Production control equipment and production control method

Abstract

To improve the stability of the supply of steel products. [Solution] The recognition unit recognizes the pickup of the first steel product at the customer. The input control unit, triggered by the recognition of the pickup, decides to start production of the second steel product at the customer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a production management apparatus and a production management method for steel products.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in order to prepare a production schedule for steel products, a hearing is conducted with customers about the scheduled usage time of steel products, and a production schedule is prepared from the hearing results. Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for estimating the inventory quantity from the sales quantity data of products acquired from the POS terminals of retailers.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, due to customer circumstances, there are cases where, even if there is a scheduled usage at the time of the hearing, the time cannot be presented, or the scheduled usage time is approaching closely at the time of the hearing, making it difficult to appropriately prepare a production schedule. Also, since the scheduled usage time obtained from the hearing is only a prediction, there is a high possibility of fluctuations. An object of the present invention is to provide a production management apparatus and a production management method that can enhance the stability of the supply of steel products.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] [1] The production management apparatus includes a recognition unit that recognizes the withdrawal of a first steel product by a customer, and an input control unit that determines the start of production of a second steel product of the customer using the recognition of the withdrawal as a trigger.

[0006] [2] In the production management device described in [1] above, the input control unit may, upon deciding to start production, determine the input quantity of the second steel product based on the past purchase volume records of the first steel product at the customer, and issue a production instruction to the production site for the second steel product at the input quantity.

[0007] [3] In the production management device described in [2] above, the input control unit may set a standard inventory quantity based on the amount of the first steel product taken by the customer within a predetermined period, and issue the production instruction to the production site if the current inventory quantity falls below the standard inventory quantity.

[0008] [4] In the production management device described in [2] or [3] above, the input control unit may, upon deciding to start production, issue the production instruction to the production site at a predetermined timing.

[0009] [5] In any of the production control devices described in [1] to [4] above, at least a portion of the types and dimensions of the first steel product and the second steel product may be the same.

[0010] [6] In any of the production control devices described in [1] to [5] above, the second steel product may be an intermediate product of the first steel product.

[0011] [7] The production management method includes the steps of recognizing the purchase of a first steel product by a customer, and determining the start of production of a second steel product by the customer, triggered by the recognition of the purchase.

[0012] [8] The production management method described in [7] above includes the steps of: deciding to start production of the first steel product, determining the input amount of the second steel product based on past purchase volume records at the customer; and giving production instructions to the production site for the second steel product at the input amount.

[0013] [9] The production management method described in [8] above includes the step of setting a standard inventory quantity based on the amount of the first steel product taken by the customer within a predetermined period, and in the step of issuing a production instruction, if the current inventory quantity falls below the standard inventory quantity, the production instruction is issued to the production site.

[0014]

[10] In the production management method described in [8] above, the step of issuing the production instruction is to issue the production instruction to the production site at a predetermined timing after the decision to start production has been made.

[0015]

[11] In any of the production control methods described in [7] to

[10] above, at least a portion of the types and dimensions of the first steel product and the second steel product are the same.

[0016]

[12] In any of the production control methods described in [7] to

[10] above, the second steel product is an intermediate product of the first steel product. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the above embodiment, the production management device can improve the stability of the supply of steel products. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0018] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the production management system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a schematic block diagram showing the software configuration of the production management device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a sequence diagram showing an example of the production management flow using the production management system 1 according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a flowchart (Part 1) showing the input process to a production site by the production management device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart (Part 2) showing the input process to the production site by the production management device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6]It is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of a computer according to at least one embodiment.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] 〈First Embodiment〉 《Configuration of Production Management System 1》 Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a production management system 1 according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 1, the dashed arrow a1 represents the data flow, and the solid arrow a2 represents the product flow. Steel products are produced at a production base M such as a steelworks. The produced steel products are delivered from the production base M to a distribution base D such as a coil center. The steel products are subjected to subsequent processes (such as cutting) of the steel products as necessary at the distribution base D and supplied to the customer C.

