Business improvement system and business improvement method

Abstract

To provide a business improvement system and a business improvement method for presenting a wide range of measures including the improvement of a business process contributing to the improvement of an experience value of a customer obtained through purchase behavior without imposing a burden on a consumer as a customer.SOLUTION: A business improvement system 100 including a processor 101, a memory 102, and a storage device 103 models a purchase behavior of a customer from consumer information including purchase history of the customer who is a consumer, models a business process of a company from business information including information related to business of the company, and sets a touch point representing a contact point between the customer and the company from a model representing the purchase behavior of the customer and a model representing the business process of the company. When a touch point is changed by changing a business process of the modeled enterprise, a simulation of a change in purchase behavior of the modeled customer is performed, and business measures contributing to business improvement of the enterprise are presented based on data indicating a result of the simulation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a business improvement system and a business improvement method. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, consumer values ​​and needs have become more diverse. Therefore, correctly understanding consumer purchasing motivations and reflecting this in services and products has become an important factor in becoming a company that is chosen by consumers.

[0003] Traditionally, methods for understanding consumers have been to listen to their honest opinions through interviews, questionnaires, etc. However, in today's world where consumer values ​​and needs are diversifying, it is important to understand the full picture and true intentions of consumers, and to gain more customers and provide deeper satisfaction to them (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-029715 [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2021-142870 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The technology in Patent Document 1 proposes improvement methods based on behavioral and emotional indicators that are highly correlated with profitability, based on a questionnaire. However, there is an issue in that consumers are required to answer the questionnaire, which places a burden on them.

[0006] Furthermore, the technology of Patent Document 2 supports the improvement of experience value by scoring the approachability of products and ease of transaction, but has the problem that the measures are limited to product presentation.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide technology that can present a wide range of measures, including improvements to business processes, that contribute to improving the experiential value customers gain through their purchasing behavior, without imposing a burden on consumers. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The business improvement system according to the present invention is a system that supports business improvement for the purpose of increasing the experiential value that customers gain through their purchasing experience from the company, and a computer equipped with at least a processor, memory, and storage device models the purchasing behavior of a consumer customer from consumer information including at least the customer's purchasing history, models the business processes of the company from company information including at least information related to the company's business, sets touchpoints that represent the contact points between the customer and the company from the model representing the customer's purchasing behavior and the model representing the company's business processes, simulates changes in the modeled purchasing behavior of the customer when the modeled business processes of the company are changed to change the touchpoints, and presents business measures that contribute to business improvement of the company based on data representing the results of the simulation. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to present a wide range of measures, including improvements to business processes, that contribute to improving the experience value customers gain through their purchasing behavior, without imposing a burden on the customers (consumers).

[0010] Problems other than those mentioned above and solutions thereto will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an entire system including a business improvement system according to first and second embodiments. [Figure 2]FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of main functional blocks of a business improvement system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of each table stored in a consumer / business information database (DB). [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of each table stored in a consumer / business model database (DB). [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an evaluation result table stored in a simulation database (DB). [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a value generation process. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of a business process generation process. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a purchasing behavior generation process. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of a business process change process. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a purchasing behavior evaluation process. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of main functional blocks of a business improvement system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a product information table stored in a simulation database (DB). [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a UI control process. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a policy proposal screen. [Figure 15] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of an effect calculation process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, several embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, these embodiments are merely examples for realizing the present invention and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

[0013] In the following description, the same or similar components will be denoted by common reference numerals, and redundant description may be omitted.

[0014] Furthermore, when there are multiple elements having the same or similar functions, the multiple elements may be described by using the same reference numeral with different subscripts to distinguish between them. On the other hand, when there is no need to distinguish between the multiple elements, the subscripts may be omitted.

[0015] In the following description, an "interface unit" refers to one or more interface devices. The one or more interfaces may be one or more interface devices of the same type (for example, one or more NICs (Network Interface Cards)) or two or more interface devices of different types (for example, a NIC and an HBA (Host Bus Adapter)).

[0016] In the following description, a "storage unit" refers to one or more memories. At least one memory may be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory. The storage unit may include one or more PDEVs in addition to one or more memories. A "PDEV" refers to a physical storage device, and may typically be a non-volatile storage device (e.g., an auxiliary storage device). A PDEV may be, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive).

[0017] In the following description, a "processor unit" refers to one or more processors. At least one processor is typically a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processor may include a hardware circuit that performs some or all of the processing.

[0018] In the following description, functions are sometimes described using the term "kkk unit" (excluding the interface unit, storage unit, and processor unit). However, the functions may be implemented by one or more computer programs executed by the processor unit, or by one or more hardware circuits (e.g., a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)). When a function is implemented by a program executed by the processor unit, the specified processing is performed using the storage unit and / or the interface unit, etc., as appropriate, and therefore the function may be considered to be at least a part of the processor unit. Processing described using a function as the subject may be processing performed by the processor unit or a device having the processor unit. A program may be installed from a program source. The program source may be, for example, a computer from which the program is distributed or a computer-readable recording medium (e.g., a non-transitory recording medium). The description of each function is merely an example; multiple functions may be combined into one function, or one function may be divided into multiple functions.

[0019] In the following description, information may be described using expressions such as "xxx table," but the information may be expressed in any data structure. In other words, to indicate that the information does not depend on the data structure, an "xxx table" may be referred to as "xxx information." In the following description, the structure of each table is an example, and one table may be divided into two or more tables, or all or part of two or more tables may be one table.

[0020] In the following description, "time" is expressed in units of year, month, day, hour, minute, and second, but the time unit may be coarser or finer than that, or may be a different unit.

[0021] In the following description, a "dataset" means data (a logical block of electronic data) consisting of one or more data elements, and may be, for example, any of a record, a file, a key-value pair, and a tuple.

[0022] In the following explanation, a process may be described using a "program" as the subject, but the process described using a program as the subject may also be a process performed by a processor or a device having that processor. Two or more programs may be realized as one program, and one program may be realized as two or more programs.

[0023] Furthermore, in the following description, a "business improvement system" may be a system made up of one or more physical computers, or may include a system (e.g., a cloud computing system) implemented on a group of physical computing resources (e.g., a cloud infrastructure). When a business improvement system "displays" display information, it may mean that the display information is displayed on a display device possessed by the computer, or that the computer transmits the display information to a display computer (in the latter case, the display information is displayed by the display computer). [Example]

[0024] <Configuration example of business improvement system 100> First, a configuration example of a business improvement system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the configuration of the entire system including the business improvement system 100 according to Example 1 (and Example 2, which will be described later). Also, Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of main functional blocks of the business improvement system 100 according to Example 1.

[0025] (Example of overall system configuration) The business improvement system 100 is a computer system capable of supporting business improvement for the purpose of enhancing the experiential value that customers gain through their purchasing experience from the company, and is realized by one or more computers or server devices having the configurations described below. In this embodiment, the business improvement system 100 is connected to an unmanned product display shelf equipped with various sensor devices (for example, location information sensors using satellite positioning systems such as GPS, gravity sensors, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensors, cameras, sonar, etc.) that can detect the position, distance, body orientation, behavior, facial expression, etc. of consumers who are customers, and a large touchscreen provided as an input / output device, so that data can be communicated between them via an appropriate communication network 120 such as the Internet or a dedicated line, and the case will be described as an example in which a consumer who is a customer purchases a product displayed on the product display shelf.

