Asset management system
The asset management system efficiently tracks and manages assets across multiple loan recipients by using imaging and identification processing units, reducing inventory costs and supporting business continuity planning through real-time location tracking and alerting.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024079964
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-05-16
- Publication Date
- 2025-11-28
AI Technical Summary
As companies grow and expand their business partnerships, managing assets like molds becomes increasingly complex due to multiple layers of loan recipients, making it difficult to track the location and status of these assets across various parties.
An asset management system that utilizes an imaging processing unit to record asset images with date and time, an identification processing unit to identify assets via a two-dimensional code, and a memory unit to store this information, along with a warning function for address discrepancies, enabling efficient tracking and management of assets across multiple loan recipients.
Facilitates easy management and tracking of assets, reduces labor and costs associated with inventory, and supports business continuity planning by providing real-time location tracking and alerting for address mismatches, even across international locations.
Smart Images
Figure 2025174004000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001] The present invention relates to an asset management system. [Background technology]
[0002] Conventionally, when a company or the like owns molds, etc., it is necessary to periodically take an inventory and manage the molds, etc. as assets. As a technology related to the present invention, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a mold management system that includes an imaging unit that captures an image of the surface of a molded product molded by the mold, an input layer to which a product image that is an image of the molded product is input, and an estimation unit that includes an output layer that outputs, in accordance with the input product image, the degree of contamination of the mold used to mold the molded product that is the source of the product image. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-107954 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0004] As a company grows, it will have many business partners, and the number of parties to whom it lends molds and entrusts manufacturing will increase beyond just the primary party. As the number of parties increases, such as secondary parties who in turn lend the molds to tertiary and quaternary parties, management becomes complicated, and it may become impossible to even know where the molds are stored.
[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an asset management system that can easily manage assets such as molds. [Means for solving the problem]
[0006] The asset management system of the present invention is an asset management system that manages assets that are loaned from a lending source not only to a primary loan recipient but also to secondary loan recipients and beyond, and is characterized by comprising an imaging processing unit that records the image of the asset in a memory unit together with the date and time of the image capture and the address where the image was captured, and an identification processing unit that records the product number of the asset identified based on an identification code unit that identifies the asset in the memory unit together with the image.
[0007] In the asset management system according to the present invention, it is preferable that the identification code section has a two-dimensional code.
[0008] In the asset management system according to the present invention, it is preferable that the identification code unit has a magnet unit that can be magnetically attached to the asset.
[0009] In addition, the asset management system according to the present invention preferably has a function of issuing a warning if the address at which the image of the asset is photographed differs from the address registered in advance.
[0010] Furthermore, it is preferable that the asset management system according to the present invention has a function of identifying the address where the image of the mold was taken, not only within Japan but also overseas, and reflecting this address on a map so that it can be applied to BCP (business continuity management) measures. [Effects of the Invention]
[0011] According to the present invention, assets such as molds can be easily managed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]
[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an asset management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which an operator is photographing a mold with a mobile terminal in the asset management system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3]1 is a diagram showing the relationship between a mold lender and a first-tier lender, a second-tier lender, a third-tier lender, and a fourth-tier lender in an asset management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following, similar elements in all drawings will be designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations will be omitted. Furthermore, in the description below, previously described reference numerals will be used as necessary.
[0014] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an asset management system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a state in which a worker 6 is taking a picture of a mold 2 with a mobile terminal 8 in the asset management system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0015] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the relationship between the lender of the mold 2 and the first, second, third, and fourth lenders in the asset management system 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention.
[0016] The asset management system 10 is a system that easily performs inventory after a mold 2 is loaned from a lending company to a lender. The asset management system 10 includes an imaging processing unit 12, an identification processing unit 14, and a memory unit 16.
[0017] The asset management system 10 is connected to a lender 1, a first lender 3, a second lender 4, a third lender 5, a fourth lender 7, and a worker 6 via a network 9.
[0018] The die 2 is a die made mainly from a metal material to obtain a product by molding using the plasticity or fluidity properties of the material. For example, the body of an automobile is made by molding a metal plate using a press die 2.
