Sales management system, sales management method, and sales management program

Abstract

This invention relates to a sales management system, a sales management method, and a sales management program. [Solution] The sales management system 1 comprises a storage unit and a decision unit. The memory unit stores organizational information regarding the hierarchical structure of the target organization, including the first and second organizations, which are composed of multiple users, and conditional information regarding the pricing conditions of the products. The decision-making unit determines the pricing conditions for the highest-level target user in the target organization based on the performance of the first organization, the performance of the second organization, and condition information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a sales management system, a sales management method, and a sales management program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a mechanism for selling products through agents has been known, and various devices have been made for such sales transactions recently.

[0003] For example, in Patent Document 1, among members belonging to an organization, members subordinate to the lower level are divided into two groups, and by paying a sales allowance or the like using a conversion coefficient based on predetermined conditions, the sales performance achieved by the member who receives the sales allowance and the new sales performance of the subordinate members can be reflected together. An online sales allowance calculation method is disclosed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in Patent Document 1, it cannot be said that an appropriate allowance is necessarily paid to the subordinate members, and there is still room for improvement in the calculation method of the sales allowance and profit grant to the agent.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the problems of the above prior art, and an object thereof is to realize a sales management system in which all users can easily and effectively obtain appropriate profits according to their performance.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a sales management system for managing the price of products purchased by a user, The sales management system comprises a storage unit and a decision unit, The storage unit stores organizational information relating to the hierarchical structure of the target organization, including a first organization and a second organization composed of multiple users, and conditional information relating to the price conditions of the product. The decision unit determines the price conditions for the highest-level target user in the target organization based on the performance of the first organization, the performance of the second organization, and the condition information.

[0008] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a sales management method implemented by a sales management system that manages the prices of products purchased by a user, The sales management system comprises a storage unit and a decision unit, The memory unit stores organizational information relating to the hierarchical structure of the target organization, including a first organization and a second organization composed of multiple users, and conditional information relating to the price conditions of the product. The determination unit includes the step of determining price conditions for the highest-level target user in the target organization based on the performance of the first organization, the performance of the second organization, and the condition information.

[0009] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a sales management program that manages the price of products purchased by a user, The computer functions as a memory unit and a decision unit. The storage unit stores organizational information relating to the hierarchical structure of the target organization, including a first organization and a second organization composed of multiple users, and conditional information relating to the price conditions of the product. The decision unit determines the price conditions for the highest-level target user in the target organization based on the performance of the first organization, the performance of the second organization, and the condition information.

[0010] This configuration allows all users to easily and effectively obtain appropriate profits commensurate with their performance. For example, an agency, as a user, can obtain an appropriate discount rate on the purchase price of the goods they sell, based on their performance over a predetermined period. Furthermore, the target users in this invention are not limited to users at the top of the hierarchical structure, but all users are eligible, and the optimal pricing conditions are determined for each target user each time, making it easy to provide appropriate profits to all users.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the performance includes sales for a predetermined period in the target organization. The aforementioned price condition is a first price condition that indicates a discount rate obtained when the smaller of the sales of the first organization and the sales of the second organization reaches a predetermined value. The decision unit determines the discount rate for the target user based on the sales of the first organization, the sales of the second organization, and the first pricing conditions.

[0012] This configuration allows all users to receive more appropriate benefits. Target users can receive optimal benefits based on their sales performance within their respective organizations.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the price condition is a second price condition that grants an even higher discount rate if a predetermined number of users who have already obtained a predetermined discount rate exist in the first and / or second organizations of the target organization. The decision unit determines the discount rate for the target user based on the performance of the target organization and the second price conditions.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the price condition is a second price condition that grants an even higher discount rate if a predetermined number of users who have obtained a predetermined discount rate under the first price condition exist in the first and / or second organizations of the target organization. The decision unit determines the discount rate for the target user based on the performance of the target organization and the second price conditions.

[0015] This configuration allows users to receive appropriate benefits based on their performance within the target organization. For example, if users lower in the target organization's hierarchical structure receive a predetermined discount rate, the target user can also be granted an appropriate discount rate.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the price condition is a third price condition that grants a predetermined discount rate when a predetermined number of users have a regular purchase contract for the product in the first and / or second organizations of the target organization. The decision unit determines the discount rate for the target user based on the performance of the target organization and the third price condition.

