Business support system

Abstract

This business support system focuses on employee proficiency levels to improve the standard level of employee proficiency and thereby increase the overall efficiency of operations within companies and other organizations. [Solution] The system includes a database 11 in which business information categorized by business type is registered, a database 13 in which the proficiency level of each employee is registered, a database 14 in which manual information standardizing the procedures of each business is registered, an employee management unit 24 that manages information on employees who come to work on business days, a business distribution processing unit 23 that distributes the business content to be handled by each employee on business days based on the business content of business days, the employees who come to work on business days, and the proficiency level of each employee, a storage unit 15 that stores the distributed business content, an evaluation unit 25 that evaluates the proficiency level from the time it takes for employees to complete the distributed business content and the state of completion of the business, and a data processing unit 26 that updates the proficiency level registered in the proficiency database.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a system constructed to support the work of employees, and more particularly to a work support system for assisting employees to efficiently perform their work based on a standardized manual.

Background Art

[0002] Generally, employees working for a company perform their work according to various manuals. However, when the types of work are diverse, it is difficult to master all the numerous manuals, and there are cases where the manuals must be referred to during work. Using manuals is useful for maintaining a certain level of work within the company, and particularly important for ensuring quality, etc. in non-office work. However, when the manuals cannot be easily referred to, it becomes difficult to maintain the quality, etc. at a constant level. Therefore, in such a situation, a support system for assisting employees has been developed (see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The technology disclosed in the aforementioned Patent Document 1 displays information from work manuals on employee terminals, and also displays schedules based on work deadlines. By performing tasks according to the displayed schedule, employees can sequentially perform tasks of different content while referring to manual information displayed in conjunction with the schedule information. This technology was excellent in that, as employees perform tasks according to the work schedule, when a particular type of task is completed, a manual for the next type of task is displayed accordingly.

[0005] However, the conventional technology described above does not reflect the proficiency level of employees; it simply provides the necessary manuals according to the schedule. Therefore, when distributing various tasks among multiple employees according to their proficiency levels, the tasks are not distributed efficiently, and it does not contribute to improving work efficiency by enabling all employees to perform their tasks efficiently. In other words, while improving employee work efficiency is necessary to increase profits in companies, the technology did not aim to improve the work efficiency of individual workers.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and its purpose is to provide a business support system that can improve the standard level of employee proficiency by focusing on the proficiency level of employees, thereby improving the overall efficiency of operations in companies and other organizations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] Therefore, the first configuration of the present invention is a system for supporting employees in performing their duties, comprising: a work information database in which work information categorized by type of work is registered; a proficiency database in which information regarding the proficiency level of each employee with respect to the work content is registered; a manual database in which manual information standardizing the procedures for each type of work is registered; an employee management unit that manages information on employees who come to work on business days; a work distribution processing unit that distributes the work content to be handled by each employee on a business day based on the work content for that business day registered in the work information database, the employees who come to work on that business day managed by the employee management unit, and the proficiency level registered in the proficiency database for each employee who comes to work; a distributed work storage unit that stores the work content for each employee for that day processed by the work distribution processing unit; a proficiency evaluation unit that evaluates the proficiency level from the time it takes for an employee to complete the distributed work content and the state of completion of the work; and a data processing unit that updates the proficiency level registered in the proficiency database when the proficiency level of an employee determined by the proficiency evaluation unit differs from the proficiency level registered in the proficiency database.

[0008] According to the above configuration, within the workplace where employees are employed, the tasks that each employee is to perform are pre-categorized by task type and registered in a task information database. After understanding each employee's proficiency level for the relevant tasks, tasks can be distributed on business days in a suitable combination based on the employees who are working, the tasks for that day, and the employees' proficiency levels. Here, proficiency, although varying depending on the task, is generally a quantifiable element that can be measured by work time (time from start to completion) and completion level (difference between the required state and the completed state). In addition to these, the number of times the manual is viewed (frequency of referring to the manual) may also be added. By distributing tasks in this way, overall work efficiency can be improved by distributing the tasks for business days based on the employees with the highest proficiency levels.

