Transaction management system and transaction management method

Abstract

To provide a transaction management system for quickly and accurately preparing a supply chain diagram without being affected by the preliminary management of a user.SOLUTION: A supply chain processing module 1000 of a server sets an inter-node link on the basis of an order sheet created with ordering from an ordering source node to an ordering destination node, sets a node attribute on the basis of a statement of delivery of the ordering destination node, creates a supply chain of a plurality of nodes on the basis of the inter-node link and the node attribute, and outputs a supply chain diagram on the basis of the created supply chain.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a transaction management system in which a server mediates transactions between multiple nodes, and in particular to a transaction management system that has a function for creating a supply chain diagram as a supply chain management function.

[0002] The importance of supply chains in manufacturing and other industries is being emphasized from various perspectives, such as BCP measures, CSR procurement, and quality control. As a result, improvements are being made to existing transaction management systems to strengthen supply chain management.

[0003] Visualization of the supply chain is an important requirement for supply chain management, and for this reason, supply chain diagrams are created for users involved in the supply chain. In the manufacturing industry, supply chain diagrams visually represent the ordering and delivery process from raw materials to the final product and delivery to consumers, and represent the steps involved in the supply chain and organizations such as companies and groups connected by links. An example of a transaction management system related to the supply chain is described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2005-044251. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-044251 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] To systematize supply chain management, users involved in transactions must be managed in advance. However, because order forms, particularly supplier destinations, often change depending on the situation, prior user management is not very effective. Furthermore, managing users for the supply chain after a transaction is inevitably complicated, making it difficult to quickly and accurately create a supply chain diagram.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a transaction management system and a transaction management method that can quickly and accurately create a supply chain diagram without being affected by the user's prior management. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a transaction management system comprising a server to which a plurality of nodes are connected, the server processing transactions for the plurality of nodes, the server having a processor, the processor executing a management program to set inter-node links based on a purchase order created in conjunction with an order from an ordering node to an order recipient node, set node attributes based on a delivery note of the order recipient node, create a supply chain of the plurality of nodes based on the inter-node links and node attributes, and output a supply chain diagram based on the created supply chain.

[0008] Furthermore, the present invention is a transaction management method in which a computer processes transactions for multiple nodes, wherein the computer sets inter-node links based on a purchase order created in conjunction with an order from an ordering node to an order recipient node, sets node attributes based on a delivery note of the order recipient node, creates a supply chain for the multiple nodes based on the inter-node links and node attributes, and outputs a supply chain diagram based on the created supply chain. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The present invention can quickly and accurately create a supply chain diagram in accordance with transactions between multiple nodes without being affected by the user's prior management. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram of a transaction management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a tree diagram of a supply chain. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a supply chain link structure. [Figure 4] This is the hardware block of the server. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a transaction management execution unit. [Figure 6] 10 is a menu screen for the operation of the transaction management execution unit. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart of the operation (order placement) of the transaction management execution unit. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of state transitions of the control operation of the management system. [Figure 9] 1 is an example of a purchase order. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart of the operation (order placement) of the transaction management execution unit. [Figure 11] 10 is an example of an invoice upload screen. [Figure 12] This is a block diagram of a supply chain showing the process of integrating supply chains created on an order date basis into a single supply chain. [Figure 13] 10 is an example of an information selection screen for outputting a supply chain diagram. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figure 1 shows a block diagram of a transaction management system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The transaction management system 10 comprises a server 100 and information processing devices 201 (nodes 1 to N) of multiple users (1 to N) connected to the server 100. A transaction management execution unit 101 is implemented in the server 100.

[0012] The server 100 mediates transactions of goods and services involving ordering and delivery between multiple nodes. The server 100 creates a supply chain in accordance with the transaction. Preferably, the server 100 gradually expands the supply chain in synchronization with the progress of the transaction.

[0013] A supply chain consists of a hierarchical structure of multiple nodes, and the nodes are information processing devices of all organizations, such as companies and groups, involved in the supply chain. Figure 2 shows a tree diagram of a supply chain 200. The supply chain 200 is composed of inter-node links 204 that connect the multiple nodes in a hierarchical structure and node attributes 206 of each of the multiple nodes.