[0020] The production management system 1 includes a production management device 10 for managing the production of steel products, a production base terminal 30 provided for each production base M, a distribution base terminal 50 provided for each distribution base D, and a sales terminal 70 held by a salesperson who receives a production request for steel products from the customer C.

[0021] The production management device 10 gives an instruction for the production of steel products to the production base M. The production base terminal 30 manages the production schedule, inventory status, and shipping status of steel products at the production base M. The distribution base terminal 50 manages the inventory status and shipping status of steel products at the distribution base D. The sales terminal 70 transmits request information for instructing the production management device 10 about the type, quantity to be taken, and taking date of the steel products requested by the customer C. Here, the shipment of steel products means delivering the steel products that have completed inspection and packaging to the customer C or the distribution base D. The inventory of steel products means storing the steel products that have completed inspection and packaging and are ready for shipment in a warehouse or the like at the production base M.

[0022] In the first embodiment, the production management system 1 determines the start of production of the same type of steel product (second steel product) at production site M, triggered by the delivery of the steel product (first steel product) from production site M to distribution site D or customer C. This allows production site M to create a production plan for the steel product even before the planned use date at customer C is determined. In other embodiments, the production management system 1 may determine the start of production of the steel product, triggered by the delivery of the steel product from distribution site D to customer C. Furthermore, the production management system 1 according to the first embodiment modifies the production plan based on the planned usage period when that period is determined. By creating a production plan in advance, the production management system 1 can modify the production plan with sufficient leeway. Note that other embodiments are not limited to this, and the modification of the production plan does not necessarily have to be done by the production management system 1.

[0023] Configuration of Production Control Device 10 Figure 2 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the production control device 10 according to the first embodiment. The production management device 10 includes a recognition unit 11, an input control unit 12, a schedule notification unit 13, a request reception unit 14, a storage unit 15, and an inventory management unit 16.

[0024] The recognition unit 11 receives steel product pickup information (actual pickup information and planned pickup information) from the production site terminal 30 and recognizes the pickup of steel products by customer C. The pickup information includes the identification information of customer C, the identification information of the production site M, a specification code indicating the specifications of the steel product (type, steel grade, dimensions, etc.), the pickup quantity, and the pickup date. The recognition unit 11 records the received pickup information in the storage unit 15.

[0025] When the recognition unit 11 recognizes a withdrawal, the input control unit 12 decides to produce steel products for the withdrawing customer C and sends a production start instruction for the steel products to the production base terminal 30. Hereinafter, instructing the production base M to start production of steel products is also referred to as inputting steel products. The production start instruction includes input information. Input information is information that associates the customer ID that identifies customer C, the production base ID that identifies production base M, the specification code, the input quantity, the preparation completion date, and the scheduled shipping date. The input quantity is determined based on the amount of steel products withdrawn. Production base M determines the production quantity of steel products in consideration of the input quantity instructed by the production management device 10 and the projected inventory quantity at production base M. Therefore, the input quantity and the production quantity do not necessarily coincide. Here, projected inventory quantity refers to the sum of the amount of steel products in stock at production base M and the amount of steel products that are in production and will be ready for shipment by the scheduled shipping date. The preparation completion date and the scheduled shipping date are determined from the standard lead time at production base M. Furthermore, the input information is assigned an input ID to uniquely identify the production start instruction. The input control unit 12 records the input information in the storage unit 15. The input control unit 12 determines whether or not to input steel products and the amount to input for each combination of customer, production site, and steel product specifications. Hereinafter, each combination of customer, production site, and steel product specifications will be referred to as an input unit.

