Information processing systems, information processing methods, and programs

Abstract

To increase the use of locally produced goods in school and other facility lunches, thereby improving producers' profits, providing fresh agricultural, livestock, and marine products to students, and ultimately contributing to the local community. [Solution] The information processing system has a control unit. The control unit acquires ingredient information indicating the type and amount of ingredients used in school lunches for which one menu is set for each meal at each facility, and posts ingredient recruitment information, which includes the ingredient information and information indicating the delivery date and delivery price of the ingredients, on a network accessible from producer terminals of multiple producers of the ingredients in the area to which the facility belongs. From the time of posting until the delivery date, the control unit receives ingredient application information for the ingredient recruitment information from the producer terminals, including the amount of ingredients that can be delivered, as long as the total amount of deliverables does not reach the amount used, and when the delivery date arrives, it sends order information to the producer terminal that sent the ingredient application information to order the ingredients.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing system, an information processing method, and a program capable of processing information for soliciting agricultural, livestock, and fishery products required for school lunches and other meals with a pre-determined menu within the region.

Background Art

[0002] The current main distribution route of agricultural products is to aggregate agricultural products from a wide area in a central market, determine the price of each agricultural product from the total quantity, and then distribute the agricultural products to each region. That is, multiple transportation costs (expenses and man-hours) are incurred before the agricultural products arrive in each region, and the freshness of the agricultural products also decreases accordingly. Furthermore, it is expected to be affected by the problem of depletion of delivery workers in the future, and it is urgent to review the distribution of agricultural products.

[0003] Therefore, as a method that does not require aggregating agricultural products in a central market, a system that directly matches producers who produce agricultural products and consumers who purchase the agricultural products has become widespread.

[0004] For example, in Patent Document 1 below, a plurality of sales information including variety information indicating the variety of agricultural crops to be produced, quality information related to the quality of agricultural crops, yield information indicating the yield of agricultural crops, and desired selling price information of agricultural crops is acquired, and item information indicating the item of agricultural crops to be purchased, feature information related to the characteristics of agricultural crops, required quantity information indicating the required quantity of agricultural crops, and desired purchase price information of agricultural crops are acquired. Among the plurality of acquired sales information, one or more of the sales information that matches the acquired purchase application information is specified, and the specified one or more sales information is provided so as to be viewable to the sender of the purchase application information. An e-commerce transaction method is disclosed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

[0006] However, conventional e-commerce systems, such as the one described in Patent Document 1 above, allow consumers to purchase agricultural products from producers nationwide, but still incur significant transportation costs (expenses and labor), thus failing to greatly improve producers' profitability. Furthermore, in the above system, consumers can order agricultural products at any time, meaning producers do not know when an order will come in. If producers harvest their crops in advance, their freshness may decline, making them unsaleable. If they harvest only after an order is placed, it will take time to ship the products to consumers.

[0007] Furthermore, the same challenges exist not only for agricultural products (vegetables and fruits), but also for livestock products such as dairy products, meat, and eggs, marine products such as fish and shellfish, processed products made from these, food items such as bread and bento boxes, and fresh flowers.

[0008] Furthermore, in school lunches, the procurement of local agricultural products, currently managed by each municipality, relies primarily on direct ordering and individual deliveries by nutritionists. However, this system places a significant burden on both the ordering and receiving parties, so currently, ordering through markets and wholesalers that allow for easy ordering and receiving is more common. As a result, while there may be temporary success in increasing the use of locally produced goods in school lunches, sustained operation is difficult due to the workload of nutritionists.

[0009] The utilization rate of locally produced goods in school lunches (national average, based on monetary value) published in fiscal year 2021 was reported to be 56%. However, as shown in Figure 4, this 56% figure published by the government is a snapshot in the results of surveys conducted over five days each in spring and autumn.

[0010] The government compiles data on the percentage of locally sourced ingredients used in school lunches every year. Local governments actively utilize locally produced goods during this period, when they are required to report to the government. In other words, this 56% figure represents the "peak average" that occurs during this survey period each year, and does not reflect the actual situation.

[0011] From interviews with over 100 local governments conducted by the inventor, it has become clear that, under the current circumstances, it is very difficult to consistently utilize locally produced goods in school lunches on a daily basis.

