylindrical or columnar shape extending in the main scanning direction Y. As shown in FIG. 3, the take-up roller 71 is positioned below the support base 16 and below the supply roller 61. As shown in FIG. 2, the printer 10 includes a first left side wall 76L and a first right side wall 76R that rotatably support the take-up roller 71. The first left side wall 76L and the first right side wall 76R are provided on the printer main body 10a. The take-up roller 71 includes a support portion 71a supported by the first left side wall 76L and the first right side wall 76R, and a tubular portion 71b that is provided on the circumferential surface of the support portion 71a and has a larger diameter than the support portion 71a. The medium 5 is wound up around the circumferential surface of the tubular portion 71b. The support portion 71a and the tubular portion 71b may be formed integrally or separately. The left end of the take-up roller 71 is rotatably supported on the first left side wall 76L. The right end of the take-up roller 71 is rotatably supported on the first right side wall 76R. The printer 10 includes a rail 74 that supports the first left side wall 76L and the first right side wall 76R. The rail 74 extends in the main scanning direction Y.

[0034] The winding motor 75 is connected to the winding roller 71 and rotates the winding roller 71. The winding motor 75 is indirectly connected to the winding roller 71 via a reduction gear or the like (not shown). The winding roller 71 receives a driving force from the winding motor 75 and rotates.

[0035] In this embodiment, the printer 10 is provided with an operation panel 55 provided on the right end of the printer main body 10a, as shown in Fig. 2. The operation panel 55 is provided with a display screen 56 that displays the status of the printer 10, operation keys 57 that are operated by the user, and the like.

[0036] The printer 10 is equipped with a control device 80. The control device 80 is a device that performs control related to printing, etc. The configuration of the control device 80 is not particularly limited. The control device 80 is, for example, a microcomputer. The hardware configuration of the microcomputer is not particularly limited, but it may include, for example, an I / F, a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and a storage device. The control device 80 is provided inside the printer main body 10a. However, the control device 80 does not have to be provided inside the printer main body 10a. For example, the control device 80 may be a computer or the like installed outside the printer main body 10a. In this case, the control device 80 is connected to a control board (not shown) of the printer 10 via a wired or wireless connection so as to be able to communicate with the control board.

[0037] Figure 5 is a block diagram of a printing system 1 according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, a control device 80 is communicatively connected to the ink head 22, the solenoid 32A connected to the sheet cutter 32, the head moving mechanism 40 (more specifically, the scan motor 44), the medium moving mechanism 50 (more specifically, the feed motor 53), the operation panel 45, and the winding device 70 (more specifically, the winding motor 75). The control device 80 controls the ink head 22, the solenoid 32A, the head moving mechanism 40, the medium moving mechanism 50, the operation panel 45, and the winding device 70.

[0038] The printer 10 according to this embodiment has been described above. Next, the terminal 150 shown in FIG. 1 will be described. The terminal 150 is used by a user. The terminal 150 may be used, for example, to instruct the printer 10 to print, or may be used to operate the printer 10. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the terminal 150 is communicably connected to the control device 80 of the printer 10. As shown in FIG. 1, for example, the terminal 150 may be communicably connected to the printer 10 via the Internet 200.

[0039] The terminal 150 is realized, for example, by a desktop or laptop personal computer used by a user. The terminal 150 may be realized by a computer dedicated to the printer 10, or may be realized by a general-purpose computer. The terminal 150 may also be a portable terminal such as a smartphone or tablet terminal.

[0040] 5, the terminal 150 includes a display screen 151, an operation means 152, and a terminal control device 153. For example, information about the printer 10 communicably connected to the terminal 150 is displayed on the display screen 151. The operation means 152 is operated by a user. For example, the user operates the operation means 152 to select information on the display screen 151 or to switch the information displayed on the display screen 151. The operation means 152 is realized by a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, or the like.