[0026] The business improvement system 100 is connected to user terminals 110a, 110b, 110c, . . . , 110n (hereinafter, collectively referred to as "user terminals 110" when referring to them collectively or when no particular distinction is made) such as laptop PCs, tablets, and smartphones owned by users of the business improvement system 100, so that data can be communicated between them via an appropriate communication network 120 such as the Internet or a dedicated line. The business improvement system 100 and the communication network 120 are connected via a wired connection using well-known communication equipment (not shown), but may also be connected wirelessly. Furthermore, each user terminal 110 and the communication network 120 are connected wirelessly, but may also be connected via a wired connection.

[0027] Furthermore, for example, other computer devices, server devices, etc. (hereinafter also referred to as "other devices") may be connected to this business improvement system 100 so as to be able to communicate data with each other via the communication network 120. In this case, the other devices and the communication network 120 may be connected by wire or wirelessly via well-known communication equipment (not shown).

[0028] In this embodiment, the business improvement system 100 has been described as being made up of one device. However, for example, the business improvement system 100 may be made up of multiple devices.

[0029] In addition, in this embodiment, the business improvement system 100, the user terminal 110, and other devices have been described as being separate devices. However, the business improvement system 100, the user terminal 110, and other devices may be configured as the same device. In this case, the business improvement system may be configured as a system including, for example, the user terminal 110 and other devices. Furthermore, for example, the business improvement system may be configured to include some or all of the functions performed by the user terminal 110 and other devices.

[0030] (Example of hardware configuration of business improvement system 100) Next, an example of the hardware configuration of the business improvement system 100 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0031] A business improvement system 100 according to Example 1 (and Example 2, which will be described later) is realized by a single general-purpose computer device, as shown in Fig. 1. The following description will be given assuming that the business improvement system 100 is realized by a single general-purpose computer device that includes one or more processors 101, one or more memories 102, one or more storage devices 103, one or more network interfaces 104, one or more input devices 105, and a wired or wireless communication line 107 connecting them.

[0032] That is, the business improvement system 100 has a storage device including a memory 102 and a storage device 103, an interface device including a network interface 104 and an input device 105, and a processor 101 connected to these.

[0033] The storage device 103 is an auxiliary storage device made up of a non-volatile storage element such as a flash memory. Specific examples of the storage device 103 include a solid state drive (SSD) and a hard disk drive (HDD). The storage device 103 stores at least a business improvement program. The business improvement program is a computer program for implementing the functions required for the business improvement system 100.

[0034] That is, when the business improvement program is executed by the processor 101, various processes are performed, including processes related to value generation (hereinafter referred to as "value generation process"), processes related to business process generation (hereinafter referred to as "business process generation process"), processes related to purchasing behavior generation (hereinafter referred to as "purchasing behavior generation process"), processes related to business process change (hereinafter referred to as "business process change process"), processes related to purchasing behavior evaluation (hereinafter referred to as "purchasing behavior evaluation process"), processes related to UI control (hereinafter referred to as "UI control process"), processes related to effect calculation (hereinafter referred to as "effect calculation process"), etc., which will be described later in relation to Figures 6 to 10 and Figures 13 to 15, respectively.

[0035] The business improvement program may be installed from a program source. The program source may be, for example, a program distribution computer or a computer-readable recording medium. The business improvement program may also be composed of device drivers, an operating system, various application programs located at higher levels than these, and libraries that provide common functions to these programs. Furthermore, two or more programs may be realized as one business improvement program, and one business improvement program may be realized as two or more programs.

[0036] The memory 102 is a primary storage device mainly consisting of volatile storage elements such as RAM (Random Access Memory). The memory 102 temporarily stores data representing various information read from the storage device 103 and various data acquired via the network interface 104 and / or the input device 105.

[0037] The processor 101 is a processor device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and various co-processors. The processor 101 loads a business improvement program into the memory 102 and executes it, thereby performing overall control of the business improvement system 100 itself and also managing a control unit (not shown) that performs various processes such as calculation processing and judgment processing.

[0038] The interface devices include a network interface 104 that connects to a communication network 120 to communicate with a user terminal 110 or other devices, and an input device 105 .

[0039] (Example of hardware configuration of user terminal 110) Next, an example of the hardware configuration of the user terminal 110 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0040] The user terminal 110 of this embodiment is realized by a single general-purpose computer device, as shown in Fig. 1. The following description will be given assuming that the user terminal 110 is realized by a single general-purpose computer device including one or more processors 111, one or more memories 112, one or more storage devices 113, one or more network interfaces 114, one or more input devices 115, one or more output devices 116, and a wired or wireless communication line 117 connecting them.

[0041] That is, the user terminal 110 has a storage device including a memory 112 and a storage device 113, an interface device including a network interface 114, an input device 115 and an output device 116, and a processor 111 connected thereto.

[0042] The storage device 113 is an auxiliary storage device made up of a nonvolatile storage element such as a flash memory. Specific examples of the storage device 113 include a solid state drive (SSD) and a hard disk drive (HDD). The storage device 113 stores various computer programs, including programs for implementing functions required by the user terminal 110.

[0043] The program may be installed from a program source. The program source may be, for example, a computer to which the program is distributed or a computer-readable recording medium. The program may also be composed of a device driver, an operating system, various application programs located at higher levels than these, and a library that provides common functions to these programs. Furthermore, two or more programs may be realized as one program, or one program may be realized as two or more programs.

[0044] The memory 112 is a primary storage device mainly made up of volatile storage elements such as RAM (Random Access Memory). The memory 112 temporarily stores data representing various information read from the storage device 113 and various data acquired via the network interface 114 and / or the input device 115.

[0045] The processor 111 is a processor device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and various co-processors. The processor 111 loads the above programs into the memory 112 and executes them, thereby performing overall control of the user terminal 110 itself and also managing a control unit that performs various processes such as calculation processing and determination processing.

[0046] The interface device includes a network interface 114 that connects to a communication network 120 to communicate with the business improvement system 100 and other devices, and an I / O (Input / Output) interface that includes an input device 115 and an output device 116.

[0047] (Example of functional blocks of the business improvement system 100 according to the first embodiment) Next, an example of various functional blocks included in the business improvement system 100 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Note that each block described below does not represent a hardware-based configuration, but represents a functional-based block.

[0048] The business improvement system 100 is configured to include the following functional blocks: a control unit, a storage unit, a communication unit, and a user interface unit including at least an input unit (none of which are shown).

[0049] The control unit executes various data processing based on the programs and data stored in the storage unit and the data acquired by the communication unit. The control unit also executes various processes, such as the value generation process (described in detail below with reference to FIG. 6), business process generation process (described in detail below with reference to FIG. 7), purchasing behavior generation process (described in detail below with reference to FIG. 8), business process change process (described in detail below with reference to FIG. 9), and purchasing behavior evaluation process (described in detail below with reference to FIG. 10). The control unit also functions as an interface between the storage unit and the communication unit.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 2, the control unit has the functional blocks of a model generation unit 210 and an evaluation unit 220.

[0051] The model generation unit 210 includes the following functional blocks: a value generation unit 211 , a business process generation unit 212 , and a purchasing behavior generation unit 213 .

[0052] The value generation unit 211 executes a value generation process (described in detail later with reference to FIG. 6).