[0012] Here are some voices from people who are currently working on this project in Minami Aso Village. <Mr. T, Minami Aso Village Regional Revitalization Cooperation Team> "The village has a decent amount of vegetables, and the costs are about the same as elsewhere, so from the perspective of those collecting them, we've been tolerating insect-damaged or substandard produce to encourage wider use. But the reality is... the difficulty of cultivation, the hassle of delivery, and the uncertainty make it very difficult for farmers to get involved in school lunches." "Furthermore, the ordering party is also burdened by having to handle everything themselves, from negotiating with farmers, creating and adjusting quotations and order forms, to collection and delivery...it's really tough." <Farmers supplying vegetables to elementary schools> "The delivery and deadlines are different from when we deliver to supermarkets or markets, so putting vegetables in school lunches is a bit difficult...it requires a lot of consideration." "But when I saw the children at my child's elementary school eating the vegetables I grew and saying 'delicious,' during a school lunch observation day, I was incredibly happy and my motivation increased. If there's a good system in place, I'd like to continue contributing."

[0013] It's rewarding, but difficult. That's school lunch service. It seems there are structural problems that cannot be solved by the efforts of nutritionists and local farmers alone.

[0014] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention aims to provide an information processing system, information processing method, and program that can improve the rate of use of locally produced goods in school lunches and other facilities, increase the profits of producers, provide fresh agricultural, livestock, and marine products to children and students, and ultimately contribute to the local community. [Means for solving the problem]

[0015] To achieve the above objective, an information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a control unit. The control unit acquires ingredient information indicating the type and amount of ingredients used in school lunches for which one menu is set for each meal at each facility, posts ingredient recruitment information including the ingredient information and information indicating the delivery date and delivery price of the ingredients on a network accessible from producer terminals of multiple producers of the ingredients in the region to which the facility belongs, and receives ingredient application information for the ingredient recruitment information from the producer terminals, including the amount of ingredients that can be delivered, as long as the total amount of deliverables does not exceed the amount used, from the posting until the delivery date, and when the delivery date arrives, sends order information to the producer terminal that sent the ingredient application information to order the ingredients.

[0016] This configuration allows the information processing system to recruit ingredients from a wide range of local producers by targeting ingredients for school lunches, where the amount of ingredients used is predetermined. This improves the use of locally produced goods in school lunches and other facilities, increases the profits of local producers, and provides fresh agricultural, livestock, and marine products to the children and students who receive the lunches, ultimately contributing to the local community. Here, "facilities" refers to facilities that provide school lunches with a fixed menu for each meal, such as school lunch centers, schools, dormitories, and elderly care facilities.

[0017] If, upon the arrival of the delivery date, the control unit finds that the total amount of deliverable ingredients is insufficient from the amount used, it may send order information for the insufficient amount of ingredients to the market terminal at the market.

[0018] With this configuration, even if the total amount of applications for food ingredients is insufficient compared to the usage amount, the information processing system can surely deliver the food ingredients required for school lunches to the facility by procuring the shortage from the market.

[0019] The control unit may post, on the network, application status information indicating the reception status of the food ingredient application information including information indicating the ratio of the total amount of deliverable quantity to the usage amount during the period from the posting to the delivery date.

[0020] With this configuration, the information processing system can share the application status information with producers, enabling the producers to grasp in real time how much the food ingredients applied for are short of the usage amount, which can serve as an incentive for applications.

[0021] Each time the control unit receives the food ingredient application information, it posts the application status information based on the deliverable quantity included in the food ingredient application information, and may update the application status information by subtracting the amount of defective food ingredients found through inspection of the food ingredients provided by the producer who is the sender of the food ingredient application information from the deliverable quantity.

[0022] With this configuration, the information processing system can quickly update the application status information based on the declared deliverable quantity by the producer, and can provide correct information by reflecting the amount of defective products found after inspection in the application status information.

[0023] The control unit may post the application status information based on the amount obtained by subtracting the amount of defective food ingredients found through inspection of the food ingredients provided by the producer who is the sender of the food ingredient application information from the deliverable quantity included in the received food ingredient application information.

[0024] With this configuration, the information processing system can provide the application status information with the correct deliverable quantity excluding the defective part even if the declared deliverable quantity by the producer includes defective products.

[0025] The control unit may accept the food material solicitation information for food materials of the first quality until the first delivery date as the delivery date, and accept the food material solicitation information for food materials of the second quality lower than the first quality until the second delivery date after the passage of the first delivery date.

[0026] With this configuration, the information processing system can surely procure food materials by procuring high-quality food materials as much as possible until the first delivery date and then accepting applications for food materials with reduced quality after the passage of that date. Here, the "quality" includes not only the grades of food materials such as grade A and grade B, but also the variety and the difference between conventional cultivation / organic cultivation.

[0027] The control unit may accept the food material solicitation information at the first delivery price until the first delivery date as the delivery date, and accept the food material solicitation information at the second delivery price lower than the first delivery price until the second delivery date after the passage of the first delivery date.

[0028] With this configuration, the information processing system can surely procure food materials by procuring food materials at the desired price of the facility as much as possible until the first delivery date and then accepting applications for food materials with reduced price after the passage of that date.