[0014] Figure 3 shows a block diagram of a supply chain link structure 202. The link structure 202 is a tree structure in which multiple nodes are hierarchically connected by inter-node links 204. Of the multiple modules connected to each other by links, the upstream module is the ordering source, and the downstream module is the ordering recipient.

[0015] In this way, the hierarchical structure of multiple nodes is configured by the cooperative relationship between the orderer and the supplier. Node 0 is the node located at the top of the hierarchical structure and is the original orderer. Node 0 is, for example, a completed vehicle manufacturer, and nodes 1 to 10 are supplier nodes for the main parts of completed vehicles, with node 11 being a sub-supplier of the parts required for the main parts of node 1. Node attributes 206 are detailed information about the node, such as the company name, part name, and part quantity, as shown in FIG. 2. The part name of a node is the part ordered from the previous node and also the part delivered to the previous node.

[0016] 4 shows an example of hardware blocks of the server 100. The server 100 includes a processor 104 including a CPU, a main memory device 106, an auxiliary memory device 108, a network interface 110, an input device 112, and an output device 114, all of which are interconnected via an internal communication line 102 such as a bus.

[0017] The processor 104 controls the overall operation of the server 100. The main memory 106 is composed of, for example, a volatile semiconductor memory, and is used as a work memory for the processor 104. The auxiliary memory 108 is composed of a large-capacity non-volatile memory device such as a hard disk drive, SSD, or flash memory, and is used to store various programs and data for a long period of time. The executable program 1003b for the transaction management execution unit 101 stored in the auxiliary memory 108 is loaded into the main memory 106 when the server 100 is started up or when needed, and is executed by the processor 104.

[0018] The executable program 1003a may be recorded on a non-transitory recording medium, read from the non-transitory recording medium by a media reading device, and loaded into the main memory device 106. Alternatively, the executable program 1003a may be obtained from an external computer via a network and loaded into the main memory device 106.

[0019] The network interface 110 is an interface device for connecting the server 100 to each network within the system or for communicating with other computers. The input device 112 is composed of a keyboard, a pointing device such as a mouse, and the like, and is used by the administrator to input various instructions and information to the server 100. The output device 114 is composed of a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display, and an audio output device such as a speaker, and is used to display or notify the user of necessary information when necessary.

[0020] The auxiliary storage device 108 has a database (DB) 1003b that stores data that constitutes the link structure 202 of the supply chain 200 and the node attribute information 206 of each of the multiple nodes. Therefore, the supply chain processing module 1000 (FIG. 5) can create or reproduce a supply chain based on this database and display it as a supply chain configuration diagram.

[0021] The server 100 creates a supply chain diagram for each transaction by having the processor 104 execute the executable program 1003a. To this end, the transaction management execution unit 101 of the server 100 has a first function of creating a supply chain link structure 202 based on a purchase order from an ordering node to an order recipient node, a second function of creating supply chain node attributes 206 based on a delivery note for the purchase order, and a third function of creating a supply chain 200 based on the links and attributes.

[0022] 5 is a functional block diagram of the transaction management execution unit 101. The transaction management execution unit 101 has a QR code processing module 1200 related to the first function, a delivery processing module 1100 related to the second function, and a supply chain processing module 1000 related to the third function. These modules create a supply chain so that the supply chain 200 gradually expands in accordance with the development of actual orders and deliveries between nodes based on their dates and times. The supply chain processing module 1000 creates a supply chain diagram and notifies it from the supply chain diagram display unit 1001 (output device 114).

[0023] A module is a function achieved by the processor 104 executing an executable program, and the term module may be replaced with other terms such as function, means, or unit. A module may also be replaced with hardware such as a dedicated integrated circuit. The supply chain processing module 1000 configures the supply chain link structure 202 using the QR code processing module 1200, and the delivery processing module 1100 configures the node attributes 206.

