Order management device, order management method, and order management program

Abstract

To provide order management equipment, etc., that enables more appropriate shipment adjustments. [Solution] The order management device according to the present invention comprises a first acquisition unit, a second acquisition unit, and a specification unit. The first acquisition unit acquires multiple pieces of order-related information, including customer and product information. The second acquisition unit acquires information on the shipping date corresponding to the order-related information. The specification unit identifies from the multiple pieces of order-related information that should be changed to a ready-to-ship state, based on conditions including the shipping date information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an order management device, an order management method, and an order management program.

Background Art

[0002] For example, in a pharmaceutical manufacturer or the like, when it is impossible to respond to all orders due to the influence of the suspension of supply of products of other companies, etc., so-called limited shipments are sometimes carried out, in which the shipment quantity and the shipment destination are adjusted while considering the inventory status, customer priority, etc.

[0003] For example, there is known a technique of allocating inventory data to the extracted order orders based on predetermined rules such as order date order, estimated evaluation order, scheduled shipment date order, customer priority order, sales department priority order, quantity order (in descending order of the number of orders).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, when allocating inventory data based only on the inventory status and the content of orders, optimal allocation may not be performed.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object thereof is to provide an order management device, an order management method, and an order management program capable of performing more appropriate shipment adjustment when performing limited shipments.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objective, the order management device according to the present invention comprises a first acquisition unit, a second acquisition unit, and a specification unit. The first acquisition unit acquires multiple pieces of order-related information, including customer and product information. The second acquisition unit acquires information on the shipping date corresponding to the order-related information. The specification unit identifies, from among the multiple pieces of order-related information, the one that should be changed to a ready-to-ship state, based on conditions including the shipping date information.

[0008] Furthermore, the order management method according to the present invention includes the steps of: acquiring multiple pieces of order-related information including customer and product information; acquiring shipping date information corresponding to the order-related information; and identifying which of the multiple pieces of order-related information should be changed to a shipping-ready state based on conditions including the shipping date information.

[0009] Furthermore, the order management program according to the present invention causes the control unit to perform the following steps: acquire multiple pieces of order-related information including customer and product information; acquire shipping date information corresponding to the order-related information; and identify which of the multiple pieces of order-related information should be changed to a shipping-ready state based on conditions including the shipping date information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, it becomes possible to make more appropriate adjustments to shipments when limiting shipments. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows an example of the flow of the shipment adjustment process using the order management system in the embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows an example of the configuration of an order management system according to the present invention. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows an example of the information stored in the data storage unit of the order management device according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of information stored in the master storage unit of the order reception management apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the shipping priority master and the item master according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the customer master and the customer group master according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of order data stored in the data storage unit of the order reception management apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of shipping data stored in the data storage unit of the order reception management apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the result of sorting the shipping data according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the order processing for the order data according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is the inventory data stored in the data storage unit of the order reception management apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the process of reflecting the order quantity in the inventory data according to the embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the process of updating the order quantity of the inventory data according to the embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing another example of the process of updating the order quantity of the inventory data according to the embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of the inventory inquiry screen according to the embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of the order inquiry screen according to the embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of the order inquiry screen that has received a change operation according to the embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of the error list according to the embodiment. [Figure 19]FIG. 19 is a diagram showing another example of an order inquiry screen that has received a change operation according to an embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of an error list that has received a change operation according to an embodiment.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[0013] [1. Overview] First, the shipping adjustment process in the present embodiment will be described using FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the flow of the shipping adjustment process by the order management system 1 in the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the order management system 1 according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the information stored in the data storage unit 106b of the order management apparatus 100 according to the embodiment.

[0014] In FIG. 2, the order management system 1 is configured as, for example, a server-client system, and includes an order management apparatus 100 that functions as a server and a plurality of terminal apparatuses 200 that are communicably connected via a network 300.

[0015] The order management apparatus 100 includes a control unit 102, a communication interface unit 104, a storage unit 106, and an input / output interface unit 108. Each unit included in the order management apparatus 100 is communicably connected via an arbitrary communication path.

[0016] The control unit 102 is a CPU or the like that comprehensively controls the order management apparatus 100. The control unit 102 has an internal memory for storing control programs such as an OS, programs defining various processing procedures, and required data, and executes various information processes based on these stored programs. Conceptually, the control unit 102 includes an order information acquisition unit 102a, a shipping information acquisition unit 102b, a specifying unit 102c, and a reception unit 102d.

[0017] The memory unit 106 stores various databases, tables, and files. The memory unit 106 also stores computer programs that work in cooperation with the OS (Operating System) to give instructions to the CPU (Central Processing Unit) to perform various processes. As the memory unit 106, for example, memory devices such as RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory), fixed disk devices such as hard disks, flexible disks, and optical disks can be used.