[0053] The business process generation unit 212 executes business process generation processing (described in detail later with reference to FIG. 7).

[0054] The purchasing behavior generation unit 213 executes a purchasing behavior generation process (described in detail later with reference to FIG. 8).

[0055] The evaluation unit 220 includes the functional blocks of a business process change unit 221 and a purchasing behavior evaluation unit 222 .

[0056] The business process modification unit 221 executes business process modification processing (described in detail later with reference to FIG. 9).

[0057] The purchasing behavior evaluation unit 222 executes a purchasing behavior evaluation process (described in detail later with reference to FIG. 10).

[0058] The control unit is configured using a processor 101, and can realize these functional blocks by executing a predetermined business improvement program. Note that the control unit may be configured using a logic circuit such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) instead of the processor 101. The control unit may also be configured by combining the processor 101 and a logic circuit.

[0059] The storage unit is configured using a storage device consisting of, for example, a storage device 103 and a memory 102, and stores a program that supplies various processing commands to the control unit, and data representing various information used in the processing executed by the control unit.

[0060] The memory unit stores at least a consumer / company information database (hereinafter also referred to as "consumer / company information DB") 230 including, for example, a product value table 231, a government statistics table 232, a purchase history table 233, and a business guide table 234, a consumer / company model database (hereinafter also referred to as "consumer / company model DB") 240 including a value table 241, a business process table 242, and a purchasing behavior table 243, and a simulation database (hereinafter also referred to as "simulation DB") 250 including an evaluation result table 251.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 3, the consumer / business information database 230 includes a product value table 231, a government statistics table 232, a purchase history table 233, and a business guide table 234.

[0062] The product value table 231 is a table for managing information on various values ​​possessed by a product. The product value table 231 has a record for each product. The record represents, for example, the product and a numerical value representing the degree of value A, the degree of value B, etc. possessed by the product. That is, the product value table 231 manages the degree of various values ​​possessed by the product for each product by linking and recording the product with the numerical value representing the degree of each of the various values ​​possessed by the product, that is, the degree of values ​​that a customer may rely on when purchasing the product. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the product value table 231 records that the degree of value A possessed by the product "clothing" is "10" and the degree of value B is "3."

[0063] The government statistics table 232 is a table for managing information about government statistics on product purchasing trends. The government statistics table 232 has a record for each product. For example, the record indicates the type of product covered by the government statistics, the year and month representing the period (period) covered by the government statistics, and the average purchase amount per customer for the product during that period (period). That is, the government statistics table 232 manages various statistical information in the government statistics for each product by linking and recording the type of product covered by the government statistics with the period (period) covered by the government statistics and the average purchase amount per customer for the product during that period (period). In the example shown in FIG. 3, the government statistics table 232 records, as a result of government statistics, that the average purchase amount per customer for the product "clothing" in "January" of "2023" was "4,000" yen.

[0064] The purchase history table 233 is a table for managing information about product purchase histories. The purchase history table 233 has a record for each target date and time in the purchase history. The record represents, for example, the date and time of a transaction identified by the purchase history, the target product purchased in the transaction, the purchase price of the product in the transaction, and the attributes of the customer who purchased the product in the transaction. That is, the purchase history table 233 manages purchase histories by date and time by linking and recording, for each record, the target date and time in the purchase history, the product purchased on that date and time and its price, and the attributes of the customer who purchased the product in the purchase history. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the purchase history table 233 records, as purchase history, that the product "clothing" was purchased for "5,000" yen by a customer with the attribute "F1," which indicates a woman in her twenties, at "15:00 on March 29, 2024."

[0065] The business guide table 234 is a table for managing information about business guidelines. The business guide table 234 has a record for each process. The record represents, for example, each process in the business, the required time for that process, and the next process in the business (hereinafter also referred to as the "next process"). In other words, the business guide table 234 manages business guidelines for each process by linking each process in the business with the required time and the next process for each record. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the business guide table 234 records that the required time for process "A" in a certain business is "0.5" hours and that the next process is process "B."

[0066] As shown in FIG. 4, the consumer / company model database 240 includes a value table 241, a business process table 242, and a purchasing behavior table 243.

[0067] The value table 241 is a table for managing information about various values ​​held by customers. The value table 241 has a record for each customer attribute. The record represents, for example, a customer attribute and a numerical value representing the degree of value A, the degree of value B, etc., held by a customer classified into the attribute. That is, the value table 241 links and records, for each record, a customer attribute with a numerical value representing the degree of various values ​​held by a customer classified into the attribute, i.e., the degree of values ​​that a customer classified into the attribute may rely on when purchasing a product, thereby managing the degree of various values ​​held by a customer for each customer attribute. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the value table 241 records that a customer with the attribute "F1," representing a woman in her twenties, has a degree of value A of "8" and a degree of value B of "5."

[0068] The business process table 242 is a table for managing information about business processes. The business process table 242 has a record for each combination of the start time and end time of each process. The record represents, for example, the start time of the process, the end time of the process, and an overview of the process identified by the combination of the start time and the end time, i.e., the type of the process and whether the process corresponds to a touchpoint. That is, the business process table 242 manages information about business processes for each combination of start time and end time by linking and recording the combination of the start time and end time of the process with the overview of the process identified by the combination of the start time and the end time for each record. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the business process table 242 records that a process named "A" starts at "14:00 on March 29, 2024" and ends at "15:00 on March 29, 2024."

[0069] The purchasing behavior table 243 is a table for managing information about customer purchasing behavior. The purchasing behavior table 243 has a record for each customer attribute. The record represents, for example, a customer attribute, a product, and whether or not a customer classified into the attribute has purchased the product. In other words, the purchasing behavior table 243 manages customer purchasing behavior for each customer attribute by linking and recording, for each record, the customer attribute, the product, and whether or not a customer classified into the attribute has purchased the product. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the purchasing behavior table 243 records that a customer with the attribute "F1," which represents a woman in her twenties, "has" purchased the product "clothing."

[0070] The simulation database 250 includes an evaluation result table 251, as shown in FIG.

[0071] The evaluation result table 251 is a table for managing information about evaluation results. The evaluation result table 251 has a record for each customer attribute. Each record represents, for example, a customer attribute and an evaluation value that evaluates the degree of value A, the degree of value B, etc., that a customer classified into the attribute is believed to hold. That is, the evaluation result table 251 associates and records, for each record, a customer attribute with an evaluation value that evaluates the degree of various values ​​that a customer classified into the attribute is believed to hold, i.e., the degree of values ​​that a customer classified into the attribute may rely on when purchasing a product. This allows the evaluation results of the degree of various values ​​that a customer is believed to hold to be managed for each customer attribute. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the evaluation result table 251 records that a customer with the attribute "F1," representing a woman in her twenties, has an evaluation value of "8" for the degree of value A and an evaluation value of "5" for the degree of value B.

[0072] By reading and writing this information to the memory unit, the control unit can execute various processes such as the aforementioned value generation process (described in detail below in relation to Figure 6), business process generation process (described in detail below in relation to Figure 7), purchasing behavior generation process (described in detail below in relation to Figure 8), business process change process (described in detail below in relation to Figure 9), and purchasing behavior evaluation process (described in detail below in relation to Figure 10).

[0073] The communication unit is responsible for communication processing with the user terminal 110 and other devices via the Internet (an example of the communication network 120). The communication unit is configured using, for example, a NIC (Network Interface Card) or an HBA (Host Bus Adapter).

