Business support device, business support method, and business support program

Abstract

This enables the securing of inventory to accommodate orders with long lead times. [Solution] The delivery date determination unit determines that an order is a short-term delivery order if the delivery date of the ordered commercial item is less than the set period set in the delivery date determination master table, and determines that an order is a long-term delivery order if the delivery date of the ordered commercial item is equal to or longer than the set period set in the delivery date determination master table. When the order data generation unit determines that an order is a long-term delivery order, it generates order data that includes an order quantity equal to or greater than the ordered quantity for purchasing the commercial item. When the commercial item for a long-term delivery order is purchased based on the order data, the inventory adjustment unit does not add the number of purchases corresponding to the ordered quantity to the inventory quantity shown in the inventory data, thereby increasing the physical inventory quantity due to the purchase without increasing the inventory quantity in the inventory data, and thus ensuring inventory for long-term delivery orders.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a business support device, a business support method, and a business support program.

Background Art

[0002] An information processing system disclosed in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2023-002888) includes a transport device capable of transporting a storage unit that stores articles under the control of a warehouse control device, and a terminal that is connected to the warehouse control device and exchanges work information in a work station where one or more operations related to the storage or withdrawal of articles in the storage unit are performed.

[0003] The warehouse control device includes a storage unit that stores, as log information, information related to the work results of storage and withdrawal in the work station from the terminal. Based on this log information, the control unit generates, for each type of one or more operations, a plurality of performance data related to the work time for a plurality of periods set in advance to have different lengths respectively. Then, the control unit estimates the predicted work time for at least one or more of each operation based on the generated plurality of performance data.

[0004] This enables prediction of the work time in consideration of various fluctuating factors that affect the work time in the logistics center.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] For example, at trade shows held outside the company, orders for commercial transactions with long lead times are sometimes received. In the case of such long-lead-time orders, it is necessary to secure sufficient inventory by the deadline, and managing inventory levels over a long period of time can be troublesome.

[0007] This invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a business support device, a business support method, and a business support program that enable the securing of inventory to meet orders with long lead times. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The business support device according to the present invention includes: a delivery date determination unit that determines if the delivery date of an ordered commercial transaction is less than the set period set in the delivery date determination master table, and determines if the delivery date of an ordered commercial transaction is equal to or greater than the set period set in the delivery date determination master table, and a delivery date determination unit that determines if the delivery date of an ordered commercial transaction is equal to or greater than the set period set in the delivery date determination master table, and an order data generation unit that, when it is determined to be a long-term delivery order, generates order data that includes an order quantity equal to or greater than the ordered quantity for purchasing the commercial transaction; and an inventory adjustment unit that, when purchasing the commercial transaction for a long-term delivery order is carried out using the order data, does not add the number of purchases corresponding to the ordered quantity to the inventory quantity shown in the inventory data, thereby increasing the physical inventory quantity due to the purchase without increasing the inventory quantity in the inventory data, and thereby securing inventory for long-term delivery orders.

[0009] Furthermore, the business support method according to the present invention includes a delivery date determination step in which a delivery date determination unit determines that a short-term delivery order is one in which the delivery date of the ordered commercial transaction is less than the set period set in the delivery date determination master table, and determines that a long-term delivery order is one in which the delivery date of the ordered commercial transaction is longer than the set period set in the delivery date determination master table; an order data generation step in which, when a long-term delivery order is determined to be one, an order data generation unit generates order data that includes an order quantity equal to or greater than the ordered quantity for purchasing the commercial transaction; and an inventory adjustment step in which, when a purchase of a commercial transaction for a long-term delivery order is made based on the order data, the purchase quantity corresponding to the ordered quantity is not added to the inventory quantity shown in the inventory data, thereby increasing the physical inventory quantity due to the purchase without increasing the inventory quantity in the inventory data, thereby ensuring inventory for long-term delivery orders.

[0010] Furthermore, the business support program according to the present invention includes a computer that includes a delivery date determination unit that determines if the delivery date of an ordered commercial transaction is less than the set period set in the delivery date determination master table, and determines if the delivery date of an ordered commercial transaction is equal to or greater than the set period set in the delivery date determination master table, and an order data generation unit that generates order data including an order quantity equal to or greater than the ordered quantity for purchasing the commercial transaction when it is determined to be a long-term delivery order, and an inventory adjustment unit that, when purchasing the commercial transaction for a long-term delivery order is carried out based on the order data, does not add the number of purchases corresponding to the ordered quantity to the inventory quantity shown in the inventory data, thereby increasing the physical inventory quantity due to the purchase without increasing the inventory quantity in the inventory data, and thus ensuring inventory for long-term delivery orders. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] This invention makes it possible to secure inventory to meet orders with long lead times. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the business support device according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows an example of a delivery date determination master table. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows an example of a master table for determining order delivery dates. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows an example of a product master table. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows an example of an inventory data storage unit. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows an example of an order data storage unit. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows an example of an order data storage unit. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows an example of a data storage unit for order and purchase order association. [Figure 9] Figure 9 shows an example of an incoming data storage unit. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a flowchart illustrating the order data generation and allocation processing operations in the business support device of the embodiment. [Figure 11] Figure 11 shows the order data for trade show orders. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a diagram illustrating the process of allocating the number of short-delivery orders from the inventory to the number of orders received at the exhibition. [Figure 13] Figure 13 illustrates the process of updating the allocated quantity in the order data and the operation of creating or not creating the order data when the number of short-delivery orders from the exhibition orders is allocated from the inventory quantity. [Figure 14] Figure 14 is a diagram illustrating how to calculate the order delivery date for trade show orders. [Figure 15] Figure 15 shows an example of order-order association data, which is generated by linking order data and purchase order data. [Figure 16] Figure 16 shows order data in which the number of allocated items has been updated based on order-to-order relationship data. [Figure 17]FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of order data in which the number of unallocated orders has been updated based on order and order association data. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a diagram for explaining an operation of securing the inventory quantity to be used for future appropriation by making the inventory quantity to be used for future appropriation non-additive to the unappropriated inventory quantity in the inventory data.

