Supply chain management method and supply chain management system

Abstract

To improve the efficiency of the whole supply chain, to optimize the stock of the whole supply chain by strengthening cooperation especially between retail business and manufacturing business and to appropriately adjust the balance of the demand and supply of merchandise.SOLUTION: The following processes are executed by the supply chain management system 300 arranged on the cloud. Retail data managed by a retailer are acquired from a retailer side main system and stored in a retailer side database 310. Manufacture data managed by the manufacturing industry are acquired from a manufacture side main system and stored in a manufacture side database 370. On the basis of retail data stored in a retail side database 310, the demand prediction of merchandise is calculated, and the demand prediction result of merchandise is outputted as demand prediction information 346. The production plan of merchandise is performed based on manufacturing data stored in a manufacture side database 370 and demand prediction information 346, and the production plan of merchandise is outputted as production plan information 386.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a supply chain management system and a supply chain management method for performing supply chain management (SCM). [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, retail businesses that sell products predict product demand, determine order quantities for those products, and place orders for those products. The following Patent Document 1 describes an ordering support system that, when ordering products, calculates a predicted demand for the product using a demand prediction model, calculates a risk value that indicates the magnitude of at least one of the risk of losing a sales opportunity for the product and the risk of generating excess inventory for the product for each order quantity for the product based on the predicted demand, and outputs a recommended order quantity based on the calculated risk value.

[0003] Furthermore, conventionally, manufacturing industries that manufacture products have planned production plans for the products when they receive orders for the products, thereby improving the efficiency of product manufacturing. Patent Document 2 listed below describes a production management system that, when an order for the manufacture of a product is received, evaluates each factory and each line that is assigned to a process for manufacturing the product related to that order, calculates a process evaluation value for each process, calculates an overall evaluation value for each combination of information that assigns factories and lines to the process for manufacturing the product related to the order, and selects candidate combinations when allocating factories and lines based on the overall evaluation value. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2019 / 053821 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-8501 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] A supply chain is made up of collaborations between different industries, such as retail, logistics, and manufacturing. In the retail industry, efforts are being made to streamline product ordering, as described in Patent Document 1, for example, while in the manufacturing industry, efforts are being made to streamline the production of ordered products, as described in Patent Document 2, for example.

[0006] However, the different industries that make up the supply chain are separated, and information is not shared sufficiently between them, which means that the efficiency of the entire supply chain is not being fully improved.

[0007] The present invention aims to provide a supply chain management method and a supply chain management system that can improve the efficiency of the entire supply chain, particularly by strengthening cooperation between the retail and manufacturing industries, thereby optimizing inventory throughout the supply chain and appropriately adjusting the balance between product demand and supply. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the supply chain management method of the present invention is a supply chain management method executed by a supply chain management system deployed on a cloud, and is characterized by having: a retail data storage step of acquiring retail data managed by a retail business from a retail-side core system and storing it in a retail-side database; a manufacturing data storage step of acquiring manufacturing data managed by a manufacturing business from a manufacturing-side core system and storing it in a manufacturing-side database; a demand forecasting step of calculating a demand forecast for a product based on the retail data stored in the retail-side database and outputting the result of the demand forecast for the product as demand forecast information; and a production plan information creation step of making a production plan for the product based on the manufacturing data stored in the manufacturing-side database and the demand forecast information output in the demand forecasting step, and outputting the production plan for the product as production plan information.

[0009] The above process will improve the efficiency of the entire supply chain, particularly by strengthening cooperation between the retail and manufacturing industries, thereby optimizing inventory throughout the supply chain and appropriately adjusting the balance between product demand and supply.

[0010] The supply chain management method according to the present invention may include an ordering step of creating order information for the product based on information using the first demand forecast information output in the demand forecasting step, and outputting the order information; and in the production plan information creation step, a production plan for the product is made based on the order information created based on information using the first demand forecast information, the manufacturing data stored in the manufacturing database, and second demand forecast information output after the first demand forecast information in the demand forecasting step, and the production plan for the product is output as production plan information.

[0011] According to the above process, a manufacturing company that receives an order for goods from a retailer can correct the order information related to that order with the latest demand forecast information, enabling the creation of more appropriate production plans.

[0012] A supply chain management method according to the present invention includes: an order recommendation value creation step of creating and outputting an order recommendation value for the product based on the first demand forecast information output in the demand forecasting step and inventory information for the product included in the retail data; and an order plan information creation step of accepting a revision of the order recommendation value by an operator of the retail business, creating order plan information for the product based on the order recommendation value revised by the operator of the retail business, and outputting the order plan information, and in the ordering step, the order information may be created based on the order plan information created in the order plan information creation step.

[0013] According to the above process, a retail operator can review and modify the recommended order values ​​before placing an order for a product.

[0014] In the supply chain management method according to the present invention, in the production plan information creation step, a production plan for the product may be made based on the manufacturing data and the demand forecast information without referring to order information for the product, and the production plan for the product may be output as production plan information.

[0015] According to the above process, even when no product orders have been received from retailers, production plans can be drawn up ahead of schedule using demand forecast information, shortening production lead times and enabling production lines to operate efficiently.

[0016] In addition, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the supply chain management system of the present invention is a supply chain management system deployed on the cloud, and is characterized by having: a retail-side database that acquires and stores retail data managed by retail businesses from a retail-side core system; a manufacturing-side database that acquires and stores manufacturing data managed by manufacturing businesses from a manufacturing-side core system; a demand forecasting unit that calculates a demand forecast for products based on the retail data stored in the retail-side database and outputs the demand forecast results for the products as demand forecast information; and a production plan information creation unit that makes a production plan for the products based on the manufacturing data stored in the manufacturing-side database and the demand forecast information output by the demand forecasting unit, and outputs the production plan for the products as production plan information.