[0024] The details of the order processing between nodes, which is the operation of the transaction management execution unit 101 (Figure 5), will be explained using a flowchart (Figure 7) and a state transition block diagram (Figure 8). When a user accesses the transaction management execution unit 101, the transaction management execution unit 101 displays the menu screen shown in Figure 6 to the user. When the user selects "1. Create purchase order," the transaction management execution unit 101 prompts the user to create a purchase order (Figure 7: step S100). Figure 9 shows an example of a purchase order 1200A. The purchase order that the user is about to create can be created in any format, and differences in format here do not affect the functionality of the system shown in Figure 5. The purchase order shown in Figure 9 is an example that imagines a purchase order from node 0 (Figure 2) as the order source to node 1 as the order recipient.

[0025] Next, the transaction management execution unit 101 generates a QR code to be pasted on the purchase order (step S102). The QR code processing module 1200 creates a QR code 1200B (first code) in which the link relationship between the orderer and the order recipient nodes is encoded in the URL argument, and pastes this on the purchase order 1200A, i.e., adds the QR code to the image data of the purchase order (step S104: FIGS. 7 and 9).

[0026] Furthermore, the QR code processing module 1200 creates a QR code 1200C (second code) by encoding the link to the upload destination of the delivery note, and pastes this on the purchase order 1200A (step S106: FIGS. 7 and 9). The QR code processing module 1200 creates a purchase order with these QR codes pasted on it, and the transaction management execution unit 101 sends this to the supplier (nodes 1 and 11) (S108: FIGS. 7 and 8). In FIG. 8, purchase order A (issued) is the purchase order issued by node 0 and sent to node 1, and purchase order B (issued) is the purchase order issued by node 1 and sent to node 11. Note that FIG. 8 merely shows some of the nodes extracted from the hierarchical structure of the supply chain.

[0027] The supply chain processing module 1000 (Fig. 5) has a link creation module 1002 and an attribute creation module 1004. The link creation module 1002 sets links 204 between multiple nodes in the link structure (Fig. 3: 202) in a supply chain (Fig. 2: 200), which is a hierarchical structure of multiple nodes. The attribute creation module 1004 sets attributes (properties) of each node, such as company name, part name, quantity, etc. (Fig. 2: 206), to the node. The supply chain processing module 1000 creates a supply chain (Fig. 2) using the links and attributes created in this way.

[0028] As shown in Figures 5 and 8, the link creation module 1002 reads the QR code 1200B from the purchase order (receipt) 1200A received by node 1, sets up a node-to-node link 204 between the ordering node (node ​​0) and the order recipient node (node ​​1) (Figure 7: S110), registers the setting information for the ordering node, the order recipient node, and the links between them in the database (DB) 1003b of the auxiliary storage device 108 (step S112), and terminates the flowchart of Figure 7.

[0029] Similarly, the link creation module 1002 reads the QR code 1200B from the purchase order (receipt) 1200B received by node 11, and sets up a link 204 between the ordering node (node ​​1) and the order recipient node (node ​​11) (Figure 7: S110).

[0030] As described above, the transaction management execution unit 101 can automatically configure the ordering node, the supplier node, and the links between them based on the creation and transmission of a purchase order, without the need to pre-register users to create a supply chain diagram.

[0031] Next, the operation at the time of delivery will be explained. Figure 10 is a flowchart for this purpose. When the supplier user accesses the transaction management execution unit 101 to deliver the ordered items to the ordering user, the transaction management execution unit 101 displays the menu (Figure 6). When the user selects "2. Create delivery note," the transaction management execution unit 101 prompts the user to create a delivery note. The format of the delivery note can be freely determined according to the system of the supplier node (nodes 1 and 11). The supplier node saves the created purchase order as image data in a specified memory area.

[0032] Next, as shown in Figure 8, when the delivery notes (delivery notes A and B) are sent from the ordering nodes (nodes 1 and 11) to the ordering nodes (nodes 0 and 1), respectively, the delivery note processing module 1100 (Figure 5) reads the QR code 1200C attached to the purchase order 1200 sent from the ordering node (Figure 5: 1100C, Figure 10: step S200), and then displays the delivery note upload screen 1100B (Figure 11) to the user of each node (Figure 5; 1100B, Figure 10: step S202).

[0033] The invoice upload screen in Figure 11 is an example. The user (node ​​1, 11) inputs the path to the storage area for the invoice in the file path input field 1100B01. The invoice processing module 1100 uploads the image data of the invoice to the upload destination (Figure 5: 1100A, Figure 10: step S204).