[0017] This configuration allows users to receive additional benefits based on their recurring purchase agreements (subscriptions) for products within the target organization.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the sales management system further comprises a determination unit, The aforementioned conditional information includes a first price condition indicating a discount rate obtained when the lower of the sales of the first organization and the sales of the second organization reaches a predetermined value; a second price condition granting an even higher discount rate when a predetermined number of users who have already obtained a predetermined discount rate exist in the first and / or second organizations of the target organization; and a third price condition granting a predetermined discount rate when a predetermined number of users who have a regular purchase contract for the product exist in the first and / or second organizations of the target organization. The determination unit determines, based on the performance of the target organization and the condition information, the price condition among the first price condition, the second price condition, and the third price condition that offers the highest discount rate to the target user. The determination unit determines the discount rate for the target user based on the determination result.

[0019] By adopting such a configuration, the user can obtain more appropriate profits based on multiple price conditions.

[0020] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the sales management system further includes an allocation addition unit. The performance includes the sales during a predetermined period for the target organization and the target user. When the sales are generated for the target user, the allocation addition unit compares the sales of the first organization with the sales of the second organization, and adds a part of the sales of the target user to the organization with lower sales. Furthermore, in the first organization and the second organization, the sales of one organization to which a part of the sales of the target user is added are compared with the sales of the other organization, and the addition process of adding a part of the sales of the target user to the organization with lower sales is repeated until the distribution of the sales of the target user is completed.

[0021] By adopting such a configuration, the sales of the target user can be appropriately distributed. As a result, the user can obtain the most favorable benefits.

Effects of the Invention

[0022] According to the present invention, by executing a predetermined process using characteristic condition information, a novel technology related to a sales management system can be provided.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023] [Figure 1] A block diagram of a system configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. [Figure 2] A schematic diagram of an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing apparatus and a terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. [Figure 3] A schematic image of product price determination for each user in a sales management system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. [Figure 4] A flowchart of a processing procedure in a sales management system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. [Figure 5]An example of the information used in a sales management system according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown. [Figure 6] This shows a schematic diagram of the hierarchical structure of a sales management system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This shows a schematic image of the target organization in the sales management system related to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This shows a flowchart of a specific sales transaction in the sales management system related to one embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0024] Further details will be provided below with reference to the attached drawings. The drawings show preferred embodiments. However, many different forms are possible and the embodiments are not limited to those described herein.

[0025] For example, this embodiment describes the configuration and operation of a sales management system, but similar effects can be achieved by the execution method (steps), device, computer program, etc. The program in this embodiment may be provided as a non-transient recording medium readable by a computer, or it may be provided so that it can be downloaded from an external server.

[0026] Furthermore, in this embodiment, "part" may also include, for example, hardware resources implemented by circuits in a broad sense, and the information processing of software that can be specifically realized by these hardware resources.

[0027] In this embodiment, "information" can be represented, for example, by the physical value of a signal representing voltage or current, the high or low value of a signal as a set of binary bits consisting of 0s or 1s, or by a quantum superposition (so-called qubit), and communication and calculations can be performed on a circuit in a broad sense.

[0028] In a broad sense, a circuit is a circuit realized by appropriately combining circuits, circuits (including processors and memory). That is, it includes CPUs (Central Processing Units), GPUs (Graphics Processing Units), LSIs (Large Scale Integration), ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays), etc.

[0029] <System Configuration> Figure 1 is a block diagram showing a system configuration according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 1, the sales management system 1 includes an information processing device 10 and a database DB. The sales management system 1 is configured to communicate with multiple upper-level user terminals 2 (reference numerals 2(a) to 2(c) in Figure 1) and lower-level user terminals 2 (reference numerals 2(d) to 2(f)) via a network NW. These upper-level user terminals 2 and lower-level user terminals 2 are terminals used by users belonging to a sales organization having a predetermined hierarchical structure. In this embodiment, the upper-level user terminals and lower-level user terminals together, or either one of them, may be referred to as a user terminal.

[0030] The information processing device 10 operates as a server, and the user terminal 2 is a terminal used by salespeople (agents, individuals, or members) belonging to a designated sales organization.

[0031] In this embodiment, the network NW is an IP (Internet Protocol) network, but there are no restrictions on the type of communication protocol, nor on the type or size of the network.

[0032] Furthermore, a general-purpose server computer or personal computer can be used as the information processing device 10. It is also possible to implement the functional components described later on multiple computers to configure the sales management system 1.

[0033] User Terminal 2 is a terminal used by users such as agents and members who sell products. User Terminal 2 can be a smartphone, tablet, personal computer, wearable device, etc. User Terminal 2 stores a sales management application program for the user, and this application program is configured to have functions for managing the agent's product prices (price conditions) and sales performance.

[0034] User terminal 2 can also be configured without the sales management application program. In this case, user terminal 2 can view and transmit information using a web browser or similar.

[0035] <Hardware Configuration> Figure 2(a) shows an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device 10. The information processing device 10 comprises a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a communication unit 13 as its hardware configuration.