[0017] The above configuration makes it possible to improve the efficiency of the entire supply chain, particularly by strengthening cooperation between the retail and manufacturing industries, thereby optimizing inventory throughout the supply chain and appropriately adjusting the balance between product demand and supply. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] The present invention has the effect of improving the efficiency of the entire supply chain, particularly by strengthening cooperation between the retail and manufacturing industries, optimizing inventory throughout the supply chain, and appropriately adjusting the balance between supply and demand for goods. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a basic concept according to the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a network configuration including a supply chain management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of a supply chain management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a demand forecast information creation process according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an order information creation process according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a production plan information creation process according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration capable of executing processing according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0021] (Basic concept of the present invention) First, a description will be given of the basic concept on which the supply chain management system 300 of this embodiment is based. Fig. 1 is a diagram for explaining the basic concept according to the present invention.

[0022] The supply chain management system 300 is deployed on the cloud and provides a supply chain management (SCM) platform that comprehensively manages information managed in the retail, logistics, and manufacturing industries.

[0023] Retail data managed by the retail industry, logistics data managed by the logistics industry, and manufacturing data managed by the manufacturing industry can each be linked to the SCM platform of the supply chain management system 300, as shown schematically in Figure 1, and are managed in an integrated manner by the supply chain management system 300. The method of linking data is not particularly limited; for example, various data may be uploaded to the SCM platform using a file upload function, or various data may be updated in real time to the SCM platform using a REST-API (real-time linking API).

[0024] In the supply chain management system 300, each industry can selectively disclose its own industry information to other industries, allowing information to be shared between industries. Specifically, the retail industry can refer to and use logistics data from the logistics industry and manufacturing data from the manufacturing industry. The logistics industry can refer to and use retail data from the retail industry and manufacturing data from the manufacturing industry. The manufacturing industry can refer to and use retail data from the retail industry and logistics data from the logistics industry.

[0025] This will enable information sharing and collaboration between different industries that were previously separated, thereby achieving greater efficiency in overall supply chain management.

[0026] Although not particularly limited, the present invention can be applied to a food supply chain including the production and sale of processed foods, for example. However, the products handled in the supply chain that is the subject of the present invention are not particularly limited, and the products may be, for example, food, clothing, industrial products, etc.

[0027] (Configuration in this embodiment) The configuration of this embodiment will now be described. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a network configuration including a supply chain management system 300 according to this embodiment. The following describes the supply chain management system 300, which enables collaboration between the retail industry and the manufacturing industry by utilizing an SCM platform.

[0028] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the retail side core system 100, the retail side operation terminal 120, the manufacturing side core system 200, and the manufacturing side operation terminal 220 are able to access the supply chain management system 300 via a network 400 such as the Internet.

[0029] The retailer's core system 100 is a system that comprehensively manages various operations in the retail industry, including product management, customer management, sales management, accounting management, etc. The retailer's core system 100 is capable of linking various data in the retailer's database 110 to the supply chain management system 300, for example, by using a file upload function or REST-API (real-time link API).

[0030] The retailer's backbone system 100 includes a retailer's database 110. The retailer's database 110 is a database that stores retail data required by the retailer's backbone system 100.

[0031] The retail data includes, for example, a product master 111, a store master 112, sales performance information 113, inventory information 114, and sale information 115.

[0032] The product master 111 is master data relating to products such as product codes (product identification information), product names, and prices.

[0033] The store master 112 is master data relating to stores, such as store codes (store identification information), store names, locations, and contact information.

[0034] The sales performance information 113 is data relating to the sales performance of the product (product code, number of sales, price, sales date, etc.).

[0035] The inventory information 114 is data relating to the inventory of each product at each store (product code, store code, inventory quantity, etc.).

[0036] The sale information 115 is data related to a sales plan (sale plan) for selling specific products at a lower price than usual, for example, through a sale, event, etc. In addition to the regular sales plan, the sale information 115 can independently determine the delivery date and order quantity of specific products.

[0037] A retail operation terminal 120 that can be operated by a retail operator is connected to the retail core system 100. The retail operator can refer to and update each data in the retail core system 100 through the retail operation terminal 120.

[0038] In addition, the retail side operation terminal 120 can be connected to the supply chain management system 300 via an API, allowing it to refer to various information stored in the supply chain management system 300 and perform data processing.

[0039] The manufacturing-side backbone system 200 is a system that comprehensively manages various operations in the manufacturing industry, including the manufacturing of products (hereinafter also referred to as "production of goods"). The manufacturing-side backbone system 200 is capable of linking various data in the manufacturing-side database 210 to the supply chain management system 300, for example, by using a file upload function or a REST-API (real-time link API).

[0040] The manufacturing-side backbone system 200 includes a manufacturing-side database 210. The manufacturing-side database 210 is a database that stores manufacturing data required by the manufacturing-side backbone system 200.

[0041] The manufacturing data includes, for example, a production master 211. The production master 211 is master data required when creating a production plan for a product.

[0042] The production master 211 includes, but is not limited to, various information such as product number by line, production capacity by line, ancillary work by line, operating time by line, factory operating days, and possible production days.

[0043] Product part numbers by line are identification numbers for products produced on each production line. Production capacity by line is the maximum number of products that each production line can produce. Ancillary work by line is information indicating the inspection, packaging, transportation, and other work required on each production line. Operating hours by line: The hours each production line actually operates. Factory operating days are the dates and times when factories equipped with each production line are operating. Production days are the number of days each production line can operate.