[0009] Furthermore, when employees perform their tasks, elements that serve as criteria for proficiency are measured, and proficiency is evaluated based on each measured element. As a result of the evaluation after each task is completed, if the proficiency level changes, the employee's proficiency level for that task is updated, and the updated proficiency level can be used when assigning tasks next time. Employees can check their current proficiency level for the task, as well as their updated proficiency level, thus providing them with an opportunity for self-evaluation. Moreover, by calculating a similar proficiency level for work procedures used as manuals, or by setting a proficiency level for the manual, if an employee's proficiency level exceeds the manual's proficiency level and is superior, it becomes possible to adopt the employee's work procedures into the manual.

[0010] The second configuration of the present invention is characterized in that, in the first configuration described above, the business information database, the proficiency database, the manual database, the employee management unit, the business distribution processing unit, the proficiency evaluation unit, and the data processing unit are all stored on a server, and the server is configured to be accessible from a client that can be carried by an employee.

[0011] With the above configuration, all information can be centrally managed on a server, and employees can access the necessary information by accessing the server.

[0012] Therefore, the third configuration of the present invention is characterized in that, in the second configuration described above, the client is able to obtain information relating to the work content distributed by the work distribution processing unit and manual information relating to said work content registered in the manual database, and is also able to transmit a start time and an end time for each distributed work content.

[0013] Furthermore, by having the client terminal store a predetermined application, it may be configured to allow viewing of predetermined items in a predetermined format and to send information to the server. In this way, by making predetermined information viewable in a predetermined format on the client terminal connected to the server, each employee can check the details of their work on a given day and refer to manuals as needed. In addition, since work time (start time, end time) can be transmitted, the server can acquire elements for evaluating proficiency.

[0014] A fourth configuration of the present invention is characterized in that, in the third configuration described above, it further comprises a video acquisition means for filming the state in which an employee is performing work, and a database registration processing unit, wherein when the proficiency evaluation unit evaluates a particular work content as the highest level, the database registration processing unit acquires video related to the work content evaluated as the highest level from the video acquisition means and registers it in the manual database as an excellent work procedure.

[0015] With the above configuration, the status of employees' work (specific tasks) can be captured as video, and excellent work procedures can be registered as best practices in the manual. If the registered best practices can be viewed on the client (terminal) as part of the manual, employees who are slow to complete tasks can use them as a reference for specific work procedures. This video-based review of work procedures makes it possible to check the work procedures of employees with low proficiency, contributing to the improvement of their proficiency.

[0016] A fifth configuration of the present invention is characterized in that, in the fourth configuration described above, the work distribution processing unit processes the overall progress of the work based on the completion time of the work content distributed to the employees and modifies the work of each employee stored in the distributed work storage unit.

[0017] According to the above configuration, the progress of the day's work is processed based on the completion time of specific tasks sent to the server from employees (clients) as needed, and the distribution of tasks is modified according to that progress. For example, the task distribution processing unit periodically compares incomplete and completed tasks among the tasks distributed for the day, and modifies the distribution of tasks to other employees if they are delayed in their execution. The results of this modification are stored as change information in the distributed task storage unit, and this modified information can be sent to the client.

[0018] A sixth configuration of the present invention is characterized in that, in the fifth configuration described above, when a task stored in the distribution task storage unit is modified, the client transmits the information to the client, when the task is deleted or changed from the pre-distributed task content, the information of the deletion or change is transmitted to the client, and when task content is added, the information of the task content is transmitted to the client as an interrupt task.