[0036] The control unit 11 includes one or more processors such as a CPU, and controls the entire operation of the information processing device 10 by executing the sales management program, OS, and other applications according to the present invention.

[0037] The storage unit 12 is an HDD, SSD, ROM, RAM, etc., and stores the sales management program according to the present invention and data used by the control unit 11 when it executes processing based on the program. The control unit 11 executes processing based on the sales management program stored in the storage unit 12, thereby realizing the functional configuration described later.

[0038] The communication unit 13 performs communication control with the network NW and provides inputs necessary for operating the information processing device 10, as well as outputs related to the operation results.

[0039] Figure 2(b) shows an example of the hardware configuration of terminal 90 (upper user terminals 2(a) to (c) and lower user terminals 2(d) to (f) in Figure 1). Terminal 90 comprises a control unit 91, a storage unit 92, a communication unit 93, an input unit 94, and an output unit 95 as its hardware configuration.

[0040] The control unit 91 of the terminal 90 includes one or more processors such as a CPU and controls the entire operation of the terminal 90. The storage unit 92 of the terminal 90 is an HDD, SSD, ROM, RAM, etc., and stores the sales management application program mentioned above, as well as data used by the control unit 91 when it executes processing based on the program.

[0041] The communication unit 93 of terminal 90 controls communication with the network. The input unit 94 of terminal 90 is a touch panel, mouse, keyboard, etc., which inputs user operation requests to the control unit 91. The output unit 95 of terminal 90 is a display, etc., which displays the results of processing by the control unit 91.

[0042] <Functional Configuration> As shown in Figure 2(a), the information processing device 10 comprises, as a functional configuration, a registration reception unit 101, an aggregation processing unit 102, a distribution and addition unit 103, a determination unit 104, and a decision unit 105. These are the concrete realization of information processing performed by software (stored in the storage unit 12) by hardware (control unit 11, etc.).

[0043] The registration reception unit 101 receives and registers various types of information from the user terminal 2. In this embodiment, the registration reception unit 101 receives and registers user information, user organization information, condition information regarding product price conditions, etc. For example, the information processing device receives user information from the user terminal 2 and receives and registers organization information and condition information from terminals of manufacturers, administrators, etc. (such as administrator terminals, which are not shown in the figures).

[0044] The aggregation processing unit 102 aggregates user performance data, etc. In this embodiment, the aggregation processing unit 102 aggregates the sales (sales performance) and the number of people, etc., of each organization to be aggregated, according to the conditions. The aggregation processing unit 102 aggregates the sales and the number of people, etc., of the first and second organizations within the target organization.

[0045] The distribution and addition unit 103 adds the sales of the target users based on predetermined conditions. In this embodiment, when a target user generates sales, the distribution and addition unit 103 compares the sales of the first organization with the sales of the second organization and adds a portion of the target user's sales to the organization with the lower sales. Furthermore, the distribution and addition unit 103 compares the sales of one organization to which a portion of the target user's sales has been added with the sales of the other organization in both the first and second organizations, and repeats the addition process of adding a portion of the target user's sales to the organization with the lower sales until the distribution of sales among the target users is complete.

[0046] The determination unit 104 determines various conditions for the user. The determination unit 104 determines the price conditions for the target user. In this embodiment, the determination unit 104 determines the price condition with the highest discount rate for the target user among the first price condition, second price condition, and third price condition, which are the price conditions for the product, based on the performance and condition information of the target organization. The determination unit 104 can determine the discount rate for the product for the target user for each of the first price condition, second price condition, and third price condition.

[0047] The decision unit 105 determines the price conditions. In this embodiment, the decision unit 105 determines the price conditions for the highest-level target user in the target organization based on the performance of the first organization, the performance of the second organization, and condition information. The decision unit 105 also determines the discount rate for the target user based on the sales of the first organization, the sales of the second organization, and the first price conditions, second price conditions, third price conditions, etc.

[0048] <database DB> The database DB in Figure 1 stores user information, first price condition information, second price condition information, third price condition information, and other condition information, aggregate information, discount information, and various other information necessary for sales management. Some or all of this information may be stored in the storage unit 12, or some of this information may be stored in another database.

[0049] The following explanation of the sales management system 1 and the processing performed by each functional component will be given with reference to Figures 3-8.

[0050] <Overview of the Sales Management System> The sales management system 1 according to this embodiment is a system that can easily and reliably determine appropriate product prices (discount rates) according to the sales of agents in a sales method that manages agents as a predetermined sales organization. The sales management system 1 can be used in multi-level marketing transactions, or more specifically, in binary sales transactions and similar sales transactions.