[0019] Resin products such as telephones are made by injection molding plastic materials using a mold 2. In this way, molds 2 are used to process materials such as metal, plastic, rubber, and glass into the desired products, and the quality of the mold 2 determines the quality of the product.
[0020] A two-dimensional code is displayed on the side of the mold 2, and a plate-shaped identification code section 11 having a magnet that can be magnetically attached to metal is magnetically attached to the back side. Information such as the product number is written on the mold 2, but when the mold 2 is stored and the product number and other information are located at the back and difficult to see, the worker 6 can easily identify the mold 2 if the identification code section 11 is magnetically attached to the front side.
[0021] The identification code part 11 can be magnetically attached to a desired position on the mold 2, and therefore can be attached to a position (for example, the front) that is easily visible to the worker 6 when the mold 2 is stored.
[0022] The lender 1 is a manufacturer of finished products, such as an automobile manufacturer. The manufacture of parts using the mold 2, for example, the manufacture of automobile bodies, is often outsourced to subcontractors such as parts processors, and the mold 2 may be loaned to a subcontractor or the like, referred to as a primary lender 3, as an asset of the lender 1, the finished product manufacturer.
[0023] Lender 1 needs to manage mold 2 as an asset. The mold information registered by lender 1 for mold 2 includes the license ID of mold 2, lending company name, management group name, management group code, asset number, mold part number, number of faces, storage location, manufacturing date, primary lender name, primary lender code, secondary lender name, secondary lender code, tertiary lender name, tertiary lender code, quaternary lender name, quaternary lender code, etc.
[0024] In addition, the lending source 1 requests the lending recipient to take an inventory of the mold 2, and when the lending recipient's worker 6 takes a picture of the mold 2 using a mobile terminal 8 and registers the mold information, the information is automatically updated, but the lending source 1 may also update this information manually.
[0025] The primary lender 3 may include, for example, not only the business divisions, domestic factories, and overseas subsidiaries of the lender 1, but also manufacturers A and B, which are parts processors of subcontractors, trading companies, and other companies.
[0026] The secondary lender 4 is a company that has received a loan from the primary lender 3. For example, it may be a partner company A that has received a loan from a domestic factory of the primary lender 3, a partner company B that has received a loan from an overseas subsidiary of the primary lender 3, a manufacturer C that has received a loan from manufacturer B of the primary lender 3, or a manufacturer C or manufacturer D that has received a loan from a trading company of the primary lender 3.
[0027] The third lender 5 is a company that has received a loan from the second lender 4. For example, the third lender 5 may be a cooperating company D that has received a loan from the manufacturer C of the second lender 4, or a cooperating company E that has received a loan from the manufacturer D of the second lender 4.
[0028] The fourth-tier lender 7 is a company that has received a loan from the third-tier lender 5. For example, the fourth-tier lender 7 may be a partner company F that has received a loan from the third-tier lender 5.
[0029] The worker 6 is an inventory worker at each lending destination in accordance with instructions from the lending source 1. Here, the worker 6 is described as an employee of each lending destination, but may also be an employee of the lending source 1.
[0030] The worker 6 has a mobile terminal 8 with a camera function that stores location information along with captured images. The mobile terminal 8 will be described as being, for example, a smartphone or tablet terminal that can communicate with the asset management system 10 via a network 9, but of course, other terminals may also be used.
[0031] The worker 6 performs an inventory of the molds 2 according to instructions from the lending source 1. Specifically, the worker 6 goes to the storage location of the molds 2 at each lending destination, and as shown in Figure 2, uses a mobile terminal 8 to read the identification code portion 11 magnetically attached to the mold 2 to identify and register the mold 2. At this time, it is also possible to use a function to narrow down the model name search by entering the initial letters of the product number written on the mold 2 to register it.
[0032] The worker 6 also uses the camera function of the mobile terminal 8 to photograph and register the mold 2. At this time, the following inventory information is registered: license ID, lender code, asset number, mold part number, name of the inventory worker, inventory date, whether or not the actual item is available, the reason if the actual item is not available, other details, non-operational period, disposal request, photo, lender code, lender name, storage address, etc.