[0074] The user interface section is configured to include at least an input section as a functional block.

[0075] The input unit is responsible for input-related processing, such as accepting input operations from the user, among other processes related to the user interface. The input unit is configured using an input device 105, such as a keyboard, pointing device, or touch panel, and detects various operations from the user.

[0076] The user interface unit may also be configured to further include an output unit as a functional block. The output unit is responsible for output-related processes, such as displaying various screens on a display device and outputting audio, among other processes related to the user interface. The output unit is configured using an output device (not shown), such as a liquid crystal display or a touch screen.

[0077] That is, each component of the business improvement system 100 is realized by hardware including a processor 101, storage devices such as memory 102 and storage device 103, wired or wireless communication lines 107 and interface devices (104, 105) that connect them, and software stored in storage device 103 that supplies processing instructions to the computing unit.

[0078] In this embodiment, the functions of the business improvement system 100 have been described as being realized integrally by a single computer device. However, these functions may also be realized by multiple interconnected computers or server devices. Furthermore, the business improvement system 100 may be configured to include a general-purpose computer device such as a laptop PC and a web browser installed thereon, or may be configured to include a web server and various portable devices.

[0079] Furthermore, the business improvement system 100 may have other functions in addition to the various functions described above.

[0080] <Processing flow example> Next, each process executed by the business improvement system 100 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0081] (Value generation processing) 6 is a flowchart 600 showing an example of the flow of the value generation process executed by the business improvement system 100 according to this embodiment. This value generation process is characterized by providing a portion of the product value as an initial value and expanding the product value based on the purchasing trends in the open data.

[0082] In step S601, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 executes a process in which the value generation unit 211 receives input operations from the user for the values ​​of the product, value A, value B, etc., and stores them in the product value table 231. As a result, the values ​​of the product, value A, value B, etc., for which input operations have been received from the user, are stored in the product value table 231. When the control unit of the business improvement system 100 completes the process in step S601, it proceeds to step S602.

[0083] In step S602, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 executes processing in which the value generation unit 211 stores the product, year, month, and yen values ​​extracted from the government statistical data in the government statistical table 232. As a result, the product, year, month, and yen values ​​extracted from the government statistical data are stored in the government statistical table 232. When the processing in step S602 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S603.

[0084] In step S603, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 executes processing in which the value value generation unit 211 stores the values ​​of the date and time, product, price, and attributes extracted from the POS in the purchase history table 233. As a result, the values ​​of the date and time, product, price, and attributes extracted from the POS are stored in the purchase history table 233. When the processing in step S603 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S604.

[0085] 6, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 repeatedly executes the processes of steps S604 to S609 until the process is completed for all products using the value generation unit 211. As a result, the processes of steps S604 to S609 are repeatedly executed until the process is completed for all products.

[0086] In step S605, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 executes a process in which the value generation unit 211 extracts records with the same product from the government statistics table 232, vectorizes the yen values ​​in month order, and stores them in association with the products. As a result, records with the same product are extracted from the government statistics table 232, vectorizes the yen values ​​in month order, and stores them in association with the products. When the process in step S605 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S606.

[0087] In step S606, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 executes processing to extract pairs of products with similar vectors using the value generation unit 211. As a result, pairs of products with similar vectors are extracted. When the processing in step S606 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S607.

[0088] In step S607, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 executes a process in which the value value generation unit 211 determines whether or not a value exists in the product value table 231. If it is determined that a value exists in the product value table 231 (step S607: YES), the process proceeds to step S608. On the other hand, if it is determined that a value does not exist in the product value table 231 (step S607: NO), the process proceeds directly to step S609.

[0089] In step S608, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 executes processing in which the value generation unit 211 references each value of value A, value B, ... in the product value table 231 and stores them respectively as value A, value B, ... for the other product. As a result, each value of value A, value B, ... is referenced in the product value table 231 and stored respectively as value A, value B, ... for the other product. When the processing in step S608 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S609.

[0090] When the processing of steps S604 to S609 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 returns to step S604 again to continue executing the processing. After that, when the processing of steps S604 to S609 is repeatedly executed until the processing is completed for all products, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S610.

[0091] 6, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 repeatedly executes the processes of steps S610 to S614 until the process is completed for all attributes by the value generation unit 211. As a result, the processes of steps S610 to S614 are repeatedly executed until the process is completed for all attributes.

[0092] In step S611, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 executes a process in which the value generation unit 211 extracts records with the same attributes from the purchase history table 233 and lists the products. As a result, records with the same attributes are extracted from the purchase history table 233 and the products are listed. When the process in step S611 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S612.

[0093] In step S612, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 executes a process in which the value generation unit 211 extracts records with matching products from the product value table 231 and calculates the average value for each value. As a result, records with matching products are extracted from the product value table 231, and the average value for each value is calculated. When the process in step S612 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S613.

[0094] In step S613, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 executes processing in which the value generation unit 211 stores the values ​​of the attribute, value A, and value B in the value table 241. As a result, the values ​​of the attribute, value A, and value B are stored in the value table 241. When the processing in step S613 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S614.

[0095] When the processing of steps S610 to S614 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 returns to step S610 again to continue executing the processing. After that, when the processing of steps S610 to S614 is repeatedly executed until the processing is completed for all attributes, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S615.

[0096] In step S615, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 executes processing to cause the value generation unit 211 to call the business process generation unit 212. This calls the business process generation unit 212. When the processing in step S615 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 ends the value generation processing shown in the flowchart 600 in FIG.

[0097] Next, the calculation of the value appeal score of a product will be described.

[0098] The value appeal score of a product can be calculated using, for example, the following (Equation 1), (Equation 2), (Equation 3), and (Equation 4).

[0099]

number

[0100]

number

[0101]

number

[0102]

number

[0103] The right-hand term in (Equation 1), Values, is a list in which each dimension is a definition sentence for each value, and review is the nth review sentence for product i at time t. Similarity is a function that calculates the linguistic similarity between Values ​​and review. Linguistic similarity can be calculated by vectorizing each dimension of Values ​​and review sentences using an embedding model, and then calculating their cosine similarity. The result of this Similarity calculation is added up by the number N of review sentences for product i, and the result becomes the left-hand term, P' feedback.

[0104] In (Equation 2), P' feedback is normalized so that the sum of the values ​​is 1. This vector can be interpreted as the value appeal score at time t calculated from customer product reviews (feedback) for product i.

[0105] P on the right hand side of (Equation 3) is the value appeal score of product i at time a, and τ is the number of days from time a to time t. K is any positive value, and T is the length of the period covered by past product value appeal scores used to calculate the product value appeal score. Using the right hand side of (Equation 3), the product value appeal score P from time tT to time t-1 and the product value appeal score P feedback calculated by (Equation 2) can be added together, with the closer the score calculation time is to the current time, the heavier the weighting.

[0106] (Equation 4) normalizes the vector calculated by (Equation 3) so that the sum becomes 1.

[0107] From the above, the product value appeal score P of the product i at time t can be calculated.

[0108] Next, calculation of a customer's value score will be described.

[0109] The customer's value score is calculated using, for example, the following (Equation 5), (Equation 6), (Equation 7), and (Equation 8).