Embodiments of the Invention

[0013] Hereinafter, an example in which the present invention is applied to a business support device that supports the work of a person in charge for securing inventory corresponding to a long-term order received at an exhibition as an example will be described in detail based on the drawings. Note that the present invention can also be applied to business support for consolidated ordering with a long delivery period, such as inventory replenishment at the time of opening a new store, and is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0014] (Overview) For example, at a product exhibition, buyers and the like often place orders for products collectively for the next season (six months later) or the season after next (one year later). Exhibition orders are often received with a long delivery period. Therefore, at the time of receiving the order, the inventory stored in the warehouse is not allocated, and a new order is placed according to the received long delivery period, and the product is allocated with the product that has arrived.

[0015] Here, for long-term orders, an order is placed after confirming the order details. However, since there is a gap between receiving the order and confirming the order details, there has been a problem of opportunity loss in sales due to order omission or delivery date setting mistakes due to insufficient confirmation.

[0016] In addition, due to the following factors, the workload of the order processing work of the person in charge was high.

[0017] That is, long-term orders such as exhibition orders require the person in charge to manage the inventory over a long period of time in order to secure the delivery date, and there is a problem that troublesome inventory management is required. In addition, it is necessary to perform an order processing work different from the normal one, and there is also a problem that this order processing burden is imposed.

[0018] Furthermore, orders from trade shows and similar events often involved large quantities (e.g., all colors x all sizes), resulting in a large number of order entries. Additionally, for each order, it was necessary to check whether the delivery date was long-term or short-term. For short-term orders, the remaining unallocated orders and actual inventory were checked, and the additional order quantity needed was manually calculated before placing the order.

[0019] The business support device of this embodiment prevents the inconvenience of current inventory being allocated to other orders, such as orders with short delivery times, and aims to secure inventory for long delivery times (inventory optimization). This prevents the inconvenience of insufficient inventory when long-delivery products are delivered, which could lead to lost sales opportunities due to order cancellations, etc.

[0020] Furthermore, the business support device of this embodiment automatically generates order data in accordance with delivery deadlines, thereby reducing the workload on workers and preventing order omissions.

[0021] (Hardware configuration) Figure 1 shows the hardware configuration of the business support device 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the business support device 1 according to this embodiment includes a storage unit 2, a control unit 3, a communication interface unit 4, and an input / output interface unit 5.

[0022] The input / output interface unit 5 is connected to an input device 6 and an output device 7. The output device 7 may be a display unit such as a monitor device (including a home television), a printing device, or a speaker device. The input device 6 may be a keyboard device, a mouse device, a microphone device, or a monitor device that works in conjunction with a mouse device to provide a pointing device function.

[0023] The communication interface unit 4 is connected to a network 50, such as a wide-area network like the Internet or a private network like a LAN (Local Area Network). This network 50 is connected to the customer terminal device 51 and the terminal device (the company's own terminal device 52) of the company that owns the business support device 1 of the embodiment set up at the exhibition hall.

[0024] The business support device 1 of this embodiment receives orders with short and long delivery dates from business partners transmitted via the business partner terminal device 51. In addition, the business support device 1 of this embodiment receives orders with short and long delivery dates that are received at the exhibition venue, transmitted via the company's own terminal device 52 set up at the exhibition venue.

[0025] For the memory unit 2, a storage device such as ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), HDD (Hard Disk Drive), or SSD (Solid State Drive) can be used. The memory unit 2 stores a business support program that enables the securing of inventory to meet orders with long lead times.

[0026] Furthermore, this storage unit 2 is equipped with storage areas for a delivery date determination master table 11, an order delivery date determination master table 12, a product master table 13, an inventory data storage unit 14, an order data storage unit 15, a sales order data storage unit 16, a sales order association data storage unit 17, and a receiving data storage unit 18.

[0027] As shown in Figure 2, the delivery date determination master table 11 contains a number of months used to determine whether the delivery date for an ordered product is short-term or long-term. In the example in Figure 2, the number of months is set to "4 months," and delivery dates of "less than 4 months" are determined to be short-term, while delivery dates of "4 months or more" are determined to be long-term. Note that this number of months can be set to any desired number of months, such as "2 months" or "6 months," depending on the design, etc.

[0028] As shown in Figure 3, the Order Delivery Date Determination Master Table 12 stores the number of days required to set the delivery date for ordered goods. The example in Figure 3 shows a case where the number of days is set to "10 days". In this case, the date 10 days before the delivery date of the goods ordered from the customer is set as the order delivery date to the supplier. This allows the company to purchase the goods from the supplier 10 days before the customer's delivery date and deliver them to the customer by the customer's delivery date.

[0029] As shown in Figure 4, the product master table 13 stores the product code for each product and the supplier code (main supplier code) of the product's primary supplier.

[0030] As shown in Figure 5, the inventory data storage unit 14 stores the warehouse name of each warehouse, the product code of the stored products, and the number of available products (unallocated inventory) generated by the inventory data generation unit 30. The example in Figure 5 shows that the logistics center warehouse has 500 units of product code "SH001" and 110 units of product code "SH002". The example in Figure 5 also shows that the logistics center warehouse has 120 units of product code "SH003" and 100 units of product code "SH004".

[0031] As shown in Figure 6, the order data storage unit 15 stores order data for goods ordered from suppliers. As shown in Figure 6, the order data consists of the order number, order date, order due date, supplier code, warehouse name, line number, product code, order quantity, and unallocated order quantity.