[0026] The schedule notification unit 13 notifies the sales terminal 70 of steel product input information. The input information includes the input ID, steel product specifications, production volume, and planned shipping date. This allows the sales representative to inquire with customer C about the planned timing of steel product use based on the input information. Alternatively, the schedule notification unit 13 may notify customer C directly of the input information by sending an email to customer C's email address, for example, instead of to the sales representative's sales terminal 70. This allows customer C to be aware of the production schedule before placing a formal order for steel products.

[0027] The request reception unit 14 receives the customer C's desired pickup date for steel products from the sales terminal 70. The request reception unit 14 receives input of the planned usage period by specifying the input ID from the sales representative who has interviewed customer C about the planned usage period. In other embodiments, the request reception unit 14 may receive access from the sales terminal 70 via a web browser and receive input of the planned usage period by specifying the input ID. Also, in other embodiments, the production management device 10 does not need to receive input of the planned usage period. In other words, the production management device 10 according to other embodiments does not need to have a request reception unit 14.

[0028] The inventory management unit 16 calculates the estimated inventory quantity for each input unit based on the withdrawal information received by the recognition unit 11 and the input information transmitted by the input control unit 12. Specifically, for each input unit, the inventory management unit 16 calculates the estimated inventory quantity by subtracting the withdrawal quantity from the sum of the input quantities. The inventory management unit 16 may also update the estimated inventory quantity by receiving the latest inventory quantity and work-in-progress quantity from the production site terminal 30.

[0029] Operation of Production Control Device 10 Figure 3 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the production management flow by the production management system 1 according to the first embodiment. When customer C takes delivery of steel products at production site M (event E1), production site terminal 30 transmits delivery information to production management device 10 (event E2), and updates the shipping status and inventory status managed in the internal database (event E3). For example, production site terminal 30 transmits delivery information to production management device 10 when issuing a receipt to customer C. The recognition unit 11 of production management device 10 receives the delivery information from production site terminal 30. As a result, the recognition unit 11 recognizes that customer C has taken delivery of steel products (event E4). The recognition unit 11 records the received delivery information in storage unit 15. The input control unit 12 of production management device 10 decides to start production of steel products triggered by the recognition of the steel product delivery (event E5).

[0030] After the decision to start production is made, the production management device 10 determines the amount of steel products to be input at regular input cycles (for example, once a week) (event E6) and processes the input of steel products to the production site M (event E7). Hereinafter, the day on which the input process is performed will be referred to as the input day. At this time, the production management device 10 grasps the amount of steel products taken by customer C in real time and automatically calculates the input amount based on the amount of steel products taken by customer C in the past.

[0031] The production base terminal 30 creates a production plan for steel products in accordance with the production start instruction received from the production management device 10 (event E8). Based on the created production plan, the production base terminal 30 notifies the production management device 10 of the quantity of steel products to be produced (event E9). Subsequently, production of steel products is carried out at production base M according to the production plan (event E10), and the production base terminal 30 updates the inventory status of steel products (event E11).

[0032] On the other hand, when the production management device 10's schedule notification unit 13 receives notification of the steel product production volume from the production site terminal 30 in event E9, it notifies the sales terminal 70 of the steel product input information, including the steel product specifications, production volume, and scheduled shipping date (event E12). This allows the production management device 10 to notify customer C of the next pickup date.

[0033] The following describes in detail the processing performed by the production management device 10 in the production management flow shown in Figure 3. Figure 4 is a flowchart (Part 1) showing the input process to the production site M by the production management device 10 according to the first embodiment. Figure 5 is a flowchart (Part 2) showing the input process to the production site M by the production management device 10 according to the first embodiment. The input control unit 12 of the production management device 10 reads multiple withdrawal information belonging to the target period from the previous input date to the current input date from the storage unit 15 (step S1). The input control unit 12 selects one combination of customer ID, production site ID, and usage code (input unit) related to the read withdrawal information (step S2), and then executes the following processes from steps S3 to S15.

[0034] First, the input control unit 12 calculates the total amount of withdrawals during the target period from the group of withdrawal information related to the input unit selected in step S2, out of the multiple withdrawal information read in step S1 (step S3).