[0051] For example, as shown in Figure 3, all users belonging to a sales organization can receive appropriate discounts when purchasing products, based on their sales and the organization to which they belong. In this system, not only users at the top levels of the sales organization, but also users at any level within the sales organization can receive discounts based on their own sales and the sales of the target organization. In Figure 3, there are users at lower levels of the sales organization who receive higher discount rates (product prices with better procurement conditions) than users at higher levels.

[0052] Furthermore, while conventional multi-level marketing schemes often reward members or other users based on their sales, in this embodiment, the product price (e.g., discount rate) is determined based on sales, and users can earn profits corresponding to that product price.

[0053] In this specification, agents, salespeople, sole proprietors, etc., are referred to as users or members. For example, when a beauty salon or hair salon sells beauty products, the beauty salon or hair salon is a user, such as an agent or retailer. The following describes in detail the processing flow in Sales Management System 1.

[0054] <Register various types of information> Figure 4 shows a flowchart of the processing procedure in a sales management system according to one embodiment of the present invention. In S201, the sales management system 1 receives and registers various information from a predetermined terminal. The registration reception unit 101 of the information processing device 10 receives and registers user information from a user terminal. In this embodiment, the registration of this user information is membership registration to the sales organization (sales management system 1).

[0055] As shown in Figure 5(a), user information is managed by a user ID and includes information such as company name, contact information, address, person in charge, industry (e.g., beauty salon or hair salon), organizational hierarchy, and registration date. For example, a user may be a company or organization, or an individual.

[0056] Furthermore, the registration reception unit 101 receives and registers multiple pieces of condition information from an administrator terminal or the like (not shown in the diagram). As shown in Figures 5(b) to (d), the first price condition information, the second price condition information, and the third price condition information are managed by a condition ID and include various information such as actual results and discount rates. In this specification, these first price condition information, second price condition information, and third price condition information may also be collectively (or individually) simply referred to as condition information.

[0057] <Sales Organization> Here, we will describe the sales organization in this embodiment. Users in this system are registered agents, salespeople, etc. These users can freely sell the goods they purchase, but as a prerequisite, they belong to a predetermined sales organization.

[0058] As shown in Figure 6, the sales organization has a hierarchical structure consisting of multiple users. This hierarchical structure can be determined, for example, according to the order in which users joined the sales organization, such as 1st Buyer, 2nd Buyer, 3rd Buyer, 4th Buyer, 5th Buyer, etc. In other words, in Figure 6, the user in the 1st Buyer hierarchical structure joined the sales organization earlier than the user in the 2nd Buyer hierarchical structure.

[0059] Taking the second buyer as an example, the first buyer is a user positioned higher in the hierarchy than the second buyer, while the third and fourth buyers are users positioned lower in the hierarchy than the second buyer. In this embodiment, for convenience, users belong to a sales organization with these hierarchical structures, but their position in the hierarchy is irrelevant when it comes to selling products.

[0060] In Figure 6, among multiple users, the user whose product price is determined by the sales management system 1 is defined as the target user. Furthermore, the organization to which the target user belongs, that is, the organization located in the hierarchical structure below the target user, is defined as the target organization 20. In Figure 6, the first purchaser user is the target user, and the target organization is the target organization 20.

[0061] The target organization 20 can be divided into two lower-level hierarchies: the first organization 20A and the second organization 20B. The target organization 20 has a hierarchical sales organization structure that includes the first and second organizations, each composed of multiple users. In Figure 6, one of the two classified users is represented as A (User A) and the other as B (User B).

[0062] Organization 1 20A consists of the third buyer, fourth buyer, fifth buyer, and other buyers located below Organization 1 20A in the hierarchical tree structure. Similarly, Organization 2 20B consists of the third buyer, fourth buyer, fifth buyer, and other buyers located below Organization 20B in the hierarchical tree structure.

[0063] In this embodiment, the target organization is not necessarily limited to target organization 20, but is configured as appropriate depending on the target user. For example, if the target user is a user located at the top of the hierarchy of the first organization 20A (user A located in the second purchaser hierarchy), the target organization is configured starting from this target user, as shown in Figure 7. In Figure 7, the organization consists of target organization 30 corresponding to the target user located at the top of the hierarchy on the first organization 20A side, and the first organization 30A and the second organization 30B belonging to target organization 30.

[0064] In this embodiment, a target organization, a first organization, and a second organization are configured according to the target users in the sales organization, and product prices for target users can be easily and appropriately determined using these organizations. In other words, users can receive appropriate profits commensurate with their performance at any position in the hierarchical structure.

[0065] <Aggregation Processing> In S202 of Figure 4, the aggregation processing unit 102 aggregates the sales performance of target users and the number of target users according to predetermined conditions over a predetermined period. In this embodiment, the registration reception unit 101 acquires sales information for each user and stores it in the storage unit 12.