[0041] The terminal control device 153 is, for example, a microcomputer. The terminal control device 153 includes, for example, an I / F, a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. In this embodiment, a dedicated application for operating the printer 10 is installed in the terminal control device 153. The user starts the application via the operation means 152, which causes the application to be displayed on the display screen 151. This makes it possible to use the terminal 150 to instruct the printer 10 to perform printing, etc.

[0042] Next, we will explain the profit margin management device 100 shown in Figure 1. The profit margin management device 100 is a device that calculates the profit margin for each roll of medium 5 used by the printer 10, in other words, for each roll of medium 5 printed by the printer 10. In this embodiment, the profit margin management device 100 calculates ROI as the profit margin for each medium 5. Here, ROI is an abbreviation for Return On Investment, and refers to the rate of return on investment.

[0043] For example, the printing system 1 is realized in a so-called cloud computing environment. In this case, the profit margin management device 100 is a cloud server provided in the cloud computing environment. However, the printing system 1 may also be realized in a so-called client-server environment. In this case, the profit margin management device 100 is a server provided in the client-server environment. The printing system 1 may also be realized in a so-called standalone environment. In this case, the profit margin management device 100 is realized by a personal computer. The profit margin management device 100 may be realized by a dedicated computer or a general-purpose computer. The profit margin management device 100 may also be realized by multiple computers working together. As shown in FIG. 1, the profit margin management device 100 is communicably connected to the printer 10 (more specifically, the control device 80 (see FIG. 5)) and the terminal 150 (more specifically, the terminal control device 153 (see FIG. 5)). Here, the profit margin management device 100 is communicably connected to the printer 10 and the terminal 150 via the Internet 200.

[0044] 5, in order to manage the profit margin for each roll of media 5, profit margin management device 100 includes a management memory unit 101, a cost acquisition unit 103, a sales acquisition unit 105, a usage rate calculation unit 106, a profit margin calculation unit 107, and a display unit 109. Each unit of profit margin management device 100 may be realized by one or more processors, or may be realized by a circuit.

[0045] In this embodiment, the management storage unit 101 stores profit margin information 120 and single item profit margin information 130. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the profit margin information 120. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the single item profit margin information 130. The profit margin information 120 is information for managing the profit margin for each roll of medium 5. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the profit margin information 120 includes at least the following items: medium ID 121, medium name 122, medium width 123, medium length 124, printing cost 125, sales amount 126, completion flag 127, medium usage rate 128, and ROI 129, which is an example of a profit margin. 5 stores, as profit margin information 120, a medium ID 121, a medium name 122, a medium width 123, a medium length 124, a print cost 125, a sales amount 126, a completion flag 127, a medium usage rate 128, and an ROI 129 in association with each other. For example, the management storage unit 101 stores the profit margin information 120 using a database. Here, "associating" means, for example, registering each item in the same row (in other words, record) in a database.

[0046] The medium ID 121 is an identifier for identifying the medium 5. From the medium ID 121, the type, model number, serial number, lot number, etc. of the medium 5 can be uniquely obtained. In this embodiment, the medium ID 121 is an ID assigned using, for example, numbers, letters, symbols, etc. The medium name 122 is a name assigned to the medium 5 identified by the medium ID 121. The medium name 122 may be assigned by, for example, a user, or may be assigned automatically in accordance with predetermined rules, etc. The medium name 122 is composed of, for example, letters, numbers, symbols, etc. The medium name 122 may be duplicated.

[0047] The medium width 123 is the width of the medium 5 identified by the medium ID 121. Here, the width of the medium 5 is the length of the medium 5 in the main scanning direction Y when the medium 5 is installed in the printer 10. The medium length 124 is the length of the medium 5 identified by the medium ID 121. Here, the length of the medium 5 is the length in the longitudinal direction (i.e., the direction perpendicular to the width direction) when the rolled medium 5 is unfolded.

[0048] The printing cost 125 is the cost required to print on the medium 5 identified by the medium ID 121. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the printing cost 125 includes at least a medium price 125a and an ink consumption cost 125b. The printing cost 125 is the sum of the medium price 125a and the ink consumption cost 125b. The medium price 125a is the amount paid by the user when purchasing the medium 5 identified by the medium ID 121.