[0019] According to the above configuration, any modifications to the assigned tasks by the task distribution processing unit are transmitted to the client (employee) in a timely manner via the assigned task storage unit, allowing the receiving client (employee) to proceed with the execution of the modified tasks. Since the initial task distribution processing unit determines task distribution based on the proficiency levels registered in the proficiency database, any discrepancies in task execution time will result in changes to the evaluation results by the proficiency evaluation unit, and these changes will be reflected again in the proficiency database. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] According to the present invention, since work is assigned in consideration of the proficiency of each employee, it becomes possible to perform work with good work efficiency as a whole. Also, by focusing on the proficiency of employees (such as during work), by quantifying the proficiency, it becomes possible to induce the difference between employees to become smaller. Furthermore, by visualizing the work situation of employees with high proficiency and using this as a manual, it becomes possible to realize a uniform work execution state, and since it can be used as a reference for the work execution by other employees, the standard proficiency can be improved. In addition, by quantifying the proficiency, the proficiency can also be used for the performance evaluation of each employee.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021] [Figure 1] It is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of the configuration of the work support system. <00^00085>It is an explanatory diagram showing the initial screen on the mobile terminal device at the time of attendance. [Figure 3] It is an explanatory diagram showing the initial screen on the mobile terminal device at the time of resumption after a break or afternoon attendance. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Figure 1 shows an overview of the configuration of the business support system according to the present invention. This system is broadly composed of a server 1, a management terminal device 2 for operating the server 1, and a client (mobile terminal device) 3 used by individual employees. The information stored and processed by the server 1 can be viewed by the mobile terminal device 2. The management terminal device 3 for operating the server 1 can access the server 1 via wired or wireless connection during initial setup or data updates, etc.

[0024] Server 1 comprises a storage device 10 and a processing unit 20, and can be configured using a general-purpose computer. The storage device 10 stores multiple databases of information, and typically includes a business information database 11 containing business information categorized by business type, an employee information database 12 containing information for each employee, a proficiency database 13 containing information on each employee's proficiency level with respect to business content, and a manual database 14 containing manuals for the tasks that employees are required to perform.

[0025] Furthermore, the storage device 10 includes a work distribution storage unit 15 that stores information on the work distributed to each employee by the work distribution processing unit described later, and an input / output information storage unit 16 that temporarily stores the input information and stores information to be output, so that various types of information can be stored according to the processing by the processing unit 20. If the status of employees performing their work is to be acquired as video, an image information storage unit 17 may be provided to store that video as information.

[0026] The processing unit 20 processes various stored information and input information, and operates according to a predetermined program. The data processing procedure will be described later, but to briefly explain the configuration for information processing in the processing unit 20, it includes an input information acquisition unit 21 for acquiring input information and storing it in the storage device as appropriate, an output information management unit 22 for retrieving information to be output from the storage device 10, a work distribution processing unit 23 for distributing work from the information in the storage device 10, an employee management unit 24 for managing employee attendance and work performance status, a proficiency evaluation unit 25 for evaluating the proficiency of each employee in performing individual tasks, and a data processing unit 26 for processing other various data. If the employee's work performance status is acquired as an image, a received image management unit 27 may be provided to manage the received image.

[0027] The mobile terminal device 3 is intended to be a standard smartphone, but a dedicated tablet or similar device may also be used as the terminal device. In either case, the mobile terminal device 3 is intended to be able to connect to the server 1 using a network line. The connection to the network line shall be made using a communication line, and in principle it shall be wireless, but a wired connection configuration is also acceptable.

[0028] Furthermore, when obtaining video footage of employees performing their work, a video acquisition device 4, such as a camera, is installed at the work location and configured to transmit the footage to the server 1 via a transmission module, either wired or wirelessly. While the video acquisition device 4 is primarily operated from the device itself, it may also be operable from the server 1.

[0029] <Functionality of each configuration> As outlined above, the functions of each component in this system will be explained with reference to Figure 1. Basically, this system supports employees' work by allocating tasks to be performed on a given day to each employee who is working on a given business day, and then transmitting those tasks (allocated tasks) to each employee. Therefore, the employee information database 11 stores each employee's scheduled workdays based on a work calendar, and employees who are working on a given day refer to this stored information. If an employee's attendance or absence changes on a given day, the employee's input information is registered in the input / output information storage unit 16, and the work allocation process is performed based on the changed information.