[0018] As shown in Figure 2, the storage unit 106 includes a master storage unit 106a and a data storage unit 106b. The master storage unit 106a will be described in detail later.

[0019] As shown in Figure 3, the data storage unit 106b stores order data 106ba, shipping data 106bb, and inventory data 106bc. Order data 106ba stores information about product orders from customers. Shipping data 106bb stores information about products that have been shipped in the past, corresponding to the order information. Inventory data 106bc stores information about the inventory levels of products related to the orders.

[0020] Returning to Figure 1, the shipment adjustment process in this embodiment includes order processing, order inquiry processing, and shipment processing. In order processing, when the order information acquisition unit 102a of the order management device 100 receives input of order information from a customer from a terminal device 200 or the like shown in Figure 2, it stores the order information in order data 106ba.

[0021] In the order inquiry process, the order information acquisition unit 102a refers to the order data 106ba and the inventory data 106bc, and the shipment information acquisition unit 102b further refers to the shipment data 106bb. Then, the identification unit 102c identifies the orders to be shipped based on the inventory quantity of the products and the order information. If the quantity of products identified by the order information is greater than the inventory quantity of the products stored in the inventory data 106bc, the reception unit 102d of the order management device 100 outputs the error list 3000, which will be explained later.

[0022] Then, in the shipping process, the shipping information acquisition unit 102b of the order management device 100 stores information regarding the shipment of the product corresponding to the order information in the shipping data 106bb.

[0023] In this embodiment, by referring to the shipping data 106bb, the system identifies the orders to be shipped, taking into account the past shipping status of the products related to the orders for each customer. This helps to prevent the supply balance from deteriorating, such as products being supplied only to specific customers, and enables more appropriate inventory adjustment processing.

[0024] [2. Structure] The order management system 1 according to this embodiment can be used by companies that frequently perform limited shipments, such as pharmaceutical manufacturers and food manufacturers.

[0025] In the order management system 1, the order management device 100 provides various input screens, such as an order entry screen (not shown), to the terminal device 200 in response to a request from the terminal device 200, accepts information input from the terminal device 200 on these various input screens, and centrally manages the accepted information using various data in the storage unit. In addition, the order management device 100 displays various output screens, such as the error list 3000, inventory inquiry screen 1000, and order inquiry screen 2000, which will be explained later, on the terminal device 200 in response to a request from the terminal device 200.

[0026] The order management device 100 can be configured, for example, as a workstation or a personal computer.

[0027] Terminal devices 200 are placed in various departments within the company (e.g., sales department, shipping department, manufacturing department, etc.). Each terminal device 200 is equipped with a monitor, keyboard, printer, etc., and displays various input screens provided by the order management device 100 on the monitor, allowing the person in charge (operator) to perform various inputs. In addition, each terminal device 200 displays various data information stored by the order management device 100 and various output screens generated by the order management device 100 on the monitor, allowing users to view this information and input into the various output screens.

[0028] The terminal device 200 may be, for example, a commercially available desktop personal computer, and is not limited to stationary information processing devices such as desktop personal computers, but may also be portable information processing devices such as commercially available notebook personal computers, PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), smartphones, or tablet personal computers.

[0029] The communication interface unit 104 connects the order management device 100 to the network 300 via communication devices such as routers and wired or wireless communication lines such as dedicated lines, enabling communication between the network and the order management device 100. The communication interface unit 104 has the function of communicating data with other devices via communication lines. Here, the network 300 has the function of connecting the order management device 100 and the terminal device 200 so that they can communicate with each other, and is, for example, the Internet or a LAN (Local Area Network).

[0030] The input / output interface unit 108 is connected to an input device 112 and an output device 114. The output device 114 can be a monitor (including a home television), a speaker, or a printer. The input device 112 can be a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, or a monitor that works in conjunction with the mouse to provide pointing device functionality. In the following, the output device 114 may be referred to as the monitor 114, and the input device 112 may be referred to as the keyboard 112 or mouse 112.

[0031] As shown in Figure 4, the master storage unit 106a stores the shipping priority master 106aa, the item master 106ab, the customer master 106ac, and the customer group master 106ad. Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of the information stored in the master storage unit 106a of the order management device 100 according to this embodiment.

[0032] The shipping priority master 106aa is used in the shipping adjustment process as a condition for identifying orders to which inventory can be allocated. As shown in Figure 5, the shipping priority master 106aa can be composed of tables that associate and register "sequence," "item ID," and "ascending / descending order classification." Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the shipping priority master 106aa and the item master 106ab according to this embodiment. The primary key of the shipping priority master 106aa is "sequence." Note that the shipping priority master 106aa is an example of a condition that includes information about the shipping date, and the condition can be arbitrarily set by updating the shipping priority master 106aa.

[0033] The item master 106ab stores the "item name" corresponding to the "item ID" in the shipping priority master 106aa. As shown in Figure 5, the item master 106ab stores the "item name" in association with the "item ID," using the "item ID" as the primary key. The shipping adjustment process using the shipping priority master 106aa and the item master 106ab will be explained in detail later.

