Supply chain planning method, supply chain planning device, and supply chain planning program

Abstract

We provide a service that estimates the impact of supply chain disruptions and other disruptions while keeping each company's information confidential. [Solution] Based on transaction information, each company registers in its corporate model the items supplied by the supplier company, the items supplied by each company to the receiving company, and the time from receiving the supply from the supplier to supplying it to the receiving company. When access is received to input the supply information from the supplier company's corporate model into the corporate model to create the supply information for that corporate model, or when access is received from the company corresponding to that corporate model to edit the corporate model, such access is permitted. Access is denied in all other cases. When a risk in the supply chain is detected, the corporate models of the company where the risk was detected and its receiving company are executed based on the transaction information to create the supply information for each company.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for estimating the impact of risks in a supply chain.

Background Art

[0002] Recently, in the manufacturing and distribution industries, risks that threaten stable production and business continuity, such as shortages of components such as semiconductors triggered by disasters, financial crises, terrorism, pandemics, etc., and soaring raw material and energy prices, have been increasing. In addition, with the global expansion of businesses, the proportion of companies such as suppliers, manufacturers, wholesalers, logistics companies, and retailers that make up the supply chain related to a single product is dispersed globally, and the proportion exposed to these risks is also increasing. In response to such a situation, attention has been focused on strengthening the supply chain (SC: Supply Chain). Specifically, it is necessary to identify the companies that make up one's own SC, grasp in advance the risks that may affect production activities, take countermeasures in advance, and establish a system that can quickly grasp the situation and take immediate countermeasures when an incident occurs. However, although companies know the items of suppliers (referred to as Tier1 for convenience) that have direct transactions with them, the information on suppliers (referred to as Tier2 for convenience) involved in the production of each Tier1 is not publicly available, and it is difficult for companies to grasp the companies and items upstream of Tier1. Currently, it is necessary to conduct investigations by the brute-force method with a lot of manpower or to estimate and identify them by some method.

[0003] As a method for identifying supply chains in which multiple companies are hierarchically connected, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-159850 (Patent Document 1) describes a disaster and crisis management system comprising a server capable of communicating with a company's user terminal and a risk information extraction unit that detects and extracts risk information indicating risk content, including disasters and accidents, from information sources including SNS, wherein the server acquires risk information from the risk information extraction unit, uses the risk information and a stored supplier company information database and supplier product information database to identify suppliers affected by the risk information, generates an alert notification including the content of the risk information, the company information of the identified supplier, the supply chain information to which the identified supplier belongs, and the product information of the identified supplier, and sends the alert notification to the user terminal. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-159850 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] Patent Document 1 discloses a system that, when a risk such as a disaster is detected, estimates how the impact of that risk will propagate throughout the supply chain and presents the results, as well as suggesting alternative suppliers. By using such a service, each company can learn not only about the impact of risks from suppliers with which it directly does business, but also whether the impact of risks from upstream suppliers will affect it. However, realizing such a service requires each company to provide the system with information about its own products and other data it holds. No consideration had been given to enabling the use of such a service while keeping a company's information confidential not only from other companies in the supply chain but also from companies providing risk impact estimation services. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve at least one of the above problems, the present invention provides a supply chain planning method performed by a supply chain planning device, wherein the supply chain planning device comprises a computing device and a storage device, the storage device holds transaction information and a plurality of company models, the transaction information includes information relating an item of goods, a company that supplied the goods, and a company that purchased the goods, each of the plurality of company models is software created corresponding to each company constituting the supply chain, and is software for creating supply information for each company to the receiving company based on supply information from the supply source company in the supply chain, the supply information includes at least information on the items to be supplied, and the supply chain planning method is performed by the computing device based on the transaction information, and each company is supplied from the supply source company The system is characterized by including: a first step of registering the items supplied by each company, the items supplied by each company to the receiving company, and the time from receiving the supply from the supplier to supplying it to the receiving company as initial values ​​for each company's company model; a second step of allowing access when the computing device receives access to input the supply information from the supplier's company model into the company model to create the supply information for the company model, and when it receives access from the company corresponding to the company model to edit the company model, and refusing access otherwise; and a third step of creating the supply information for each company by sequentially executing the company models of the company where the risk was detected and its receiving company based on the transaction information when the computing device detects a risk in the supply chain. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, a service can be provided that estimates the impact of supply chain disruptions, etc., while keeping the information of each company confidential.

[0008] Other issues, configurations, and effects will be clarified by the following description of the embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a supply chain planning device according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of transaction information held by the supply chain planning device according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a corporate model held by the supply chain planning device according to this embodiment. [Figure 4] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of enterprise model management information held by the supply chain planning device according to this embodiment. [Figure 5] This flowchart shows an example of how the enterprise model management unit creates an enterprise model according to this embodiment. [Figure 6] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the information on procured and supplied items registered in the enterprise model according to this embodiment. [Figure 7] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of information propagation between enterprise models according to this embodiment. [Figure 8] This flowchart shows an example of the actions that the enterprise model according to this embodiment will perform when it receives an access request. [Figure 9] This flowchart shows an example of the actions that the supply chain planning device according to this embodiment will perform when it detects a risk. [Figure 10] This diagram illustrates an example of how the enterprise model according to this embodiment creates supply information. [Figure 11] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the information output by the supply chain planning device according to this embodiment. [Figure 12] This flowchart shows another example of the actions that the supply chain planning device according to this embodiment performs when it detects a risk. [Figure 13]It is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the supply chain planning device according to this embodiment.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the supply chain planning device according to this embodiment.

[0012] The supply chain planning device 100 includes an input unit 110, an arithmetic unit 120, a storage unit 130 for storing input / output information, a communication unit 140, an output unit 150, and a display unit 160. The storage unit 130 at least includes an enterprise model storage unit 131, transaction information 132, and enterprise model management information 133. The enterprise model storage unit 131 includes a plurality of enterprise models 134 (for example, enterprise model 134-1 and enterprise model 134-2). The input unit 110 and the output unit 150 may be connected to communication means 170 such as a network.