[0035] The input control unit 12 reads from the storage unit 15 multiple withdrawal information related to the input unit selected in step S2, which belongs to a comparison period prior to the previous input date (for example, the past three weeks from the previous input date) (step S4). The comparison period shall be an integer multiple of the number of days in the target period. Hereinafter, the target period shall be one week and the comparison period shall be three weeks. For example, the sum of the number of days in the target period and the comparison period may be close to the period required from the start of production of steel products at production site M until they become ready for delivery.

[0036] The input control unit 12 calculates the sum of the withdrawal amounts for each sub-period obtained by dividing the comparison period into input cycles, based on the withdrawal information for the comparison period (step S5). For example, if the comparison period is the past three weeks from the previous input date and the input cycle is once a week, the input control unit 12 calculates the sum of the withdrawal amounts for each week of the comparison period.

[0037] The input control unit 12 determines whether the portion of the multiple portion periods in which steel products were taken out exceeds half of the multiple portion periods (step S6). For example, if the multiple portion periods consist of a first portion period, a second portion period, and a third portion period, and there are records of take-out in the first and third portion periods, but no records of take-out in the second portion period, the input control unit 12 determines that the portion of the multiple portion periods in which steel products were taken out exceeds half (1.5) of the multiple portion periods.

[0038] If the period during which steel products were taken in exceeds half of the multiple partial periods (Step S6: YES), the input control unit 12 sets the amount taken in the target period, determined in Step S3, as the standard inventory quantity used as the criterion for determining whether input is necessary (Step S7). If the period during which steel products were taken in does not exceed half of the multiple partial periods (Step S6: NO), the input control unit 12 sets the value obtained by multiplying the amount taken in the target period, determined in Step S3, by a correction coefficient (for example, 0.75) as the standard inventory quantity used as the criterion for determining whether input is necessary (Step S8). The correction coefficient multiplied by the amount taken in the case where the period during which the steel products were taken does not exceed half is a value greater than 0 and less than 1, determined according to the length of the comparison period.

[0039] The input control unit 12 determines whether the amount withdrawn during the target period is greater than the amount withdrawn during any of the partial periods (step S9). If the amount withdrawn during the target period is greater than the amount withdrawn during any of the partial periods (step S9: YES), the input control unit 12 determines whether the average inventory amount per input cycle, calculated by dividing the expected inventory amount by the period from the start of production of the first steel product related to the expected inventory until the last steel product becomes ready for shipment (e.g., 8 weeks), is less than the standard inventory amount (step S10: YES). If the average inventory amount per input cycle is less than the standard inventory amount, the input control unit 12 sets the input amount for the input unit selected in step S2 to a predetermined multiple (e.g., 1.5 times) of the amount withdrawn during the target period determined in step S3 (step S11). On the other hand, if the average inventory amount per input cycle is equal to or greater than the standard inventory amount (step S10: NO), the input control unit 12 sets the input amount for the input unit selected in step S2 to the same amount as the withdrawal amount for the target period determined in step S3 (step S12).

[0040] If there is a partial period in which the amount taken out exceeds the amount taken out for the target period (Step S9: NO), the input control unit 12 determines whether the average inventory amount per input cycle, obtained by dividing the expected inventory amount by the period from the start of production of the first steel product related to the expected inventory until the last steel product becomes ready for shipment, falls below the standard inventory amount (Step S13). If the average inventory amount per input cycle falls below the standard inventory amount (Step S13: YES), the input control unit 12 determines the input amount for the input unit selected in Step S2 to be the smaller of a predetermined multiple of the difference between the average inventory amount and the standard inventory amount (for example, half) and the standard inventory amount (Step S14). On the other hand, if the average inventory amount per input cycle is equal to or greater than the standard inventory amount (Step S13: NO), the input control unit 12 sets the input amount for the input unit selected in Step S2 to zero (Step S15). In this case, the input control unit 12 does not input for the input unit selected in Step S2.