[0029] The control unit may transmit information regarding the application rate for each food material with respect to the food material solicitation information to the menu creator terminal of the menu creator based on the statistical information of the received food material application information.

[0030] With this configuration, the information processing system can enable the menu creator of the facility to grasp the production capacity of each food material in the region and shift the menu to one that uses more regional food materials.

[0031] The information processing method according to another aspect of the present invention acquires food material information indicating the type and usage amount of food materials used for meals in which one menu is set for each facility per meal, The aforementioned food ingredient information, along with information indicating the delivery date and price of the food ingredient, is posted on a network accessible from the producer terminals of multiple producers of the food ingredient in the region to which the facility belongs. From the time of posting to the delivery date, the producer terminal will receive information on food ingredient applications for the food ingredient recruitment information, including the amount of food ingredients that can be delivered, as long as the total amount of food ingredients that can be delivered does not exceed the amount used. This includes, when the aforementioned delivery date arrives, sending order information to the producer terminal that sent the ingredient application information to place an order for the ingredients.

[0032] A program according to another embodiment of the present invention is used in an information processing device. The process involves obtaining information on ingredients, specifically the types and quantities of ingredients used in school lunches, for which one menu is set for each meal at each facility. The steps include posting information on soliciting ingredients, including the aforementioned ingredient information and information indicating the delivery date and delivery price of the ingredients, on a network accessible from producer terminals of multiple producers of the ingredients in the region to which the facility belongs, From the time of posting to the delivery date, the producer terminal receives information on food ingredient applications for the food ingredient recruitment information, including the amount of food ingredients that can be delivered, as long as the total amount of food ingredients that can be delivered does not exceed the amount used. When the aforementioned delivery date arrives, the system is made to execute the step of sending order information to the producer terminal that sent the ingredient application information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0033] According to the present invention, it is possible to increase the rate of use of locally produced goods in school lunches and other facilities, thereby increasing producers' profits, providing fresh agricultural, livestock, and marine products to children and students, and ultimately contributing to the local community. However, this effect is not limited to the present invention. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0034] [Figure 1] This diagram shows the configuration of a school lunch procurement system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This diagram shows the hardware configuration of a school lunch ingredient procurement server according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This diagram shows the configuration of the database of a school lunch ingredient procurement server according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This graph shows the percentage of locally produced goods used in traditional school lunches. [Figure 5] This diagram shows the configuration of a school lunch procurement system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This diagram illustrates the workflow of a school lunch procurement system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of a user interface in a school lunch procurement system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of a user interface in a school lunch procurement system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] This is a flowchart illustrating the flow of the food supply procurement process by a food supply procurement server according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] This figure illustrates the effects of one embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0035] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0036] Figure 1 shows the configuration of the school lunch ingredient procurement system according to this embodiment.

[0037] As shown in the diagram, this system includes a school lunch ingredient procurement server 100 on the internet 10, producer terminals 200 of agricultural product producers (farmers), school lunch center terminals 300 of agricultural product consumers, and market terminals 400 of agricultural product wholesale markets. All of these belong to a single region (or its surrounding area) such as a local government. The school lunch center terminals 300 include not only terminals of school lunch centers but also terminals of kitchens and cooking rooms in individual schools and other facilities. Furthermore, the school lunch center terminals 300 may also be terminals of the organization that manages school lunches.

[0038] The school lunch ingredient procurement server 100 is a server operated by the organizer of the school lunch ingredient procurement service according to this embodiment. The service organizer is, for example, a local farmers' market, an agricultural cooperative, a producers' association, a greengrocer, etc., and organizes the school lunch ingredient procurement system and functions as a collection point for agricultural products to be procured. Agricultural products are delivered from producers to the service organizer, which acts as a collection point, and then delivered from the service organizer to the school lunch center. Delivery may also be outsourced by the service organizer to other businesses. The service organizer may inspect the agricultural products delivered from producers before they are delivered to the school lunch center.

[0039] The school lunch center is located within a distance from the service provider, for example, a radius of about 20-30 km, that allows for direct delivery of agricultural products by vehicle from the service provider. It may also be located across prefectural or municipal boundaries from the service provider.

[0040] The school lunch ingredient procurement server 100 is a server that operates a system for soliciting agricultural products (including processed products thereof) to be used as school lunch ingredients via the internet 10 and accepting applications from producers. The school lunch ingredient procurement server 100 is connected to multiple producer terminals 200, a school lunch center terminal 300, and a market terminal 400 via the internet 10.

[0041] The school lunch ingredient procurement server 100 posts information on the ingredients needed by the school lunch center on a webpage accessible from the producer terminal 200 via a browser or dedicated application, receives application information for the application from the producer terminal 200, and orders the ingredients included in the application information from the producer terminal 200.