[0034] As shown in Fig. 8, the attribute creation module 1004 (Fig. 5) converts the uploaded data into text data using OCR (step S206), analyzes it, and sets the delivery data as attribute data for each supplier node (nodes 1 and 11) (Fig. 10: step S208). Then, the supply chain processing module 1000 registers the attributes applied to the nodes in the supply chain DB (Fig. 4: 1003b) (step S210), and ends the flowchart in Fig. 10. The attributes set for the nodes include the name of the supplier, the delivered item, the quantity, and the delivery date.

[0035] The transaction management system described above comprises a server 100 to which a plurality of nodes 201 are connected, and the server 100 processes transactions for the plurality of nodes 201. The server 100 has a processor 104, and the processor executes a management program 1000a to set inter-node links 204 based on a purchase order 1200A created when an order is placed from an order source node to an order recipient node, set node attributes 206 based on a delivery note of the order recipient node, create a supply chain 200 of the plurality of nodes 201 based on the inter-node links 204 and the node attributes 206, and output a supply chain diagram based on the created supply chain 200. In the transaction management method, a computer processes transactions for multiple nodes, and the computer sets inter-node links based on a purchase order created when an order is placed from an ordering node to an order recipient node, sets node attributes based on a delivery note of the order recipient node, creates a supply chain for the multiple nodes based on the inter-node links and node attributes, and outputs a supply chain diagram based on the created supply chain, so that the supply chain is created based on the purchase order and delivery note associated with actual transactions between the multiple nodes, and no additional processing such as prior user registration is required for creating the supply chain, allowing the supply chain to be created quickly. Furthermore, the supply chain is accurate because it reflects actual transactions.

[0036] The server 100 can dynamically create a supply chain in synchronization with transactions between multiple nodes 201 in order to create and expand the supply chain 200 in accordance with the progress of transactions between multiple nodes 201.

[0037] The server 100 attaches a first code 1200B encoding the inter-node link and a second code 1200C encoding the upload destination of the delivery note to the purchase order 1200A sent to the supplier node, so that the inter-node link can be set even if the delivery note formats differ between multiple nodes.

[0038] The server 100 can set up the inter-node link at the time the order is established to set up the inter-node link based on the first code 1200B of the purchase order sent to the supplier node.

[0039] The server reads delivery information from the delivery note uploaded based on the second code 1200C of the purchase order sent to the supplier node using OCR and sets the node attribute 206 based on the delivery information, so that even if the delivery note formats differ among multiple nodes, the server can extract the node attribute from the delivery note. Also, a supply chain diagram can be created simply by uploading the delivery note.

[0040] Next, the creation of a supply chain diagram by the transaction management execution unit 101 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the hierarchical structure of the supply chain is created for each most upstream node based on the order date of that node. The data of this hierarchical structure is stored in DB 1003b of the auxiliary storage device 108. Based on a request from a user (node), the supply chain processing module 1000 reads from DB 1003b the data of the part of the hierarchical structure that the user is involved in, and creates and outputs a supply chain diagram based on the read data.

[0041] The supply chain processing module 1000 takes user authority into consideration when creating a supply chain diagram. User authority may be set for each user by the administrator of the server 100. For example, since node 0, i.e., the user at the top of the hierarchical structure, is both interested in and responsible for maintaining the entire supply chain, the supply chain processing module 1000 outputs the entire supply chain in response to a request from node 0. On the other hand, for security reasons, in response to a request from node 1 and subsequent nodes, only the hierarchical structure between the node immediately upstream and the node immediately downstream is displayed.

[0042] The supply chain processing module 1000 determines the authority based on which node has made a request to display the supply chain diagram. The supply chain processing module 1000 may also determine the authority of the node that has received the purchase order based on a QR code for authority confirmation affixed to the purchase order (FIG. 9).

[0043] The supply chain processing module 1000 can integrate supply chains when creating supply chain diagram data based on the DB 1003b. Supply chain integration refers to combining multiple supply chains into a single supply chain. Integration makes it easier to check the actual degree of influence of nodes in the supply chain.

[0044] Figure 12 is a block diagram of a supply chain that shows the process of integrating supply chains created on an order date basis into a single supply chain. The key to the integration is the user number (T number) stored in each node.