[0066] In this embodiment, the aggregation processing unit 102 aggregates data such as sales for target users and the number of target individuals in a target organization based on predetermined conditions over a one-month period. The aggregation processing unit 102 can aggregate monthly sales by adding up (summing) daily sales or sales for each product order. The aggregation period is not limited to one month; for example, every two weeks or every three months, manufacturers or administrators can set the period as appropriate.

[0067] The aggregation results from the aggregation processing unit 102 are stored in the storage unit 12. As shown in Figure 5(d), the aggregated information is managed by an aggregation ID, which includes information such as the user ID, organizational hierarchy such as the first purchaser, organizational type such as the target organization and the first organization, sales for each organization, the number of target individuals in each organization that meets the predetermined conditions, and the update date. The aggregation results from the aggregation processing unit 102 can be used to determine the price and discount rate of the products described later.

[0068] <Distribution of sales among target users> In step S203 of Figure 4, the distribution and addition unit 103 distributes the target user's own sales. In this embodiment, the target user's product price and discount rate are determined by adding their own sales to the sales of the target organization (i.e., the sales of the user group belonging to the target user's subordinates).

[0069] For example, suppose that the aggregation processing by the aggregation processing unit 102 shows that the target user in the target organization 20 in Figure 6 had sales of 1.5 million yen in one month. In this case, the target user's own sales are separate from the sales of the first organization 20A and the second organization 20B. Therefore, in order to provide the target user with appropriate profits commensurate with their sales, it is necessary to take their own sales into account when determining the discount rate for products, etc.

[0070] Therefore, in this embodiment, the sales performance of the target user is added to the sales performance of the first and second organizations to determine the price conditions described later. When a sales are generated by the target user, the distribution and addition unit 103 compares the sales of the first organization and the sales of the second organization and adds a portion of the target user's sales to whichever has lower sales.

[0071] Specifically, let's assume that in Figure 6, the sales of Organization 1 were 10 million yen and the sales of Organization 2 were 10.4 million yen. In this case, 500,000 yen, which is a portion of the 1.5 million yen in sales, is added to Organization 1, which has lower sales performance. In other words, the sales performance of Organization 1 becomes 10.5 million yen.

[0072] Furthermore, the distribution and addition unit 103 compares the sales of one organization, to which a portion of the target user's sales has been added, with the sales of the other organization in the first and second organizations, and repeats the addition process of adding a portion of the target user's sales to the organization with the lower sales until the distribution of the target user's sales is complete. Specifically, as described above, the sales performance of the first organization is 1,050 yen and the sales performance of the second organization is 10,400,000 yen. Therefore, 500,000 yen, which is a portion of the target user's sales, is added to the second organization, which has the lower sales performance, resulting in the second organization's sales performance being 10,900,000 yen.

[0073] This addition process is repeated until the target user's own sales of 1.5 million yen become zero. This sales management system 1 can use this distinctive addition process to assign appropriate pricing conditions to the target user. The result of the addition process by the distribution addition unit 104 is registered in the aggregated information in Figure 5(e). For example, if the target user's sales were 1.5 million yen, the distribution addition unit 104 may further subdivide the sales into 100,000 yen and 10,000 yen and distribute them, or it may further subdivide the sales and distribute them in increments of 1 yen (or 1 point, as described later).

[0074] It should be noted that this addition process is not mandatory, and the effects of the present invention can be obtained even if the addition process by the distribution addition unit 104 is not performed in the aggregation process. In this case, the sales of the target user themselves can be reflected in the determination of the price conditions by other means. For example, as another method, a discount rate for the product can be assigned separately (separate from the price conditions described later) according to the sales performance of the target user.

[0075] <Determining price conditions> In S204 of Figure 4, the determination unit 104 determines the price conditions for the target user. The determination unit 104 determines the price condition that is most suitable for the target user among the multiple price conditions. In this embodiment, the determination unit 104 determines the price condition with the highest discount rate for the target user among the first price condition, second price condition, and third price condition, based on the performance of the target organization to which the target user belongs and the condition information in Figures 5(b) to (d) described above.

[0076] <Determination of the first price condition> First, the determination unit 104 determines the discount rate for the target user based on the first price condition information shown in Figure 5(b). This determination of the discount rate can be performed by the determination unit 104 or the decision unit 105. In Figure 5(b), sales performance is represented in points. For example, sales performance of 20,000 yen can be converted to 20,000 points, or sales performance of 2,000,000 yen can be converted to 20,000 points using a predetermined coefficient (weighting). Here, we will explain using the converted points.