[0042] The school lunch ingredient procurement server 100 may, for example, send the URL of the recruitment information to the producer terminal 200 via email or SMS, or it may send the information to the producer terminal 200 as printable information including a QR code. The producer terminal 200 can receive the recruitment information from the school lunch ingredient procurement server 100 via the URL or QR code and send application information to the school lunch ingredient procurement server 100.

[0043] The producer terminal 200 is a terminal used by agricultural producers, such as a smartphone, mobile phone, or tablet PC. The producer terminal 200 has an application specifically for the school lunch ingredient procurement system (hereinafter also referred to as the ingredient procurement app) installed on it. The producer terminal 200 accesses the school lunch ingredient procurement server 100 via the ingredient procurement app to receive recruitment information and send application information. Note that producers are not limited to farmers; they may also be individuals or organizations that cultivate agricultural products.

[0044] The school lunch center terminal 300 is a terminal operated by staff at the school lunch center (for example, a nutritionist or nutrition teacher), and can be a tablet PC, notebook PC, or desktop PC. Once the daily menu is decided, the school lunch center terminal 300 sends ingredient information indicating the type and quantity of ingredients to be used to the school lunch ingredient procurement server 100 at least a predetermined date before the ingredients are used for that menu.

[0045] The term "type of ingredients" can include not only the type of agricultural product, but also detailed conditions such as variety, grade, size, color, and cultivation conditions such as conventional or organic farming. Here, a menu is a systematic compilation of the plan and composition of dishes served at each meal. It is also a blueprint for a meal that comprehensively considers nutrition, taste, and visual elements. In this specification, a menu refers to a specific meal, but it may also take the form of a menu sheet that covers multiple meals or multiple days.

[0046] The above food ingredient information may include the delivery date and price of ingredients set by the school lunch center, or these delivery dates and prices may be determined in advance and stored in the school lunch ingredient procurement server 100. Although only one school lunch center terminal 300 is shown, there may be multiple school lunch centers and school lunch center terminals 300 in one region. Here, the delivery date may be the delivery date on which the school lunch center actually wishes to receive the ingredients, or it may be an application deadline set in advance by the school lunch center. Furthermore, the delivery date may be set individually for each ingredient.

[0047] Market terminal 400 is a terminal installed in the wholesale market and can be a tablet PC, notebook PC, desktop PC, etc. Market terminal 400 receives order information for the insufficient amount of ingredients from the school lunch ingredient procurement server 100 when the amount of ingredients applied for by producers is insufficient compared to the amount of ingredients to be used as listed in the ingredient application information posted by the school lunch ingredient procurement server 100.

[0048] [Hardware configuration of the school lunch ingredient procurement server] Figure 2 shows the hardware configuration of the school lunch ingredient procurement server 100. As shown in the figure, the school lunch ingredient procurement server 100 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11 (server control unit), ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, an input / output interface 15, and a bus 14 that connects these to each other.

[0049] The CPU 11 accesses RAM 13 and other memory as needed, performing various calculations and comprehensively controlling all blocks of the school lunch ingredient procurement server 100. ROM 12 is a non-volatile memory in which the OS, programs, and firmware such as various parameters to be executed by the CPU 11 are permanently stored. RAM 13 is used as a working area for the CPU 11 and temporarily holds the OS, various running applications, and various data being processed.

[0050] The input / output interface 15 is connected to a display unit 16, an operation reception unit 17, a storage unit 18, a communication unit 19, and the like.

[0051] The display unit 16 is a display device that uses, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), an OLED (Organic ElectroLuminescence Display), or a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube).

[0052] The operation reception unit 17 is, for example, a pointing device such as a mouse, a keyboard, a touch panel, or other input device. If the operation reception unit 17 is a touch panel, the touch panel may be integrated with the display unit 16.

[0053] The storage unit 18 is a non-volatile memory such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), flash memory (SSD; Solid State Drive), or other solid-state memory. The OS, various applications, and various data are stored in this storage unit 18.

[0054] In particular, in this embodiment, the storage unit 18 stores data, applications, and other programs for the school lunch ingredient procurement server 100 to perform the school lunch ingredient procurement process described later. As will be described later, the storage unit 18 has a producer information database, a school lunch center information database, an ingredient recruitment information database, and an ingredient application information database as databases containing such data.

[0055] The communication unit 19 consists of various modules for wireless communication, such as a NIC (Network Interface Card) for Ethernet or a wireless LAN, and is responsible for communication processing between the producer terminal 200, the school lunch center terminal 300, and the market terminal 400.

[0056] [Database configuration of the school lunch ingredient procurement server] Figure 3 shows the configuration of the database owned by the school lunch ingredient procurement server 100.