[0110]

number

[0111]

number

[0112]

number

[0113]

number

[0114] Sales, the right-hand term in (Equation 5), is the total sales amount for customer segment j's purchase of product i at time t. Customer segment j refers to a segment classified by customer age and gender. P is the value appeal score for product i at the time closest to time t, and the product of Sales and P is added together for the M products purchased by customer segment j to form C', the left-hand term, feedback.

[0115] In (Equation 6), C' feedback is normalized so that the sum of the values ​​is 1. This vector can be interpreted as the value score of customer segment j calculated based on the customer's purchasing history (feedback).

[0116] C on the right hand side of (Equation 7) is the customer value score at time a for customer segment j, and τ is the number of days from time a to time t. K is any positive value, and T is the length of the period covered by past customer value scores used to calculate the customer value score. Using the right hand side of (Equation 7), the customer value score C from time tT to time t-1 and the customer value score C feedback calculated in (Equation 6) can be added together, with the closer the score calculation time is to the current time, the heavier the weighting.

[0117] (Equation 8) normalizes the vector calculated by (Equation 7) so that the sum of the values ​​becomes 1.

[0118] As a result of the above, the value score C of customer segment j at time t can be calculated.

[0119] (Business process generation processing) 7 is a flowchart 700 showing an example of the flow of business process generation processing executed by the business improvement system 100 according to this embodiment. This business process generation processing is characterized by semi-automatically generating business processes while referring to a manual.

[0120] In step S701, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 executes processing in which the business process generation unit 212 stores the values ​​of the process, time, and next process extracted from the manual in the business guide table 234. As a result, the values ​​of the process, time, and next process extracted from the manual are stored in the business guide table 234. When the processing in step S701 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S702.

[0121] In step S702, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 executes a process in which the business process generation unit 212 receives input operations from the user for the start time, end time, and process values, and stores them in the business process table 242. As a result, the start time, end time, and process values ​​received as input operations from the user are stored in the business process table 242. When the control unit of the business improvement system 100 completes the process in step S702, it proceeds to step S703.

[0122] 7, the control unit of the business process improvement system 100 repeatedly executes the processes of steps S703 to S708 until the process is completed for all records by the business process generation unit 212. As a result, the processes of steps S703 to S708 are repeatedly executed until the process is completed for all records.

[0123] In step S704, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 causes the business process generation unit 212 to execute processing to extract records with matching processes from the business guide table 234. As a result, records with matching processes are extracted from the business guide table 234. When the processing in step S704 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S705.

[0124] In step S705, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 executes a process to determine whether or not a touchpoint record exists using the business process generation unit 212. If it is determined that a touchpoint record exists (step S705: YES), the process proceeds to step S706. On the other hand, if it is determined that a touchpoint record does not exist (step S705: NO), the process proceeds directly to step S707.

[0125] In step S706, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 executes processing to replace the end time with the end time of the touchpoint by using the business process generation unit 212. As a result, the end time is replaced with the end time of the touchpoint. When the processing in step S706 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S707.

[0126] In step S707, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 executes processing in which the business process generation unit 212 stores a record in which the end time is set as the new start time, the value obtained by adding time to the end time is set as the new end time, and the next process is set as the new process in the business process table 242. As a result, a record in which the end time is set as the new start time, the value obtained by adding time to the end time is set as the new end time, and the next process is set as the new process is stored in the business process table 242. When the control unit of the business improvement system 100 completes the processing in step S707, the process proceeds to step S708.

[0127] When the processing of steps S703 to S708 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 returns to step S703 again to continue executing the processing. After that, when the processing of steps S703 to S708 is repeatedly executed until the processing is completed for all records, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S709.

[0128] In step S709, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 executes processing to cause the business process generation unit 212 to call the purchasing behavior generation unit 213. This calls the purchasing behavior generation unit 213. Upon completing the processing in step S709, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 ends the business process generation processing shown in the flowchart 700 in FIG.

[0129] (Purchase behavior generation processing) 8 is a flowchart 800 showing an example of the flow of the purchasing behavior generation process executed by the business improvement system 100 according to this embodiment. This purchasing behavior generation process is characterized by inputting a premise and an action into the generation AI and querying the result.

[0130] 8, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 repeatedly executes the processes of steps S801 to S806 by the purchasing behavior generation unit 213 until the processes are completed for all attributes in the value table 241. As a result, the processes of steps S801 to S806 are repeatedly executed until the processes are completed for all attributes in the value table 241.

[0131] 8, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 causes the purchasing behavior generation unit 213 to repeatedly execute the processes of steps S802 to S805 until the processes are completed for all products in the product value table 231. As a result, the processes of steps S802 to S805 are repeatedly executed until the processes are completed for all products in the product value table 231.

[0132] In step S803, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 causes the purchasing behavior generation unit 213 to execute processing to inquire of the generation AI about the presence or absence of a purchase, based on the value table 241 and the business process table 242. As a result, the generation AI is queried about the presence or absence of a purchase, based on the value table 241 and the business process table 242. When the processing in step S803 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S804.

[0133] In step S804, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 executes processing in which the purchasing behavior generation unit 213 stores the values ​​of the attribute, product, and purchase presence / absence in the purchasing behavior table 243. As a result, the values ​​of the attribute, product, and purchase presence / absence are stored in the purchasing behavior table 243. When the processing in step S804 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S805.

[0134] When the processing of steps S802 to S805 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 returns to step S802 again to continue executing the processing. After that, the processing of steps S802 to S805 is repeatedly executed until the processing is completed for all products in the product value table 231, and then the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S806.

[0135] When the control unit of the business improvement system 100 completes the processing of steps S801 to S806, it returns to step S801 again to continue executing the processing. After that, when the processing of steps S801 to S806 is repeatedly executed until the processing is completed for all attributes in the value table 241, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S807.

[0136] In step S807, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 executes processing in which the purchasing behavior generation unit 213 acquires the start time and end time from the records of the process touch points in the business process table 242 and stores them as an array. As a result, the start time and end time are acquired from the records of the process touch points in the business process table 242 and stored as an array. When the processing in step S807 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S808.

[0137] 8, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 repeatedly executes the processes of steps S808 to S810 until the process is completed for all records using the purchasing behavior generation unit 213. As a result, the processes of steps S808 to S810 are repeatedly executed until the process is completed for all records.

[0138] In step S809, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 executes processing to cause the purchasing behavior generation unit 213 to acquire records representing attributes, products, and whether or not a purchase was made from the purchasing behavior table 243. As a result, records representing attributes, products, and whether or not a purchase was made are acquired from the purchasing behavior table 243. When the processing in step S809 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S810.

[0139] When the processing of steps S808 to S810 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 returns to step S808 again to continue executing the processing. After that, when the processing of steps S808 to S810 is repeatedly executed until the processing is completed for all records, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S811.

[0140] In step S811, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 executes processing in which the purchasing behavior generation unit 213 stores an array in the touch point column of the evaluation result table 251, a product in the product column of the evaluation result table 251, and whether or not a record with matching attributes has been purchased in the attribute column of the evaluation result table 251. As a result, an array is stored in the touch point column of the evaluation result table 251, a product in the product column of the evaluation result table 251, and whether or not a record with matching attributes has been purchased in the attribute column of the evaluation result table 251. Upon completing the processing in step S811, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 ends the purchasing behavior generation processing shown in the flowchart 800 of FIG. 8.