[0044] A manufacturing operation terminal 220 that can be operated by a manufacturing operator is connected to the manufacturing-side core system 200. The manufacturing operator can refer to and update each data in the manufacturing-side core system 200 through the manufacturing-side operation terminal 220.

[0045] In addition, the manufacturing side operation terminal 220 can be connected to the supply chain management system 300 via an API, allowing it to refer to various information stored in the supply chain management system 300 and perform data processing.

[0046] (Supply chain management system 300 in this embodiment) A supply chain management system 300 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the supply chain management system 300 according to this embodiment.

[0047] The supply chain management system 300 is implemented on a server device on the cloud. The supply chain management system 300 is equipped with an SCM platform that can comprehensively manage various data held by retailers, logistics companies, manufacturers, etc. This makes it possible to comprehensively manage the flow of products from demand to supply in the retailers, logistics companies, and manufacturers, thereby realizing efficient supply chain management.

[0048] The supply chain management system 300 provides, for example, an API, so that the retail side core system 100 and the retail side operation terminal 120 in the retail industry, the manufacturing side core system 200 and the manufacturing side operation terminal 220 in the manufacturing industry, and the logistics side core system (not shown) and the logistics side operation terminal (not shown) in the logistics industry can access the supply chain management system 300 and operate the supply chain management system 300.

[0049] The supply chain management system 300 shown in FIG. 3 is mainly composed of data synchronization units 301, 302, a retail-side database 310, a demand forecasting model storage unit 320, a demand forecasting unit 331, an order recommendation value creation unit 332, an order recommendation value storage unit 340, a demand forecasting information storage unit 345, an order plan information creation unit 351, an ordering unit 352, an order information storage unit 360, a manufacturing-side database 370, a production plan information creation unit 381, and a production plan information storage unit 385.

[0050] The data synchronization unit 301 is a processing unit that acquires retail data from the retail backbone system 100. The data synchronization unit 301 is capable of synchronizing the retail data held by the retail backbone system 100 with the retail database 310 of the supply chain management system 300.

[0051] The retail database 310 is a database that stores retail data acquired from the retail backbone system 100. In this embodiment, the retail data managed by the retail backbone system 100 is synchronized with and stored in the retail database 310 of the supply chain management system 300.

[0052] In this embodiment, as an example, product master 111, store master 112, sales performance information 113, inventory information 114, and sale information 115 stored in retail database 110 of retail core system 100 are stored as product master 311, store master 312, sales performance information 313, inventory information 314, and sale information 315, respectively, in retail database 310 of supply chain management system 300. Access rights from other industries (for example, manufacturing) can be assigned to the retail data stored in retail database 310 as appropriate, allowing specific data to be made public to other industries.

[0053] The demand forecasting model storage unit 320 is a data storage unit that stores a demand forecasting model 321. The demand forecasting model 321 is a statistical model that predicts future demand for each product, and is configured by combining, for example, a sales model 322 and an inventory model 323.

[0054] The sales model 322 is a model that predicts future sales based on information such as past sales data and market trends, etc. The inventory model 323 is a model that determines the optimal inventory level that prevents inventory surpluses and shortages.

[0055] The demand forecasting model 321 is not particularly limited, but as an example, a numerical optimization algorithm, a machine learning model, or the like can be used.

[0056] The demand forecasting unit 331 is a processing unit that calculates the demand forecast for each product using the demand forecasting model 321 based on retail data such as the sales performance information 313 for each product.

[0057] The demand forecasting unit 331 is capable of creating demand forecast information 346 including the demand forecast results obtained by calculation, and supplying the demand forecast information 346 to the order recommendation value creating unit 332. The demand forecasting unit 331 is also capable of storing the created demand forecast information 346 in the demand forecast information storage unit 345.

[0058] The demand forecasting unit 331 is configured to create the demand forecast information 346 in response to an instruction to create the demand forecast information 346. The instruction to create the demand forecast information 346 may be input manually by an operator of the retail business, or may be input automatically based on a predetermined set timing, such as every predetermined period. Furthermore, the demand forecasting unit 331 may be configured to create the demand forecast information 346 when an instruction to create the demand forecast information 346 is received from the production plan information creation unit 381.

[0059] The order recommendation value creating unit 332 is a processing unit that creates an order recommendation value 341 including a specific order quantity for a product based on retail data such as demand forecast information 346 and inventory information 314 .

[0060] The order recommendation value 341 includes, for example, a product code (product identification information), a store code (store identification information), a delivery date, and an order quantity. It may also include the number of orders over a predetermined period (for example, the number of orders for each day up to several days in the future).

[0061] The order recommendation value creating unit 332 is capable of storing the created order recommendation value 341 in the order recommendation value storage unit 340 .

[0062] The recommended order value storage unit 340 is a data storage unit that stores the recommended order value 341 created by the recommended order value creation unit 332 .

[0063] The demand forecast information storage unit 345 is a data storage unit that stores the demand forecast information 346 created by the demand forecasting unit 331. The demand forecast information 346 stored in the demand forecast information storage unit 345 is explicitly associated with the creation date and time of the demand forecast information 346, so that the creation date and time of the demand forecast information 346 can be identified.

[0064] The ordering plan information creation unit 351 is a processing unit that creates ordering plan information based on the ordering recommendation values ​​341 stored in the ordering recommendation value storage unit 340. A retail operator can refer to the ordering recommendation values ​​341 from the retail side operation terminal 120 and modify the ordering recommendation values ​​341 as appropriate.