[0041] The input control unit 12 determines the input amount for each input unit and then transmits a production start instruction including the determined input amount to the production site terminal 30 (step S16). As a result, each production site M updates its steel product production plan based on the production start instruction. The update of the production plan at production site M does not necessarily have to be done immediately after the production start instruction.

[0042] When the production plan is updated, the production site terminal 30 notifies the production site terminal 30 of the preparation completion date and scheduled shipping date determined in the production plan, in relation to the production start instruction sent in step S16. When the input control unit 12 receives the notification of the preparation completion date and scheduled shipping date from the production site terminal 30 (step S17), it updates the input information stored in the storage unit 15 (step S18). The schedule notification unit 13 notifies the sales terminal 70 of the input information with the updated preparation completion date and scheduled shipping date (step S19).

[0043] Subsequently, once the planned usage period by customer C is confirmed, the request reception unit 14 receives request information, including the pickup date and pickup quantity, from the sales terminal 70, associated with the input ID (step S20). The schedule notification unit 13 notifies the production site terminal 30 of the request information (step S21). As a result, each production site M updates its steel product production plan based on the request information.

[0044] "effect" In the production management device 10 according to the first embodiment, upon recognizing the withdrawal of steel products from customer C, this triggers a decision to start production of new steel products for customer C. For customer C, which has regular withdrawals, the withdrawal date and quantity related to the request information are likely to be very similar to the scheduled shipment date and quantity related to the input information. Therefore, the production management system 1 according to the first embodiment can improve the stability of the supply of steel products.

[0045] In the first embodiment, the input control unit 12 of the production management device 10 determines the amount of new steel products to be input based on the past purchase volume of steel products at customer C when it decides to start production. However, in other embodiments, this is not limited to this. For example, in other embodiments, the amount of new steel products to be input may be an amount predetermined by an agreement with customer C, or an amount specified by customer C.

[0046] In the first embodiment, the input control unit 12 of the production management device 10 sets a standard inventory level based on the amount of steel products taken by customer C within a predetermined period, and issues a production instruction when the current inventory level falls below the standard inventory level. However, this is not limited to other embodiments. For example, in other embodiments, the standard inventory level may be set independently of past take-up amounts. Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the input control unit 12 sets the standard inventory level differently depending on whether the partial period with take-ups exceeds half of the total period in step S6 of Figure 4. However, this is not limited to other embodiments. For example, in other embodiments, the input control unit 12 may set the take-up amount for the target period as the standard inventory level regardless of whether there are take-ups in the partial period, without performing the determination in step S6 of Figure 4, or it may set the standard inventory level as a value obtained by multiplying this amount by a correction coefficient (for example, 0.75).

[0047] In the first embodiment, the input control unit 12, upon deciding to start production of steel products, issues a production instruction to the production base M at a predetermined timing (input cycle), but is not limited to this. For example, in the input control unit 12 of another embodiment, when it decides to start production of steel products, it may promptly issue a production instruction to the production base M.

[0048] <Second Embodiment> The production management device 10 according to the first embodiment makes a decision on input based on the actual purchase of steel products by customer C during the target period. In contrast, the production management device 10 according to the second embodiment makes a decision on input based on the projected purchase of steel products during the target period. Specifically, the input control unit 12 of the production management device 10 according to the second embodiment calculates the projected purchase for the target period based on the purchase date and purchase quantity related to the request information received from the sales terminal 70. More specifically, in step S1 of the flowchart shown in Figure 4, the input control unit 12 reads out multiple request information belonging to the target period from the current input date to the next input date. In step S3, the input control unit 12 calculates the sum of the purchase quantities during the target period from the group of request information related to the input unit.

[0049] The production management device 10 according to the second embodiment makes input decisions based on projected take-outs. Therefore, according to the production management device 10 according to the second embodiment, the production base M can create a production plan for steel products earlier compared to when decisions are made based on actual take-outs.