[0141] (Business process change processing) 9 is a flowchart 900 showing an example of the flow of business process change processing executed by the business improvement system 100 according to this embodiment. This business process change processing is, in outline, a process of simply resetting the business process.

[0142] In step S901, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 causes the business process change unit 221 to execute processing to initialize the business process table 242. This initializes the business process table 242. When the processing in step S901 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S902.

[0143] In step S902, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 executes a process in which the business process change unit 221 accepts input operations regarding the start time, end time, and process from the user and stores them in the business process table 242. As a result, information regarding the start time, end time, and process input by the user is acquired and stored in the business process table 242. When the process in step S902 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S903.

[0144] 9, the control unit of the business process improvement system 100 repeatedly executes the processes of steps S903 to S908 until the process is completed for all records by the business process modification unit 221. As a result, the processes of steps S903 to S908 are repeatedly executed until the process is completed for all records.

[0145] In step S904, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 causes the business process change unit 221 to execute processing to extract records with matching processes from the business guide table 234. As a result, records with matching processes are extracted from the business guide table 234. When the processing in step S904 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S905.

[0146] In step S905, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 executes a process to determine whether or not a touchpoint record exists, using the business process change unit 221. If it is determined that a touchpoint record exists (step S905: YES), the process proceeds to step S906. On the other hand, if it is determined that a touchpoint record does not exist (step S905: NO), the process proceeds directly to step S907.

[0147] In step S906, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 executes a process to replace the end time with the end time of the touchpoint by using the business process change unit 221. As a result, the end time is replaced with the end time of the touchpoint. When the process in step S906 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S907.

[0148] In step S907, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 causes the business process modification unit 221 to execute processing to store a new record in the business process table 242, with the end time set as the start time, the value obtained by adding time to the end time set as the new end time, and the next process set as the new process. As a result, a new record is stored in the business process table 242, with the end time set as the start time, the value obtained by adding time to the end time set as the new end time, and the next process set as the new process. When the control unit of the business improvement system 100 completes the processing in step S907, the process proceeds to step S908.

[0149] When the processing of steps S903 to S908 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 returns to step S903 again to continue executing the processing. After that, when the processing of steps S903 to S908 is repeatedly executed until the processing is completed for all records, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S909.

[0150] In step S909, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 executes processing to cause the business process modification unit 221 to call the purchasing behavior evaluation unit 222. This calls the purchasing behavior evaluation unit 222. Upon completing the processing in step S909, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 ends the business process modification processing shown in the flowchart 900 in FIG.

[0151] (Purchase behavior evaluation processing) 10 is a flowchart 1000 showing an example of the flow of a purchasing behavior evaluation process executed by the business improvement system 100 according to this embodiment. This purchasing behavior evaluation process is, in outline, a process of simply reevaluating purchasing behavior.

[0152] In step S1001, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 executes processing to initialize the purchasing behavior table 243 using the purchasing behavior evaluation unit 222. This initializes the purchasing behavior table 243. When the processing in step S1001 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S1002.

[0153] 10, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 causes the purchasing behavior evaluation unit 222 to repeatedly execute the processes of steps S1002 to S1007 until the processes are completed for all attributes in the value table 241. As a result, the processes of steps S1002 to S1007 are repeatedly executed until the processes are completed for all attributes in the value table 241.

[0154] 10, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 causes the purchasing behavior evaluation unit 222 to repeatedly execute the processes of steps S1003 to S1006 until the processes are completed for all products in the product value table 231. As a result, the processes of steps S1003 to S1006 are repeatedly executed until the processes are completed for all products in the product value table 231.

[0155] In step S1004, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 causes the purchasing behavior evaluation unit 222 to execute processing to inquire of the generation AI about the presence or absence of a purchase based on the value table 241 and the business process table 242. This makes it possible to inquire of the generation AI about the presence or absence of a purchase based on the value table 241 and the business process table 242. When the processing in step S1004 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S1005.

[0156] In step S1005, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 executes processing in which the purchasing behavior evaluation unit 222 stores the values ​​of the attribute, product, and purchase presence / absence in the purchasing behavior table 243. As a result, the values ​​of the attribute, product, and purchase presence / absence are stored in the purchasing behavior table 243. When the processing in step S1005 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S1006.

[0157] When the processing of steps S1003 to S1006 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 returns to step S1003 again to continue executing the processing. After that, the processing of steps S1003 to S1006 is repeatedly executed until the processing is completed for all products in the product value table 231, and then the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S1007.

[0158] When the processing of steps S1002 to S1007 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 returns to step S1002 again to continue executing the processing. After that, when the processing of steps S1002 to S1007 is repeatedly executed until the processing is completed for all attributes in the value value table 241, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S1008.

[0159] In step S1008, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 executes a process in which the purchasing behavior evaluation unit 222 acquires the start time and end time from the records of the process touchpoints in the business process table 242 and stores them as an array. As a result, the start time and end time are acquired from the records of the process touchpoints in the business process table 242 and stored as an array. When the process in step S1008 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S1009.

[0160] 10, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 repeatedly executes the processes of steps S1009 to S1011 until the process is completed for all records by the purchasing behavior evaluation unit 222. As a result, the processes of steps S1009 to S1011 are repeatedly executed until the process is completed for all records.

[0161] In step S1010, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 executes processing in which the purchasing behavior evaluation unit 222 acquires records of attributes, products, and purchase status from the purchasing behavior table 243. As a result, records of attributes, products, and purchase status are acquired from the purchasing behavior table 243. When the processing in step S1010 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S1011.

[0162] When the process of steps S1009 to S1011 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 returns to step S1009 again to continue executing the process. After that, when the process of steps S1009 to S1011 is repeatedly executed until the process is completed for all records, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S1012.

[0163] In step S1012, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 executes processing in which the purchasing behavior evaluation unit 222 stores an array in the touch point column of the evaluation result table 251, a product in the product column of the evaluation result table 251, and whether or not a purchase is made for a record with matching attributes in the attribute column of the evaluation result table 251. As a result, an array is stored in the touch point column of the evaluation result table 251, a product in the product column of the evaluation result table 251, and whether or not a purchase is made for a record with matching attributes in the attribute column of the evaluation result table 251. Upon completing the processing in step S1012, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 ends the purchasing behavior evaluation processing shown in the flowchart 1000 of FIG. 10.

[0164] The business improvement system 100 according to the first embodiment has been described above. [Example]

[0165] <Configuration example of business improvement system 100> Next, the business improvement system 100 according to the second embodiment will be described, focusing on the differences from the business improvement system 100 according to the first embodiment. Next, a configuration example of a business improvement system 100 according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0166] (Example of overall system configuration) The overall system configuration of the business improvement system 100 according to the second embodiment is the same as the example of the overall system configuration of the business improvement system 100 according to the first embodiment described above with reference to Figure 1, and therefore will not be described again.

[0167] (Example of hardware configuration of business improvement system 100 and user terminal 110) Furthermore, the hardware configuration of the business improvement system 100 and the user terminal 110 according to Example 2 is similar to the example of the hardware configuration of the business improvement system 100 and the user terminal 110 according to Example 1 described above with reference to Figure 1, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0168] (Example of functional blocks of the business improvement system 100 according to the second embodiment) Next, an example of various functional blocks included in the business improvement system 100 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Note that each block described below does not represent a hardware-based configuration, but represents a functional-based block.