[0032] The example in Figure 6 shows order data for a product that has already been ordered. It shows an example where 100 units of product code "SH002" were ordered on April 1, 2024, with an order delivery date of August 20, 2024. In this case, the number of unallocated orders is "15 units". This indicates that out of the 100 ordered units, 85 units (= number of orders received) were allocated to the orders, leaving "15 units remaining (number of unallocated orders = number of orders received - number of allocated units)".

[0033] Furthermore, the example in Figure 6 shows an instance where an order was placed on April 1, 2024, for 150 units of product code "SH002," with an order due date of September 20, 2024. In this case as well, the number of unallocated orders is "15 units." This indicates that out of the 150 ordered units, 135 units (= number of orders) were allocated to the orders, leaving "15 units remaining."

[0034] Furthermore, the example in Figure 6 shows an instance where an order was placed on April 1, 2024, for "100 units" of product code "SH004," with an order delivery date of September 20, 2024. In this case as well, the number of unallocated orders is "15 units." This indicates that out of the 100 ordered units, 85 units (= number of orders received) were allocated to the orders, leaving "15 units remaining."

[0035] As shown in Figure 7, the order data storage unit 16 is configured to include order number, order date, order due date, customer code, warehouse name, line number, order category, product code, order quantity, and allocated quantity. Such order data is generated by the order data generation unit 27 (described later) when the person in charge inputs the order details from the trading partner terminal device 51, and is stored in the order data storage unit 16. In addition, such order data is generated by the order data generation unit 27 (described later) when the person in charge inputs the order details from orders received at the exhibition venue and transmitted via the company's terminal device 52, and is stored in the order data storage unit 16.

[0036] The order classification indicates whether the order data is from an order placed at a trade show or from a regular order placed outside of a trade show. In the example in Figure 7, the order data for records in rows 1 to 3 is from an order placed at a trade show, so it is assigned the order classification "Trade Show Order". Similarly, the order data for records in rows 5 and 6 is also from an order placed at a trade show, so it is assigned the order classification "Trade Show Order".

[0037] In contrast, the order data for the fourth record is from a regular order other than one placed at a trade show, and is therefore classified as a "regular order."

[0038] The "Number of Orders" shown in Figure 7 indicates the number of products ordered through the aforementioned exhibition orders or regular orders. This example in Figure 7 shows that on May 1, 2024, with an order deadline of May 1, 2025, orders were placed through "exhibition orders" for "1100 units" of product code "SH001" (line number "1"), "1200 units" of product code "SH002" (line number "2"), and "1300 units" of product code "SH003" (line number "3").

[0039] Furthermore, the example in Figure 7 shows that on May 1, 2024, an order was placed for "400 units" of product code "SH001" (line number "1") via "regular order," with a delivery date of June 1, 2025.

[0040] Furthermore, the example in Figure 7 shows that on May 2, 2024, orders were placed for "180 units" of product code "SH002" (line number "1") and "100 units" of product code "SH004" (line number "2") through "exhibition orders," with an order deadline of September 1, 2024.

[0041] The "allocated quantity" shown in Figure 7 represents the number of items that have been allocated from inventory, etc., out of the total number of orders. The example in Figure 7 shows that no allocation has been made for any of the items (allocated quantity = 0).

[0042] The order-to-order association data storage unit 17 is data generated by associating each order data with the corresponding order data. As shown in Figure 8, this order-to-order association data storage unit 17 is composed of order number, order line number, order number, order line number, order delivery date, order delivery date, product code, and order allocation quantity.

[0043] "Order allocation quantity" refers to the number of items ordered for each product, indicating the number of items that will be allocated from inventory, etc. In the example in Figure 8, it indicates that 1,100 units of product "SH001" have been ordered, and that 1,100 units need to be allocated. Also in the example in Figure 8, it indicates that 1,200 units of product "SH002" have been ordered, and that 1,200 units need to be allocated, and 1,300 units of product "SH003" have been ordered, and that 1,300 units need to be allocated.

[0044] Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 8, if 55 units of product "SH002" are ordered, an allocation process of 55 units is required, and if 15 units of product "SH002" are ordered, an allocation process of 15 units is required.

[0045] As shown in Figure 9, the incoming data storage unit 18 stores incoming data entered by the person in charge when goods arrive from the supplier in response to an order. This incoming data consists of the incoming number, incoming line number, order number, order line number, incoming date, supplier code, warehouse name, line number, product code, and the quantity received. The example in Figure 9 shows that on August 20, 2024, 100 units of product with product code "SH002" arrived.

[0046] (Functional configuration of business support equipment) Next, the control unit 3 executes the business support program stored in the memory unit 2, and functions as an acquisition unit 21, a delivery date determination unit 22, a data generation unit 23, an inventory adjustment unit 24, and an output control unit 25, as shown in Figure 1. The data generation unit 23 includes an order data generation unit 26, a sales order data generation unit 27, a sales order association data generation unit 28, a receiving data generation unit 29, and an inventory data generation unit 30.

[0047] In this example, the acquisition unit 21 to the inventory data generation unit 30 are described as being implemented by software based on a business support program, but all or part of the acquisition unit 21 to the inventory data generation unit 30 may be implemented by hardware. In either case, the same effects as described later can be obtained.

[0048] The acquisition unit 21 acquires order data transmitted via the customer terminal device 51 or the company's own terminal device 52, and also acquires order data that has been entered by the person in charge based on this order data and stored in the order data storage unit 16.

[0049] The delivery date determination unit 22 determines that an order is a short-term delivery order if the delivery date of the ordered commercial item (product) is less than the set period (less than a number of months) set in the delivery date determination master table 11, and determines that an order is a long-term delivery order if the delivery date of the ordered commercial item is equal to or greater than the set period (more than or equal to a number of months) set in the delivery date determination master table 11.