[0030] The business information database 11 can take various forms depending on the size of the company managing it, but for example, it may register the type of location, such as a store or sales office, as a major category, the departments, etc., of the work that employees should perform at each store, etc. as a medium category, various tasks (work content, etc.) belonging to the same category as a minor category, and individual specific tasks (work) as a detailed category. The work performed by a particular employee is subdivided and stored to the extent that it is clear where, in which department, and what kind of work is performed. Furthermore, business information for carrying out the overall operations of each store, etc. is registered, and in addition to work carried over from the previous day, information on unexpected tasks is also registered on a daily basis, and for each store, etc., and for each business day, the specific tasks (work) that should be performed at that store, etc. on that day are extracted and stored.

[0031] The employee information database 12 stores the ID, name (or alias), work location, available working hours, and experience level (such as work performance related to the detailed category) of each employee belonging to the subcategory and detailed category of the work information database 11. In addition, attendance and absence information based on the work calendar is stored for each business day.

[0032] The proficiency database 13 stores the proficiency level of each employee for tasks (work) related to the detailed categories belonging to the work information database 11. The proficiency level is evaluated as a ratio of actual time to scheduled time. For example, the evaluation value can be calculated by dividing the average actual time by the scheduled time. This evaluation value is calculated by the proficiency evaluation unit 25, and the updated proficiency level is stored each time an employee completes a task (work). In the case of calculating the evaluation value as described above, an evaluation value of less than 1 is considered good, and an evaluation value greater than 1 is considered insufficient. Furthermore, if the evaluation value is exceptionally good (significantly below 1), it may be judged as excellent and at a level that can be reflected in the manual. If the above values ​​are expressed as percentages, 100% can be used as the baseline, and for insufficient employees who do not meet this threshold, it is possible to show their level of achievement relative to the standard level of proficiency.

[0033] The manual database 14 stores manuals for tasks (operations) related to the detailed categories belonging to the business information database 11. The manuals include both textual descriptions of key points in the work procedures and video recordings of the work processes. Both the text and video are stored using a common index, allowing for viewing of both when referencing the manual.

[0034] Here, the information stored in the employee information database 12 can be entered and modified by the administrator (using the management terminal 3). Initial input is done by the administrator, but subsequent changes can be made by both the administrator and employees for some items (such as attendance information). Information related to experience level (such as work performance related to detailed classifications) may be prohibited from being modified manually.

[0035] The distribution of tasks is handled by the task distribution processing unit 23. Once the employees who will be working on a given business day are determined (for example, based on a 30-minute time limit before the start of work), the tasks for that day are distributed to individual employees. Task distribution involves obtaining the employee's proficiency level from a proficiency database and processing it while comparing the type and total amount of work to be performed. The rules for distributing tasks are set up with a hierarchy of priority, such as regular tasks, emergency tasks, essential tasks, and optional tasks. Tasks requiring certainty or urgency are given priority, and subsequent tasks are allocated to later time slots according to their priority. However, since the above priorities differ depending on the industry, the distribution rules are initially set individually and modified as needed.

[0036] The details of the assigned tasks are transmitted to all employees working that day via the input / output module. Only information extracted by the output information management unit 22 is transmitted, but generally, information such as the tasks to be assigned and the time (scheduled start time and scheduled end time) is extracted.

[0037] The extracted information described above is transmitted to the individual terminal devices 3 carried by each employee. Each mobile terminal device 3 is equipped with a dedicated application that displays the extracted information in an organized manner. Since the work schedule is constructed by combining the content and time of the work, this work schedule is displayed on the mobile terminal device 3.

[0038] Furthermore, when transmitting information about the work content, an address stored in the manual database 14 is associated with it, allowing access to the manual information related to that work content. The mobile terminal device 3 displays an icon for viewing the manual, and by tapping this icon, only the information of the specified manual (specified address) can be displayed on the screen.

[0039] The mobile terminal device 3 displays the assigned tasks (work) along with the time elapsed, allowing individual employees to perform their tasks according to their work schedule. When performing tasks, employees can refer to manuals as needed, either beforehand or in parallel with the work. When engaging in assigned tasks, employees send a "Start" message to server 1 at the beginning of the task and a "End" message at the end. These transmissions are performed by the employee using the mobile terminal device 3. The transmission of these "Start" and "End" messages allows the system to calculate the time spent on the task, reflecting it in the overall progress of the work and in evaluating the proficiency of individual employees.