[0034] As shown in Figure 6, the customer master 106ac and customer group master 106ad store information about customers and customer groups. Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the customer master 106ac and the customer group master 106ad according to this embodiment. The customer master 106ac uses "customer name" as its primary key and stores "customer group ID," which is information that uniquely identifies the customer group to which the customer belongs, in association with "customer name." The customer group master 106ad uses "customer group" as its primary key and stores "customer group name," which indicates the name of the customer group, in association with "customer group."

[0035] The order information acquisition unit 102a of the order management device 100 receives input information related to orders from, for example, the input device 112 or the terminal device 200 during the order processing shown in Figure 1, and stores it in the order data 106ba shown in Figure 7. Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of order data 106ba stored by the data storage unit 106b of the order management device 100 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 7, the order data 106ba uses "order number" as the primary key and stores "line number", "order date", "scheduled shipping date", "delivery date", "customer name" and "customer group ID", "warehouse", "product", "quantity ordered", "final shipping date", and "order status" associated with the "order number".

[0036] In order data 106ba, the "order number" is information that uniquely identifies the order and is assigned sequentially, for example, by the order information acquisition unit 102a of the order management device 100. The "line number" indicates, for example, the line number in the order slip. The "order date" indicates the date the order was received. The "delivery date" indicates the delivery deadline specified in the order, and the "scheduled shipping date" indicates the date on which the product is scheduled to be shipped from the warehouse corresponding to the "warehouse".

[0037] The "Customer Name" and "Customer Group ID" fields indicate information about the customer who placed the order for that order. The "Customer Group ID" is stored in the order data 106ba by, for example, the order information acquisition unit 102a of the order management device 100, by referring to the customer master 106ac shown in Figure 6 to identify the customer group ID corresponding to the "Customer Name". In the state shown in Figure 7, the "Customer Group ID" field is blank.

[0038] The "Product" and "Quantity Ordered" fields indicate the product to be shipped and the quantity ordered, respectively, in the order. In this embodiment, each product is treated as a separate order. In this case, for example, if a customer orders two products, product A and product B, simultaneously, a first order for product A and a second order for product B are stored in the order data 106ba. The "Warehouse" field indicates the warehouse where the customer wishes to ship the product. In other words, the order information acquisition unit 102a acquires multiple pieces of order-related information, including information about the customer and the product. Note that the order information acquisition unit 102a is an example of a first acquisition unit.

[0039] The "Last Shipment Date" indicates the date on which the product corresponding to the customer was last shipped to the customer corresponding to the customer name. In the state shown in Figure 7, the "Last Shipment Date" field is blank. The "Order Status" indicates whether or not it is possible to ship the product for the order. In this embodiment, there are two order statuses, for example, "Shipment Undetermined" and "Shipable". In the initial state, both "Order Status" is "Shipment Undetermined".

[0040] The "final shipping date" is stored in the order data 106ba by, for example, the shipping information acquisition unit 102b of the order management device 100 referring to the shipping data 106bb shown in Figure 8 and identifying the most recent shipping date corresponding to the customer name and product. Figure 8 shows an example of the shipping data 106bb stored by the data storage unit 106b of the order management device 100 according to this embodiment. One record is added to the shipping data 106bb shown in Figure 8 each time a product is shipped.

[0041] As shown in Figure 8, the shipment data 106bb stores the "shipment number" as the primary key, associating it with the "row number," "shipment date," "customer name," "customer group ID," "warehouse," and "product." The shipment data 106bb may also contain an "order number" indicating the order corresponding to that shipment.

[0042] The "shipment number" is information that uniquely identifies a shipment and is assigned sequentially, for example, by the shipment information acquisition unit 102b. The "line number" indicates, for example, the line number in the order slip. The "shipment date" indicates the date the product was shipped. The "customer name" and "customer group ID" indicate information about the customer who placed the order for the shipment. The "warehouse" field is information that identifies the warehouse from which the product was shipped, and the "product" field indicates the product that was the subject of the shipment.

[0043] The shipping information acquisition unit 102b of the order management device 100 identifies the final shipping date by classifying and sorting the shipping data 106bb shown in Figure 8, for example, by warehouse and product, as shown in Figure 9. Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example of the result of sorting the shipping data 106bb according to the embodiment. As shown in Figure 9, the shipping information acquisition unit 102b of the order management device 100 classifies each record of the shipping data 106bb shown in Figure 8 into record groups bb10 and bb20 based on "warehouse" and "product". The shipping information acquisition unit 102b also sorts each record group bb10 and bb20 in descending order of "shipping date" shown in column bb3.