[0013] As operations of the supply chain planning device 100, there are operations of an enterprise model management unit 121, a risk detection unit 122, and an information cooperation unit 123 in the arithmetic unit 120. The operations of these units will be described later.

[0014] A plurality of enterprise information systems 180 are connected to communication means 170 such as a network. These plurality of enterprises are, for example, enterprises constituting a supply chain and include users of the services provided by the supply chain planning device 100. The communication unit 140 communicates with the information systems 180 of each enterprise via the communication means 170. The supply chain planning device 100 executes processing in response to requests from each enterprise and returns the results to each enterprise.

[0015] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the transaction information 132 held by the supply chain planning device 100 according to this embodiment.

[0016] The transaction information 132 is information indicating the results of past transactions between enterprises. The example of the transaction information 132 shown in FIG. 2 has information on the supplier 201, the buyer 202, the item 203, and the information source 204. The supplier 201 is the identification information of the supplier enterprise in the transaction. The buyer 202 is the identification information of the buyer enterprise in the transaction. The item 203 indicates the item of the goods (products, parts, etc.) being transacted. The information source 204 indicates the source of the information of the transaction (for example, whether it is estimation, open data, or EDI (Electronic Data Interchange), etc.).

[0017] In the example of FIG. 2, the first record indicates that it is estimated that enterprise R supplied item 1 to enterprise F1. The second record indicates that information that enterprise F1 supplied item 2 to enterprise F2 was obtained from open data. The third record indicates that information that enterprise F2 supplied item 3 to enterprise F3 was obtained from EDI data. The fourth record indicates that information that enterprise F4 supplied item 4 to enterprise F3 was obtained from EDI data. The fifth record indicates that information that enterprise M2 supplied item 3 to enterprise M1 was obtained from open data.

[0018] Note that the transaction information 132 includes what is accumulated in inter-enterprise transactions such as trade and e-commerce transaction services. Although using the transaction information 132 as in this embodiment may be impossible or require permission depending on the contract of the transaction service, it is assumed to be available in this embodiment.

[0019] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the enterprise model 134 held by the supply chain planning apparatus 100 according to this embodiment.

[0020] The enterprise model 134 is software that simulates the activities of each company in the supply chain. This software may include, for example, an application program that performs processing to simulate activities, an application program that calls such an application program, and a table that transforms data, or at least one of these. An instance of enterprise model 134 is created for each company that makes up the supply chain and stored in the enterprise model storage unit 131 within the storage unit 130. In this embodiment, each instance of enterprise model 134 may be identified by a branch number, for example, enterprise models 134-1, 134-2 shown in Figure 1, and enterprise models 134-R and 134-F1 described later.

[0021] A corporate model 134 includes at least (1) a corporate ID, (2) business applications, (3) an internal information database (DB), (4) a data exchange application, and (5) an access control application. (1) The corporate ID is information that identifies each corporate. (2) Business applications are information that identifies the applications that each corporate uses for processing that simulates its activities. (3) The internal information DB contains the data that the business applications (2) input. (4) The data exchange application is an application that exchanges data with corporate models 134 of other companies. (5) The access control application is an application that allows access to each corporate model 134 to only users of a specific company.

[0022] Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of enterprise model management information 133 held by the supply chain planning device 100 according to this embodiment.

[0023] The enterprise model management information 133 is information that manages the enterprise model 134, which will be described later, and includes, for example, an enterprise ID 401, an enterprise model storage unit 402, and a service target 403. The enterprise ID 401 is information that identifies each enterprise and corresponds to the (1) enterprise ID of each instance of the enterprise model 134. The enterprise model storage unit 402 indicates the storage area within the enterprise model storage unit 131 where each instance of the enterprise model 134 is stored. The service target 403 indicates whether each enterprise is subject to the services of the supply chain planning device 100, that is, whether each enterprise is using the services of the supply chain planning device 100. For example, it is "1" if it is subject to the services and "0" if it is not.

[0024] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation in which the enterprise model management unit 121 according to this embodiment creates an enterprise model 134.

[0025] First, the Enterprise Model Management Unit 121 creates an initial instance of the Enterprise Model 134 for the target company (step 501). This creates an instance of the Enterprise Model 134, as shown in Figure 3, for example, as a model that simulates the activities of the target company. At this time, the Enterprise Model Management Unit 121 registers the (2) business applications of the created instance. For example, a supply planning application may be registered as the initial business application.

[0026] The supply plan creation application is, for example, an application that reads supply information entered into the company model 134, creates supply information with a predetermined number of days offset, and outputs it. The company model management unit 121 may set a predetermined value as the initial value for the number of days of the offset. Alternatively, if the number of days of the offset can be estimated from past data or transaction information 132, etc., that number may be set.

[0027] In this context, the offset days refer to the time difference between procurement and supply, for example, when each company procures parts, produces a product incorporating those parts, and supplies it to other companies. This can be considered equivalent to the so-called manufacturing lead time.

[0028] Next, the Corporate Model Management Unit 121 (1) assigns a Corporate ID as information to identify the target company (step 502). For example, it may assign "C001" as shown in Figure 4.

[0029] Next, the Enterprise Model Management Unit 121 configures (5) the access control application so that only the target company can access it (step 503). For example, the Enterprise Model Management Unit 121 may register the value of (1) the company ID "C001" in the permission list held by (5) the access control application.

[0030] Next, the Corporate Model Management Unit 121 reads the transaction information 132 and sets the initial values ​​of the (3) Internal Information DB (step 504). For example, the Corporate Model Management Unit 121 may extract records from the transaction information 132 in which the target company is registered as a buyer 202, and register the combination of item 203 and supplier 201 of that record as a combination of procured goods and source in the (3) Internal Information DB. Furthermore, the Corporate Model Management Unit 121 may extract records from the transaction information 132 in which the target company is registered as a supplier 201, and register the combination of item 203 and buyer 202 of that record as a combination of supplied goods and destination in the (3) Internal Information DB.