[0050] If the order data generation unit 26 determines that it is an order with a long lead time, it generates order data that includes an order quantity greater than or equal to the number of orders received, for the purpose of purchasing the goods subject to the commercial transaction (see Figure 17).

[0051] When the inventory adjustment unit 24 purchases goods for long-term orders based on order data, it does not add the number of purchases corresponding to the number of orders to the inventory quantity shown in the inventory data. This increases the physical inventory quantity due to the purchase without increasing the inventory quantity in the inventory data, thereby ensuring that inventory is available for long-term orders (see Figure 18).

[0052] The order data generation unit 27, when it determines that an order is a short-delivery order by the delivery date determination unit 22 (see the order data record in the bottom row of Figure 11), generates order data that includes the allocated number of orders for the short-delivery order based on the "inventory data inventory count" (the allocated number for product code "SH004" shown in Figure 13(a) (an example where a total of 100 orders were allocated)).

[0053] Furthermore, if the order data generation unit 27 determines that an order is a short-delivery order by the delivery date determination unit 22 (see the order data record in the second to last row of Figure 11), it generates order data that includes the allocated number of orders for the short-delivery order, based on "the inventory quantity and the number of purchased items that have been ordered and satisfy the delivery date of the short-delivery order, with the remaining number of purchased items (15 unallocated ordered items for product code "SH002" with an order delivery date of August 20, 2024, as shown in Figure 6)" (the allocated number of product code "SH002" shown in Figure 13(a) (an example in which 125 out of a total of 180 orders were allocated)).

[0054] When the inventory adjustment unit 24 allocates the number of orders for short-delivery orders from the inventory data, it updates the inventory data to reflect the inventory quantity obtained by subtracting the number of orders from the inventory quantity (see Figure 12). If the order data generation unit 26 determines that an order is a short-delivery order, it generates order data that includes an order quantity equal to or greater than the number of orders that could not be allocated (see the order data with 55 order quantities in Figure 13(b)).

[0055] The order-to-order relationship data generation unit 28 generates order-to-order relationship data that includes the order number, order delivery date, order delivery date, and the order allocation number, which indicates the number of items allocated from the order quantity (see Figure 15).

[0056] (Order data generation and allocation processing operations) Next, the order data generation and allocation processing operations in the business support device 1 of this embodiment will be explained based on the flowchart in Figure 10. In this flowchart in Figure 10, the control unit 3 of the business support device 1 starts by reading the business support program stored in the storage unit 2, and the processing is executed sequentially from step S1.

[0057] In step S1, the acquisition unit 21 acquires order data transmitted via the customer terminal device 51 or the company's own terminal device 52, and also acquires order data entered by the person in charge based on this order data and stored in the order data storage unit 16. Figure 7 shows an example of acquired order data.

[0058] In step S2, the delivery date determination unit 22 determines whether each order data is an exhibition order or a regular order based on the order classification shown in Figure 7. If it is determined to be an exhibition order (step S2: Yes), the process proceeds to step S3; if it is determined to be a regular order (step S2: No), the process proceeds to step S5.

[0059] When it is determined that the order is not from the trade show (Step S2: No), the process proceeds to Step S5, where the inventory adjustment unit 24 refers to the unallocated inventory quantity in the inventory data and determines whether or not there is an unallocated inventory quantity that can be allocated to the ordered quantity.

[0060] If there is an unallocated inventory quantity that can be allocated to the number of orders (Step S5: Yes), the process proceeds to Step S6, where the inventory adjustment unit 24 allocates the number of orders based on the unallocated inventory quantity in the inventory data shown in Figure 5, and updates the unallocated inventory quantity in the inventory data to the original unallocated inventory quantity minus the number of orders. This completes the process shown in the flowchart in Figure 10.

[0061] In contrast, if there are no unallocated inventory units that can be allocated to the number of orders (Step S5: No), the process proceeds to Step S7, where the inventory adjustment unit 24 allocates the number of orders that can be allocated based on the unallocated inventory units in the inventory data, and the number of orders that could not be allocated becomes the outstanding orders.

[0062] In this case, the inventory adjustment unit 24 updates the unallocated inventory count to "0" by subtracting the number of orders for which allocation processing has been performed from the unallocated inventory count in the inventory data. The inventory adjustment unit 24 also generates order backlog data indicating the number of orders for which allocation processing could not be performed from the unallocated inventory count in the inventory data, and stores it in the storage unit 2. This completes the processing shown in the flowchart of Figure 10.

[0063] Alternatively, the total number of orders may be treated as the outstanding order count. In this case, the inventory adjustment unit 24 will leave the unallocated inventory count in the inventory data as the original unallocated inventory count and will not perform any update processing on the unallocated inventory count. In this case, the inventory adjustment unit 24 will also generate outstanding order count data for the total number of orders and store it in the storage unit 2.

[0064] The output control unit 25 displays the outstanding order data via the output device 7 at a timing specified by the person in charge. This allows the person in charge to see the number of orders that could not be allocated.

[0065] On the other hand, in step S2, when it is determined that the order is for an exhibition (step S2: Yes), the process proceeds to step S3, and the delivery date determination unit 22 detects the period from the order date to the order delivery date in the order data shown in Figure 7. The delivery date determination unit 22 then determines whether the detected period is 4 months or longer, as set in the delivery date determination master table 11 shown in Figure 2 (i.e., whether it is a long-term delivery order).

[0066] If the detected period is 4 months or longer (= long-term order, step S3: Yes), the process proceeds to step S4, where the order data generation unit 26 generates order data with the total number of orders as the order quantity, as shown in the records from rows 1 to 3 in Figure 17, without performing any allocation processing based on inventory data, and stores it in the order data storage unit 15. This completes the process in the flowchart of Figure 10. The order data generation operation will be described later.