[0049] The ink consumption cost 125b is a cost based on the amount of ink consumed when printing on the medium 5 identified by the medium ID 121. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of the printing cost 125. As shown in FIG. 8, the ink consumption cost 125b includes a medium ejection cost 125ba and a maintenance cost 125bb. The medium ejection cost 125ba is a cost based on the amount of ink ejected from the nozzles 26 of the ink head 22 (see FIG. 4) toward the medium 5 when the printer 10 prints on the roll-shaped medium 5 (hereinafter also referred to as printing ink consumption). The medium ejection cost 125ba is a cost based on the amount of printing ink ejected from the ink head 22 to create the printed matter 6 (see FIG. 9) to be sold to the customer. The maintenance cost 125bb is a cost based on the amount of ink ejected from the ink head 22 during maintenance of the printer 10, which is performed before and after printing on the medium 5 (hereinafter also referred to as maintenance ink consumption). The maintenance here refers to, for example, cleaning of the ink head 22 and test printing on the medium 5. Cleaning of the ink head 22 includes, for example, flushing and wiping.

[0050] In this embodiment, the ink cost per unit amount of ink ejected from the ink head 22 (hereinafter also referred to as unit ink cost) is pre-stored in the management storage unit 101 in FIG. 5. This unit ink cost is calculated, for example, based on the amount of ink purchased and the purchase price. Here, the medium ejection cost 125ba can be calculated based on the printing ink consumption amount and the unit ink cost (for example, by multiplying the printing ink consumption amount by the unit ink cost). Furthermore, the maintenance cost 125bb can be calculated based on the maintenance ink consumption amount and the unit ink cost (for example, by multiplying the maintenance ink consumption amount by the unit ink cost). Then, the ink consumption cost 125b can be calculated based on the medium ejection cost 125ba and the maintenance cost 125bb (for example, by adding the maintenance cost 125bb to the medium ejection cost 125ba).

[0051] As described above, the printer 10 is a commercial printer. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a medium 5 on which a printed matter 6 is printed. In this embodiment, a user uses the printer 10 to print a print image on a roll-shaped medium 5. Here, the print image printed on the medium 5 is referred to as a printed matter 6 (see FIG. 9). The user sells the printed matter 6 to a customer. The sales amount 126 is the total amount of sales when the printed matter 6 created by printing on the medium 5 identified by the medium ID 121 is sold to the customer. In other words, the sales amount 126 is the sum of the amounts obtained from the sale of one or more printed matters 6 created from the medium 5.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 6, the completion flag 127 is information indicating whether or not the use of the medium 5 identified by the medium ID 121 has been completed. Completion of the use of the medium 5 means that no further printing will be performed on the medium 5. Here, when the completion flag 127 is "1", this indicates that the use of the medium 5 has been completed. When the completion flag 127 is "0", this indicates that the medium 5 is in use, i.e., that there is a possibility that printing will be performed on the medium 5. Note that when the completion flag 127 is "0", the sales amount 126 has not been determined, so "-" is displayed. For example, since the completion flags 127 for the medium names 122 "A" and "B" are "0", the sales amount 126 is displayed as "-" indicating that it has not been determined.

[0053] The medium usage rate 128 is the proportion of the entire medium 5 identified by the medium ID 121 that has been printed on. In other words, the medium usage rate 128 is the proportion of the area on which the printed matter 6 has been produced to the total area of ​​the medium 5. Here, when the completion flag 127 is "1", the medium usage rate 128 is calculated. When the completion flag 127 is "0", the medium 5 is in use, so the medium usage rate 128 is not calculated.