[0031] Next, the enterprise model management unit 121 creates an access area for the target enterprise in the storage unit 130 (for example, a storage area corresponding to the enterprise model storage unit 402 "hd01" shown in Figure 4), registers it in the enterprise model management information 133, and stores the instance created in the above steps as an enterprise model 134 in the said area (step 505).

[0032] Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the information on procured and supplied items registered in the enterprise model according to this embodiment.

[0033] Figure 6 shows an example of the information on procured and supplied goods registered in the company model 134 in step 504 of Figure 5. For example, from the first and second records of the transaction information 132 shown in Figure 2, it can be seen that company F1 procures item 1 from company R and supplies item 2 to company F2. Accordingly, the information on procured and supplied goods 600 shown in Figure 6 registers the combination of "company R" and "item 1" as the source 601 and procured item 602, and the combination of "company F2" and "item 2" as the destination 603 and supplied item 604. This information is set as the initial value of the (3) internal information DB of company model 134 for company F1.

[0034] In this context, "procured items" and "procured items" refer to the items supplied by upstream suppliers to each company, as well as the companies that supply those items.

[0035] Similarly, from the first record of transaction information 132, the combination of "Company F1" and "Item 1" as the supplier and supplied item combination is set as the initial value of (3) Internal Information DB for company R's company model 134. From the second and third records of transaction information 132, the combination of "Company F1" and "Item 2" as the source and supplied item combination, and the combination of "Company F3" and "Item 3" as the supplier and supplied item combination are set as the initial values ​​of (3) Internal Information DB for company F2's company model 134.

[0036] From the third and fourth records of transaction information 132, the combination of "Company F2" and "Item 3" and the combination of "Company F4" and "Item 4" are set as the initial values ​​for the (3) Internal Information DB of Company Model 134 for Company F3. From the fourth record of transaction information 132, the combination of "Company F3" and "Item 4" is set as the initial value for the (3) Internal Information DB of Company Model 134 for Company F4.

[0037] From the fifth record of transaction information 132, the combination of "Company M2" and "Item 3" as the source and procured goods is set as the initial value for (3) the internal information DB of company model 134 for company M1. From the fifth record of transaction information 132, the combination of "Company M1" and "Item 3" as the destination and supplied goods is set as the initial value for (3) the internal information DB of company model 134 for company M2.

[0038] In the example above, the combination of supplier 601 and procured goods 602, and the combination of supplier 603 and supplied goods 604 are shown to be registered. However, since the supplier and supplier can be identified from the transaction information 132, they may be omitted from the information shown in Figure 6.

[0039] Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of information propagation between enterprise models according to this embodiment.

[0040] Figure 7 shows, as an example, the information propagation between firm models 134 created by the processing in Figure 5 based on the transaction information 132 shown in Figure 2. In other words, Figure 7 shows the inter-firm supply chain network estimated based on the transaction information 132 shown in Figure 2.

[0041] The firm models 134-R, 134-F1, 134-F2, 134-F3, 134-F4, 134-M1, and 134-M2 shown in Figure 7 are instances of firm model 134 created by the process in Figure 5, targeting firms R, F1, F2, F3, F4, M1, and M2 registered in the transaction information 132 in Figure 2, respectively. Based on the transaction information 132, it is identified that item 1 is supplied from firm R to firm F1, item 2 from firm F1 to firm F2, item 3 from firm F2 to firm F3, and item 4 from firm F4 to firm F3. Similarly, it is identified that item 3 is supplied from firm M2 to firm M1.

[0042] Note that Figure 2 shows only the minimum information necessary for explanation, and the supply chain network estimated based on it is small-scale, as shown in Figure 7. However, in reality, it is common for a more complex supply chain network to be formed with many more companies involved. Specifically, generally, each company procures many items from many companies upstream (i.e., on the supply side) and supplies many items to many companies downstream (i.e., on the supply side). Also, the supply chain hierarchy is generally deeper; for example, there may be another company upstream of company R, and yet another company downstream of company F3.

[0043] After initial values ​​are set in each company's enterprise model 134 through the process shown in Figure 5, it receives various accesses and performs corresponding processing. For example, each company can edit (2) business applications, (3) internal information databases, and (5) access control applications from the initial values ​​set in its own enterprise model 134. Also, when each enterprise model 134 receives supply information (for example, supply plans or information on traded items, as described later) from an upstream enterprise model 134, it generates its own supply information based on that supply information and sends it to a downstream enterprise model 134.

[0044] Figure 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the actions that enterprise model 134 according to this embodiment performs when it receives an access request.

[0045] First, the enterprise model 134 (4) data exchange application detects access (step 801).

[0046] Next, enterprise model 134 performs processing according to the type of access received (step 802). Specifically, if the received access is a supply plan from another company, (2) the business application creates its own supply plan. If the received access is to edit enterprise model 134, (5) the access control application reads the source enterprise ID and allows editing only if it is an accessible enterprise ID (e.g., an enterprise ID registered in the allow list). If the received access is neither of the above, (5) the access control application denies access.

[0047] Regarding the authentication method used by the accessing company, any method, including publicly known methods, can be applied, so a detailed explanation will be omitted. It is desirable to implement authentication with sufficient security strength to prevent unauthorized access.

[0048] Next, the (4) Data Exchange Application of the enterprise model 134 returns a return value (step 803). For example, if the company's supply plan has been created, the (4) Data Exchange Application outputs that supply plan.

[0049] Here, we will explain the editing of the company model 134 in step 802. As mentioned above, when the company model 134 is created, (3) the company information DB has information on procured and supplied items obtained from the transaction information 132 (for example, the information on procured and supplied items 600 shown in Figure 6), and (2) a supply planning application is registered as a business application that reads the input supply information and creates and outputs supply information with a predetermined number of days offset. If this initial state is not updated, the company model 134 creates a supply plan with a predetermined number of days offset for the items supplied to the company according to the transaction information 132 and outputs it to the company model 134 of the recipient company identified from the transaction information 132.