[0057] As shown in the figure, the school lunch ingredient procurement server 100 has a producer information database 31, a school lunch center information database 32, an ingredient recruitment information database 33, and an ingredient application information database 34 in its storage unit 18.

[0058] The producer information database 31 stores information about agricultural producers who own producer terminals 200. Specifically, the producer information database 31 stores information such as producer ID, password, name, email address, telephone number, address, image of the person or farm, and payment account for each producer.

[0059] The school lunch center information database 32 stores information about the school lunch centers that own the school lunch center terminal 300. Specifically, the school lunch center information database 32 stores information such as center ID, password, name, email address, telephone number, address, contact person (nutritionist, etc.), and payment information (credit card information) for each customer.

[0060] The food ingredient recruitment information database 33 stores food ingredient recruitment information generated based on food ingredient information received from the school lunch center terminal 300. This information includes details such as the type of ingredient (including the name, variety, grade, and whether it is conventionally or organically grown), the amount used (kg), the delivery date, and the delivery price. The delivery date is set, for example, four days before the ingredient's intended use date, but is not limited to this. The delivery price is determined by the school lunch center's nutritionist or other staff based on the center's annual budget. The database stores this and other information.

[0061] The ingredient application information database 34 stores ingredient application information received from producer terminals 200 in response to the ingredient recruitment information mentioned above. The ingredient application information includes, for each ingredient and delivery date, the number of producers who applied, the name (company name) and ID of the applying producers, and the amount they can supply. This ingredient application information also includes information indicating the percentage (achievement rate) of the total supply amount relative to the amount used. This information is updated each time an application is received from producer terminals 200.

[0062] These databases are referenced and used as needed in the school lunch ingredient procurement process by the school lunch ingredient procurement server 100.

[0063] [System operation] Next, the operation of the system configured as described above (mainly the school lunch ingredient procurement server 100) will be explained. This operation is performed through the cooperation of the hardware, such as the CPU 11 of the school lunch ingredient procurement server 100, and the software stored in the memory unit 18. For convenience, the following explanation will focus on the CPU 11 as the main operator. Before explaining this operation, the inventors will first explain the background that led to the present invention.

[0064] (Proposal for a food procurement scheme to alleviate the concentration of burden) Currently, the procurement of local agricultural products by each municipality relies primarily on direct orders and individual deliveries by nutritionists and other professionals. However, this system places a significant burden on both the ordering and receiving parties, making it difficult to sustain, even if it yields temporary results. This is reflected in the current situation where peak demand is concentrated only during the survey period.

[0065] In other words, the reason why the percentage of locally sourced ingredients in school lunches is difficult to increase is not because there are no vegetables locally, but because of the system itself for procuring local vegetables. Therefore, the inventor has devised a new system of this embodiment that innovates the existing food procurement scheme. It is a system that aims to shift from the current situation where the burden of ordering and coordination is unevenly distributed to a system that can be supported by the entire region, and it is a system that integrates these processes. Figure 5 shows an overview of this system in comparison to the conventional system.

[0066] Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the general flow of the local product procurement process using the school lunch ingredient system of this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the flow is generally as follows. (1) Local governments select target crops they wish to procure within their region. They visualize the required quantities from monthly menus and widely disseminate and share this information within the region. (2) For the daily ingredients that have been made visible, the price, target quantity, and deadline will be displayed on the web and applications will be accepted from producers in the region. (3) No prior ordering or contract is required. During the bidding period, the bidding status will be shared as it progresses until the target amount is reached, and the maximum amount that can be collected in that area at that time will be collected. (4) At the same time as the application deadline, a system will be put in place to replenish any shortages in cooperation with the market. This will ensure that all necessary quantities are available and ready for delivery by the day of the deadline.

[0067] In short, this system is a mechanism that promotes information sharing, standardizes delivery conditions, and enables sustainable procurement of locally produced goods, in order to shift from the current situation where the burden is unevenly distributed to one area to a system where the entire region can provide support. Figures 7 and 8 show examples of the user interface in this system.

[0068] Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the flow of the school lunch ingredient procurement process by the school lunch ingredient procurement server 100 described above.

[0069] As shown in the figure, the CPU 11 of the school lunch ingredient procurement server 100 determines whether or not it has received the above ingredient information from the school lunch center terminal 300 (step 41).

[0070] If the CPU determines that it has received ingredient information (Yes in step 41), the CPU 11 generates ingredient request information and posts it on a network accessible to the producer terminal 200 via the ingredient procurement app or browser (step 42).

[0071] Figure 7 shows an example of the food ingredient recruitment information. As shown in the figure, the food ingredient recruitment information 70 includes information such as the type of food ingredient being recruited (including the type, variety, grade, size, color, cultivation conditions, etc. of agricultural products), the delivery date, the delivery price (per kg), the amount used (kg), and the number of days remaining until the delivery date.