[0054] ROI 129 is an example of a profit margin. ROI 129 is the return on investment for the medium 5 identified by the medium ID 121. ROI 129 is calculated, for example, by the following formula (1). ROI(%)=(profit amount / investment amount)×100 ···(1)

[0055] In this embodiment, ROI 129 is calculated based on sales amount 126 and printing cost 125. The profit amount is the sales amount 126 minus printing cost 125. The investment amount is the printing cost 125. Therefore, in this embodiment, ROI 129 is calculated using the following formula (2). ROI (%) = ((Sales amount - Printing cost) / Printing cost) × 100 (2)

[0056] In this embodiment, the sales amount 126 in the profit margin information 120 is calculated based on, for example, the unit profit margin information 130 shown in FIG. 7. The unit profit margin information 130 is information for managing the ROI (referred to as unit ROI) for one printed material 6. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the unit profit margin information 130 includes at least the following items: printed material ID 131, job ID 132, medium ID 133, unit cost 134, estimated unit sales amount 135, unit sales amount 136, and unit ROI 137. The management storage unit 101 shown in FIG. 5 stores the printed material ID 131, job ID 132, medium ID 133, unit cost 134, estimated unit sales amount 135, unit sales amount 136, and unit ROI 137 as the unit profit margin information 130, in association with each other. For example, the management storage unit 101 stores the single item profit margin information 130 in a database.

[0057] The printed matter ID 131 is an identifier for identifying the printed matter 6 that is the result of printing on the medium 5 and is sold to the customer. The printed matter 6 can be identified from the printed matter ID 131. In this embodiment, the printed matter ID 131 is an ID assigned using, for example, numbers, letters, symbols, etc.

[0058] In this embodiment, a unit of printing performed by the printer 10 at one time is called a "job." Multiple printed materials 6 may be produced in one job. The job ID 132 is an ID for the job in which the printed material 6 identified by the printed material ID 131 was printed. The job ID 132 is an identifier for identifying the job. Like the printed material ID 131, the job ID 132 is an ID assigned using, for example, numbers, letters, or symbols. The medium ID 133 is the same as the medium ID 121 (see FIG. 6) in the profit margin information 120. Here, the medium ID 133 is an identifier for identifying the medium 5 on which the printed material 6 was printed. In other words, the medium ID 133 is an ID assigned to the medium 5 on which the printed material 6 was printed.

[0059] The unit cost 134 is the cost required to print the printed matter 6 identified by the printed matter ID 131. The unit cost 134 is calculated by adding the medium price (hereinafter referred to as the printed matter medium price) for printing the printed matter 6 and the ink consumption cost. The printed matter medium price is calculated based on the ratio of the area of ​​the printed matter 6 to the total area of ​​the medium 5 (herein referred to as the printed matter area ratio) and the medium price 125a (see FIG. 6). Here, the printed matter medium price is calculated by multiplying the medium price 125a by the printed matter area ratio. The ink consumption cost for printing the printed matter 6 (hereinafter also referred to as the printed matter ink consumption cost) may be calculated, for example, by multiplying the amount of ink consumed when printing the printed matter 6 and the unit ink price described above. The printed matter ink consumption cost includes the medium discharge cost 125ba (see FIG. 8) and the maintenance cost 125bb (see FIG. 8). The maintenance cost 125bb at this time may be determined, for example, according to the ratio of the area of ​​the relevant printed matter 6 to the total area of ​​the printed matters 6 created in the same job.

[0060] 7, the estimated single-item sales amount 135 is the estimated sales amount when the printed matter 6 identified by the printed matter ID 131 is sold. This estimated single-item sales amount 135 may be input by the user or may be calculated automatically based on predetermined conditions (e.g., a predetermined percentage of the cost rate). The single-item sales amount 136 is the actual sales amount obtained when the printed matter identified by the printed matter ID 131 is sold.