[0044] Then, the shipping information acquisition unit 102b registers the shipping date of the record from the record groups bb10 and bb20 of the shipping data 106bb that matches the customer name shown in column bb4, in the "Final Shipping Date" field of each record in the order data 106ba shown in Figure 7. In other words, the shipping information acquisition unit 102b acquires shipping date information corresponding to the order information. Note that the shipping information acquisition unit 102b is an example of a second acquisition unit. If multiple records match in terms of warehouse, product, and customer name, as will be explained later, the shipping date of the first record that matches, i.e., the most recent shipping date, is registered in the order data 106ba.

[0045] As a result of the order processing performed by the order information acquisition unit 102a and the shipping information acquisition unit 102b, the customer group ID and the final shipping date are added to the order data 106ba shown in Figure 7, as shown in Figure 10. Figure 10 is a diagram showing an example of the process in which the customer group ID and the final shipping date are registered in the order data 106ba. As shown in Figure 10, the customer group ID is registered in column ba5 of the order data 106ba after order processing by the order information acquisition unit 102a.

[0046] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10, the column ba3 for the final shipping date will contain the shipping date shown in column bb3 of the records in the record groups bb10 and bb20 that match in terms of warehouse, product, and customer name. If there are multiple records that match in terms of warehouse, product, and customer name, the shipping date of the first record encountered, i.e., the most recent shipping date, will be registered in the final shipping date column ba3. In addition, if there are multiple records in the order data 106ba that are identical in terms of warehouse, product, and customer name, the same shipping date will be registered for each record.

[0047] For example, record ba16 with order number "JU012" and record ba17 with order number "JU014" have the same warehouse "West Warehouse", product "Product B", and customer name "Customer A". In this case, the final shipping date for records ba16 and ba17 will be the shipping date "2024 / 3 / 3" of record bb21, the first record among records bb21 and bb22 in the record group bb20 that have the customer name "Customer A".

[0048] Then, the identification unit 102c of the order management device 100 performs order inquiry processing by referring to the order data 106ba, which has the customer group ID and final shipping date registered as shown in Figure 10, and the inventory data 106bc shown in Figure 11. Figure 11 is a diagram showing an example of inventory data 106bc stored in the data storage unit 106b of the order management device 100 according to this embodiment. In Figure 11, the inventory data 106bc is shown in the state before the order data 106ba shown in Figure 10 is reflected.

[0049] As shown in Figure 11, the inventory data 106bc uses "warehouse" and "product" as primary keys to store the "current inventory," "order quantity (shipping undecided)," "order quantity (shipping ready)," "shipping available quantity (shipping ready only)," and "shipping available quantity (all)."

[0050] Current inventory refers to the number of items currently in stock (ready to ship). Order quantity refers to the quantity of the item ordered by a customer. Of these, "Order Quantity (Ready to Ship)" registers the total number of orders corresponding to records where the order status is "Ready to Ship," and "Order Quantity (Ready to Ship)" registers the total number of orders corresponding to records where the order status is "Undetermined to Ship."

[0051] The number of items available for shipment (only those in a ready-to-ship state) is calculated using the following formula (1), that is, the current inventory minus the quantity of items that have not yet been assigned to a ready-to-ship state. Available quantity for shipment (only items in a ready-to-ship state) = Current inventory - Number of orders (in a ready-to-ship state) ... (1)

[0052] Furthermore, the total number of items available for shipment is calculated using the following formula (2), i.e., the total number of orders received, minus the current inventory. Total number of items available for shipment = Current inventory - Number of orders (shipping date undecided) - Number of orders (available for shipment) ... (2)

[0053] In the inventory data 106bc shown in Figure 11, the order data 106ba shown in Figure 10 is reflected before the data is updated. Therefore, the number of orders for both Product A and Product B is "0" for both the "undetermined shipment" and "ready to ship" states. For example, the number of "Product A" items that can be shipped, as shown in column bc8, is "100" for both those that are only ready to ship and those that are all ready to ship, which is the same as the current inventory. The number of "Product B" items that can be shipped is "20" for all of them, which is the same as the current inventory.

[0054] Note that the result of calculation using formula (1) or formula (2) may be less than 0. For example, if the "number of items available for shipment (only those in a ready-to-ship state)" in formula (1) falls below 0, the inventory shortfall processing described later will be performed.

[0055] Next, the identification unit 102c classifies the number of orders for each record registered in the order data 106ba shown in Figure 10 into record groups ba10 and ba20 shown in Figure 12. Figure 12 is a diagram showing an example of the process of reflecting the number of orders in the inventory data 106bc according to the embodiment. As shown in Figure 12, the identification unit 102c classifies three records from the order data 106ba shown in Figure 10 where the warehouse is "East Warehouse" and the product is "Product A" (order numbers "JU001, JU003, JU005") into record group ba10. In addition, the identification unit 102c classifies two records from the order data 106ba that correspond to the warehouse "West Warehouse" and product "Product B" (order numbers "JU002, JU004") into record group ba20. In Figures 12 and beyond, only the records of the order data 106ba shown in Figure 10 whose order date is "2024 / 3 / 1" will be explained, and the explanations for records ba16 and ba17 shown in Figure 10 will be omitted.