[0033] It should be noted that, when an image of the mold 2 is photographed, the above-mentioned mold information such as the mold part number, inventory worker, inventory work date, photograph, and storage address are automatically registered when the image is registered, but it is also possible to make it possible to automatically input information other than these.
[0034] The image capturing processing unit 12 records the image in the memory unit 16 together with the date and time of the image capture and the address where the image was captured when the worker 6 captured the image of the mold 2 using the mobile terminal 8. The identification processing unit 14 records the product number of the mold 2 identified based on the identification code unit 11 that identifies the mold 2 in the memory unit 16 together with the image of the mold 2. At this time, not only the image of the mold 2 but also the mold product number, the name of the inventory worker, the inventory work date, and the storage address are stored in the memory unit 16.
[0035] The storage unit 16 stores not only the mold information registered by the lender 1 but also the inventory information registered by the worker 6 using the mobile terminal 8. The asset management system 10 uses a cloud server, so the worker 6 can access it from anywhere at any time.
[0036] Next, the operation of the asset management system 10 configured as described above will be explained. The mold 2 is a necessary and important asset for manufacturing products such as automobiles and electrical equipment. However, there are issues between the lender 1, who is the owner of the mold 2, and the lender (subcontractor, etc.), such as unclear rules regarding the management and disposal of the mold 2, and unfair cost sharing.
[0037] Another issue for lender 1 is that mold 2 is a fixed asset, so it must be inventoried and recorded as an asset every year, and since there are many lenders, physical inspections require a huge amount of labor and expense.In addition, the storage location changes depending on the settlement status (operating, non-operating, outsourcing to adjust production capacity), making it difficult to update the information.
[0038] Furthermore, an issue for the lenders (primary lender 3, secondary lender 4, tertiary lender 5, and quaternary lender 7) is that mold 2, which has a low utilization rate, is stored in a warehouse, so pulling mold 2 out of the warehouse and storing it away during inventory work takes time, and when inventory work is done, the lender 1 requests photographic data of the actual item, but if workers 6 each take photos using different methods, edit the data, and send the photographic data, the amount of work required increases. Also, since management and storage costs are incurred for items that are not in use for long periods of time, it is desirable to have mold 2 removed or disposed of.
[0039] First, lender 1 registers the license ID, lending company name, management group name, management group code, asset number, mold part number, number of faces, etc. of mold 2. After that, when an inventory of mold 2 is required, the lender requests the primary lender 3 to take the inventory.
[0040] Then, a worker 6 belonging to the primary lender 3 who has been requested to carry out the inventory work uses a mobile terminal 8 to identify the mold 2 using the identification code part 11 of the mold 2, takes a photograph of the mold 2, and stores the photograph date and time, the photograph location, and the image.
[0041] At this time, the license ID, lender code, asset number, whether or not the actual item is available, the reason if the actual item is not available, other details, non-operational period, disposal request, lender code, lender name, etc. are registered. If there are lenders beyond secondary lender 4, the higher-level lender will make an inventory request.
[0042] If the lender 1 is a large company, the number of lenders may be 500 or more, and if the mold 2 is lent not only to the primary lender 3 but also to secondary lenders 4 and beyond, it may be difficult to keep track of where the mold 2 is stored.
[0043] However, with the asset management system 10, when the worker 6 at each lending destination performs inventory work, he or she simply identifies the mold 2 and registers an image of the mold 2, and the work date, time, and work location are registered along with the image of the mold 2, which has the remarkable effect of making it possible to trace the tree structure showing the relationship between the lending source 1 and each lending destination and determine the current location of the mold 2.
[0044] As described above, according to the asset management system 10, the worker 6 can identify the mold 2 simply by taking a photograph of the identification code part 11 magnetically attached to the mold 2 with the camera of the mobile terminal 8. Furthermore, even if the identification code part 11 is not available, a narrowed search can be performed simply by inputting the initials of the product number of the mold 2, so that the mold 2 can be identified efficiently.