[0065] The ordering plan information creation unit 351 is capable of reading out the ordering recommendation values ​​341 stored in the ordering recommendation value storage unit 340 based on creation instructions from the retailer's operator, creating ordering plan information from the read ordering recommendation values ​​341 (or the ordering recommendation values ​​341 modified by the retailer's operator), and supplying the created ordering plan information to the ordering unit 352.

[0066] The ordering unit 352 is a processing unit that creates ordering information 361 based on ordering plan information. By creating the ordering information 361, a formal product order is placed from the retailer to the manufacturer. The ordering unit 352 can also create ordering information 361 related to a sale plan based on sale information 315 stored in the retailer's database 310.

[0067] The order information storage unit 360 is a data storage unit that stores the order information 361 created by the ordering unit 352. When the order information 361 is stored in the order information storage unit 360, it is preferable that the manufacturer be notified in real time that the order has been officially placed by an application notification, an email notification to a predetermined email address, or the like.

[0068] The data synchronization unit 302 is a processing unit that acquires manufacturing data from the manufacturing-side backbone system 200. The data synchronization unit 302 is configured to synchronize the manufacturing data held by the manufacturing-side backbone system 200 with the manufacturing-side database 370 of the supply chain management system 300.

[0069] The manufacturing database 370 is a database that stores manufacturing data acquired from the manufacturing backbone system 200. In this embodiment, the manufacturing data managed by the manufacturing backbone system 200 is synchronized with and stored in the manufacturing database 370 of the supply chain management system 300.

[0070] In this embodiment, as an example, the production master 211 stored in the manufacturing database 210 of the manufacturing backbone system 200 is stored as a production master 371 in the manufacturing database 370 of the supply chain management system 300. Access rights from other industries (e.g., retail) can be assigned to the manufacturing data stored in the manufacturing database 370 as appropriate, allowing specific data to be made public to other industries.

[0071] The production plan information creation unit 381 is a processing unit that creates production plan information 386 using the demand forecast information 346 and / or the order information 361 and the production master 371 .

[0072] The production plan information storage unit 385 is a data storage unit that stores the production plan information 386 created by the production plan information creation unit 381. The production plan information 386 created by the production plan information creation unit 381 includes a specific production plan for the product. By producing the product based on this production plan information 386, it is possible to appropriately adjust the balance between product demand and supply and optimize inventory throughout the supply chain.

[0073] When creating production plan information 386, the production plan information creating unit 381 can appropriately select a combination of demand forecast information 346 and / or order information 361.

[0074] Specifically, the production plan information creation unit 381 is capable of executing a first creation process for creating production plan information 386 using demand forecast information 346 and order information 361, a second creation process for creating production plan information 386 using only demand forecast information 346, and a third creation process for creating production plan information 386 using only order information 361.

[0075] When executing the first creation process, the production plan information creation unit 381 reads out the order information 361 stored in the order information storage unit 360, and also reads out the latest demand forecast information 346 stored in the demand forecast information storage unit 345, and creates the production plan information 386 using the demand forecast information 346, the order information 361, and the production master 371.

[0076] By executing the first creation process, the production plan information creation unit 381 can create production plan information 386 that reflects the latest demand forecast information 346 in addition to the order information 361. The production plan information 386 created by executing the first creation process includes a production plan based on a more accurate demand forecast that appropriately reflects the latest demand fluctuations. According to the first creation process, it becomes possible to correct the order information 361 with the latest demand forecast information 346 and appropriately adjust the balance between supply and demand.

[0077] When executing the second creation process, the production plan information creation unit 381 reads out the latest demand forecast information 346 stored in the demand forecast information storage unit 345, or requests the demand forecast unit 331 to create the demand forecast information 346, thereby acquiring the latest demand forecast information 346, and creates production plan information 386 using the latest demand forecast information 346 and the production master 371.

[0078] By executing the second creation process, the production plan information creation unit 381 can create production plan information 386 ahead of schedule based on the latest demand forecast information 346, even if order information 361 does not exist, i.e., even if a formal order has not yet been placed. The production plan information 386 created by executing the second creation process includes a production plan that predicts order information 361 to be provided in the future. The second creation process makes it possible to obtain necessary materials early, thereby shortening production lead time, and to operate the production line more efficiently by accelerating the production process.

[0079] When the third creation process is executed, the production plan information creation unit 381 reads out the order information 361 stored in the order information storage unit 360, and creates the production plan information 386 using the order information 361 and the production master 371. By executing the third creation process, the production plan information creation unit 381 can create the production plan information 386 based on the order information 361.

[0080] In this way, the production plan information creation unit 381 in this embodiment is capable of executing the first to third creation processes described above. In particular, as in the first and second creation processes described above, by allowing the manufacturing industry to refer to the demand forecast information 346 predicted in the retail industry, the demand forecast information 346 in the retail industry can be reflected in the creation of production plan information 386 in the manufacturing industry. This makes it possible to appropriately create production plans and improve the efficiency of raw material procurement, etc., and also to appropriately create labor plans in the manufacturing industry, thereby achieving planned and efficient production through production leveling.

[0081] In addition, by creating a production plan that properly grasps the balance between supply and demand and appropriately controlling order quantities and inventory levels, it is possible to reduce lost sales opportunities due to product shortages and reduce product loss (or food loss if the product is food) due to excessive production.