[0050] <Third Embodiment> The production management device 10 according to the first embodiment makes a decision on input based on the actual purchase record of steel products by customer C during the target period. In contrast, the production management device 10 according to the third embodiment makes a decision on input based on the actual purchase record of steel products in the past, including the target period. Specifically, the input control unit 12 of the production management device 10 according to the third embodiment determines the standard inventory quantity based on the expected purchases for the target period, using the average purchase quantity or the maximum purchase quantity over a predetermined past period (for example, one year).

[0051] According to the production management device 10 of the third embodiment, the production base M can reduce the likelihood of inventory shortages compared to when decisions are made based on actual withdrawal records.

[0052] <Other Embodiments> Although one embodiment has been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to that described above, and various design changes are possible. In other embodiments, the order of the above-described processes may be changed as appropriate. Also, some processes may be executed in parallel.

[0053] The production management device 10 according to the above embodiment may be composed of a single computer, or the configuration of the production management device 10 may be divided among multiple computers, and the multiple computers may cooperate with each other to function as the production management device 10. In this case, some of the computers that make up the production management device 10 may be mounted on the production management device 10 or the sales terminal 70.

[0054] The production management system 1 according to the above embodiment includes a production management device 10, a production base terminal 30, a distribution base terminal 50, and a sales terminal 70, but is not limited thereto. For example, in other embodiments, the production management system 1 may be a standalone device without various terminals. In this case, the production management system 1 may include input / output devices such as a keyboard, display, and touch panel, and may output production start instructions or receive request information via these input / output devices. Furthermore, the production management device 10 may be a web server that accepts access from terminals and exchanges information via web pages.

[0055] The production management system 1 according to the above embodiment determines input for each input unit based on a combination of customer, production site, and steel product specifications, but is not limited to this. In other embodiments of the production management system 1, steel products that share some common characteristics or dimensions may be grouped together and handled as a single input unit. For example, the production management system 1 may handle steel products with the same plate thickness and material as a single input unit. In other embodiments, the production management system 1 may determine the input unit based on intermediate steel products (billets, blooms, slabs, etc.). In other embodiments, the input unit may be a combination of customer, production site, and intermediate product specifications. At production site M, steel products that share some common specifications are often produced in the same lot, and by grouping steel products that share some common characteristics or dimensions into a single input unit, or by determining the input unit based on intermediate products, it is possible to facilitate the planning of production at production site M.

[0056] The recognition unit 11 receives steel product pickup information (actual pickup information and planned pickup information) from the production site terminal 30 and recognizes the pickup of steel products by customer C. The pickup information includes the identification information of customer C, the identification information of the production site M, a specification code indicating the specifications of the steel product (type, steel grade, dimensions, etc.), the pickup quantity, and the pickup date. The recognition unit 11 records the received pickup information in the storage unit 15.

[0057] In at least one of the embodiments described above, the recognition unit 11 recognizes the purchase of steel products at customer C. This includes recognizing information regarding the purchase history, such as the issuance of receipts, and recognizing confirmed future purchase schedules. The input control unit 12, triggered by the recognition of the purchase, decides to start production of steel products. The decision to start production includes deciding to input steel products immediately and to input steel products at the next input timing. The input control unit issues a production instruction if the current inventory level falls below the standard inventory level. This inventory level includes the actual inventory level and the projected inventory level, which is the sum of the actual inventory level and the amount of steel products in production that will be ready for shipment by the scheduled shipping date (future inventory level).

[0058] Figure 6 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of a computer according to at least one embodiment. The computer 90 includes a processor 91, main memory 92, storage 93, and an interface 94. The production management device 10 described above is implemented in the computer 90. The operation of each processing unit described above is stored in storage 93 in the form of a program. The processor 91 reads the program from storage 93, loads it into main memory 92, and executes the above processing according to the program. The processor 91 also allocates memory areas in main memory 92 corresponding to each of the above-mentioned storage units according to the program. Examples of the processor 91 include a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), and a microprocessor.