[0040] The task distribution processing unit 23 manages the progress of the entire task based on the "start" and "end" transmission information from the mobile terminal device 3 as described above. If there is a task that is delayed, it can change the distributed task and send a task other than the scheduled task to the employee as an "interrupt task (interrupt work)". An "interrupt task (interrupt work)" is sent to an employee who has a low priority next in line for their scheduled task (work). Therefore, the employee who receives the message can choose to postpone their next in line for their task (work) and engage in the "interrupt task (interrupt work)".

[0041] <Mobile terminal device> Since the functions of each component are as described above, it is possible to sequentially evaluate the level of proficiency of individual employees in specific tasks according to the degree of their work performance, and to redistribute tasks in cases of exceeding working hours (work time), etc. Therefore, the status of work performance will be explained while referring to the display status of the screen on the mobile terminal device 3.

[0042] Figures 2 to 5 illustrate the screen state when the application is activated on the mobile terminal device 3, using the example of use by an employee in a sales store. Based on the information displayed on the screen when the application is activated on the mobile terminal device 3, the employee (salesperson) sequentially performs individual tasks.

[0043] First, Figure 2 shows the initial screen when an employee arrives at work. When an employee arrives at work, the process begins by launching the application on the mobile terminal device 3 to display this initial screen. Launching the application requires the employee to enter their pre-assigned ID and registered password. Once the application is launched, the initial screen shown in the figure is displayed, and the employee's name or nickname is displayed in the employee display section 31 (upper left in the figure) of the display screen 30, allowing for confirmation that it matches the employee operating the system. In the example initial screen, the display is divided into a standard items display section 32, an operation icon display section 33, a work schedule display section 34, and a work performance display section 35. The standard items display section 32 displays standard documents along with the current time. The current time is displayed to confirm that it is before the scheduled arrival time (for example, 8:30). The operation icon display section 33 displays icons for "break" and "arrival," and tapping the "arrival" icon sends the arrival time to the server 1, which is used for attendance management. Furthermore, the initial screen in the example displays the work schedule display unit 34, which shows the work content and work time assigned as tasks for the day, allowing employees to check their assigned tasks for the day upon arrival at work. The work performance display unit 35 displays the work performed on the day, but immediately after arrival at work, this display unit 35 is displayed blank. In addition, a menu operation icon is displayed on a part of the display screen 30 (upper right in the diagram), allowing users to switch screens or close applications.

[0044] Figure 3 shows the initial screen after a lunch break (or upon starting work in the afternoon). The initial screen after a break is the same as the one displayed upon starting work. Here, too, you will tap "Start Work" on the operation icon display unit 33 to begin afternoon work. In the illustrated screen 30, the work performance display unit 35 shows the work performance completed in the morning. During a break, you can tap the "Break" icon on the initial screen to keep the application running, or you can close it using the menu operation icon 36. If you close it, you will need to enter your ID and password again to start the application.

[0045] When performing scheduled tasks from the initial screen as shown above, the task at the top of the list displayed in the task schedule display unit 34 will be the first to begin. To start a task, the user taps the "Start Task" icon displayed in the area of ​​the display unit 34 that shows the individual task details. Tapping this "Start Task" icon will switch the screen, displaying a screen similar to the one shown in Figure 4.

[0046] The display screen in Figure 4 is the screen displayed during work, and the work status display unit 37 is displayed. This work status display unit 37 displays a work name field 37a that shows the specific work content (the figure shows the "forward" work as an example. "Forward" means the work of moving products on the display shelf to the front), and a manual icon 37b. This manual icon 37b can display the manual for the specific work (forward) linked to the work name in the work display field 37a. In addition, the work status display unit 37 displays the scheduled time for the work (start time and scheduled end time), and the time of work disclosure and the current time (shown as 15:25 in the figure) are displayed in the "Actual" field as actual results, allowing the user to check the current time in the middle of the work. Furthermore, if the work exceeds the time limit, the excess status is indicated nearby. The work status display unit 37 is also provided with a "Work Complete" icon, and the current time continues to advance until this icon is tapped, at which point the actual result is confirmed.