[0082] 1 to 3 show the functions constituting the supply chain management system 300 as being consolidated into a single server device, but the functions of the supply chain management system 300 do not have to be consolidated and implemented in a single server device, and may be distributed. For example, the function related to the demand forecasting unit 331 may be disposed as a separate demand forecasting device, and an existing automatic ordering system may be used as the ordering function related to the ordering unit 352.

[0083] (Demand forecast information creation process in this embodiment) The demand forecast information creation process in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the demand forecast information creation process in this embodiment. The demand forecast information creation process is executed by the demand forecasting unit 331 shown in Fig. 3.

[0084] The demand forecast information creation process is started, for example, when an instruction to create the demand forecast information 346 is input (step S101). The instruction to create the demand forecast information 346 may be input manually by a retail operator, may be input automatically based on a predetermined set timing, or may be received from the production plan information creation unit 381. The instruction to create the demand forecast information 346 may also include a product code, a store code, etc., so that the product and store for which demand forecasting is to be performed can be specified.

[0085] The demand forecasting unit 331 generates the demand forecast information 346 through calculation processing in response to the instruction to generate the demand forecast information 346 (step S103). The demand forecasting model 321 used in the calculation processing of the demand forecasting unit 331 is not particularly limited in the present invention. The demand forecasting model 321 is configured by combining, for example, a sales model 322 and an inventory model 323, and the demand forecasting unit 331 is capable of calculating future demand forecasts based on various information such as sales performance information 313 for each store and each product.

[0086] The target period for demand forecasting is not particularly limited and can be set arbitrarily. For example, demand forecast information 346 for tomorrow (one day later) or demand forecast information 346 for a predetermined period (for example, several days) can be created as needed.

[0087] The demand forecast information 346 created by the demand forecasting unit 331 is stored in the demand forecast information storage unit 345 (step S105). The demand forecast information 346 includes a product code that identifies the product for which demand forecasting is performed and a store code that identifies the store. The demand forecast information 346 is also explicitly associated with the creation date and time of the demand forecast information 346, and is stored in the demand forecast information storage unit 345. This makes it possible to identify the creation date and time of the demand forecast information 346, and also makes it possible to identify the latest demand forecast information 346 even when multiple pieces of demand forecast information 346 exist.

[0088] The demand forecast information 346 stored in the demand forecast information storage unit 345 includes a demand forecast for products based on information held by the retailer, and in this embodiment, the manufacturing company can refer to the demand forecast information 346. The production plan information creation unit 381 can acquire the demand forecast information 346 stored in the demand forecast information storage unit 345 and use the demand forecast information 346 to execute a process for creating production plan information 386.

[0089] (Order Information Creation Process in This Embodiment) The order information creation process in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the order information creation process in this embodiment. The order information creation process is executed by the demand forecasting unit 331, the order recommendation value creation unit 332, the order plan information creation unit 351, and the ordering unit 352 shown in Fig. 3.

[0090] The demand forecast information creation process is started, for example, when an instruction to create the order information 361 is input (step S201). The instruction to create the order information 361 is input, for example, by an operator of a retail business. The instruction to create the order information 361 may include at least information (for example, a product code or a store code) specifying which product is to be ordered at which store.

[0091] When an instruction to create order information 361 is input, demand forecasting unit 331 creates demand forecast information 346 for the specified product (step S203). After receiving the instruction to create order information 361, demand forecasting unit 331 may execute the demand forecast information creation process shown in Fig. 4 described above to create demand forecast information 346, or may read the latest demand forecast information 346 for the relevant product from demand forecast information 346 that is created periodically, for example.

[0092] Next, the order recommendation value generator 332 generates an order recommendation value 341 including a specific order quantity for the product based on the demand forecast information 346 and the inventory information 314 (step S205). The order recommendation value 341 includes, for example, a product code (product identification information), a store code (store identification information), a delivery date, and an order quantity. It may also include the order quantity over a predetermined period (for example, the order quantity for each day up to several days in the future).

[0093] The recommended order value 341 created by the recommended order value creating unit 332 is stored in the recommended order value storage unit 340 (step S207).

[0094] The recommended order value 341 is a quantity recommended for placing an order, and no formal order has been placed at the time of creating the recommended order value 341. It is preferable that a formal order be placed in response to an instruction from a retail operator, for example.

[0095] A retail operator can check the order quantity of each product and review and revise it by referring to the order recommendation value 341. The retail operator may also revise the order recommendation value 341 taking into account fluctuations in the flow of people due to weather, events, etc.

[0096] Next, after confirming and correcting the order recommendation value 341, an instruction to create order planning information is input (step S209). The instruction to create order planning information is input by, for example, an operator of a retail business.

[0097] The ordering plan information creation unit 351 creates ordering plan information based on the ordering recommendation value 341 in response to the creation instruction for the ordering plan information (step S211). Furthermore, when the retail operator inputs an ordering instruction after checking the ordering plan information, the ordering unit 352 performs ordering processing based on the ordering plan information (step S213). In this ordering processing, the ordering unit 352 creates ordering information 361, which is a formal purchase order to the manufacturer. The ordering information 361 created by the ordering unit 352 is stored in the ordering information storage unit 360.

[0098] (Production plan information creation process in this embodiment) The production plan information creation process in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the production plan information creation process in this embodiment. The production plan information creation process is executed by the production plan information creation unit 381 shown in Fig. 3.

[0099] The production plan information creation process is started when an instruction to create production plan information 386 is input (step S301). The instruction to create production plan information 386 may be input by, for example, an operator in the manufacturing industry. Alternatively, when order information 361 is stored in the order information storage unit 360 or when demand forecast information 346 is stored in the demand forecast information storage unit 345, an instruction to create production plan information 386 based on the order information 361 or demand forecast information 346 may be automatically input.