[0050] In response to this, each company can edit its own company model 134. For example, (3) it may register information such as a bill of materials in the internal information database that associates the items of products it produces with the items and quantities of parts incorporated into them. (2) Business applications can refer to (3) the internal information database to associate the items and quantities supplied from upstream companies with the items and quantities supplied to subsequent companies, thereby creating a more accurate supply plan.

[0051] Furthermore, (3) by registering information on the company's production capacity in the internal information database, (2) the business application can calculate the number of days of the offset with greater accuracy.

[0052] Alternatively, each company may store information such as bills of materials and production capacity, and applications that create supply plans based on them, in its own information system 180 instead of within the enterprise model 134. In that case, the (2) business applications of enterprise model 134 may be applications that call applications in the company's information system 180 and obtain the supply plan, which is the result of their processing.

[0053] Each company's enterprise model 134 has an access control application (5) that rejects access to the enterprise model 134 by anyone other than itself. Therefore, other companies, including the company operating the supply chain planning device 100, i.e., the company providing the service, cannot edit or refer to the enterprise model 134. Furthermore, each company can freely edit its own enterprise model's (2) business applications and (3) internal information database, and can therefore call applications within its own managed information system 180 without placing its own information within the enterprise model 134 as described above.

[0054] This allows companies to conceal information they do not wish to disclose while still providing the necessary information to estimate the propagation of risks such as supply chain disruptions and stagnation, making it easier to request cooperation from many companies. Furthermore, even if a company does not provide any information, its company model 134 will have the information on procured goods, supplied goods, and offsets set as initial values, as described above. Therefore, the information propagation in that company model 134 will not be interrupted, and the impact of the risks can be estimated with a certain degree of accuracy.

[0055] Figure 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the actions that the supply chain planning device 100 according to this embodiment performs when it detects a risk.

[0056] Figure 9 shows an example of the process that is executed when risks such as disruptions or stagnation of supply chains are detected, for example, due to natural disasters, epidemics, or conflicts.

[0057] The process shown in Figure 9 is initiated when the risk detection unit 122 detects a supply chain risk. Here, supply chain risk includes risks from various events that affect business activities, such as natural disasters like earthquakes and floods, as well as epidemics and conflicts. The risk detection unit 122 may detect that such events have actually occurred, predict that they will occur in the near future even if they have not yet occurred, or assume that they have occurred even if none of the above applies (for example, to find alternative suppliers in advance in case they do occur).

[0058] First, the risk detection unit 122 reads information about supply chain risks (step 901). For example, it reads information such as the company at risk and the time required for recovery. Here, we will explain using the example of when a risk is detected in company R.

[0059] Next, the risk detection unit 122 transmits an identifier indicating that a risk has been detected, along with the read recovery time, to the (4) data exchange application of the company model 134-R of company R where the risk has been detected (step 902). At this stage, the company x to be planned becomes company R (step 903).

[0060] Next, the (4) data exchange application of enterprise model 134-R of enterprise x (i.e., enterprise R) executes the (2) business application. The (2) business application creates a supply plan to the successor enterprise as supply information (step 904). Specifically, the (2) business application creates a supply plan to the successor enterprise based on a supply plan in which the supply from the supplier enterprise R is interrupted for the above recovery time (step 904). Details of this process will be described later (see Figure 10).

[0061] Next, the information sharing unit 123 reads the transaction information 132 and obtains the subsequent buyer companies of company x (i.e., downstream companies that receive supplies from company x in the supply chain) (step 905). If company x is company R in the supply chain shown in Figure 7, company F1 is obtained as the subsequent company.

[0062] Next, the (4) data exchange application of firm x (i.e., firm R) in firm model 134-R sends a supply plan to the (4) data exchange application of firm model 134-F1 of the successor firm (i.e., firm F1) (step 906).

[0063] Next, the information sharing unit 123 determines whether it has been able to create a supply plan for the service-using company (i.e., the company to which the supply chain planning device 100 provides services) (step 907). Specifically, the information sharing unit 123 refers to the company model management information 133 and determines whether it has created a supply plan for the company for which the service target 403 is "1" (i.e., indicating that it is a service target).

[0064] If there are service users who have not yet created a supply plan (Step 907: No), the information sharing unit 123 uses the successor company acquired in Step 905 as the new target company x (Step 908) and repeats the process from Step 904 onwards. For example, if company F is acquired in Step 905 as the successor company to company R, which is company x at that time, then in Step 908 company F1 becomes the new company x, and the process from Step 904 onwards is executed targeting company F1.

[0065] Once a supply plan has been created for the service user (Step 907: Yes), the process ends.

[0066] Figure 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the operation by which the enterprise model 134 according to this embodiment creates supply information.

[0067] Specifically, Figure 10 shows the details of the process shown in Figure 9, specifically the part where company x's company model 134-x creates its own supply information based on the supply information received from the company model 134 of an upstream company in the supply chain, and passes it on to the company model 134 of a subsequent company (i.e., steps 904-906 in Figure 9).

[0068] First, let's consider the case where firm x is firm R, as shown in Figure 7. In this case, firm model 134-x, shown in Figure 10, becomes firm model 134-R. Also, item A, shown in Figure 10, is an item supplied to firm R (omitted in Figure 7), and item B becomes item 1, as shown in Figure 7.

[0069] First, the (4) data exchange application of enterprise model 134-R receives a supply plan 1004 for item A from an upstream enterprise of enterprise R, which is a supplier to enterprise R (not shown) (step 1001). This supply plan was created by enterprise model 134 of the supplier enterprise and may include information such as when and how many units of item A will be supplied.

[0070] Next, the (2) business application of enterprise model 134-R creates a supply plan 1005 for item 1 based on the received supply plan 1004 and the (4) methods stored in the internal information database (step 1002). For example, the (2) business application may calculate the supply time for item B (item 1 in this example) by adding the set offset number of days to the supply time for item A described in the received supply plan 1004, and create a supply plan 1005 that ships item B at that time.

[0071] Here, (4) if the company's internal information database includes information on the correspondence between items (for example, a bill of materials showing how many of each item's components are used to produce one item 1), and information on the production capacity of company R, a supply plan 1005 may be created based on this information, including when and how many of item B will be supplied.