[0056] In order inquiry processing, the identification unit 102c sorts each record in record groups ba10 and ba20 according to, for example, the shipping priority master 106aa shown in Figure 5. The sorting process for record group ba10 is described below. First, the identification unit 102c identifies the item name "Specific Customer Group" in the item master 106ab shown in Figure 5 based on the item ID "K001" of order "1" in the shipping priority master 106aa shown in Figure 5. Next, the identification unit 102c sorts each record in order data 106ba in the order of customer group "Customer GA" and "Customer GB" in the customer group master 106ad shown in Figure 6, based on the ascending / descending order classification "0: Ascending" in the shipping priority master 106aa. As a result, of the three records that correspond to warehouse "East Warehouse" and product "Product A", the record corresponding to order number "JU001" whose customer group ID shown in column ba5 in Figure 12 is "Customer GA" is sorted to the top. At this stage, the records for order numbers "JU003" and "JU005" are not sorted because the customer group shown in column ba5 is "Customer GB".

[0057] Next, the identification unit 102c identifies the item name "Final Shipment Date" in the item master 106ab based on the item ID "K003" of order "2" in the shipment priority master 106aa. Then, based on the ascending / descending order classification "0: Ascending" in the shipment priority master 106aa, the identification unit 102c sorts the unsorted records of order numbers "JU003" and "JU005" such that the record of order number "JU005", whose final shipment date is "2024 / 3 / 2" as shown in column ba3 of Figure 12, is placed higher than the record of order number "JU003", whose final shipment date is "2024 / 3 / 4".

[0058] Furthermore, the specific unit 102c sorts each record in the item master 106ab in descending order of the item name "Delivery Date" based on the item ID "K002" and ascending / descending order classification "1: Descending" of the order "3" in the shipping priority master 106aa. However, the specific unit 102c has already sorted all three records in the record group ba10 by sorting processes corresponding to the orders "1" and "2" in the shipping priority master 106aa. In this case, the specific unit 102c may omit the sorting process for the "Delivery Date" shown in column ba0 of the record group ba10, which corresponds to the order "3" in the shipping priority master 106aa. Hereafter, each sorted record in the record group ba10 may be referred to as record ba11, ba12, and ba13, respectively.

[0059] Furthermore, the specific unit 102c performs the same sorting process on the record group ba20. Hereafter, the sorted records in the record group ba20 may be referred to as records ba21 and ba22, respectively.

[0060] Then, the specific unit 102c reflects the number of orders registered in column ba6 of the record groups ba10 and ba20 shown in Figure 12 into the inventory data 106bc shown in Figure 11. Note that in the order data 106ba shown in Figure 10, the order status of all records is "shipping undecided," so the "number of orders (shipping undecided)" in the inventory data 106bc is updated, but the "number of orders (shipping available)" is not updated.

[0061] In this case, the inventory data 106bc is updated as shown in Figure 12. For example, as shown in Figure 12, the "Number of Orders (Shipment Undetermined)" column bc6 of record bc11 in inventory data 106bc is registered with the total of "60 units" shown in column ba6 of the records corresponding to warehouse "East Warehouse" and product "Product A" in order data 106ba. Also, the "Number of Orders (Shipment Undetermined)" column bc6 of record bc12 is registered with the total of "30 units" shown in column ba6 of the records corresponding to warehouse "West Warehouse" and product "Product B" in order data 106ba.

[0062] Furthermore, the specific unit 102c updates the number of items available for shipment. For example, in record bc11 of inventory data 106bc, "40 items" is registered in "Number of items available for shipment (all)" shown in column bc7, which is the current inventory of "100 items" minus the number of orders (undecided shipment status) of "60 items". Similarly, in record bc12, "-10 items" is registered in "Number of items available for shipment (all)" shown in column bc7, which is the current inventory of "20 items" minus the number of orders (undecided shipment status) of "30 items". Note that at this stage, there are no records in order data 106ba with an order status of "Available for shipment", and the "Number of orders (Available for shipment)" for each record in inventory data 106bc is "0 items", so no inventory shortage processing is performed.

[0063] Next, in the order inquiry process, the identification unit 102c updates the order status of records in the order data 106ba that meet the conditions to "ready to ship". For example, the identification unit 102c compares the number of orders shown in column ba6 of each record in the sorted record groups ba10 and ba20 with the number of items that can be shipped in the inventory data 106bc corresponding to the warehouse and product in each record group ba10 and ba20. Then, if the number of items that can be shipped is greater than or equal to the number of orders, the identification unit 102c changes the order status of the record in the order data 106ba to "ready to ship" and updates the inventory data 106bc. The number of items that can be shipped used in this determination is, for example, the "number of items that can be shipped (ready to ship only)" shown in column bc8 of Figure 12.