[0072] Next, the CPU 11 determines whether or not it has received ingredient application information from any of the producer terminals 200 (step 43). This ingredient application information includes information such as the ingredients to be applied for, the delivery date, the ID of the producer who applied, and the amount that can be delivered. The CPU 11 can also accept cancellations of ingredient applications (or requests to change the amount that can be delivered) from the producer terminals 200, and the "ingredient application information" will also include requests for cancellations of ingredient applications or changes to the amount that can be delivered.

[0073] If the CPU determines that it has received the above ingredient application information (Yes in step 43), it updates the application status information (step 44). This update process includes adding to the available supply quantity due to ingredient applications and subtracting or adding to the available supply quantity due to application cancellations (including changes in the available supply quantity).

[0074] The application status information is displayed on the same screen as the ingredient recruitment information 70. As shown in Figure 7, the ingredient recruitment information 70 includes the number of applicants to date and achievement rate information 71, which shows the ratio of the total amount that can be delivered to the amount used (achievement rate). The achievement rate information 71 may be in the form of a graph or text, as shown in the same figure.

[0075] Furthermore, when a display field for each ingredient request information 70 is selected by the producer terminal 200, as shown in Figure 8, the selected ingredient request information 70 and the achievement rate information 71 are displayed in an enlarged pop-up window, and application status information 72, including the name of the applicant producer and the amount they can supply, is displayed.

[0076] Next, CPU 11 determines whether the total amount of submitted ingredients (delivery capacity) has reached the required amount (step 45). Here, "reaching the required amount" includes cases where the total amount of submitted ingredients (delivery capacity) exceeds the required amount.

[0077] If CPU11 determines that the total amount of available supplies applied for has reached the required amount (Yes in step 45), it closes applications (and cancellations) for ingredients for the relevant delivery date (step 46).

[0078] Next, CPU 11 determines whether the above delivery date has arrived (step 47). If it determines that the delivery date has arrived (Yes in step 47), CPU 11 sends order information to producer terminal 200, the source of the above food ingredient application information, requesting the delivery of the above-mentioned available quantity of the food ingredient (step 50).

[0079] On the other hand, if it is determined that the total amount of deliverables requested does not reach the amount used (No. in Step 45), CPU 11 determines whether or not the above delivery deadline has arrived (Step 48).

[0080] If it is determined that the delivery date has not yet arrived (No. in step 48), CPU 11 repeats the process from step 43 onwards until the delivery date arrives.

[0081] If the CPU determines that the delivery deadline has arrived (Yes in step 48), it closes applications for the ingredients for the target delivery deadline and sends order information to the producer terminal 200, which was the source of the ingredient application information up to that point, requesting the delivery of the above-mentioned available quantity of the ingredients (step 49).

[0082] Next, CPU 11 determines the amount of food shortage by subtracting the total amount of deliverables included in the food application information received up to that point from the above usage amount (step 50).

[0083] The CPU 11 then sends order information to the producer terminal 200, which is the source of the ingredient application information, requesting the delivery of the above-mentioned available quantity of the ingredient, and also sends order information for the confirmed shortage of ingredients to the wholesale market to the market terminal 400 (step 51).

[0084] CPU11 repeatedly performs the above process for each delivery date of the target food ingredient.

[0085] [summary] As described above, according to this embodiment, the school lunch ingredient procurement server 100 can solicit ingredients from a wide range of local producers by targeting ingredients for school lunches, where the amount of ingredients to be used is predetermined. This improves the rate of use of locally produced goods in school lunches at schools and other facilities, increases the profits of local producers, and also provides fresh agricultural, livestock, and marine products to the children and students who receive the school lunches, thereby contributing to the local community.

[0086] Figure 10 illustrates the effects of this system. It shows that this invention offers benefits to producers, customers, and children alike.

[0087] The inventor's overall activities aim for a "win-win-win" situation for all parties involved. • Good for the maker • Good for the seller • Good for the buyer • Good for the local area Earth is good • The future is good

[0088] For farmers, as producers, to create a sustainable society, they need to restructure the relationship between sellers and buyers, including the logistics involved. This will be supported by their local communities. Of course, these activities must also be based on keeping the Earth healthy and providing hope for the future of children—in other words, they aim for a win-win-win-win situation, not just a win-win-win-win-win situation, but a win-win

[0089] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0090] In the above-described embodiment, when the total amount of deliverable ingredients reached the above-mentioned usage amount, the school lunch ingredient procurement server 100 waited until the delivery date to send an order request to the producer terminal 200. However, instead, when the total amount of deliverable ingredients reached the above-mentioned usage amount, the school lunch ingredient procurement server 100 may immediately send an order request to the producer terminal 200 that sent the ingredient application information, without waiting until the delivery date.