[0077] As shown in Figure 5(b), the first pricing condition is managed by a condition ID, which determines the discount rate based on performance. Specifically, if a target user achieves sales of 20,000 points within a specified period (e.g., one month), they will be granted a 10% discount on the product price (condition ID 10001), and if they achieve sales of 50,000 points, they will be granted a 20% discount on the product price (condition ID 10002). Similarly, as sales increase to 250,000 points, 2,000,000 points, and 15,000,000 points, the target user can obtain a higher discount rate.

[0078] In this embodiment, the sales of the first organization and the sales of the second organization are compared, and a predetermined discount rate is applied to the target user when the lower of the two reaches the performance (predetermined value) shown in Figure 5(b). For example, in the target organization 20 to which the target user in Figure 6 belongs, if the sales of the first organization 20A are 20,000 points and the sales of the second organization 20B are 50,000 points, the target user at the top of the hierarchy in the target organization 20 is given a 10% discount rate. On the other hand, if the sales of the first organization 20A are 20,000 points and the sales of the second organization are 19,000 points, the target user at the top of the hierarchy in the target organization 20 is not given a discount rate on the product.

[0079] In this embodiment, the sales of the first organization and the sales of the second organization are compared, and the target user is granted a predetermined discount rate when the lower of the two reaches the performance shown in Figure 5(b). However, this condition can be changed as appropriate. For example, the discount rate can be granted when the sales of the target organization attributable to the target user reach the performance shown in Figure 5(b), or the discount rate can be granted when either the first or second organization among the target organizations achieves the performance shown in Figure 5(b). Furthermore, these conditions can be changed as appropriate depending on the aggregation period and season.

[0080] For example, during the first period of a predetermined period, the sales of the first organization and the second organization are compared, and the target user is granted a predetermined discount rate when the lower of the two reaches the performance shown in Figure 5(b). In the second period, the product discount rate is granted when the target organization's sales reach the performance shown in Figure 5(b). With such a configuration, it is expected that target users can be given a high discount rate during campaign periods, or their motivation can be maintained without lowering the discount rate during seasons or periods of poor sales.

[0081] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when a target user generates sales, the predetermined addition process described above is performed, followed by a determination based on the first price condition. In this way, in this embodiment, an appropriate discount rate can be applied to the target user based on the predetermined price condition. The system then performs the same processing for target users belonging to the target organization 30 shown in Figure 7 (and for target users at lower levels in the hierarchical structure).

[0082] <Determination of the second price condition> Next, the second pricing condition will be explained. The determination unit 104 determines the discount rate for the target user based on the second pricing condition information shown in Figure 5(c). In the second pricing condition shown in Figure 5(c), the discount rate can be applied according to the number of people who are subject to the actual discount. Specifically, if there are three or more users in both the first and second organizations who are given a 20% discount rate, or if there are users in both the first and second organizations who are given a discount rate of 30% or more, the target user will be given a 30% discount rate.

[0083] In the target organization 20 shown in Figure 6, if there are three users in the first organization 20A who are granted a 20% discount rate and one user in the second organization 20B who is granted a 30% discount rate, the target user will be granted a 30% discount. On the other hand, if there are three users in the first organization 20A who are granted a 20% discount rate and two users in the second organization 20B who are granted a 20% discount rate (no users are granted a 30% discount rate), the target user will not be granted a discount rate.

[0084] In this embodiment, the condition for a target user to receive a 30% discount is that there are three or more users in either the first or second organization who have been granted a 20% discount, or that there are users who have been granted a discount of 30% or more. However, this condition can be changed as appropriate. For example, the condition could be that the total number of target users shown in Figure 5(c) is sufficient across all target organizations, or that the number of target users shown in Figure 5(c) is sufficient in either the first or second organization.

[0085] Furthermore, while the second pricing condition in this embodiment grants an even higher discount rate if a predetermined number of users who have obtained a predetermined discount rate under the first pricing condition exist in the first and / or second organizations of the target organization, it is also possible to configure the system to grant an even higher discount rate if a predetermined number of users who have already obtained a predetermined discount rate exist in the first and / or second organizations of the target organization.

[0086] <Determination of the third price condition> Next, the third pricing condition will be explained. The determination unit 104 determines the discount rate for the target user based on the third pricing condition information shown in Figure 5(d). In the third pricing condition shown in Figure 5(d), a discount rate can be applied according to the number of people who meet the predetermined contract conditions. Specifically, as shown in Figure 5(d), if there are 10 or more users who have a regular purchase contract (also called a subscription) for the product, a 30% discount rate is applied to the target user, and if there are 50 or more users who have a regular purchase contract, a 40% discount rate is applied to the target user.