[0067] Next, if the detected period is less than 4 months (= short-term delivery order, step S3: No), the process proceeds to step S8. In step S8, the inventory adjustment unit 24 determines whether there are any "unallocated inventory quantities" that can be fully allocated, or "unallocated order quantities and unallocated inventory quantities that can be met by the delivery date".

[0068] If there is an "unallocated inventory quantity" that can be fully allocated, or an "unallocated order quantity and unallocated inventory quantity that can be met by the delivery date" (Step S8: Yes), the process proceeds to Step S9. In Step S9, the inventory adjustment unit 24 allocates all orders from the unallocated inventory quantity in the inventory data shown in Figure 5. Alternatively, the inventory adjustment unit 24 allocates all orders based on the unallocated inventory quantity in the inventory data shown in Figure 5 and the unallocated order quantity in the existing (ordered) order data shown in Figure 6 that can be met by the delivery date for which allocation is required. This completes the process shown in the flowchart in Figure 10.

[0069] In contrast, if there are no "unallocated inventory quantities" that can be fully allocated, or "unallocated order quantities and unallocated inventory quantities that can be met by the delivery date" (Step S8: No), the process proceeds to Step S10. In Step S10, the inventory adjustment unit 24 performs the allocation process for the number of orders that can be allocated from the unallocated inventory quantities in the inventory data shown in Figure 5. The order data generation unit 26 also automatically generates order data for the number of orders that could not be allocated from the unallocated inventory quantities in the inventory data, and stores it in the order data storage unit 15. This completes the process shown in the flowchart in Figure 10.

[0070] Furthermore, the order data stored in the order data storage unit 15 is sent to the supplier by the person in charge at a time that allows for delivery on time. This ensures that the goods arrive from the supplier on time.

[0071] (Detailed operation of step S4) Next, the operation of step S4 described above will be explained in detail. Among the order data with the order category "Exhibition Order" shown in Figure 11, the order data in rows 1 to 3 has a period of "1 year (12 months)" from the order date to the order delivery date, which is a period of 4 months or more set in the delivery date determination master table 11, so the delivery date determination unit 22 determines it to be a "long-term delivery order".

[0072] In this case, the "long lead time orders" are as follows: product code "SH001" has 1100 orders, product code "SH002" has 1200 orders, and product code "SH003" has 1300 orders.

[0073] In the case of this "long-delivery order," the order data generation unit 26 automatically generates order data for the product code "SH001" with an order quantity of "1100 units" and an unallocated order quantity of "0 units," as shown in the records of rows 1 to 3 in Figure 17, for the product code "SH002" with an order quantity of "1200 units" and an unallocated order quantity of "0 units," and for the product code "SH003" with an order quantity of "1300 units" and an unallocated order quantity of "0 units," and stores these in the order data storage unit 15.

[0074] In other words, in the case of "long-term orders," no allocation process is performed based on inventory levels, etc., and the order data generation unit 26 automatically generates order data using the total number of orders as the order quantity.

[0075] Furthermore, the order data generation unit 26 refers to the order delivery date determination master table 12 shown in Figure 3 and detects a set number of days for the order delivery date to meet the order deadline, which is "10 days". The order data generation unit 26 also calculates the order delivery date of "April 21, 2025" by subtracting the set number of days for the order delivery date of "10 days" from the order deadline of "May 1, 2025", which is the order deadline of "SH001", "SH002", and "SH003", as shown in the records from rows 1 to 3 of Figure 17. The order data generation unit 26 then adds the calculated order delivery date to the order data of the products with product codes "SH001", "SH002", and "SH003", respectively.

[0076] The generated order data is sent to the supplier by the person in charge at a time that will allow it to be delivered on time. As a result, all products corresponding to "long-delivery orders" will be received on the delivery date corresponding to "long-delivery orders".

[0077] (Detailed operation of step S9) Next, the operation of step S9 described above will be explained in detail. Among the order data with the order category "Exhibition Order" shown in Figure 11, the order data in the last row and the second row from the bottom have a period of "3 months and 29 days" from the order date to the order delivery date, which is less than 4 months, so the delivery date determination unit 22 determines them to be "Short-term delivery orders".

[0078] Of these, the order data in the bottom row is an order for "100 units" of product code "SH004". The inventory adjustment unit 24 refers to the inventory data storage unit 14 shown in Figure 12(a) and determines whether there is an unallocated inventory quantity that can be allocated for the order of "100 units" of product code "SH004".

[0079] In the example shown in Figure 12(a), there are 100 units of product code "SH004" in stock, so it is possible to allocate all orders. Therefore, the inventory adjustment unit 24 allocates 100 units of product code "SH004" from the 100 units in stock to the total number of orders.

[0080] As a result, the order data generation unit 27 updates the allocated quantity for the product record with product code "SH004" to "100 units," indicating that the allocation process for the total number of orders of "100 units" has been completed, as shown in the bottom row of the record in Figure 13(a).

[0081] In addition, the inventory adjustment unit 24 updates the unallocated inventory quantity of product "SH004" from "100 units" to "0 units," as shown in Figure 12(b).

[0082] In this case, since the allocation process for all 100 units of "SH004" has been completed, the order data generation unit 26 does not automatically generate order data, as shown in the bottom row of the record in Figure 13(b). In other words, the bottom row of the record in Figure 13(b) should be understood as an illustration of a record that is not created.

[0083] (Detailed operation of step S10) Next, the operation of step S10 described above will be explained in detail. Among the order data with the order category "Exhibition Order" shown in Figure 11, the order data for the second-to-last row of records has a period of "3 months and 29 days" from the order date to the order delivery date, which is less than 4 months, so the delivery date determination unit 22 determines it to be a "short-term delivery order".