[0047] Figure 5 shows an example of a manual displayed on the screen. The example manual is displayed with a text display area 40 and a video display area 50, allowing users to recognize important work points in text and view the work process as a video. The video display area 50 is designed to allow viewing of both a still image display unit 51 and a video display unit 52. The still image display unit 51 displays important items that match the text information as images, while the video display unit 52 displays a short video summarizing the entire work process. The video display unit 52 displays icons for play, rewind, fast forward, and rewind, allowing employees to control the video playback as needed.

[0048] Therefore, when an employee starts a task, if they are unfamiliar with it, they can tap the manual icon 37b (upper right in Figure 4) to display the manual for that task, allowing them to proceed with the work according to the manual. The manual basically allows for confirmation of important points through text and acquisition of skills by watching videos, ensuring qualitative uniformity regardless of the level of proficiency, while gradually improving proficiency.

[0049] Furthermore, the work status display unit 37 on the work screen (Figure 4) displays an interrupt work display unit 38, allowing the user to select an interrupt work after tapping the "Finish Work" icon. This "interrupt work" is displayed when another task is delayed or a task that needs to be handled urgently arises, and the user should complete their current task and postpone their next scheduled task to attend to it. It is not displayed to employees whose own work is delayed or who should prioritize their next task. Therefore, when this "interrupt work" is displayed, the user should finish their current task, tap the "Finish Work" icon, and then select a task they can handle from the "interrupt work" menu.

[0050] Furthermore, after the work is completed, the screen switches to the one shown in Figure 6, allowing the user to be aware in advance of any interruption work while the work status display unit 37 is displayed (before tapping the "Work Complete" icon).

[0051] Figure 6 shows an example of the completion screen 70 displayed after the work is finished. Here, the confirmed work time (actual work time) 71 is displayed, and the actual time spent on the work can be calculated. Once this time is calculated, the level of proficiency can be evaluated by comparing it with the scheduled time. In addition, a comment field 72 is provided on the same screen 70, where comments can be entered as needed. In the example, the work exceeded the scheduled time by 30 minutes, so by writing down the reason, etc., it can be used as material for reflection at a later date. When the comment field 72 is tapped, an input icon appears, and text can be freely entered using the input icon.

[0052] In addition to the comment section 72, information that needs to be kept as a record may be guided to be saved in a file for the relevant department, for example, in the "File" section 73. By inputting this department information, it becomes possible to record which department the work the employee was responsible for was assigned to, and register it in the database as part of the employee's information as a work history (experience points), separate from proficiency level.

[0053] By the way, the lower section of Figure 6 is designed to display either "Scheduled Tasks" or "Interruption Tasks" (the figure shows "Interruption Tasks"), and displays 74 display icons (shown as "+" in the figure) to indicate the task details. During working hours, employees can tap these display icons to show either "Scheduled Tasks" or "Interruption Tasks" and perform the task. When it is the end of working hours, they can tap the "End" icon 60 to finish. Note that while an employee is working, either "Scheduled Tasks" or "Interruption Tasks" will be displayed, and the "End" icon 60 will not function in that state (the icon will be displayed as disabled (e.g., gray)). When working hours are completed, the "End" icon 60 will become functional (the icon will be displayed as enabled (e.g., green)), and tapping it will end the day's work (work).

[0054] After completing the work, a self-check screen 80, as shown in Figure 7, can be displayed. Here, information is displayed that allows the employee to check the work done on a working day (one day's worth) according to the check items corresponding to each employee's stage. It is divided into a rank display field 81 and a check item display field 82, and the check items corresponding to the level of each rank (rank in the rank display field 81) are displayed in the check item display field 82, so the content of each item can be displayed and checked. When the "Checked" icon 83 is tapped, a list of work results is displayed, and the work time and important items can be checked. When all work has been checked, "Checked" will display 100%, and the self-check will be complete.