[0100] The instructions for creating the production plan information 386 include at least information specifying which product is to be produced and on what schedule (for example, product code and production schedule).

[0101] As described above, the production plan information creation unit 381 is capable of executing a first creation process for creating production plan information 386 using demand forecast information 346 and order information 361, a second creation process for creating production plan information 386 using only demand forecast information 346, and a third creation process for creating production plan information 386 using only order information 361.

[0102] The flowchart shown in FIG. 6 illustrates that the processing by the production plan information creation unit 381 branches into any of the first to third creation processes described above depending on the content of the creation instruction in the production plan information 386 (step S311).

[0103] If the content of the creation instruction for production plan information 386 is to use both demand forecast information 346 and order information 361, a first creation process (steps S331 to S333) is executed. If the content of the creation instruction for production plan information 386 is to use only demand forecast information 346, a second creation process (steps S341, S342) is executed. If the content of the creation instruction for production plan information 386 is to use only order information 361, a third creation process (steps S351, S352) is executed.

[0104] The production plan information creation unit 381 is capable of creating production plan information 386 by using both the demand forecast information 346 and the order information 361. When the instruction to create the production plan information 386 is an instruction to create the production plan information 386 by using both the demand forecast information 346 and the order information 361, the production plan information creation unit 381 starts executing the first creation process described above.

[0105] In the first creation process, the production plan information creation unit 381 acquires the latest demand forecast information 346 stored in the demand forecast information storage unit 345 (step S331), and also acquires the order information 361 stored in the order information storage unit 360 (step S332).

[0106] The production plan information creation unit 381 calculates a production plan for the product based on the latest demand forecast information 346, order information 361, and production master 371, which includes various information related to the product production process, and creates production plan information 386, which includes the calculation results (step S333). The production plan information 386 includes, for example, a specific production line operation plan, such as how many products will be produced on which line in the factory.

[0107] As described above, when creating order information 361, demand forecast information 346 is created, then order recommendation value 341 is created using this demand forecast information 346, and then order plan information based on order recommendation value 341 is created, and order information 361 is then created. Because there may be a time lag between the creation of demand forecast information 346 and the creation of order information 361, order information 361 is created using demand forecast information 346 that is out of date by the amount of the time lag, and does not necessarily reflect the latest demand forecast information 346.

[0108] In contrast, according to the first creation process, information is shared between the manufacturing industry and the retail industry, and the production plan information creation unit 381 acquires the latest demand forecast information 346 and corrects the order information 361, thereby creating production plan information 386. This makes it possible to create a production plan based on a more accurate demand forecast that appropriately reflects the latest demand fluctuations, and to appropriately adjust the balance between supply and demand.

[0109] The demand forecast information 346 that the order recommendation value creation unit 332 refers to when creating the order recommendation value 341 constitutes the first demand forecast information of the present invention. The latest demand forecast information 346 that the production plan information creation unit 381 refers to when creating the production plan information 386 constitutes the second demand forecast information of the present invention.

[0110] Furthermore, the production plan information creation unit 381 is capable of creating the production plan information 386 by using only the demand forecast information 346. When the instruction to create the production plan information 386 is an instruction to create the production plan information 386 by using only the demand forecast information 346, the production plan information creation unit 381 starts executing the second creation process described above.

[0111] In the second creation process, the production plan information creation unit 381 acquires the latest demand forecast information 346 stored in the demand forecast information storage unit 345 (step S341).

[0112] The production plan information creation unit 381 calculates a production plan for the product based on the latest demand forecast information 346 and the production master 371, which includes various information related to the product's production process, and creates production plan information 386 including the calculation results (step S342).

[0113] According to the second creation process, information is shared between the manufacturing industry and the retail industry, and the production plan information creation unit 381 can create production plan information 386 based on the latest demand forecast information 346 even when order information 361 does not exist, i.e., when no order has been placed yet, and can therefore advance production plans based on the latest demand fluctuations. This makes it possible to obtain necessary materials early, shorten production lead times, and operate production lines more efficiently by advancing production processes.

[0114] Furthermore, the production plan information creation unit 381 is capable of creating the production plan information 386 using only the order information 361. When the instruction to create the production plan information 386 is an instruction to create the production plan information 386 using only the order information 361, the production plan information creation unit 381 starts executing the third creation process described above.

[0115] In the third creation process, the production plan information creation unit 381 acquires the order information 361 stored in the order information storage unit 360 (step S351).

[0116] The production plan information creation unit 381 calculates a production plan for the product based on the order information 361 and the production master 371 including various information related to the product production process, and creates production plan information 386 including the calculation results (step S352).

[0117] As described above, the production plan information creation unit 381 can create production plan information 386 by switching between using demand forecast information 346 and / or order information 361, and can create production plans that flexibly respond to various situations.

[0118] In the above example, one of the following processes is executed to create production plan information 386: a process for creating production plan information 386 using both demand forecast information 346 and order information 361 (first creation process), a process for creating production plan information 386 using only demand forecast information 346 (second creation process), and a process for creating production plan information 386 using only order information 361 (third creation process), and the mode in which production plan information 386 is created by one of these processes is described, but the processes according to the present invention are not limited to this.

[0119] For example, the above-described first to third creation processes may be executed in parallel to create multiple pieces of production plan information 386. In this case, multiple pieces of production plan information 386 may be stored in the production plan information storage unit 385, and an operator of the manufacturing industry may select and create an appropriate production plan from the multiple pieces of production plan information 386.