[0084] The order data for the second-to-last record is for an order of "180 units" of product code "SH002". The inventory adjustment unit 24 refers to the inventory data storage unit 14 shown in Figure 12(a) and determines whether there is an unallocated inventory quantity that can be allocated for an order of "180 units" of product code "SH002".

[0085] In the example shown in Figure 12(a), there are only 110 units of product code "SH002" in stock, meaning that the allocation process for 70 units of orders cannot be completed. Therefore, the inventory adjustment unit 24 detects the order due date for product code "SH002," as shown in Figure 14(a). In this example, the order due date for product code "SH002" is "September 1, 2024."

[0086] Furthermore, the inventory adjustment unit 24 refers to the order delivery date determination master table 12 shown in Figure 3 and detects a set number of days for the order delivery date to meet the order deadline, which is "10 days". Then, as shown in Figure 14(b), the inventory adjustment unit 24 calculates the order delivery date of "August 23, 2024" by subtracting the set number of days for the order delivery date of "10 days" from the order deadline of "September 1, 2024" for the product with product code "SH002".

[0087] Next, the inventory adjustment unit 24 refers to the order data storage unit 15 shown in Figure 6 and detects records from the existing order data (order data that has been placed) for products with product code "SH002" whose order due date is earlier than "August 23, 2024" and which have unallocated order quantities.

[0088] In other words, the inventory adjustment unit 24 detects records from the existing order data for products with product code "SH002" whose order due date is earlier than "August 23, 2024" and which have excess order quantities.

[0089] In the example shown in Figure 6, the order data for the first row of the record is an order for 100 units of product code "SH002," and it has an unallocated order quantity of 15 units. In other words, the order data for the first row of the record shows that of the 100 units ordered, 85 units have been allocated, leaving 15 units remaining. Therefore, the remaining 15 units can be used for other allocations.

[0090] The inventory adjustment unit 24 calculates a total of 125 units of the product code "SH002" that can be allocated by adding the 110 units of the product code "SH002" shown in the inventory data of the second row of the record in Figure 12(a) and the 15 unallocated orders of the product code "SH002" detected from the existing order data shown in Figure 6.

[0091] Then, as shown in the order data for the second-to-last record in Figure 13(a) and the order data for the second-to-last record in Figure 13(b), the inventory adjustment unit 24 allocates the ordered quantity of "180 units" of product code "SH002" with an order due date of "September 1, 2024" using the calculated allocated quantity of "125 units". This shows that "180 units ordered - 125 units allocated = 55 units" should be newly ordered and purchased. The order data generation unit 26 generates order data with this "55 units" as the order quantity, as shown in the second-to-last record in Figure 17, and stores it in the order data storage unit 15.

[0092] This order data is sent to the supplier with an order deadline of "August 23, 2024". This allows for the procurement of "55 units" of the product code "SH002" by "August 23, 2024". Then, the allocation process for the ordered quantity of "180 units" can be performed by combining the "110 units" of the product code "SH002" shown in the inventory data of the second record in Figure 12(a), the "15 units" of the product code "SH002" detected from the existing order data shown in Figure 6, and the "55 units" of the product code "SH002" procured through the order, totaling "180 units (110 units + 15 units + 55 units)".

[0093] (Generation of order-related data) Next, the order-to-order association data generation unit 28 generates order-to-order association data that associates the generated order data with the order data for the products to be allocated using the generated order data. An example of this order-to-order association data is shown in Figure 15. As shown in Figure 15, the order-to-order association data consists of the order number, order line number, order delivery date, and product code of the order data for the products to be allocated using the generated order data, as well as the order number, order line number, and order delivery date of the generated order data. In addition, the order-to-order association data is appended with an order allocation number indicating the number of items allocated from the order quantity.

[0094] In this example, for the product codes "SH001," "SH002," and "SH003," with an order due date of "April 21, 2025," orders are placed for "1100 units," "1200 units," and "1300 units," respectively. These "1100 units," "1200 units," and "1300 units" are used to allocate the ordered quantity. Therefore, the order allocation data will have "1100 units," "1200 units," and "1300 units" added to the order-to-order association data, respectively.

[0095] Furthermore, as mentioned above, an order of 55 units of product code "SH002" with an order due date of "August 23, 2024" was placed, and these 55 units will be used to allocate the 180 units ordered. Therefore, the order-to-order association data will include an allocated order quantity of 55 units. In addition, the remaining 15 units (unallocated order quantity) from the order of 100 units with an order due date of "August 20, 2024" in the existing order data of the first row record shown in Figure 6 will also be used to allocate the 180 units ordered. Therefore, the order-to-order association data will also include an allocated order quantity of 15 units.

[0096] By generating this type of order-to-order relationship data, it becomes possible to clarify the relationship between orders received and orders placed, as well as the relationship between the number of orders received and the number of orders placed.

[0097] (Updating the number of allocated items in order data) Next, the order data generation unit 27 updates the allocated quantity of the corresponding order data based on the generated order-to-order association data, as shown in Figure 16. In this example, the products with product codes "SH001", "SH002", and "SH003" are allocated through purchases of "1100", "1200", and "1300" units, respectively, thus allocating the total number of orders. Therefore, the order data generation unit 27 updates the allocated quantity of the products with product codes "SH001", "SH002", and "SH003" to "1100", "1200", and "1300" units, respectively, to clarify that the allocation is complete.

[0098] In this example, the order quantity of "180 units" for the product code "SH002" is allocated based on the "110 units" of unallocated inventory shown in Figure 12(a), the "55 units" purchased through orders, and the "15 units" of unallocated orders remaining from the ordered quantity shown in Figure 6. Therefore, the order data generation unit 27 updates the allocated quantity of the product code "SH002" to "180 units," as shown in the bottom row of the record in Figure 16, to clarify that the allocation is complete.