[0091] In the above embodiment, the school lunch ingredient procurement server 100 closed applications for and cancellations of ingredient applications when the total available quantity reached the amount used. However, even if the total available quantity reaches the amount used, the school lunch ingredient procurement server 100 may close regular applications temporarily, but may accept cancellations from producer terminals 200 until the delivery date arrives. The school lunch ingredient procurement server 100 may then receive ingredient application information with cancellation waiting conditions from producer terminals 200 until the delivery date arrives, and if the total available quantity falls below the amount used due to the cancellations, it may change the additional ingredient application information on the cancellation waiting list into regular application information, for example, in order of the earliest application date, and send a message to the originating producer terminal 200, while also adding to the available quantity until it reaches the amount used.

[0092] In the above embodiment, the school lunch ingredient procurement server 100 updated the application status information 72, including the achievement rate information 71, each time it received ingredient application information from the producer terminal 200. In addition, the school lunch ingredient procurement server 100 may also receive from the producer terminal 200 or the terminal of the organizer's representative the amount of defective ingredients found when the ingredients provided by the producer who sent the ingredient application information are inspected by the producer themselves or the service organizer, and update the application status information by subtracting the amount of defective ingredients from the deliverable quantity. This allows the school lunch ingredient procurement server 100 to quickly update the application status information based on the deliverable quantity declared by the producer, while also providing accurate information by reflecting any defective products found after inspection in the application status information.

[0093] Alternatively, the school lunch ingredient procurement server 100 may, after receiving ingredient application information from the producer terminal 200, and before posting the application status information 72 including the achievement rate information 71, receive the amount of defective ingredients found during the inspection from the producer terminal 200 or the terminal of the organizer's representative, and then post the application status information 72 based on the amount obtained by subtracting the amount of defective ingredients from the available supply. This allows the school lunch ingredient procurement server 100 to provide application status information with the correct available supply amount, even if the available supply declared by the producer includes defective items.

[0094] In the embodiment described above, only one delivery date was set for each ingredient relative to the date of use. However, multiple delivery dates may be set.

[0095] Specifically, the school lunch ingredient procurement server 100 may accept ingredient solicitation information for ingredients of first quality until the first delivery date, and may also accept ingredient solicitation information for ingredients of second quality, which is lower than the first quality, until the second delivery date, after the first delivery date has passed. This allows the school lunch ingredient procurement server 100 to procure ingredients of the highest possible quality until the first delivery date, and then accept applications for ingredients of lower quality after that date, thereby ensuring the procurement of ingredients. Here, "quality" includes not only the size and grade of ingredients, such as A-grade and B-grade, but also differences in variety and cultivation conditions. For example, by designating organic vegetables as first-quality ingredients and conventionally grown vegetables as second-quality ingredients, it becomes possible to promote organic farming by prioritizing the use of organic vegetables.

[0096] Separately, the school lunch ingredient procurement server 100 may accept ingredient solicitation information at the first delivery price until the first delivery date, and then accept the same ingredient solicitation information at a second delivery price lower than the first delivery price until the second delivery date, after the first delivery date has passed. This allows the school lunch ingredient procurement server 100 to procure ingredients at the facility's desired price as much as possible until the first delivery date, and then to accept applications for ingredients at a lower price after that date, thereby ensuring that ingredients are procured.

[0097] In the embodiment described above, the school lunch ingredient procurement server 100 may, based on statistical information of ingredient application information received from the producer terminal 200 over a predetermined period (e.g., six months, one year), transmit information regarding the application rate for each ingredient to the ingredient recruitment information to the school lunch center terminal 300 of the school lunch center, which is responsible for creating the menus. This allows the school lunch ingredient procurement server 100 to enable the menu creators at the school lunch center to understand the production capacity of each ingredient in the region and to shift menus to use more local ingredients.

[0098] In the embodiment described above, a school lunch center was shown as the facility that will be the consumer of school lunch ingredients, but the facility is not limited to this, and any facility that provides school lunches with a fixed menu for each meal is acceptable, such as schools, dormitories, and elderly care facilities.

[0099] In the embodiments described above, an example was shown in which the present invention was applied to the procurement of agricultural products as ingredients for school lunches. However, the ingredients are not limited to agricultural products, and the invention can also be applied to the procurement of other products such as dairy products, meat, eggs and other livestock products, fish and shellfish and other marine products, processed products using these, bread, bento boxes and other foods, and fresh flowers.