[0120] (Hardware configuration) The functions of the retail backbone system 100, retail operation terminal 120, manufacturing backbone system 200, manufacturing operation terminal 220, and supply chain management system 300 can be realized, for example, by a computer 900 having the hardware configuration described below. Figure 7 is a schematic block diagram showing an example configuration of a computer 900 capable of performing the processing in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0121] 7 includes, as an example, a processor 910, a memory 920, a storage 930, an input / output interface 940, and a communication interface 950, and these components are connected via a bus 960. The computer 900 may be, for example, a server device on a cloud, a general-purpose computer, a mobile communication terminal, or the like, as appropriate.

[0122] The processor 910 is hardware that executes various instructions written in a program and realizes and controls various functions in the computer 900. The processor 910 may be, for example, a CPU, a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) or GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) that performs data processing specialized for a specific purpose, or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) that has a high degree of design freedom.

[0123] The memory 920 is a volatile memory that temporarily stores programs and data executed by the computer 900, and is a main storage device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory).

[0124] The storage 930 is, for example, an auxiliary storage device such as a magnetic disk such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a semiconductor memory such as an SSD (Solid State Drive), a magneto-optical disk, an optical disk, etc. The storage 930 may be connected via an input / output interface 940, or may be located in a position accessible via the communication interface 950.

[0125] The retail database 110 of the retail backbone system 100 and the manufacturing database 210 of the manufacturing backbone system 200 can be configured with storage 930 capable of storing data. Similarly, the retail database 310, demand forecast model storage unit 320, order recommendation value storage unit 340, demand forecast information storage unit 345, order information storage unit 360, manufacturing database 370, and production plan information storage unit 385 of the supply chain management system 300 can also be configured with storage 930 capable of storing data.

[0126] The storage 930 is capable of storing a program and data in which the processing procedures of this embodiment are written as program instructions. The processor 910 reads the program according to this embodiment from the storage 930, loads it on the memory 920, and executes the program instructions, thereby enabling the computer 900 to implement the functions according to this embodiment.

[0127] For example, the data synchronization units 301 and 302, the demand forecasting unit 331, the order recommendation value creation unit 332, the order planning information creation unit 351, the ordering unit 352, and the production planning information creation unit 381 of the supply chain management system 300 can realize the functions of each processing unit by the processor 910 expanding a previously created program on the memory 920 and executing the program instructions.

[0128] The input / output interface 940 has a function of receiving input from the outside and a function of outputting information to the outside. The input / output interface 940 is configured so that user input devices such as a mouse 941 and a keyboard 942, information collection devices such as a camera 943 and a microphone 944, and information output devices such as a display 945 and a speaker 946 can be connected as needed.

[0129] The communication interface 950 has a function that enables the computer 900 to communicate with other computers. The communication interface 950 may be configured to enable the computer 900 to access other computers via the network 400. Examples of the network 400 include the Internet, a LAN (Local Area Network), and a WAN (Wide Area Network). The communication interface 950 may also be configured to enable direct communication with other computers. The communication method used by the communication interface 950 is not particularly limited, and may be either a packet communication method or a circuit switching method, or may be either wired communication or wireless communication.

[0130] (Action of this embodiment) The operation of this embodiment will be described below.

[0131] According to this embodiment, a supply chain management method is provided that is executed by a supply chain management system 300 that is deployed on the cloud.

[0132] The supply chain management method in this embodiment is characterized by having: a retail data storage step of acquiring retail data managed by a retail business from the retail-side core system 100 and storing it in the retail-side database 310; a manufacturing data storage step of acquiring manufacturing data managed by a manufacturing business from the manufacturing-side core system 200 and storing it in the manufacturing-side database 370; a demand forecasting step of calculating a demand forecast for a product based on the retail data stored in the retail-side database 310 and outputting the result of the demand forecast for the product as demand forecast information 346 (demand forecast information creation process in FIG. 4, step S203 in FIG. 5); and a production plan information creation step of making a production plan for the product based on the manufacturing data stored in the manufacturing-side database 370 and the demand forecast information 346 output in the demand forecasting step, and outputting the production plan for the product as production plan information 386 (steps S333, S342 in FIG. 6).

[0133] The above process will improve the efficiency of the entire supply chain, particularly by strengthening cooperation between the retail and manufacturing industries, thereby optimizing inventory throughout the supply chain and appropriately adjusting the balance between product demand and supply.

[0134] Furthermore, the supply chain management method in this embodiment includes an ordering step (step S213 in FIG. 4) in which product order information 361 is created based on information using first demand forecast information 346 output in the demand forecasting step, and the order information 361 is output; in the production plan information creation step, a production plan for the product may be made based on order information 361 created based on information using first demand forecast information 346, manufacturing data stored in manufacturing database 370, and second demand forecast information 346 output after the first demand forecast information 346 in the demand forecasting step, and the product production plan may be output as production plan information 386.

[0135] According to the above process, a manufacturing company that receives an order for goods from a retailer can correct the order information 361 related to the order with the latest demand forecast information 346, thereby enabling the creation of a more appropriate production plan.

[0136] Furthermore, the supply chain management method in this embodiment has an order recommendation value creation step (step S205 in FIG. 4) that creates and outputs order recommendation values ​​341 for products based on first demand forecast information 346 output in the demand forecasting step and product inventory information 314 included in the retail data, and an order plan information creation step (step S209 in FIG. 4) that accepts modifications to the order recommendation values ​​341 by a retail operator, creates order plan information for products based on the order recommendation values ​​341 modified by the retail operator, and outputs the order plan information, and in the ordering step, order information 361 may be created based on the order plan information created in the order plan information creation step.