[0169] 11, the business improvement system 100 according to the second embodiment has the following differences in the configuration of each functional block of the control unit and the storage unit compared to the business improvement system 100 according to the first embodiment. As the other configurations of the business improvement system 100 according to the second embodiment are the same as those of the business improvement system 100 according to the first embodiment, only the differences will be explained here.

[0170] In the business improvement system 100 according to the second embodiment, the evaluation unit 220 of the control unit further includes the functional blocks of a UI control unit 223 and an effect calculation unit 224, as shown in FIG.

[0171] The UI control unit 223 executes UI control processing (described in detail below with reference to FIG. 13).

[0172] The effect calculation unit 224 executes an effect calculation process (described in detail later with reference to FIG. 15).

[0173] 11, in the business improvement system 100 according to the second embodiment, the simulation database 250 stored in the storage unit includes an evaluation result table 251 and a product information table 252. That is, the simulation database 250 included in the business improvement system 100 according to the second embodiment further includes a product information table 252, as compared with the simulation database 250 included in the business improvement system 100 according to the first embodiment.

[0174] The product information table 252 is a table for managing various information related to products. The product information table 252 has a record for each product. The record indicates, for example, a product category indicating the category to which each product belongs, the product belonging to that product category, and the price of that product. In other words, the product information table 252 manages product information for each product by linking and recording the product, the product category, and the price of that product for each record. According to the example shown in FIG. 12, the product information table 252 records that a "skin care" product is classified into the product category "cosmetics" and its price is "3000" yen.

[0175] <Processing flow example> Next, each process executed by the business improvement system 100 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0176] (UI control processing) Fig. 13 is a flowchart 1300 showing an example of the flow of UI control processing executed by the business improvement system 100 according to this embodiment. This UI control processing is characterized in that, for example, the above-mentioned UI control unit 223 controls the measure proposal screen 1400 shown in Fig. 14 in the following manner. Note that the information displayed in the upper area 1401 of the measure proposal screen 1400, indicated by the dashed line in Fig. 14, is input by the user of the business improvement system 100. Furthermore, the information displayed in the lower area 1402 of the measure proposal screen 1400, indicated by the dashed line in Fig. 14, is calculated by the system.

[0177] In step S1301, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 executes processing to receive an input operation for a product category from the user via the UI control unit 223. This receives an input operation for a product category from the user. When the processing in step S1301 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S1302.

[0178] In step S1302, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 executes processing to accept an input operation for a date from the user via the UI control unit 223. This accepts an input operation for a date from the user. When the processing in step S1302 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S1303.

[0179] In step S1303, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 causes the UI control unit 223 to execute processing to accept an input operation from the user regarding business process 1. This accepts an input operation from the user regarding business process 1. When the processing in step S1303 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S1304.

[0180] In step S1304, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 causes the UI control unit 223 to execute processing to accept an input operation from the user regarding business process 2. This accepts an input operation from the user regarding business process 2. When the processing in step S1304 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S1305.

[0181] In step S1305, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 executes a process of determining whether or not the determination button has been pressed, using the UI control unit 223. If it is determined that the determination button has not been pressed (step S1305: NO), the process returns to step S1301 again to continue executing the UI control process shown in the flowchart 1300 of Fig. 13. On the other hand, if it is determined that the determination button has been pressed (step S1305: YES), the process proceeds directly to step S1306.

[0182] In step S1306, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 executes processing to acquire the start time and end time of the touchpoint for each of the product category, date, business process 1, and business process 2 from the screen using the UI control unit 223. As a result, the start time and end time of the touchpoint for each of the product category, date, business process 1, and business process 2 are acquired from the screen. When the processing in step S1306 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S1307.

[0183] In step S1307, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 executes processing to call the effect calculation unit 224 using the acquired value as an argument via the UI control unit 223. As a result, the effect calculation unit 224 is called using the acquired value as an argument. When the control unit of the business improvement system 100 completes the processing in step S1307, it proceeds to step S1308.

[0184] In step S1308, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 executes processing to receive the price ratio for each attribute via the UI control unit 223. As a result, the price ratio for each attribute is received. After completing the processing in step S1308, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S1309.

[0185] In step S1309, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 executes processing to update the sales ratio screen for each attribute using the UI control unit 223. As a result, the sales ratio screen is updated for each attribute. When the processing in step S1309 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S1310.

[0186] In step S1310, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 executes processing to determine whether or not the close button has been pressed, using the UI control unit 223. If it is determined that the close button has not been pressed (step S1310: NO), the process returns to step S1301 again to continue executing the UI control processing shown in the flowchart 1300 of Fig. 13. On the other hand, if it is determined that the close button has been pressed (step S1310: YES), the UI control processing shown in the flowchart 1300 of Fig. 13 ends immediately.

[0187] (Effect calculation process) 15 is a flowchart 1500 showing an example of the flow of the effect calculation process executed by the business improvement system 100 according to this embodiment. This effect calculation process is characterized by calculating sales for each attribute by referring to the product category and price.

[0188] In step S1501, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 executes a process in which the effect calculation unit 224 acquires the product category, date, and start and end times of touchpoints in business process 1 and business process 2 as arguments. As a result, the product category, date, and start and end times of touchpoints in business process 1 and business process 2 are acquired as arguments. When the process in step S1501 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S1502.

[0189] In step S1502, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 causes the effect calculation unit 224 to execute processing to extract products of records with matching product categories from the product information table 252. As a result, products of records with matching product categories are extracted from the product information table 252. When the processing in step S1502 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S1503.

[0190] 15, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 repeatedly executes the processes of steps S1503 to S1514 until the effect calculation unit 224 has completed the process for all products. As a result, the processes of steps S1503 to S1514 are repeatedly executed until the process for all products has been completed.

[0191] In step S1504, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 executes a process in which the effect calculation unit 224 retrieves from the evaluation result table 251 records whose start and end times match those of the product and touchpoints in business process 1. As a result, records whose start and end times match those of the product and touchpoints in business process 1 are retrieved from the evaluation result table 251. When the process in step S1504 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S1505.

[0192] 15, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 repeatedly executes the processes of steps S1505 to S1508 until the effect calculation unit 224 completes the process for all attributes. As a result, the processes of steps S1505 to S1508 are repeatedly executed until the process for all attributes is completed.

[0193] In step S1506, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 executes a process to determine whether or not an attribute column exists using the effect calculation unit 224. If it is determined that an attribute column exists (step S1506: YES), the process proceeds to step S1507. On the other hand, if it is determined that an attribute column does not exist (step S1506: NO), the process proceeds directly to step S1508.

[0194] In step S1507, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 executes processing in which the effect calculation unit 224 adds the price in the product information table 252 and stores it as a pair with the attribute. As a result, the price in the product information table 252 is added and stored as a pair with the attribute. When the processing in step S1507 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S1508.

[0195] When the processing of steps S1505 to S1508 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 returns to step S1505 again to continue executing the processing. After that, when the processing of steps S1505 to S1508 is repeatedly executed until the processing is completed for all attributes, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S1509.

[0196] In step S1509, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 executes a process in which the effect calculation unit 224 retrieves from the evaluation result table 251 records whose start and end times match those of the product and touchpoints in business process 2. As a result, records whose start and end times match those of the product and touchpoints in business process 2 are retrieved from the evaluation result table 251. When the process in step S1509 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S1510.