[0100] Of the inventions described in the claims of this application, the invention described as "information processing method" is one in which each step is performed automatically by at least one device such as a computer through information processing by software, and not by a human using a computer or other device. In other words, the "information processing method" is an information processing method using computer software, and not a method in which a human operates a computer as a calculating tool. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0101] 11…CPU 12…ROM 13…RAM 14…Bus 15… Input / Output Interface 18...Storage section 19… Communications Department 31…Producer Information Database 32... School Lunch Center Information Database 33…Ingredient Recruitment Information Database 34…Ingredient Application Information Database 70…Ingredient recruitment information 71…Achievement rate information 72…Application Status Information 100... School lunch ingredient procurement server 200... Producer terminal 300... School lunch center terminal 400…Market terminal

Claims

1. We obtain food ingredient information that shows the types and quantities of ingredients used in school lunches, for which one menu is set for each meal at each facility. The aforementioned food ingredient information, along with information indicating the delivery date and price of the food ingredient, is posted on a network accessible from the producer terminals of multiple producers of the food ingredient in the region to which the facility belongs. From the time of posting to the delivery date, the producer terminal will receive information on food ingredient applications for the food ingredient recruitment information, including the amount of food ingredients that can be delivered, as long as the total amount of food ingredients that can be delivered does not reach the amount used. When the aforementioned delivery date arrives or when the total amount of deliverables reaches the aforementioned usage amount, order information for ordering the ingredients is sent to the producer terminal that sent the ingredient application information. control unit An information processing system equipped with the following features.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1, If, upon the arrival of the delivery date, the control unit determines that the total amount of deliverable ingredients is insufficient from the amount used, it will send order information for the insufficient amount of ingredients to the market terminal at the market. Information processing system.

3. An information processing system according to claim 1 or 2, The control unit posts application status information on the network, which includes information indicating the status of receipt of the food ingredient application information, including information indicating the ratio of the total amount that can be delivered to the amount used, from the time of posting until the delivery date. Information processing system.

4. The information processing system according to claim 3, The control unit, each time it receives the food ingredient application information, posts the application status information based on the available supply quantity included in the food ingredient application information, and updates the application status information by subtracting the amount of defective food ingredients found during inspection of the food ingredients provided by the producers who sent the food ingredient application information from the available supply quantity. Information processing system.

5. The information processing system according to claim 3, The control unit posts the application status information based on the amount obtained by subtracting the amount of defective ingredients found during inspection of ingredients provided by the producers who sent the ingredient application information from the amount of deliverable ingredients included in the received ingredient application information. Information processing system.

6. The information processing system according to claim 1, The control unit receives information on the solicitation of ingredients of first quality until the first delivery date, which is the delivery date, and receives information on the solicitation of ingredients of second quality, which is lower than the first quality, until the second delivery date, which is after the first delivery date has passed. Information processing system.

7. The information processing system according to claim 1, The control unit accepts the food ingredient solicitation information at the first delivery price until the first delivery date, which is the delivery date, and accepts the food ingredient solicitation information at a second delivery price lower than the first delivery price until the second delivery date after the first delivery date has elapsed. Information processing system.

8. The information processing system according to claim 3, The control unit transmits information regarding the application rate for each ingredient in response to the ingredient recruitment information, based on the statistical information of the received ingredient application information, to the menu creator's terminal. Information processing system.

9. We obtain food ingredient information that shows the types and quantities of ingredients used in school lunches, for which one menu is set for each meal at each facility. The aforementioned food ingredient information, along with information indicating the delivery date and price of the food ingredient, is posted on a network accessible from the producer terminals of multiple producers of the food ingredient in the region to which the facility belongs. From the time of posting to the delivery date, the producer terminal will receive information on food ingredient applications for the food ingredient recruitment information, including the amount of food ingredients that can be delivered, as long as the total amount of food ingredients that can be delivered does not reach the amount used. When the aforementioned delivery date arrives or when the total amount of deliverables reaches the aforementioned usage amount, order information for ordering the ingredients is sent to the producer terminal that sent the ingredient application information. Information processing methods.

10. In an information processing device, The process involves obtaining information on ingredients, specifically the types and quantities of ingredients used in school lunches, for which one menu is set for each meal at each facility. The steps include posting information on soliciting ingredients, including the aforementioned ingredient information and information indicating the delivery date and delivery price of the ingredients, on a network accessible from producer terminals of multiple producers of the ingredients in the region to which the facility belongs, From the time of posting to the delivery date, the producer terminal receives information on food ingredient applications for the food ingredient recruitment information, including the amount of food ingredients that can be delivered, as long as the total amount of food ingredients that can be delivered does not reach the amount used. When the aforementioned delivery date arrives or when the total amount of deliverables reaches the aforementioned usage amount, the step of sending order information to the producer terminal that sent the ingredient application information is to place an order for the ingredients. A program that executes the command.

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