[0061] The single item ROI 137 is the ROI for the printed material 6 identified by the printed material ID 131. The single item ROI 137 is calculated based on the single item sales amount 136 and the single item cost 134. In this embodiment, the single item ROI 137 is calculated by the following formula (3). ROI (%) = ((sales amount - cost) / cost) × 100 (3)

[0062] In this embodiment, of the items in the profit margin information 120 in FIG. 6, at least the medium name 122, medium width 123, medium length 124, medium price 125a, and completion flag 127 are items that are input by the user. Meanwhile, of the items in the profit margin information 120, the ink consumption cost 125b, sales amount 126, medium usage rate 128, and ROI 129 are items that are automatically calculated or input by the profit margin management device 100. The medium ID 121 may be input by the user or automatically. Furthermore, of the items in the single item profit margin information 130 in FIG. 7, at least the single item sales amount 136 is an item that is input by the user. Meanwhile, of the items in the single item profit margin information 130, the single item cost 134 and single item ROI 137 are items that are automatically calculated or input by the profit margin management device 100. The print ID 131, job ID 132, medium ID 133, and estimated single item sales amount 135 may be input by the user or may be input automatically.

[0063] The items of the profit margin information 120 and the single item profit margin information 130 that are input by the user are input by, for example, using the terminal 150 of FIG. 1 to launch an application for inputting the items. At this time, an input screen is displayed on the display screen 151. The user inputs any of the items of the profit margin information 120 and the single item profit margin information 130 by operating the operation means 152. After completing the input, the information of the input items is transmitted from the terminal 150 to the profit margin management device 100. Thereafter, the information of the input items is incorporated into the profit margin information 120 and the single item profit margin information 130, thereby updating the profit margin information 120 and the single item profit margin information 130.

[0064] In this embodiment, the cost acquisition unit 103 in FIG. 5 acquires a printing cost 125 (see FIG. 6) required for printing for each roll-shaped medium 5 on which printing is performed by the printer 10. Here, the cost acquisition unit 103 acquires a medium price 125a and an ink consumption cost 125b for each medium 5, and calculates the printing cost 125 based on the medium price 125a and the ink consumption cost 125b. In this embodiment, the cost acquisition unit 103 may acquire a single item cost 134 (see FIG. 7) for printed materials 6 created from the same medium 5, and acquire the printing cost 125 by adding up these single item costs 134.

[0065] Here, when printing for one job by the printer 10 is completed, information about the printed matter 6 printed on the medium 5 (e.g., information about the area of ​​the printed matter 6, a medium ID, etc.) and information about ink consumption (e.g., printing ink consumption and maintenance ink consumption) are sent to the profit margin management device 100. The cost acquisition unit 103 calculates a unit cost 134 for each printed matter 6 based on the information about the printed matter 6 printed on the medium 5, information about ink consumption, and the medium price 125a of the profit margin information 120 stored in the management storage unit 101. Here, the cost acquisition unit 103 calculates the unit cost 134 based on the proportion of the area of ​​the corresponding printed matter 6 to the total area of ​​the printed matters 6 created in the same job. Thereafter, the cost acquisition unit 103 updates the unit cost 134 associated with the printed matter ID 131 of the corresponding printed matter in the unit profit margin information 130.

[0066] In this way, the cost acquisition unit 103 calculates the unit cost 134 for the corresponding printed matter, then extracts the unit cost 134 associated with the medium ID 133 of the corresponding medium 5, and adds up the extracted unit costs 134 to acquire the printing cost 125 for the medium 5. Thereafter, the cost acquisition unit 103 updates the printing cost 125 associated with the medium ID 121 of the corresponding medium 5 in the profit margin information 120 of FIG. 6 .

[0067] The sales acquisition unit 105 in FIG. 5 acquires, for each roll-shaped medium 5, a sales amount 126 (see FIG. 6) obtained by selling printed materials 6 printed on the medium 5. Here, the sales acquisition unit 105 acquires the sales amount 126 for each medium 5 from the profit margin information 120 in FIG. 6. The sales acquisition unit 105 extracts the single item sales amount 136 associated with the medium ID 133 assigned to the corresponding medium 5 in the single item profit margin information 130 in FIG. 6. The sales acquisition unit 105 can acquire the sales amount 126 for the corresponding medium 5 based on the extracted single item sales amount 136, for example, by adding up the extracted single item sales amounts 136. Note that after acquiring the sales amount 126 in this way, the sales acquisition unit 105 updates the sales amount 126 associated with the medium ID 121 of the corresponding medium 5 in the profit margin information 120.