[0055] <Data Processing> All data entered by the mobile terminal device 2, as described above, is sent to server 1 and processed there. Therefore, a typical management processing method will be explained with reference to Figure 1. Although the processing method can be represented as a flowchart, the process itself is easily understood, so a flowchart will not be shown in this explanation.

[0056] First, work distribution is handled by the work distribution processing unit 23, which basically involves assigning employees to each department, based on detailed subdivisions of the work within that department. For regular tasks only, employees are assigned randomly, but for unprocessed tasks from the previous day or urgent tasks, priority is given to assigning employees with high proficiency in those tasks. The tasks to be distributed are stored in the work distribution memory unit 15, so the work for the current business day is retrieved, and based on employee information retrieved from the employee information database 12 and the proficiency database 13, tasks are distributed to each department.

[0057] When work begins, information is transmitted sequentially from the employee's mobile terminal device 2. This information is acquired by the input information acquisition unit 21 of the server 1 and processed by the data processing unit 26. The data processing unit 26 stores the acquired information in the storage device 10 and also transmits various information corresponding to the progress of the work to the appropriate employee's mobile terminal device 2 via the output information management unit 22.

[0058] Basically, when an employee operates the mobile terminal device 2 to transmit the start of work, the start time of the work is recorded, and it is processed as work in progress until completion information is received. When completion information is received, the time is recorded, the time taken from start to finish is calculated, and this information is registered in the work distribution storage unit 15, and the progress of the overall work is judged. The information registered in the work distribution storage unit 15 is updated by comparing specific tasks that are behind schedule with tasks that have been completed early. Each time work time is registered in the work distribution storage unit 15, the proficiency evaluation unit 25 evaluates the proficiency. The proficiency evaluation unit 25 determines whether the time is shorter (ahead of schedule) or longer (over time) by comparing it with the scheduled time, determines the proficiency, and updates the registered information in the proficiency database 13. On the other hand, each time the information registered in the work distribution storage unit 15 is updated, the work distribution processing unit 23 processes the redistribution of work. The redistribution process at this time is handled by adding specific employees as interrupt tasks in a way that minimizes changes to the initially allocated work schedule.

[0059] When work is redistributed, the information is stored in the distribution work storage unit 15, and the existence of the interrupt work is transmitted to the mobile terminal devices 2 of one or more employees who should be instructed to perform the interrupt work. Upon receiving information that the receiving employee has started the interrupt work, the interrupt work is considered finished, and a message indicating completion is sent to the mobile terminal devices 2 of the other employees who received it. Employees using the mobile terminal devices 2 that receive this message are then guided to select their scheduled work or other interrupt work. By sending and receiving this information between each mobile terminal device 2, the system guides employees to complete their scheduled work for the day while flexibly changing their tasks as needed.

[0060] <Summary> As described above, by having each employee submit the start and end times for their assigned tasks, the time required to perform a specific task is calculated each time they engage in that task, and their proficiency is evaluated based on that time. This allows employees to understand the causes of their performance during self-assessment, and enables managers (executives) to manage changes in employees' proficiency levels. In the case of a task an employee is performing for the first time, they can simply refer to the information stored in the manual database 14. In this case, it is expected that the scheduled time will be exceeded, and their proficiency will be evaluated as low. However, by repeatedly performing the task, their proficiency will gradually improve, and they will be able to shorten the time required to complete the task.

[0061] Thus, according to the embodiment of the present invention, since tasks can be performed while referring to the manual database 14, qualitative uniformity can be ensured even for beginners. Basically, by distributing tasks randomly, it is possible to improve the overall proficiency of employees while avoiding limiting specific employees to specific tasks. On the other hand, in cases requiring urgency, it becomes possible to distribute tasks to employees while considering their proficiency, thus enabling the efficient execution of the overall work.

[0062] While embodiments of the present invention are as described above, these embodiments are merely examples of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Therefore, the elements in the embodiments may be modified, or other elements may be added.