[0045] In FIG. 12, (A) shows a supply chain in which node (T number A) and node (T number B) are linked. The attribute 206 of node (T number B) is "Delivery information X." (B) shows a supply chain in which node (T number A) is linked to node (T number B) and node (T number C). The attribute 206 of node (T number B) is "Delivery information Y."

[0046] When the supply chain processing module 1000 integrates the supply chains (A) and (B), the resulting supply chain is as shown in (C). That is, the two node attributes 206 of the node (T number B) common to the supply chains (A) and (B) are integrated.

[0047] The user can specify selection information for the supply chain processing module 1000 to output a supply chain diagram. As an example, (A) in Figure 13 (the specification screen) shows that node 0 (Figure 2) specifies a delivery period and a node to check the health of the entire supply chain. This is effective in determining how a failure in a node (Company K) involved in deliveries made within the specified delivery period will affect the entire supply chain.

[0048] When the user (node ​​0) clicks "Display" (A) on the supply chain output selection screen, the supply chain processing module 1000 creates and outputs to the user (node ​​0) an overall supply chain diagram as shown in (B). The supply chain processing module 1000 marks routes leading to the node (company K) in the overall supply chain diagram with an "x" to highlight the scope of the supply chain that may be affected by the node (company K). When the user (node ​​0) selects a specific node in the supply chain diagram, for example, node (company K), the supply chain processing module 1000 can create and output the delivery history of the selected node as shown in (C). In this way, the user node can evaluate the operational health of a specific node.

[0049] When creating a supply chain diagram, the supply chain processing module 1000 may change the link form (e.g., shape, color, width, and length) between nodes and the node form (e.g., shape, size, and color) based on the transaction status between nodes, such as transaction volume and transaction frequency. This allows the user to intuitively understand the transaction status between nodes in accordance with the display of the supply chain.

[0050] The above-described embodiments are merely examples for implementing the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. It goes without saying that the above-described embodiments may be modified as appropriate. For example, a QR code has been described as a code applied to purchase orders, but any code, such as a barcode or matrix code, may be used in place of the QR code as long as it allows for the insertion of transaction information between nodes.

[0051] Furthermore, the hierarchical structure of the multiple nodes that make up the supply chain may be changed depending on the nature of transactions between the multiple nodes, and the above-described structure is merely one example for explaining the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 10: Transaction management system, 100: Server, 101: Transaction management execution unit, 104: Processor, 204: Inter-node link, 206: Node attribute

Claims

1. A transaction management system comprising a server to which a plurality of nodes connect, the server processing transactions for the plurality of nodes, The server has a processor, and the processor executes a management program to Set up inter-node links based on a purchase order created when an order is placed from the ordering node to the ordering node, setting node attributes based on an invoice of the supplier node; creating a supply chain of the plurality of nodes based on the inter-node links and node attributes; Outputting a supply chain diagram based on the created supply chain. Transaction management system.

2. The server The supply chain is created while being expanded in accordance with the progress of transactions between the plurality of nodes. The transaction management system according to claim 1.

3. The server The purchase order sent to the supplier node includes: Pasting a first code in which the inter-node link is encoded and a second code in which the upload destination of the delivery note is encoded; The transaction management system according to claim 1.

4. The server establishing the inter-node link based on the first code of the purchase order sent to the supplier node; The transaction management system according to claim 3.

5. The server reading delivery information from the delivery note uploaded based on the second code of the purchase order sent to the supplier node by OCR, and setting the node attribute based on the delivery information; The transaction management system according to claim 3.

6. The server Using QR codes as the first code and the second code; The transaction management system according to claim 3.

7. The server Integrate multiple supply chains and output them as a supply chain diagram. The transaction management system according to claim 1.

8. 1. A method of managing transactions in which a computer processes transactions for a plurality of nodes, comprising: The computer Set up inter-node links based on a purchase order created when an order is placed from the ordering node to the ordering node, setting node attributes based on an invoice of the supplier node; creating a supply chain of the plurality of nodes based on the inter-node links and node attributes; Outputting a supply chain diagram based on the created supply chain. Transaction management methods.

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