[0087] In this embodiment, a predetermined discount rate is applied to target users if the number of people shown in Figure 5(d) exists in both the first and second organizations. The organizational conditions are not limited to this; for example, a predetermined discount rate may be applied to target users if the number of people shown in Figure 5(d) exists in either the first or second organization, or if the number of people shown in Figure 5(d) exists in the target organization as a whole. By using this third pricing condition, it is possible to apply an appropriate discount rate to target users using an indicator different from sales performance, etc.

[0088] <Determining price conditions> In step S205 of Figure 4, the determination unit 105 determines the price conditions for the target user. As described above, in this embodiment, the discount rate for the target user is determined for each of the first, second, and third price conditions. These conditions can be set as appropriate, and it is also possible to use only the first price condition, or only the second or third price conditions. For example, if the sales management system 1 adopts the first price condition, the discount rate for the product for the target user is determined based on the first price condition.

[0089] The discount rate for products for target users is managed as discount information for each target user. As shown in Figure 5(f), the discount information is managed by a discount ID that includes the user ID, discount conditions, and discount rate. For example, multiple products can be managed by product ID for each product type in a product table (not shown in the diagram), and this product ID can be included in the discount information in Figure 5(f). With this configuration, discount information can be managed for each product sold by the target user.

[0090] In this embodiment, the discount rate is determined for all three price conditions: the first, second, and third price conditions. The determination unit 105 determines the discount rate for the target user based on these determination results. Specifically, the determination unit 104 determines the price condition with the highest discount rate for the target user among the first, second, and third price conditions based on the performance and condition information of the target organization, and the determination unit 105 determines the discount rate for the target user based on the determination result. These multiple price conditions can be set in appropriate combinations depending on the target organization.

[0091] For example, in Figure 6, for the first buyer user, the discount rate is determined using the price condition that offers the highest discount rate among the first, second, and third price conditions. For users lower down the purchase level (second buyer and below), the discount rate can be determined using any (or a combination of) of the first, second, and third price conditions. Furthermore, these combinations of price conditions can be changed as needed, and the conditions for the first buyer and the conditions for users lower down the purchase level can be swapped.

[0092] In this embodiment, since the discount rate is determined using multiple pricing conditions with different indicators, it is possible to apply the optimal discount rate according to performance to all target users belonging to the sales organization.

[0093] Figure 8 shows an overview of a sales transaction in which this sales management system 1 is used. In this figure, the sales management system 1, members such as beauty salons, lower-level members positioned below the members (beauty salons) in the hierarchical structure, customer 1, and customer 2 are explained as an example. Here, the agency (user) is the beauty salon, and the users such as the beauty salon are referred to as members.

[0094] First, in S301, the member applies for membership registration and registers as a member in the sales management system 1 (S302). The user information shown in Figure 5(a) is the information registered as a member. By registering as a member, the member beauty salon becomes part of the sales organization. Subsequently, in S303, the member belonging to the sales organization places an order for goods, and this sale is registered in the sales management system 1 (S304). The ordered goods are shipped to the member beauty salon (S305), and the beauty salon sells these goods to customer 2 (S306).

[0095] In parallel with selling products, members engage in promotional activities to other agents and beauty salons (S307). These promotional activities include encouraging other beauty salons to become members of the sales organization and register (contract) as agents in the sales management system 1. In light of the determination of the price conditions described above, members can obtain a more favorable discount rate (i.e., the purchase price of the products they sell) by engaging in promotional activities to more members.

[0096] As a result of promotional activities by members, if other beauty salons become members, those salons apply to register as subordinate members of the member in sales management system 1 and are registered as members (S308, S309).

[0097] Subsequently, the lower-level member places an order for the product (S310), and this sale is registered in the sales management system 1 (S311). At the same time, the sale is also registered as a sale for the target organization at the higher-level member, the beauty salon (S312), the ordered product is shipped to the lower-level member (S313), and the beauty salon sells this product to customer 1 (S314). In this way, members who act as agents for the manufacturer operating the sales management system belong to a sales organization, but each conducts independent sales activities.

[0098] Then, after the sales activities by the members for the specified period are completed, S315 compiles the sales for that specified period (and the number of eligible members in the target organization according to the conditions). Based on these compilation results, the discount for each member is determined (S316), and the sales management system 1 applies the discount to each member (S317, S318).

[0099] This sales management system 1 can provide each member (user) with an appropriate discount based on their performance through this series of processes. As a result, users can obtain appropriate benefits commensurate with their performance.

[0100] As described above, the sales management system 1 according to the present invention makes it possible to easily and effectively provide appropriate benefits to all users in a sales organization by executing predetermined processes using multiple characteristic price conditions such as a first price condition, a second price condition, and a third price condition.