[0063] For example, as shown in Figure 1, a camera 4 is installed at the work site as a means of acquiring video, allowing for the recording of employees performing their tasks. This makes it possible to record highly skilled employees performing the task and use this footage in the manual's video format. In particular, by comparing this footage with the performance of less skilled employees, it becomes possible to identify methods for shortening the time it takes to complete the task. By editing the video to include these methods, the manual can be improved. Therefore, by appropriately updating the manual data stored in the manual database 14, it becomes possible to improve the skills of all employees and further enhance work efficiency. The updated video can be stored in the video information storage unit 17, and when the manual database 14 is viewed, the stored video can be superimposed and transmitted as a video related to a specific manual.

[0064] Although the above embodiment has been described primarily in the context of employee work in stores and the like, it can also be used in simple administrative tasks and sales operations that require relatively few considerations. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 1 server 2. Mobile terminal device 3. Administrator terminal 4. Means of acquiring video (video camera) 10 Storage device 11. Business Information Database 12. Employee Information Database 13. Proficiency Database 14 Manual Database 15 Distribution business information storage unit 16 Input / Output Information Storage Unit 17. Video Information Storage Unit 20 Processing Units 21 Input Information Acquisition Unit 22 Output Information Acquisition Unit 23. Business Distribution Processing Unit 24 Employee Management Department 25. Proficiency Assessment Department 26 Data Processing Unit 27. Receiving Video Management Department 30 display screen 31 Employee Name Section 32 Standard item display area 33 Operation icon display section 34 Work Schedule Display Unit 35 Work Performance Display Section 36 Menu Operation Icons 37. Operation status display unit 38 Interrupt work display section 40 character display area 50 Video display area 51 Display section for still images 52 Video display section 60 End icon

Claims

1. A system to support employees in performing their duties, A business information database in which business information is registered, categorized by business type, A proficiency database is used to register information regarding the level of proficiency of each employee in relation to the aforementioned job duties. A manual database containing manual information that standardizes the procedures for each of the aforementioned tasks, The Employee Management Department manages information on employees who come to work on business days, A work distribution processing unit distributes the work to be performed by each employee on a business day based on the work content for that business day registered in the business information database, the employees who report to work on that business day as managed by the employee management department, and the proficiency level registered in the proficiency database for each employee who reports to work. A business distribution storage unit stores the details of each employee's work for the day, as processed by the aforementioned business distribution processing unit. A proficiency evaluation department evaluates the proficiency of employees based on the time it takes them to complete their assigned tasks and the state of their work completion. A business support system characterized by comprising a data processing unit that updates the proficiency level registered in the proficiency database when the proficiency level of an employee determined by the proficiency evaluation unit differs from that of the proficiency level registered in the proficiency database.

2. The aforementioned business information database, proficiency database, manual database, employee management unit, work distribution processing unit, proficiency evaluation unit, and data processing unit are all stored on a server. The business support system according to claim 1, configured to allow access to the server from a client that can be carried by an employee.

3. The business support system according to claim 2, wherein the client is able to obtain information relating to the business content distributed by the business distribution processing unit and manual information relating to said business content registered in the manual database, and is able to transmit a start time and an end time for each distributed business content.

4. Furthermore, it includes a means for acquiring video footage of employees performing their duties, and a database registration processing unit. The business support system according to claim 3, wherein when the proficiency evaluation unit evaluates a particular work item as the highest level, the database registration processing unit obtains video related to the work item evaluated as the highest level from the video acquisition means and registers it in the manual database as an excellent work procedure.

5. The work support system according to claim 4, wherein the work distribution processing unit processes the overall progress of the work based on the completion time of the work content distributed to the employees and modifies the work of each employee stored in the distributed work storage unit.

6. The business support system according to claim 5, wherein when a business stored in the distribution business storage unit is modified, the system transmits information of the deletion or modification to the client when a business is deleted or changed from the pre-distributed business content, and transmits information of the business content to the client as an interrupt business when business content is added.

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