[0072] However, this is an example of a normal case, and if a risk such as a supply chain disruption is detected in company R, a supply plan 1005 based on that risk will be created. For example, if the risk is that production at company R will stop and the number of days until it is restored is entered, (2) the business application may calculate the supply timing by increasing the number of days of the offset mentioned above by the number of days until it is restored.

[0073] In this case, if the (4) internal information database contains bill of materials and production capacity information as described above, a more accurate supply plan 1005 can be created based on that information. For example, the (2) business application may create a production plan for item B that incorporates item A based on the received supply plan 1004 and the (4) internal information database, and then create a supply plan for item B (item 1 in this example) based on that production plan.

[0074] The (4) data exchange application of firm model 134-R passes the created supply plan 1005 for item B (item 1 in this example) to firm model 134-F1 of the successor firm F1 (step 1003).

[0075] Subsequently, the following company's firm model 134 executes steps 1001 to 1003. Here, if we consider firm F1 as a new firm x (step 908), the supply plan 1005 for item B (item 1 in this example) output by firm R in the previous step 1003 is entered as the supply plan 1004 for item A (item 1 in this example) in the current step 1001. The (2) business application of firm model 134-F1 of firm F1 performs the same processing as above in step 1002 to create the supply plan 1005 for item B (item 2 in this example), and in step 1003 passes that supply plan 1005 to firm model 134-F2 of the following company, firm F2.

[0076] Subsequently, for example, in the supply chain network shown in Figure 7, firm model 134-F2 of firm F2 receives the supply plan for item 2 and creates a supply plan for item 3, and firm model 134-F3 of firm F3 receives the supply plan for item 3. For example, if firms F2 and F3 are service-using firms, the process ends when firm F3 receives the supply plan for item 3 (Step 907: Yes). The supply plan for item 3 received here reflects the results of an estimation of how supply chain risks in firm R propagate through the supply chain and affect firm F3, and may include, for example, the number of items 3 to be supplied and the number of days of delay.

[0077] The above example shows a supply plan reflecting supply chain risks being passed sequentially from upstream to downstream in the supply chain, but the supply plan can also be propagated from downstream to upstream. For example, if company F4, as shown in Figure 7, is a service user, the production status of company F3 downstream may affect the supply from company F4 to company F3.

[0078] Specifically, for example, if company F3 receives item 3 from company F2 and item 4 from company F4, and produces a product incorporating items 3 and 4 as components, a delay in the supply of item 3 is expected to delay the production plan for that product. In that case, if company F3 is unable to receive item 4, which is to be incorporated into the product, as originally planned, the supply plan for item 4 from company F4 may also be affected.

[0079] In such a case, the business application (2) of company model 134 of company F3 may create a supply plan for item 4 from company F4 (which may be called a procurement plan from company F3's perspective) based on the production plan for a product incorporating items 3 and 4 as components, and pass it on to company model 134-F4 of company F4.

[0080] This process may be performed, for example, in step 907 of Figure 9, if there is a service-oriented company upstream of the planned company x for which a supply plan has not yet been created. In this case, in step 908, the upstream service-oriented company becomes the new planned company x.

[0081] Figure 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the information output by the supply chain planning device 100 according to this embodiment.

[0082] Figure 11 shows, as an example, the information provided to company F3, a service user. The risk information display screen 1100 is displayed by a display device (not shown) of company F3's information system 180 based on information transmitted to company F3's information system 180 by, for example, the output unit 150 or display unit 160 of the supply chain planning device 100 via the communication means 170.

[0083] The risk information display screen 1100 shown in Figure 11 includes a risk information display unit 1101, an alternative supplier candidate display unit 1102, and a chat display unit 1103. The risk information display unit 1101 displays information indicating the risk of supply to company F3. For example, if a supply chain risk is detected in company R, such as the suspension of supply of item 1 due to the effects of an earthquake, the impact of that risk will reach company F3 in the form of a delay in the supply of item 3 from company F2, sequentially via company F1 and company F2. Therefore, the risk information display unit 1101 displays company F2 as a risky supplier and item 3 as the risky item.

[0084] Furthermore, in this example, company R, where the supply chain risk occurred, is a supplier three levels upstream of company F3, so Tier 3 is displayed as the risk occurrence tier. This allows the relationship between the company where the risk occurred and company F3 to be shown while concealing the name of the company where the risk occurred.

[0085] Furthermore, information such as the event that caused the risk (e.g., an earthquake), when it occurred (e.g., September 15th), and the extent of the delay in supplying item 3 due to that risk (e.g., up to 40 days) may also be displayed.

[0086] The alternative supplier candidate display unit 1102 displays candidate alternative suppliers for the item selected in the risk information display unit 1101. In the example in Figure 11, since item 3 is selected in the risk information display unit 1101, the alternative supplier candidate display unit 1102 displays companies that could potentially supply item 3 on behalf of company F2. As shown in Figures 2 and 7, it can be identified from the transaction information 132 that company M2 also supplies item 3 in addition to company F2, so company M2 is displayed as a candidate alternative supplier.

[0087] The chat display unit 1103 displays the chat exchanged between company F3, a service user, and company R, where the risk has been detected. However, company F3 is kept in the dark that the company where the risk has been detected (i.e., the chat partner) is company R, and is only informed that it is a supplier company three levels upstream. Similarly, company R may also be kept in the dark that the chat partner is company F3, and only informed that it is a buyer company three levels downstream.

[0088] For example, in response to an inquiry from company F3 regarding the damage situation, company R's response, such as "production is currently suspended due to machine failure," is displayed. The supply chain planning device 100 acts as an intermediary, enabling companies to exchange information about the status of their supply chains while keeping their own company information confidential.

[0089] The display of information shown in Figure 11 may be performed, for example, in step 906 of Figure 9, by the supply chain planning device 100 sending information about the supply plan to the company that created the supply plan, via the company's information system 180. Similarly, information exchange via chat may also take place within step 906 of Figure 9, or at any other time.