[0064] In the state shown in Figure 12, the identification unit 102c first compares the number of orders shown in column ba6 of record ba11, which is the first record in the record group ba10, with the number of items that can be shipped, shown in column bc8 in Figure 12. Then, since the number of items that can be shipped, "100 units," is greater than or equal to the number of orders, "30 units," the identification unit 102c changes the order status shown in column ba9 of record ba11 to "ready to ship," as shown in Figure 13, and updates the number of orders shown in columns bc6 and bc9 of the inventory data 106bc. Figure 13 is a diagram showing an example of the process of updating the number of orders in the inventory data 106bc according to this embodiment. Note that in Figures 13 and later, the "warehouse" and "product" columns of the record groups ba10 and ba20 may be omitted from the illustration.

[0065] Furthermore, the specific unit 102c subtracts "30 units" from the "undecided shipment status" shown in column bc6 of the order quantity in record bc12 of inventory data 106bc, and adds "30 units" to the "ready to ship" status shown in column bc9. In this case, the "ready to ship (total)" shown in column bc7 remains unchanged.

[0066] Similarly, the specific unit 102c compares the number of orders and the available quantity for the first record in the record group ba20, order number "JU002". As a result, it changes the order status of record ba21 to "available for shipment" and updates the available quantity for record bc12 in the inventory data 106bc.

[0067] As shown in Figure 14, the specific unit 102c performs the same processing on the second and third records ba12 and ba13 of the record group ba10. Figure 14 is a diagram showing another example of the process of updating the number of orders in the inventory data 106bc according to the embodiment. As a result, the specific unit 102c changes the order status of records ba12 and ba13 to "ready to ship" and updates the number of items that can be shipped in record bc11 of the inventory data 106bc.

[0068] On the other hand, the identification unit 102c compares the number of orders in the second record ba22 of the record group ba20 with the number of items available for shipment in record bc12, and determines that the number of items available for shipment, "10" shown in column bc8, is less than the number of orders, "20" shown in column ba6. In this case, the identification unit 102c does not change the order status of record ba22 from "undecided shipment status," nor does it update the number of items available for shipment in record bc12. In other words, the identification unit 102c identifies which of the multiple order records should be changed to a "available for shipment" status based on conditions including information about the shipment date. At that time, the identification unit 102c changes the information about the multiple orders to a "available for shipment" status in order from the earliest date on which the goods related to the order were shipped to the customer related to the order. In this case, the identification unit 102c loops through the sorted order records from top to bottom, as long as the current inventory does not fall below the number of orders.

[0069] As a result of the above processing, as shown in Figure 14, the specific unit 102c updates the order status of each record in the order data 106ba, excluding the order number "JU004", to "ready to ship" in the shipping adjustment process. The specific unit 102c also updates the inventory data 106bc with the number of orders and the number of items available for shipping, as shown in Figure 14.

[0070] In this case, the specific unit 102c may display the inventory inquiry screen 1000 shown in Figure 15 and the order inquiry screen 2000 shown in Figure 16 on the output device 114 or terminal device 200 based on the updated order data 106ba and the updated inventory data 106bc. Figure 15 is a diagram showing an example of the inventory inquiry screen 1000 according to the embodiment, and Figure 16 is a diagram showing an example of the order inquiry screen 2000 according to the embodiment. In Figures 15 and 16, the results of processing are shown for records ba11 to ba13, as well as ba21 and ba22, among the records of the order data 106ba, where the order date is "2024 / 3 / 1".

[0071] As described above, in this embodiment, the order management device 100 has a first acquisition unit 102a, a second acquisition unit 102b, and a specification unit 102c. The first acquisition unit 102a acquires multiple pieces of order information, including customer and product information. The second acquisition unit 102b acquires information on the shipping date corresponding to the order information. The specification unit 102c identifies which of the multiple pieces of order information should be changed to a shippable state based on conditions including the shipping date information. With this configuration, past shipping status can be taken into consideration when allocating inventory for orders, so more appropriate shipping adjustments can be made. In addition, it is possible to suppress deterioration of the supply balance while reducing human error and the burden on the person in charge.

[0072] Furthermore, as shown in column 2100 of the order inquiry screen 2000 in Figure 16, the order inquiry screen 2000 in this embodiment may include a "Ready to Ship" checkbox. In this case, for example, when a user (not shown) operating an output device 114 or terminal device 200 operates the checkbox 2140 shown in column 2100 as shown in Figure 17, the receiving unit 102d may update the order status. Figure 17 is a diagram showing an example of the order inquiry screen 2000 after a user has operated on the checkbox. Note that, as shown in the processing mode selection unit 2200 in Figure 17, the "Ready to Ship" checkbox may only be changeable when the processing mode is switched from "Inquiry" to "Change Order Status".