[0137] According to the above process, a retail operator can review and modify the order recommendation value 341 before placing an order for the product.

[0138] In the supply chain management method of this embodiment, in the production plan information creation step, a production plan for the product may be made based on the manufacturing data and demand forecast information 346 without referring to the product order information 361, and the production plan for the product may be output as production plan information 386.

[0139] According to the above process, even when no product orders have been received from retailers, production plans can be drawn up ahead of schedule using demand forecast information 346, thereby shortening production lead times and enabling production lines to operate efficiently.

[0140] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, a supply chain management system 300 deployed on the cloud is provided. The supply chain management system 300 in this embodiment is characterized by having: a retail database 310 that acquires and stores retail data managed by a retail business from the retail backbone system 100; a manufacturing database 370 that acquires and stores manufacturing data managed by a manufacturing business from the manufacturing backbone system 200; a demand forecasting unit 331 that calculates a product demand forecast based on the retail data stored in the retail database 310 and outputs the product demand forecast result as demand forecast information 346; and a production plan information creation unit 381 that makes a product production plan based on the manufacturing data stored in the manufacturing database 370 and the demand forecast information 346 output by the demand forecasting unit 331, and outputs the product production plan as production plan information 386.

[0141] The above configuration makes it possible to improve the efficiency of the entire supply chain, particularly by strengthening cooperation between the retail and manufacturing industries, thereby optimizing inventory throughout the supply chain and appropriately adjusting the balance between product demand and supply.

[0142] According to this embodiment, it is also possible to provide a program that causes the processor 910 to execute the supply chain management method.

[0143] The above-described embodiments are described to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention. The components and processing steps disclosed in the above-described embodiments are intended to include all design modifications and equivalents that fall within the technical scope of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0144] The present invention is applicable to technologies related to supply chain management, and in particular to technologies for optimizing inventory throughout the supply chain and adjusting the balance between supply and demand for products. [Explanation of symbols]

[0145] 100 Retail side core system 110, 310 Retail database 111, 311 Product Master 112, 312 store master 113, 313 Sales performance information 114, 314 Stock Information 115, 315 Special Sale Information 120 Retailer operation terminal 200 Manufacturing core system 210, 370 Manufacturing database 211, 371 Production Master 220 Manufacturing operation terminal 300 Supply Chain Management System 301, 302 Data synchronization section 320 Demand forecast model storage section 321 Demand Forecasting Model 322 Sales Model 323 Stock Models 331 Demand Forecasting Department 332 Order Recommendation Value Creation Department 340 Order recommendation value storage section 341 Order recommendation value 345 Demand forecast information storage unit 346 Demand Forecast Information 351 Order Planning Information Creation Department 352 Ordering Department 360 Order information storage section 361 Ordering Information 381 Production Planning Information Creation Department 385 Production planning information storage unit 386 Production Planning Information 400 Network 900 Computers 910 processor 920 memory 930 Storage 940 Input / Output Interface 941 Mouse 942 keyboard 943 Camera 944 Mike 945 Display 946 Speaker 950 Communication Interface 960 Bus

Claims

1. A supply chain management method executed by a supply chain management system deployed on a cloud, comprising: a retail data storage step of acquiring retail data managed by the retail business from the retail-side backbone system and storing the data in a retail-side database; a manufacturing data storage step of acquiring manufacturing data managed by the manufacturing industry from a manufacturing-side core system and storing the data in a manufacturing-side database; a demand forecasting step of calculating a demand forecast for a commodity based on the retail data stored in the retail-side database and outputting the demand forecast result for the commodity as demand forecast information; a production plan information creation step of making a production plan for the product based on the manufacturing data stored in the manufacturing-side database and the demand forecast information output in the demand forecast step, and outputting the production plan for the product as production plan information; A supply chain management method comprising:

2. an ordering step of creating order information for the product based on information using the first demand forecast information output in the demand forecasting step, and outputting the order information; 2. The supply chain management method according to claim 1, wherein in the production plan information creation step, a production plan for the product is made based on the order information created based on information using the first demand forecast information, the manufacturing data stored in the manufacturing side database, and second demand forecast information output after the first demand forecast information in the demand forecast step, and the production plan for the product is output as production plan information.

3. an order recommendation value creation step of creating and outputting an order recommendation value for the commodity based on the first demand forecast information output in the demand forecast step and inventory information for the commodity included in the retail data; an order plan information creation step of accepting a modification of the recommended order value by an operator of the retail business, creating order plan information for the product based on the recommended order value modified by the operator of the retail business, and outputting the order plan information; and 3. The supply chain management method according to claim 2, wherein in said ordering step, said ordering information is created based on said ordering plan information created in said ordering plan information creating step.

4. 2. The supply chain management method according to claim 1, wherein in the production plan information creation step, a production plan for the product is made based on the manufacturing data and the demand forecast information without referring to order information for the product, and the production plan for the product is output as production plan information.

5. A supply chain management system deployed on a cloud, a retail database that acquires and stores retail data managed by the retail business from the retail core system; a manufacturing database that acquires and stores manufacturing data managed by the manufacturing industry from the manufacturing core system; a demand forecasting unit that calculates a demand forecast for a commodity based on the retail data stored in the retail-side database and outputs the result of the demand forecast for the commodity as demand forecast information; a production plan information creation unit that makes a production plan for the product based on the manufacturing data stored in the manufacturing-side database and the demand forecast information output by the demand forecast unit, and outputs the production plan for the product as production plan information; A supply chain management system comprising:

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