[0090] The explanation so far has shown an example where supply chain risks such as natural disasters are detected for companies that make up the supply chain. However, the supply chain planning device 100 can perform similar processing when corporate risks such as company bankruptcy, deterioration of financial condition, or labor disputes are detected, as these can also lead to disruptions in the supply chain.

[0091] Here, as an example, we will explain the case where a bankruptcy risk is detected for company R, referring to Figure 12.

[0092] Figure 12 is a flowchart showing another example of the actions that the supply chain planning device 100 according to this embodiment performs when it detects a risk.

[0093] Steps 1201-1208 shown in Figure 12 correspond to steps 901-908 shown in Figure 9. Except for the differences described below, the processes are identical.

[0094] In step 1201, corporate risk information is loaded. For example, it may be loaded that a bankruptcy risk has been detected for company R. In the case of risks that cannot be recovered, such as bankruptcy risk, the recovery time is not loaded. On the other hand, in the case of corporate risks that can be recovered, the recovery time may be loaded, similar to the case of disruption and stagnation risks shown in Figure 9.

[0095] In step 1202, an identifier for detecting corporate risk is sent.

[0096] In step 1204, (2) the trading items are identified by the business application. Then, in step 1206, the trading items are sent to the successor company's enterprise model 134. If the recovery time is read in step 1201, a supply plan may be created and sent using the same process as in step 904 in Figure 9. On the other hand, in the case of risks where recovery is not expected, such as bankruptcy, the affected items are identified and sent.

[0097] Step 1207 determines whether the transaction items of the service-using company have been identified.

[0098] In the case of the processing shown in Figure 12, the same information as in Figure 11 can be presented as a result. In this case, the event in the risk information display unit 1101 will be bankruptcy, etc., and the display of supply delays may be omitted.

[0099] This allows for the estimation of the impact of supply chain disruptions and stagnation caused not only by natural disasters but also by corporate risks such as bankruptcy, as well as the suggestion of alternative suppliers.

[0100] Figure 13 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the supply chain planning device 100 according to this embodiment.

[0101] In this embodiment, the supply chain planning device 100 is, for example, an information processing device such as a personal computer, workstation, or server device, but is not limited to these, and may also be an electronic information terminal such as a smartphone, mobile phone terminal, or PDA (Personal Digital Assistant).

[0102] In other words, the supply chain planning device 100 includes an input device 1301, an output device 1302, an external storage device 1303, an arithmetic unit 1304, a main memory device 1305, a communication device 1306, and a bus 1307 that connects each of these devices to each other.

[0103] The input device 1301 is a device that accepts input from, for example, a keyboard, mouse, stylus, or other pointing device. The output device 1302 is a display device, for example, a display. The external storage device 1303 is a non-volatile storage device, for example, a hard disk drive or flash memory. The arithmetic unit 1304 is an arithmetic unit, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit).

[0104] The main memory 1305 is a memory device such as RAM (Random Access Memory). The communication device 1306 is a wireless communication device that performs wireless communication via an antenna, or a wired communication device that performs wired communication via a network cable. The storage unit 130 of the supply chain planning device 100 is realized by the main memory 1305 of the supply chain planning device 100 or the external storage device 1303.

[0105] Furthermore, the input unit 110, calculation unit 120, communication unit 140, output unit 150, and display unit 160 of the supply chain planning device 100 are realized by a program that causes the calculation unit 1304 of the supply chain planning device 100 to perform processing.

[0106] This program is stored in the main memory 1305 or external memory 1303, loaded onto the main memory 1305 for execution, and executed by the arithmetic unit 1304. The supply chain planning device 100 may also have a communication device 1306 as needed, and may send and receive information via an external network (for example, the communication means 170 shown in Figure 1) connected to the communication device 1306.

[0107] Furthermore, the information systems 180 of each company connected to the communication means 170 in Figure 1 can also be realized by a computer system with the same configuration as shown in Figure 13.

[0108] Furthermore, the system of the embodiment of the present invention may be configured as follows.

[0109] (1) A supply chain planning method executed by a supply chain planning device (e.g., supply chain planning device 100), wherein the supply chain planning device comprises a computing device (e.g., a computing device 1304 realizing a computing unit 120) and a storage device (e.g., a main storage device 1305 and an external storage device 1303 realizing a storage unit 130), the storage device holds transaction information (e.g., transaction information 132) and a plurality of company models (e.g., company models 134), the transaction information includes information relating an item of goods (e.g., item 203), a company that supplied the goods (e.g., supplier 201), and a company that purchased the goods (e.g., buyer 202), each of the plurality of company models is software created corresponding to each company constituting the supply chain, and is software for creating supply information to companies on the receiving end (i.e., downstream) side of the supply chain based on supply information from companies on the supply source side (i.e., upstream), the supply information includes at least information on the items to be supplied, and the supply chain The supply chain planning method includes: a first step (e.g., steps 501-505) in which the computing device registers, based on the transaction information, the items supplied to each company by the supplier company, the items supplied to the receiving company, and the time from receiving the supply from the supplier to supplying it to the receiving company in each company's company model; a second step (e.g., step 802) in which the computing device grants access when it receives access to input the supply information from the supplier company model into the company model to create the supply information for the company model, and when it receives access to edit the company model from the company corresponding to the company model, and denies access when it receives any other access; and a third step (e.g., steps 901-908 or steps 1201-1208) in which, when the computing device detects a risk in the supply chain, it creates the supply information for each company by executing the company models of the company where the risk was detected and its receiving company based on the transaction information.

[0110] This allows us to provide a service that estimates the propagation of impacts such as supply chain disruptions while keeping each company's information confidential.

[0111] (2) The supply chain planning method according to claim 1 of (1) above, wherein in the third step, the computing device detects, as a risk in the supply chain, a company that will experience a disruption or stagnation in the supply chain and the time until recovery (for example, step 901), and by running the company model, creates a supply plan for each company that includes the items to be supplied to the receiving company and the timing of the supply (for example, steps 904 to 906).