[0073] In Figure 17, when the reception unit 102d detects that the user has operated the checkbox 2140 for record 2040 with order number "JU004", it updates the order status of that record from "shipment undecided" to "shipment possible", as shown in column 2900. In other words, the reception unit 102d accepts the selection of information regarding orders that have not been changed to the shipment possible status by the identification unit 102c, and changes the information regarding the selected orders to the shipment possible status. With this configuration, the results of the shipment adjustment process by the identification unit 102c can be arbitrarily changed.

[0074] If the order status is changed by the receiving unit 102d, the receiving unit 102d may perform inventory shortage processing based on the changed order status. In inventory shortage processing, the receiving unit 102d determines, for example, whether the "Number of Orders (Available for Shipment Only)" becomes less than 0 when the number of orders for records that have been changed from an undetermined shipment status to a ready-to-ship status in the order data 106ba is added to the "Number of Orders (Available for Shipment)" in the inventory data 106bc.

[0075] First, the reception unit 102d updates the number of orders (ready to ship) for record bc12 of the inventory data 106bc shown in Figure 14 to "30 units". In this case, the number of units that can be shipped (ready to ship only) for record bc12, calculated by formula (1), becomes "-10 units". In this case, the reception unit 102d determines that an inventory shortage has occurred.

[0076] In this state, the reception unit 102d may output an error list 3000, such as the one shown in Figure 18, to the terminal device 200 or the like. Figure 18 is a diagram showing an example of an error list 3000 according to the embodiment. As shown in Figure 18, the error list 3000 includes a column 3900 of the order status of the record group ba20 that matches the inventory key (warehouse, product) from the order data 106ba, and an error message 3200. Note that the error list 3000 is an example of a quantity that indicates an excess of the available quantity for shipment.

[0077] The error list 3000 includes not only the modified record 3040 in Figure 17, but also other records 3020 with the same warehouse and product. This allows the user to see which order should be changed from ready to ship to undetermined to ship when they want to ship the order corresponding to record 3040.

[0078] In this case, the reception unit 102d may, for example, accept the operation of button 3400 to redisplay the order inquiry screen 2000 shown in Figure 17 and accept the change in the order status, or it may accept the selection of records to be changed to "shipment undecided" on the error list 3000 using the checkbox 3100.

[0079] In this case, the reception unit 102d may accept an operation to change the status of records other than the record selected in Figure 17 from "ready to ship" to "undetermined to ship," as shown in Figure 19 or Figure 20. Figure 19 is a diagram showing another example of the order inquiry screen 2000 that has accepted a change operation according to the embodiment, and Figure 20 is a diagram showing an example of the error list 3000 that has accepted a change operation according to the embodiment. In Figure 19, instead of the record 2040 selected in Figure 17, an operation to uncheck the checkbox 2120 of record 2020, which was set to "ready to ship" in the process shown in Figure 13, is accepted. In this case, as shown in column 2900, the order status of record 2020 is updated from "ready to ship" to "undetermined to ship." Similarly in Figure 20, instead of the checkbox 3140 of record 2020, an operation to uncheck the checkbox 3120 of record 2020 is accepted. As a result, the order status of record 3020 shown in column 3900 is updated, and the "Available for Shipment (Available for Shipment Status Only)" shown in column 3300, which indicates inventory data, is also updated to "0". In this state, the error message 3200 shown in Figure 18 is not displayed.

[0080] [3. Contribution to the United Nations-led Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)] This embodiment can contribute to improving operational efficiency and promoting appropriate management decisions within companies, thereby enabling contributions to SDGs Goals 8 and 9.

[0081] Furthermore, this embodiment can contribute to reducing waste and promoting paperless and digital processes, thereby contributing to SDGs Goals 12, 13, and 15.

[0082] Furthermore, this embodiment can contribute to strengthening control and governance, thereby enabling contributions to SDG Goal 16.

[0083] [4. Other Embodiments] In addition to the embodiments described above, the present invention may be implemented in various different embodiments within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims.

[0084] For example, among the processes described in the embodiments, all or part of the processes described as being performed automatically can be performed manually, or all or part of the processes described as being performed manually can be performed automatically by known methods.

[0085] Furthermore, the processing procedures, control procedures, specific names, information including parameters such as registration data and search conditions for each process, screen examples, and database configuration shown in this specification and in the drawings may be changed at will unless otherwise specified.

[0086] Furthermore, with respect to the order management device 100, each component shown in the figure is a functional concept and does not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown. For example, the order information acquisition unit 102a and the shipping information acquisition unit 102b shown in Figure 2 may be executed by a single processing unit, and the process of registering order information and the process of acquiring information on registered orders may be executed by separate processing units.