[0099] (Updating the number of unallocated orders in the order data) Next, as shown in Figure 17, the order data generation unit 26 updates the unallocated order quantity in the order data, which indicates the number of orders that are not used in the allocation process. In this example, the order quantities of "1100," "1200," and "1300" for the products with product codes "SH001," "SH002," and "SH003" are all used in the allocation process, and no unallocated order quantities are generated. Therefore, the order data generation unit 26 updates the unallocated order quantities for the products with product codes "SH001," "SH002," and "SH003" to "0."

[0100] Furthermore, the order quantity of "55 units" to be allocated to the product code "SH002" with an order quantity of "180 units," and the order quantity of "100 units" from the existing order data (see the first row of records in Figure 6) are all used in the allocation process, and no unallocated orders are generated. Therefore, the order data generation unit 26 updates the unallocated orders for the product code "SH002" with "55 units" and "100 units" to "0 units," respectively.

[0101] (Processing to not update the number of unallocated inventory items in inventory data) Next, based on the order data for the product code "SH002" with an order quantity of "100 units," 100 units of the product code "SH002" arrive in stock. Upon arrival, the person in charge performs an input operation for arrival data via the input device 6. In response to this input process, the arrival data generation unit 29 generates arrival data for the product code "SH002" with an arrival quantity of "100 units," as shown in Figure 9.

[0102] Here, because such incoming goods increase the number of physical goods stored in the warehouse, the inventory adjustment unit 24 normally adds the increase due to the incoming goods to the unallocated inventory count in the inventory data.

[0103] However, the 100 units of product code "SH002" that arrived this time are the same products that are scheduled to be allocated to the aforementioned order quantity of 180 units. Therefore, as shown in Figure 18, the inventory adjustment unit 24 leaves the unallocated inventory count of product code "SH002" at "0 units," and does not reflect the physical increase in products due to the arrival in the inventory data (non-update processing of unallocated inventory count).

[0104] This allows us to increase the physical inventory through procurement without increasing the inventory count in the inventory data, thereby securing inventory for long-term orders.

[0105] (Effects of the embodiment) As is clear from the above description, the business support device 1 of the embodiment determines whether the delivery date of an ordered commercial transaction is "short delivery date (normal order)" or "long delivery date (exhibition order)," and if it is a "long delivery date," it automatically generates order data (receiving warehouse, delivery date, and order quantity). Then, the number of items purchased corresponding to the ordered quantity, based on the order data, is not added to the inventory quantity shown in the inventory data. As a result, the physical inventory quantity due to purchase can be increased without increasing the inventory quantity in the inventory data, and inventory can be secured for long delivery orders.

[0106] Therefore, it is possible to prevent the inconvenience of current inventory being allocated to other orders, such as orders with short delivery times, and to prevent the inconvenience of insufficient inventory when delivering products with long delivery times, which could lead to lost sales opportunities due to order cancellations, etc.

[0107] Furthermore, the business support device of this embodiment can reduce the workload on workers and prevent missed orders by automatically generating order data in accordance with delivery deadlines.

[0108] [Contribution to the United Nations-led Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)] This invention can contribute to improving operational efficiency and promoting appropriate management decisions by companies, and therefore can contribute to SDGs Goals 8 and 9.

[0109] Furthermore, this invention can contribute to reducing waste and promoting paperless and electronic processes, thereby contributing to SDGs Goals 12, 13, and 15.

[0110] Furthermore, this invention can contribute to strengthening control and governance, and therefore can contribute to achieving the 16 goals of the SDGs.

[0111] [Other embodiments] The present invention can be implemented in various different forms within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims, even in embodiments other than those described above.

[0112] For example, among the processes described in the embodiments, all or part of the processes described as being performed automatically may be performed manually. Alternatively, all or part of the processes described as being performed manually may be performed automatically by known methods or the like.

[0113] Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the processing procedures, control procedures, specific names, registration data for each process, information including parameters such as search conditions, screen examples, and database configuration shown in the specification or drawings can be arbitrarily changed.

[0114] Furthermore, with respect to the business support device 1, each component shown in the diagram is a functional concept and does not necessarily have to have the physical configuration shown. For example, the processing functions of the business support device 1, particularly the processing functions performed by the control unit 3, may be implemented in whole or in any part by a program interpreted and executed by the control unit 3 (CPU: Central Processing Unit), or by hardware using wired logic.

[0115] The program is recorded on a non-temporary, computer-readable recording medium containing programmed instructions for the information processing device to execute the processes described in the embodiment, and is mechanically read by the business support device 1 as needed. In other words, the storage unit 2, such as ROM or HDD, records a computer program that works in cooperation with the OS (Operating System) to give instructions to the control unit 3 (CPU) and perform various processes. This computer program is loaded into RAM, unpacked, and executed by the control unit 3 as appropriate.

[0116] Furthermore, the business support program for this business support device 1 may be stored on another server device connected to the business support device 1 via any network, and all or part of it may be downloaded and executed as needed.

[0117] Furthermore, the business support program for executing the processes described in the embodiment may be stored on a non-temporary computer-readable recording medium, or it may be configured as a program product.

[0118] Here, any "portable physical medium" can be used as the "recording medium," such as memory cards, USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, SD (Secure Digital) cards, flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, ROMs, EPROMs (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), EEPROMs (Registered Trademark) (Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory), CD-ROMs (Compact Disk Read Only Memory), MOs (Magneto-Optical Disks), DVDs (Digital Versatile Disks), and Blu-ray (Registered Trademark) Discs.

[0119] Furthermore, "program" refers to a data processing method written in any language or writing method, regardless of its format, such as source code or binary code.