[0112] This suggests that the impact of disruptions to supply chains and other issues may be anticipated.

[0113] (3) A supply chain planning method according to claim 2 of (2) above, wherein in the third step, the computing device outputs to a company corresponding to the company model that has received the supply plan information (e.g., risk information display unit 1101) indicating the items for which the impact of a disruption or stagnation of the supply chain is estimated based on the supply plan and the companies that supply those items.

[0114] This ensures that the estimated risks are communicated to service users.

[0115] (4) A supply chain planning method according to claim 3 of (3) above, wherein in the third step, the computing device outputs the number of layers in the supply chain between the company where the interruption or stagnation of the supply chain has been detected and the company to which the information is to be output (for example, the risk occurrence tier in the risk information display unit 1101).

[0116] This allows service users to be notified of information indicating the approximate relationship between the estimated risk source and the source of the risk.

[0117] (5) A supply chain planning method according to claim 3 of (3) above, wherein in the third step, the computing device outputs information indicating a company that supplies items equivalent to the items that are estimated to be affected by the disruption or stagnation of the supply chain, as alternative supplier candidates (e.g., alternative supplier candidate display unit 1102), based on the transaction information.

[0118] This helps secure alternative suppliers in the event of supply chain disruptions or stagnation.

[0119] (6) A supply chain planning method according to claim 3 of (3) above, wherein in the third step, the computing device outputs information to a company that has not received the supply plan from a source company model and whose destination company model has received the supply plan from another company model (e.g., company model 134-F4) that indicates items for which the impact of supply chain disruption or stagnation from a destination company (e.g., a company corresponding to company model 134-F3) is estimated.

[0120] This allows us to estimate not only the propagation of risks from the upstream of the supply chain, but also the propagation of risks from the downstream.

[0121] (7) A supply chain planning method according to claim 3 of (3) above, further comprising a fourth step in which the computing device receives an inquiry from any company to a company in which a disruption or stagnation of the supply chain has been detected, transmits the inquiry to the company in which a disruption or stagnation of the supply chain has been detected, and, upon receiving a response from the company in which a disruption or stagnation of the supply chain has been detected, transmits the response to the company that sent the inquiry, wherein in the fourth step, the computing device does not output to the company that sent the inquiry information identifying the company in which a disruption or stagnation of the supply chain has been detected, but outputs the number of layers in the supply chain between the company in which a disruption or stagnation of the supply chain has been detected and the company that sent the inquiry (for example, the display in the chat display unit 1103).

[0122] This allows information to be collected from companies where risks have been detected, while keeping company names and other identifying information confidential.

[0123] (8) A supply chain planning method according to claim 2 of (2) above, wherein in the second step, the firm model is edited to perform a process that creates a supply plan including items to be supplied to a client firm and the timing of the supply, based on the correspondence between items to be supplied based on the supply plan received from the supplier and items to be produced incorporating the items supplied from the supplier and supplied to the client, and production capacity (for example, an example of editing the firm model in step 802).

[0124] This allows companies to edit their models to create more accurate supply plans, while keeping this information confidential from other companies.

[0125] (9) A supply chain planning method according to claim 2 of (2) above, wherein in the second step, the firm model is edited to call a process that creates a supply plan that includes items to be supplied to a client firm and the timing of the supply, based on the correspondence between items to be supplied based on the supply plan received from the supplier and items to be produced incorporating the items supplied from the supplier and supplied to the client, and production capacity (for example, another example of editing the firm model in step 802).

[0126] This allows companies to edit their models to create more accurate supply plans, while keeping this information confidential from other companies.

[0127] (10) A supply chain planning method according to claim 1 of (1) above, wherein in the third step, the computing device detects companies in which business risks occur as risks in the supply chain (for example, step 1201), and by running the company model, creates information on trade items indicating the items to be supplied to the receiving company as supply information for each company (for example, steps 1204 to 1206).

[0128] This allows us to estimate not only the impact of supply chain disruptions or stagnation due to natural disasters, but also the impact of business risks to companies, such as bankruptcy.

[0129] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are included. For example, the embodiments described above are explained in detail for a better understanding of the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described. Furthermore, it is possible to replace parts of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add configurations from other embodiments to the configuration of one embodiment. In addition, it is possible to add, delete, or replace parts of the configuration of each embodiment with other configurations.

[0130] Furthermore, each of the above configurations, functions, processing units, and processing means may be implemented in hardware, either partially or entirely, by designing them as integrated circuits, for example. Alternatively, each of the above configurations and functions may be implemented in software by a processor interpreting and executing programs that implement each function. Information such as programs, tables, and files that implement each function can be stored in storage devices such as non-volatile semiconductor memory, hard disk drives, and SSDs (Solid State Drives), or in computer-readable non-temporary data storage media such as IC cards, SD cards, and DVDs.

[0131] Furthermore, the control lines and information lines shown are those deemed necessary for explanatory purposes, and not all control lines and information lines are necessarily shown in the actual product. In practice, it can be assumed that almost all components are interconnected.

[0132] Furthermore, the technical elements of the embodiments described above may be applied individually or divided into multiple parts, such as program components and hardware components. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0133] 100 Supply Chain Planning Equipment 110 Input Section 120 Arithmetic section 121 Corporate Model Management Department 122 Risk Detection Unit 123 Information Sharing Department 130 Storage section 131 Enterprise Model Memory Unit 132 Transaction Information 133 Enterprise Model Management Information 140 Communications Department 150 Output section 160 Display section 170 Communication methods 180 Information Systems of Various Companies

Claims

1. A supply chain planning method performed by a supply chain planning device, The supply chain planning device comprises a computing device and a storage device. The aforementioned storage device holds transaction information and multiple company models. The aforementioned transaction information includes information that associates the item of goods, the company that supplied the goods, and the company that purchased the goods. Each of the aforementioned multiple company models is software created to correspond to each company that constitutes a supply chain, and is software for creating supply information for each company to the receiving company based on supply information from the supplying company in the supply chain. The supply information includes at least information about the items to be supplied, The aforementioned supply chain planning method is The first step involves the computing device registering, based on the transaction information, the items supplied by each company to the supplier company, the items supplied by each company to the recipient company, and the time from receiving the supplies from the supplier to supplying them to the recipient company in each company's company model. A second step in which the computing device grants access when it receives access to input the supply information from the supplier's corporate model into the corporate model to create the supply information for the corporate model, and when it receives access from the corporate model corresponding to the corporate model to edit the corporate model, and denies access when it receives any other access, A supply chain planning method characterized by comprising a third step in which, when the computing device detects a risk in the supply chain, the computing device creates the supply information for each company by executing the company model of the company where the risk was detected and the company on its supply side based on the transaction information.