[0197] 15, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 repeatedly executes the processes of steps S1510 to S1513 until the effect calculation unit 224 completes the process for all attributes. As a result, the processes of steps S1510 to S1513 are repeatedly executed until the process for all attributes is completed.

[0198] In step S1511, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 executes a process to determine whether or not an attribute column exists using the effect calculation unit 224. If it is determined that an attribute column exists (step S1511: YES), the process proceeds to step S1512. On the other hand, if it is determined that an attribute column does not exist (step S1511: NO), the process proceeds directly to step S1513.

[0199] In step S1512, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 executes processing in which the effect calculation unit 224 adds the price in the product information table 252 and stores it as a pair with the attribute. As a result, the price in the product information table 252 is added and stored as a pair with the attribute. When the processing in step S1512 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S1513.

[0200] When the control unit of the business improvement system 100 completes the processing of steps S1510 to S1513, it returns to step S1510 again to continue executing the processing. After that, when the processing of steps S1510 to S1513 is repeatedly executed until the processing is completed for all attributes, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S1514.

[0201] When the processing of steps S1503 to S1514 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 returns to step S1503 again to continue executing the processing. After that, when the processing of steps S1503 to S1514 is repeatedly executed until the processing is completed for all products, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 proceeds to step S1515.

[0202] In step S1515, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 executes a process in which the effect calculation unit 224 calculates and returns the ratio of the two retained attribute-price pairs for each attribute. As a result, the ratio of the two retained attribute-price pairs is calculated and returned for each attribute. When the process in step S1515 is completed, the control unit of the business improvement system 100 ends the process shown in the flowchart 1500 in FIG. 15.

[0203] The above-described embodiment of the present invention can be summarized as follows.

[0204] (1) The business improvement system 100 is a system that supports business improvement for companies with the aim of improving the customer experience gained through their purchasing experience with the company. The computer, which includes at least a processor 101, a memory 102, and a storage device 103, models the purchasing behavior of a consumer customer based on consumer information including at least the customer's purchase history, models the business process of the company based on company information including at least information about the company's business, establishes touchpoints representing the points of contact between the customer and the company based on the model representing the customer's purchasing behavior and the model representing the company's business process, performs a simulation of changes in the modeled purchasing behavior of the customer when the touchpoints are changed by changing the modeled business process of the company, and presents business measures that contribute to business improvement for the company based on data representing the simulation results. In this way, the business improvement system 100 can perform a large number of simulations using a model built using open data as much as possible and present business improvement areas and their impacts based on attributes, etc. As a result, the business improvement system 100 can present business measures that affect the purchasing behavior of specific attributes or many attributes, and therefore can present a wide range of measures, including business process improvements, that contribute to improving the customer experience gained through purchasing behavior without imposing a burden on consumers.

[0205] (2) Consumer information also includes government statistics.

[0206] (3) The values ​​of the customer are modeled from consumer information, the management philosophy of the company is modeled from company information, touch points between the customer and the company are set from the model representing the customer's values ​​and the model representing the company's management philosophy, and a simulation is performed to see how the values ​​of the modeled customer change when the management philosophy of the modeled company is changed and the touch points are changed.

[0207] (4) The modeled customer values ​​are modeled for each predetermined attribute that classifies each customer based on age and gender.

[0208] (5) Corporate information also includes integrated reports.

[0209] (6) The measures include at least measures to improve the business processes of the company.

[0210] (7) Simulations are conducted on changes in the company's operating costs.

[0211] (8) A measure proposal screen 1400 for proposing measures is displayed on the output device 116.

[0212] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be implemented using any components without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0213] The above-described embodiments, examples, and modifications are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these details as long as the features of the invention are not impaired. Furthermore, although various embodiments, examples, and modifications have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these details. Other aspects that can be considered within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention are also included within the scope of the present invention.

[0214] In the above figures, the control lines and information lines shown are those that are considered necessary for explanation, and do not necessarily show all the control lines and information lines that are actually implemented. For example, it can be considered that almost all components are actually connected to each other.

[0215] Furthermore, the layout of each functional unit of the business improvement system 100 described above is merely an example. The layout of each functional unit can be changed to an optimal layout in terms of the performance, processing efficiency, communication efficiency, etc. of the hardware and software equipped in the business improvement system 100. [Explanation of symbols]

[0216] 100: Business improvement system

Claims

1. A business improvement system that supports business improvement for the purpose of improving the experience value of customers obtained through purchasing experiences from a company, A computer having at least a processor, a memory, and a storage device, modeling the purchasing behavior of a consumer based on consumer information including at least the customer's purchasing history; modeling the business processes of the company from company information including at least information about the company's business; a touch point representing a contact point between the customer and the company is set based on a model representing the customer's purchasing behavior and a model representing the company's business process; A simulation is performed to see how the purchase behavior of the modeled customer changes when the touchpoint is changed by changing the business process of the modeled company, Based on the data representing the results of the simulation, business measures that will contribute to business improvement of the company are proposed. Business improvement system.

2. The business improvement system of claim 1 , wherein the consumer information further includes government statistics.

3. modeling the customer's values ​​from the consumer information; Modeling the management philosophy of the company from the company information, A touch point between the customer and the company is set based on a model representing the customer's values ​​and a model representing the company's management philosophy. Conducting a simulation of changes in the values ​​of the modeled customer when the management philosophy of the modeled company is changed to change the touchpoints; The business improvement system according to claim 1 .

4. 4. The business improvement system according to claim 3, wherein the modeled values ​​of the customer are modeled for each predetermined attribute that classifies each customer based on age and gender.

5. The business improvement system according to claim 1 , wherein the company information further includes an integrated report.

6. 2. The business improvement system according to claim 1, wherein the measures include at least a measure for improving the business process of the company.

7. 2. The business improvement system according to claim 1, wherein the simulation is performed on changes in business costs of the company.

8. The business improvement system according to claim 1 , wherein an output device displays a measure proposal screen for proposing the measure.

9. A business improvement method for supporting business improvement of a company with the aim of improving the experience value of customers obtained through their purchasing experience from the company, A computer having at least a processor, a memory, and a storage device, modeling the purchasing behavior of a consumer based on consumer information including at least the customer's purchasing history; modeling the business processes of the company from company information including at least information about the company's business; a touch point representing a contact point between the customer and the company is set based on a model representing the customer's purchasing behavior and a model representing the company's business process; A simulation is performed to see how the purchase behavior of the modeled customer changes when the touchpoint is changed by changing the business process of the modeled company, Based on the data representing the results of the simulation, business measures that will contribute to business improvement of the company are proposed. How to improve your business.

10. A business improvement system that supports business improvement for the purpose of improving customer experience value gained through purchasing experiences from a company, using a computer having at least a processor, a memory, and a storage device, comprising: modeling the purchasing behavior of a consumer based on consumer information including at least the customer's purchasing history; modeling the business processes of the company from company information including at least information about the company's business; a touch point representing a contact point between the customer and the company is set based on a model representing the customer's purchasing behavior and a model representing the company's business process; A simulation is performed to see how the purchase behavior of the modeled customer changes when the touchpoint is changed by changing the business process of the modeled company, Based on the data representing the results of the simulation, business measures that will contribute to improving the business of the company are presented. A computer program that causes the computer to execute a process.

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