[0101] Furthermore, although this embodiment describes a discount rate on the selling price of a product, the benefits to the user are not limited to the discount rate of the product. The same effects as the present invention can be obtained when providing benefits such as monetary allowances or rewards based on sales, points that can be exchanged for predetermined benefits, compensation, provision of goods or items, improved treatment, or other benefits. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0102] 1. Sales Management System 2. User terminals (upper user terminal, lower user terminal) 10 Information Processing Devices 11 Control Unit 12 Storage section 13 Communications Department 20 Target Organizations 20A 1st organization 20B 2nd organization 30 Target Organizations 30A 1st organization 30B 2nd organization 90 terminals (user terminal 2) 91 Control Unit 92 Memory section 93 Communications Department 94 Input section 95 Output section 101 Registration Department 102 Aggregation Processing Unit 103 Distribution and Addition Section 104 Judgment section 105 Decision Section NW Network

Claims

1. A sales management system that manages the prices of products purchased by users, The sales management system comprises a storage unit and a decision unit, The storage unit stores organizational information relating to the hierarchical structure of the target organization, including a first organization and a second organization composed of multiple users, and conditional information relating to the price conditions of the product. The decision unit determines the price conditions for the highest-level target user in the target organization based on the performance of the first organization, the performance of the second organization, and the condition information. Sales management system.

2. The aforementioned results include sales for a specified period at the aforementioned target organization, The aforementioned price condition is a first price condition that indicates a discount rate obtained when the smaller of the sales of the first organization and the sales of the second organization reaches a predetermined value. The determination unit determines the discount rate for the target user based on the sales of the first organization, the sales of the second organization, and the first pricing conditions. The sales management system according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned pricing condition is a second pricing condition that grants an even higher discount rate if a predetermined number of users who have already received a predetermined discount rate exist in the first and / or second organizations of the target organization. The determination unit determines the discount rate for the target user based on the performance of the target organization and the second price conditions. The sales management system according to claim 1.

4. The aforementioned pricing condition is a second pricing condition that grants an even higher discount rate if a predetermined number of users who have obtained a predetermined discount rate under the first pricing condition exist in the first and / or second organizations of the target organization. The determination unit determines the discount rate for the target user based on the performance of the target organization and the second price conditions. The sales management system according to claim 2.

5. The aforementioned pricing condition is a third pricing condition that grants a predetermined discount rate when a predetermined number of users have a regular purchase contract for the aforementioned product in the first and / or second organizations of the target organization. The determination unit determines the discount rate for the target user based on the performance of the target organization and the third price condition. The sales management system according to claim 1.

6. The aforementioned sales management system further includes a determination unit, The aforementioned condition information includes a first price condition indicating a discount rate obtained when the lower of the sales of the first organization and the sales of the second organization reaches a predetermined value; a second price condition granting an even higher discount rate when a predetermined number of users who have already obtained a predetermined discount rate exist in the first and / or second organizations of the target organization; and a third price condition granting a predetermined discount rate when a predetermined number of users who have a regular purchase contract for the product exist in the first and / or second organizations of the target organization. The determination unit determines, based on the performance of the target organization and the condition information, the price condition among the first price condition, the second price condition, and the third price condition that offers the highest discount rate to the target user. The determination unit determines the discount rate for the target user based on the determination result. The sales management system according to claim 1.

7. The aforementioned sales management system further includes a distribution and addition unit, The aforementioned results include sales for the aforementioned target organizations and target users over a specified period. The distribution and addition unit, when the target user generates the sales, compares the sales of the first organization with the sales of the second organization and adds a portion of the target user's sales to the organization with the lower sales. Furthermore, in the first and second organizations, the sales of one organization, to which a portion of the target user's sales has been added, are compared with the sales of the other organization, and the addition process of adding a portion of the target user's sales to the organization with the lower sales is repeated until the distribution of the target user's sales is complete. A sales management system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A sales management method performed by a sales management system that manages the prices of products purchased by users, The sales management system comprises a storage unit and a decision unit, The memory unit stores organizational information relating to the hierarchical structure of the target organization, including a first organization and a second organization composed of multiple users, and conditional information relating to the price conditions of the product. The determination unit includes the step of determining price conditions for the highest-level target user in the target organization based on the sales of the first organization, the sales of the second organization, and the condition information. Sales management methods.

9. A sales management program that manages the prices of products purchased by users, The computer functions as a memory unit and a decision unit. The storage unit stores organizational information relating to the hierarchical structure of the target organization, including a first organization and a second organization composed of multiple users, and conditional information relating to the price conditions of the product. The decision unit determines the price conditions for the highest-level target user in the target organization based on the sales of the first organization, the sales of the second organization, and the condition information. Sales management program.

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