2. A supply chain planning method according to claim 1, In the third step described above, the arithmetic unit, As a risk in the aforementioned supply chain, we detect companies that experience supply chain disruptions or stagnation and the time it takes to recover. A supply chain planning method characterized by executing the aforementioned firm model to create a supply plan for each firm, which includes the items to be supplied to the receiving firm and the timing of the supply as supply information.

3. A supply chain planning method according to claim 2, A supply chain planning method characterized in that, in the third step, the computing device outputs to a company corresponding to the company model that has received the supply plan information indicating the items for which the impact of a disruption or stagnation of the supply chain is estimated based on the supply plan, and the companies that supply those items.

4. A supply chain planning method according to claim 3, A supply chain planning method characterized in that, in the third step, the computing device outputs the number of layers in the supply chain between the company where the disruption or stagnation of the supply chain has been detected and the company to which the information is output.

5. A supply chain planning method according to claim 3, A supply chain planning method characterized in that, in the third step, the computing device outputs information indicating companies that supply items equivalent to the items that are estimated to be affected by the disruption or stagnation of the supply chain, based on the transaction information, as alternative supplier candidates.

6. A supply chain planning method according to claim 3, A supply chain planning method characterized in that, in the third step, the computing device outputs information indicating items that are estimated to be affected by supply chain disruption or stagnation from the receiving company, to a company that has not received the supply plan from the supplier company model and whose receiving company model has received the supply plan from another company model.

7. A supply chain planning method according to claim 3, The computing device further includes a fourth step in which it receives an inquiry from any company to a company in which a disruption or stagnation of the supply chain has been detected, transmits the inquiry to the company in which a disruption or stagnation of the supply chain has been detected, and, upon receiving a response from the company in which a disruption or stagnation of the supply chain has been detected, transmits the response to the company that sent the inquiry. A supply chain planning method characterized in that, in the fourth step, the computing device does not output to the company that sent the query information identifying the company in which the disruption or stagnation of the supply chain has been detected, but outputs the number of layers in the supply chain between the company in which the disruption or stagnation of the supply chain has been detected and the company that sent the query.

8. A supply chain planning method according to claim 2, A supply chain planning method characterized in that, in the second step described above, the firm model is edited to perform a process of creating a supply plan that includes the items to be supplied to the receiving firm and the timing of the supply, based on the correspondence between items supplied based on the supply plan received from the supplier and items produced by incorporating the items supplied from the supplier and supplied to the receiving firm, as well as production capacity.

9. A supply chain planning method according to claim 2, A supply chain planning method characterized in that, in the second step described above, the firm model is edited to call a process that creates a supply plan including the items to be supplied to the receiving firm and the timing of the supply, based on the correspondence between items supplied based on the supply plan received from the supplier and items produced by incorporating the items supplied from the supplier and supplied to the receiving firm, and production capacity.

10. A supply chain planning method according to claim 1, In the third step described above, the arithmetic unit, As a risk in the aforementioned supply chain, we detect companies that experience business risks, A supply chain planning method characterized by creating information on trade items indicating the items to be supplied to a receiving company as supply information for each company by executing the aforementioned firm model.

11. A supply chain planning device, It has a computing unit and a memory device, The aforementioned storage device holds transaction information and multiple company models. The aforementioned transaction information includes information that associates the item of goods, the company that supplied the goods, and the company that purchased the goods. Each of the aforementioned multiple company models is software created to correspond to each company that constitutes a supply chain, and is software for creating supply information for each company to the receiving company based on supply information from the supplying company in the supply chain. The supply information includes at least information about the items to be supplied, The aforementioned computing device is Based on the aforementioned transaction information, each company registers in its company model the items supplied by the supplier company, the items supplied by each company to the recipient company, and the time from receiving the supplies from the supplier to supplying them to the recipient company. When access is received to input the supply information from the supplier's company model into the company model to create the supply information for the company model, and when access is received from the company corresponding to the company model to edit the company model, such access is permitted, but access is denied in any other case. A supply chain planning device characterized by creating supply information for each company by running the company model of the company where the risk was detected and its supplier company, based on the transaction information, when a risk in the supply chain is detected.

12. A supply chain planning program for controlling a supply chain planning device, The supply chain planning device comprises a computing device and a storage device. The aforementioned storage device holds transaction information and multiple company models. The aforementioned transaction information includes information that associates the item of goods, the company that supplied the goods, and the company that purchased the goods. Each of the aforementioned multiple company models is software created to correspond to each company that constitutes a supply chain, and is software for creating supply information for each company to the receiving company based on supply information from the supplying company in the supply chain. The supply information includes at least information about the items to be supplied, The aforementioned supply chain planning program, Based on the aforementioned transaction information, the first step involves each company registering in its company model the items supplied by the supplier company, the items supplied by each company to the recipient company, and the time elapsed from receiving the supplies from the supplier to supplying them to the recipient company. A second step is to grant access when the aforementioned company model receives access to input the supply information from the supplier's company model to create the supply information for the said company model, and when the company corresponding to the said company model receives access to edit the said company model, and to deny access when any other access is received. A supply chain planning program characterized by causing the computing device to perform a third step of creating supply information for each company by executing the company model of the company where the risk was detected and the company on its supply side, based on the transaction information, when a risk in the supply chain is detected.

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