[0120] Furthermore, the term "program" is not necessarily limited to a single, monolithic entity, but also includes those that are distributed as multiple modules or libraries, and those that work in cooperation with other programs, such as an operating system, to achieve their functions.

[0121] Furthermore, for the specific configuration, reading procedure, and post-reading installation procedure for the business support device 1 of the embodiment, well-known configurations or procedures can be used.

[0122] The storage unit 2 is a storage means such as memory devices like RAM and ROM, fixed disk devices like hard disks, flexible disks, and optical disks, and stores various programs, tables, databases, and web page files used for various processing or website provision.

[0123] Furthermore, the business support device 1 may be composed of a known personal computer device or an information processing device such as a workstation, or it may be composed of an information processing device to which any peripheral devices are connected. In addition, the information processing device may be implemented by implementing software (including programs or data, etc.) that realizes the processing described in the embodiment.

[0124] Furthermore, the specific forms of distribution and integration of the devices are not limited to those shown in the figures, and all or part of them can be configured by functionally or physically distributing or integrating them in any unit according to various additions or functional loads. In other words, the embodiments described above can be selectively implemented by arbitrarily combining the embodiments described above. [Industrial applicability]

[0125] This invention is particularly suitable for industries and sectors that handle bulk orders with long lead times, such as receiving orders at trade shows or replenishing inventory when opening new stores. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0126] 1 Business support equipment 2 Storage section 3. Control Unit 4. Communication Interface Section 5 Input / Output Interface Section 6 Input devices 7 Output device 11 Delivery date determination master table 12 Order Delivery Date Determination Master Table 13. Product Master Table 14. Inventory Data Storage Unit 15 Order Data Storage Unit 16 Order Data Storage Unit 17 Order and Purchase Related Data Storage Unit 18. Incoming Data Storage Unit 21 Acquisition Department 22 Delivery date determination unit 23 Data Generation Unit 24 Inventory Adjustment Department 25 Output control unit 26 Order Data Generation Department 27 Order Data Generation Department 28 Order and Purchase Related Data Generation Unit 29. Incoming Data Generation Department 30. Inventory Data Generation Unit 50 Networks 51. Customer terminal equipment 52. Our own terminal equipment

Claims

1. A delivery date determination unit determines that if the delivery date of the ordered commercial transaction is less than the set period set in the delivery date determination master table, it is a short-term delivery order, and if the delivery date of the ordered commercial transaction is equal to or greater than the set period set in the delivery date determination master table, it is a long-term delivery order. When it is determined that the order is for a long lead time, an order data generation unit generates order data that includes an order quantity greater than or equal to the order quantity for purchasing the subject of the commercial transaction, When procurement of the commercial transaction subject to the long-delivery order is carried out based on the order data, the inventory adjustment unit ensures that inventory is secured for the long-delivery order by not adding the number of purchases corresponding to the number of orders to the inventory quantity shown in the inventory data, thereby increasing the physical inventory quantity due to the purchase without increasing the inventory quantity in the inventory data. A business support device having the following features.

2. When the delivery date determination unit determines that an order is a short-delivery order, the system further comprises an order data generation unit that generates order data including the number of orders allocated for the short-delivery order based on "the number of items in the inventory data," or order data including the number of orders allocated for the short-delivery order based on "the number of items in the inventory and the number of items that remain after ordering to meet the delivery date of the short-delivery order." The business support device according to claim 1, characterized by the following:

3. When the inventory adjustment unit allocates the number of orders for short-delivery orders from the inventory data, it updates the inventory data to the inventory number obtained by subtracting the number of orders from the inventory number. The business support device according to claim 2, characterized by the following:

4. When the order data generation unit determines that an order is a short-delivery order, it generates order data that includes an order quantity equal to or greater than the number of orders for which allocation could not be performed. A business support device according to claim 2 or claim 3, characterized by the above.

5. The system further includes an order-to-order relationship data generation unit that generates order-to-order relationship data including the order number, order delivery date, order delivery date, and the order allocation number indicating the number allocated from the order quantity. The business support device according to claim 4, characterized by the following:

6. A delivery date determination step in which the delivery date determination unit determines that if the delivery date of the ordered commercial transaction is less than the set period set in the delivery date determination master table, it is a short-term delivery order, and if the delivery date of the ordered commercial transaction is equal to or greater than the set period set in the delivery date determination master table, it is a long-term delivery order. If the order data generation unit determines that it is a long-delivery order, it performs an order data generation step that generates order data including an order quantity greater than or equal to the number of orders for purchasing the subject of the commercial transaction, The inventory adjustment unit, when purchasing the commercial transaction items for the long-delivery order based on the order data, performs an inventory adjustment step in which the number of purchases corresponding to the number of orders is not added to the inventory quantity shown in the inventory data, thereby increasing the physical inventory quantity due to the purchase without increasing the inventory quantity in the inventory data, thereby ensuring that inventory is available for the long-delivery order. A business support method that has the following characteristics.

7. Computers, A delivery date determination unit determines that if the delivery date of the ordered commercial transaction is less than the set period set in the delivery date determination master table, it is a short-term delivery order, and if the delivery date of the ordered commercial transaction is equal to or greater than the set period set in the delivery date determination master table, it is a long-term delivery order. When it is determined that the order is for a long lead time, an order data generation unit generates order data that includes an order quantity greater than or equal to the order quantity for purchasing the subject of the commercial transaction, When procurement of the commercial transaction subject to the long-delivery order is carried out based on the order data, the inventory adjustment unit ensures that inventory is secured for the long-delivery order by not adding the number of purchases corresponding to the number of orders to the inventory quantity shown in the inventory data, thereby increasing the physical inventory quantity due to the purchase without increasing the inventory quantity in the inventory data. A business support program designed to function as such.

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