[0059] The program may be for implementing some of the functions that the computer 90 is to perform. For example, the program may perform functions in combination with other programs already stored in storage, or in combination with other programs implemented on other devices. In other embodiments, the computer 90 may include a custom LSI (Large Scale Integrated Circuit) such as a PLD (Programmable Logic Device) in addition to, or instead of, the above configuration. Examples of PLDs include PAL (Programmable Array Logic), GAL (Generic Array Logic), CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device), and FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). In this case, some or all of the functions implemented by the processor 91 may be implemented by the integrated circuit. Such an integrated circuit is also included as an example of a processor. In other embodiments, the computer 90 may be virtualized on one or more computers.

[0060] Examples of storage 93 include magnetic disks, magneto-optical disks, optical disks, and semiconductor memory. Storage 93 may be an internal medium directly connected to the bus of the computer 90, or it may be an external medium connected to the computer 90 via an interface 94 or a communication line. Furthermore, if this program is delivered to the computer 90 via a communication line, the computer 90 that receives the delivery may load the program into the main memory 92 and execute the above processing. In at least one embodiment, storage 93 is a tangible storage medium that is not temporary.

[0061] Furthermore, the program may be intended to implement some of the functions described above. In addition, the program may be a so-called differential file (differential program) that implements the functions described above in combination with other programs already stored in storage 93. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 1…Production management system 10…Production management device 11…Recognition unit 12…Input control unit 13…Schedule notification unit 14…Request reception unit 15…Storage unit 16…Inventory management unit 30…Production base terminal 50…Distribution base terminal 70…Sales terminal 90…Computer 91…Processor 92…Main memory 93…Storage 94…Interface C…Customer D…Distribution base M…Production base

Claims

1. A recognition unit that recognizes the first steel product taken in by the customer, A power input control unit, triggered by the recognition of the aforementioned take-out, determines the start of production of the customer's second steel product, A production control device equipped with the following features.

2. When the input control unit decides to start production, it determines the amount of the second steel product to be input based on the past purchase volume of the first steel product at the customer, and issues a production instruction to the production site for the second steel product at the determined input amount. The production control apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The input control unit sets a standard inventory level based on the amount of the first steel product taken by the customer within a predetermined period, and if the current inventory level falls below the standard inventory level, it issues the production instruction to the production site. The production control apparatus according to claim 2.

4. When the input control unit decides to start production, it issues the production instruction to the production site at a predetermined timing. The production control apparatus according to claim 2.

5. The first steel product and the second steel product have at least some of the same type and dimensions. A production control apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The second steel product is an intermediate product of the first steel product. A production control apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

7. Steps include recognizing the first steel product taken in by the customer, The steps include: triggering the recognition of the aforementioned purchase to decide on the start of production of the customer's second steel product; A production management method having the following characteristics.

8. The steps include determining the amount of the second steel product to be input based on the past purchase volume records of the customer, once the decision to start production of the first steel product has been made, The steps include: giving production instructions to the production site for the second steel product using the aforementioned input quantity; A production control method according to claim 7, having the following characteristics.

9. The step of setting a standard inventory quantity based on the amount of the first steel product taken out by the customer within a predetermined period, In the step of issuing the production instruction, if the current inventory level falls below the standard inventory level, the production instruction is issued to the production site. The production control method according to claim 8.

10. In the step of issuing the production instruction, the production instruction is issued to the production site at a predetermined timing after the decision to start production has been made. The production control method according to claim 8.

11. The first steel product and the second steel product have at least some of the same type and dimensions. A production control method according to any one of claims 7 to 10.

12. The second steel product is an intermediate product of the first steel product. A production control method according to any one of claims 7 to 10.

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