[0068] The usage rate calculation unit 106 in FIG. 5 calculates a medium usage rate 128 (see FIG. 6) for each roll of medium 5. Here, the total area of ​​the medium 5 is first calculated from the medium width 123 and medium length 124 in the profit margin information 120 in FIG. 6. As described above, when the printer 10 finishes printing on the medium 5, information about the printed matter 6 is sent from the printer 10 to the profit margin management device 100. Therefore, the usage rate calculation unit 106 calculates the total area of ​​the printed matter 6 created from the corresponding medium 5. The usage rate calculation unit 106 can calculate the media usage rate 128 of the corresponding medium 5 by calculating the ratio of the total area of ​​the printed matter 6 to the total area of ​​the medium 5. Note that in this embodiment, if the completion flag 127 associated with the medium ID 121 of the corresponding medium 5 is "1," the media usage rate 128 associated with the medium ID 121 of the corresponding medium 5 in the profit margin information 120 is updated to the media usage rate 128 calculated by the usage rate calculation unit 106.

[0069] The profit margin calculation unit 107 in FIG. 5 calculates the ROI 129 in FIG. 6 for each roll-shaped medium 5. Here, the profit margin calculation unit 107 extracts the sales amount 126 and printing cost 125 associated with the medium ID 121 of the corresponding medium 5 from the profit margin information 120. The profit margin calculation unit 107 then calculates the ROI 129 for the corresponding medium 5 based on the extracted sales amount 126 and printing cost 125, for example, using the above formula (2). Note that in this embodiment, if the completion flag 127 associated with the medium ID 121 of the corresponding medium 5 is "1," the ROI 129 associated with the medium ID 121 of the corresponding medium 5 in the profit margin information 120 is updated to the ROI 129 calculated by the profit margin calculation unit 107.

[0070] In this embodiment, the profit margin calculation unit 107 can calculate the single item ROI 137 (see FIG. 7) for each printed material. Here, the profit margin calculation unit 107 extracts the single item sales amount 136 and the single item cost 134 associated with the printed material ID 131 of the corresponding printed material 6. Then, the profit margin calculation unit 107 calculates the single item ROI 137 for the corresponding printed material 6 based on the extracted single item sales amount 136 and single item cost 134, for example, using the above formula (3). Note that the single item ROI 137 associated with the printed material ID 131 of the corresponding printed material 6 in the single item profit margin information 130 is updated to the single item ROI 137 calculated by the profit margin calculation unit 107.

[0071] The display unit 109 in FIG. 5 displays the ROI 129 for each roll-shaped medium 5. Note that the display destination on which the display unit 109 displays the ROI 129 is not particularly limited. In this embodiment, the display unit 109 is programmed to display the ROI 129 for each medium 5, for example, on a display screen 151 of the terminal 150 (see FIG. 5). For example, the display unit 109 transmits the profit margin information 120 stored in the management storage unit 101 to the terminal 150. On the terminal 150 side, the terminal control device 153 acquires the profit margin information 120. Then, the terminal control device 153 can display the ROI 129 for each medium 5 by displaying a screen related to the profit margin information 120 on the display screen 151. The user can know the ROI 129 for each medium 5 by looking at the profit margin information 120 displayed on the display screen 151 of the terminal 150.

[0072] In this embodiment, the display unit 109 may be programmed to display the single item ROI 137 for each printed material 6 on the display screen 151. For example, the display unit 109 transmits the single item profit margin information 130 stored in the management storage unit 101 to the terminal 150. On the terminal 150 side, the terminal control device 153 acquires the single item profit margin information 130. Then, the terminal control device 153 displays a screen related to the single item profit margin information 130 on the display screen 151, thereby being able to display the single item ROI 137 for each printed material 6.