[0045] In addition, in the past, when performing inventory work, the advantage of the on-site inventory work was that an employee of the lending company 1 or the like would go to the lending destination as a manager and conduct an inspection in the presence of the manager, but with the asset management system 10, the date, time, and location of the work are recorded along with an image of the mold 2, so even without a manager, the reliability is equivalent to an inspection in the presence of a manager.
[0046] In the asset management system 10, changes in the status of the mold 2 to which the loanee has been loaned (damage, loss, change of storage location, etc.) can be easily registered, and requests for removal or disposal can also be registered if the non-operation period becomes long.
[0047] Furthermore, for the convenience of the administrator, the asset management system 10 manages assets on a cloud server, allowing access and viewing from anywhere at any time. It also allows for a hierarchical design that can restrict viewing by lenders. Furthermore, as described above, the relationship between lender 1 and lender can be traced, so it also functions as a tool for supply chain visualization, 4M change management, BCP measures, and the like.
[0048] Furthermore, according to the asset management system 10, when the worker 6 performs inventory work using the mobile terminal 8, an address search is performed not only within Japan but also overseas based on the location information of the mold 2, and the storage address is automatically displayed. This makes it possible to output an alert, for example, by displaying the address in red, if there is a discrepancy with the address registered in advance.
[0049] Furthermore, by using the location information, a mapping function can be realized. For example, when the lender 1 uses the asset management system 10 on a personal computer for management and specifies the range of the relevant area on the map with the cursor, the map software map is updated based on the storage address registered in the system, and lenders (storage locations) within the area are marked on the map, and detailed target product number information for each relevant storage location can be displayed in a list below the map.
[0050] It can also be applied to BCP (Business Continuity Management) measures. For example, if a natural disaster, conflict, fire, etc. occurs somewhere in the world, the first thing to do is to specify the affected area and map it. Normally, you just make an estimate based on the storage address, so it can be difficult to figure out the location if the place name is unfamiliar. By using the mapping function, you can visually determine how many storage locations there are within that area, and the target molds stored there will be displayed in detail.
[0051] Secondly, by outputting the list in CSV format, the relevant departments and lenders can be contacted immediately to confirm the damage status of the storage location, the distribution inventory of the affected parts made by mold 2 can be confirmed and secured from the supply chain, the secured distribution inventory can be compared with the company's own production plan to determine the impact on business, and if necessary, models with the least impact can be selected and production plans can be changed to minimize the impact on business. Different companies have different BCP measures, but the biggest advantage is that it allows for quick assessment of the situation and leads to accurate initial action.
[0052] Although the asset management system 10 has been described as a mold 2 loaned to a subcontractor, the asset can also be used for assets other than molds (for example, machinery, equipment, jigs, testers, etc.). [Explanation of symbols]
[0053] 1 lender, 2 mold, 3 first lender, 4 second lender, 5 third lender, 6 worker, 7 fourth lender, 8 mobile terminal, 9 network, 10 asset management system, 11 identification code unit, 12 imaging processing unit, 14 identification processing unit, 16 memory unit.
Claims
1. An asset management system for managing assets lent from a lending source to not only a first lending destination but also a second lending destination and thereafter, an image capturing processing unit that records the image of the asset in a storage unit together with the date and time of capturing the image and the address of the image; an identification processing unit that records a product number of the asset identified based on an identification code unit that identifies the asset together with the image in the storage unit; An asset management system comprising:
2. The asset management system according to claim 1, The asset management system is characterized in that the identification code unit has a two-dimensional code.
3. 3. The asset management system according to claim 2, 10. An asset management system according to claim 9, wherein the identification code unit has a magnet unit that can be magnetically attached to the asset.
4. The asset management system according to claim 1, An asset management system characterized by having a function of issuing a warning if the address at which the image of the asset is taken differs from a pre-registered address.
5. The asset management system according to claim 1, This asset management system has the function of identifying the address where the image of the mold was taken, not only within Japan but also overseas, and reflecting it on a map so that it can be applied to BCP (business continuity management) measures.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Die management system
JP2022107954A