[0087] For example, the processing functions of the order management device 100, particularly those performed in the control unit, may be implemented entirely or partially by a CPU and a program interpreted and executed by the CPU, or they may be implemented as wired logic hardware. The program is recorded on a non-temporary computer-readable recording medium containing programmed instructions for the information processing device to execute the processing described in this embodiment, and is mechanically read by the order management device 100 as needed. That is, a storage unit such as ROM or HDD (Hard Disk Drive) contains a computer program that works in cooperation with the OS to give instructions to the CPU and perform various processing tasks. This computer program is executed by being loaded into RAM and works in cooperation with the CPU to constitute the control unit.

[0088] Furthermore, this computer program may be stored on an application program server connected to the order management device 100 via any network, and it is possible to download all or part of it as needed.

[0089] Furthermore, the program for executing the processing described in this embodiment may be stored on a non-temporary computer-readable recording medium, or it may be configured as a program product. Here, "recording medium" includes any "portable physical 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.

[0090] Furthermore, "program" refers to a data processing method described in any language or writing method, regardless of its format, such as source code or binary code. Note that "program" is not necessarily limited to a single, monolithic structure; it also includes distributed structures consisting of multiple modules or libraries, and those that work in cooperation with other programs, such as an operating system, to achieve their functions. Regarding the specific configuration and reading procedures for reading the recording medium in each device shown in the embodiments, as well as the installation procedures after reading, well-known configurations and procedures can be used.

[0091] The various databases stored in the memory unit are memory devices such as RAM and ROM, fixed disk devices such as hard disks, flexible disks, and optical disks, and store various programs, tables, databases, and web page files used for various processes and website provision.

[0092] Furthermore, the order management device 100 may be configured as a known personal computer or workstation or other information processing device, or as an information processing device to which any peripheral devices are connected. Alternatively, the order management device 100 may be implemented by installing software (including programs or data, etc.) that realizes the processing described in this embodiment on the device.

[0093] 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 and integrating them in any unit according to various additions or functional loads. In other words, the embodiments described above may be implemented in any combination, or the embodiments may be implemented selectively. [Industrial applicability]

[0094] This invention is useful in industries where limited shipments are likely to occur, such as pharmaceutical manufacturing and food manufacturing. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0095] 1. Order Management System 100 Order Management System 102 Control Unit 102a Order Information Acquisition Department 102b Shipping Information Acquisition Unit 102c Specific part 102d Reception Department 104 Communication Interface Section 106 Storage section 106a Master Storage Unit 106aa Shipping Priority Master 106ab Item Master 106ac Customer Master 106ad Customer Group Master 106b Data storage unit 106ba Order Data 106bb Shipping Data 106bc Inventory Data 108 Input / Output Interface Section 112 mice 112-key keyboard 112 Input device 114 Output device 114 Monitors 200 terminal devices 300 Networks 1000 Inventory Inquiry Screen 2000 Order Inquiry Screen 3000 Error List

Claims

1. A first acquisition unit that acquires multiple pieces of order-related information, including customer and product information, A second acquisition unit acquires information regarding the shipping date corresponding to the information regarding the order, A selection unit that identifies which of the multiple order information items will be changed to a ready-to-ship status based on conditions including information regarding the shipping date, An order management system equipped with the following features.

2. The order management device according to claim 1, wherein the specified unit changes the status of the information relating to a plurality of orders to a ready-to-ship state in order from the earliest date on which the goods relating to that order were last shipped to the customer relating to that order.

3. The order management device according to claim 1, wherein the specified unit changes the status of the order with the latest delivery date among the information on multiple orders to a ready-to-ship state.

4. The system includes a receiving unit that accepts the selection of information regarding the order that was not changed to a shippable state by the specified unit, The receiving unit changes the information regarding the order for which the selection has been received to a state ready for shipment. The order management device according to claim 1.

5. The order management device according to claim 4, which outputs information indicating an excess of the available quantity when it is determined that the quantity corresponding to the information regarding the order that has been changed to a ready-to-ship state exceeds the available quantity.

6. The order management device according to claim 5, wherein the information indicating an excess of the available quantity for shipment includes information regarding orders that have been changed to a shippable state by the identification unit and information regarding orders that have been changed to a shippable state by the receiving unit.

7. An order management method performed by an order management device equipped with a control unit, The control unit, Steps include obtaining multiple pieces of order-related information, including customer and product information, The steps include obtaining information regarding the shipping date corresponding to the information regarding the order, A step of identifying which of the information regarding multiple orders will be changed to a ready-to-ship status based on conditions including information regarding the shipping date, An order management method characterized by performing the following actions.

8. An order management program to be executed on an order management device equipped with a control unit, The control unit, Steps include obtaining multiple pieces of order-related information, including customer and product information, The steps include obtaining information regarding the shipping date corresponding to the information regarding the order, A step of identifying which of the information regarding multiple orders will be changed to a ready-to-ship status based on conditions including information regarding the shipping date, An order management program characterized by its ability to execute certain actions.

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