[0073] As described above, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the profit margin management device 100 includes a cost acquisition unit 103, a sales acquisition unit 105, and a profit margin calculation unit 107. The cost acquisition unit 103 acquires a printing cost 125 (see FIG. 6) required for printing for each roll-shaped medium 5 on which printing is performed by the printer 10. The sales acquisition unit 105 acquires a sales amount 126 (see FIG. 6) obtained by selling the printed matter 6 printed on the medium 5 for each medium 5. The profit margin calculation unit 107 calculates a profit margin for each medium 5 based on the printing cost 125 acquired by the cost acquisition unit 103 and the sales amount 126 acquired by the sales acquisition unit 105. Here, the profit margin calculation unit 107 calculates an ROI 129 (see FIG. 6) for each medium 5.

[0074] This allows the user to know the profit margin (here, ROI 129) for each medium 5. Here, ROI 129 is calculated based on printing cost 125 actually required for printing and sales amount 126 of the actual printed matter 6, so ROI 129 can be calculated with high accuracy.

[0075] 8, in this embodiment, the printing cost 125 includes a medium price 125a paid when purchasing the medium 5, and an ink consumption cost 125b corresponding to the amount of ink consumed when printing on the medium 5. In this way, by using the medium price 125a and the ink consumption cost 125b as the printing cost 125, it is possible to obtain a more accurate printing cost 125.

[0076] 8, the ink consumption cost 125b includes a medium ejection cost 125ba based on the amount of ink ejected toward the medium 5 when the printer 10 prints on the medium 5, and a maintenance cost 125bb based on the amount of ink ejected from the printer 10 (more specifically, the nozzles 26 of the ink head 22) when performing maintenance on the printer 10. In this way, by including the maintenance cost 125bb in addition to the medium ejection cost 125ba as the ink consumption cost 125b, it is possible to obtain an ink consumption cost 125b that is in line with the amount of ink actually ejected from the nozzles 26. Therefore, it is possible to calculate a more accurate ROI 129.

[0077] In this embodiment, the profit margin calculation unit 107 in Fig. 5 calculates the single item ROI 137 (see Fig. 7), which is the ROI for each printed material 6. This allows the user to know the single item ROI 137 for each printed material 6, making it easier to understand which printed material 6 has a high profit margin.

[0078] In this embodiment, the profit margin management device 100 includes a display unit 109 (see FIG. 5) that displays the profit margin (here, ROI 129) for each medium 5 calculated by the profit margin calculation unit 107 on a display screen 151. This allows the user to easily visually determine which medium 5 has a high ROI 129 by looking at the ROI 129 for each medium 5 displayed on the display screen 151. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 1 Printing System 5 Medium 6 Printed matter 10 Printers 100 Profit rate management device 103 Cost Acquisition Department 105 Sales Acquisition Department 107 Profit rate calculation department 109 Display section 125 printing cost 125a Media Price 125b Ink consumption cost 125ba Media Discharge Cost 125bb maintenance cost 126 Sales amount 129 ROI (profit rate) 137 Single Item ROI 150 devices 151 Display screen

Claims

1. a cost acquisition unit that acquires a printing cost required for printing for each roll of medium to be printed by the printer; a sales acquisition unit that acquires, for each of the media, a sales amount obtained by selling the printed matter printed on the medium; a profit margin calculation unit that calculates a profit margin for each medium based on the printing cost acquired by the cost acquisition unit and the sales amount acquired by the sales acquisition unit; A profit margin management device comprising:

2. The printing cost is The media price paid when purchasing the media; an ink consumption cost according to the amount of ink consumed when printing on the medium; The profit margin management device according to claim 1 , comprising:

3. The ink consumption cost is a medium ejection cost based on the amount of ink ejected onto the medium when the printer prints on the medium; a maintenance cost based on the amount of ink ejected from the printer when performing maintenance on the printer; The profit margin management device according to claim 2 , comprising:

4. The profit margin management device according to claim 1 , wherein the profit margin calculation unit calculates a single-item ROI, which is the ROI for each of the printed materials.

5. 2. The profit margin management device according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit that displays the profit margin for each medium calculated by the profit margin calculation unit on a display screen.

6. The profit margin management device according to claim 1 , wherein the profit margin calculation unit calculates an ROI for each of the media.

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