Information processing systems, information processing methods, and programs

Abstract

To enable the collection of ESG-related data. [Solution] An information processing system comprising: a report information storage unit that stores data items necessary for creating a report in association with the types of reports related to ESG; a report type input unit that receives input of the type of report to be created; and a data input unit that identifies data items corresponding to the received type from the report information storage unit and receives input of data related to the identified data items.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing system, an information processing method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Scores related to SDGs and ESG are calculated (see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Collection of data required to calculate scores is required.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of such a background, and an object thereof is to provide a technology capable of collecting data related to ESG.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The main invention of the present invention for solving the above problems is an information processing system, comprising: a report information storage unit that stores data items required for creating a report in association with types of reports related to ESG; a report type input unit that receives an input of the type of the report to be created; and a data input unit that specifies the data items corresponding to the received type from the report information storage unit and receives an input of data regarding the specified data items.

[0007] Regarding other problems disclosed in the present application and solutions thereto, they will be clarified by the embodiments of the invention and the drawings.

Effects of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, ESG-related data can be collected. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of the overall configuration of an information processing system. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of the hardware configuration of management server 2. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of the software configuration for management server 2. [Figure 4] This diagram illustrates the operation of management server 2. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] <System Overview> The following describes an information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention. The information processing system of this embodiment supports the creation of reports (including reports containing only a part of an ESG) concerning the environment, social and human rights, and governance (ESG). Examples of ESG reports (hereinafter referred to as ESG reports) include securities reports (sections on sustainability approaches and initiatives) and reports related to the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). The information processing system of this embodiment queries the user for the data necessary to create the items to be included in these reports (hereinafter referred to as report items), and creates the report by creating the content of the report items from the creation data entered by the user.

[0011] Figure 1 shows an example of the overall configuration of an information processing system. The information processing system in this embodiment includes a management server 2. The management server 2 is connected to the user terminal 1 via a communication network. The communication network is, for example, the internet and is constructed using public telephone networks, mobile phone networks, wireless communication channels, Ethernet (registered trademark), etc.

[0012] User terminal 1 is a computer operated by the user. User terminal 1 can be, for example, a smartphone, a tablet computer, or a personal computer.

[0013] The management server 2 may be a general-purpose computer such as a workstation or personal computer, or it may be logically implemented through cloud computing.

[0014] <Management Server> Figure 2 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the management server 2. Note that the illustrated configuration is just one example, and other configurations are also possible. The management server 2 includes a CPU 201, memory 202, storage device 203, communication interface 204, input device 205, and output device 206. The storage device 203 stores various data and programs, such as a hard disk drive, solid-state drive, or flash memory. The communication interface 204 is an interface for connecting to a communication network, such as an adapter for connecting to Ethernet®, a modem for connecting to a public telephone network, a wireless communication device for wireless communication, or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) connector or RS232C connector for serial communication. The input device 205 is for inputting data, such as a keyboard, mouse, touch panel, button, or microphone. The output device 206 is for outputting data, such as a display, printer, or speaker. Furthermore, each functional unit of the management server 2, as described later, is realized by the CPU 201 reading programs stored in the storage device 203 into memory 202 and executing them, and each storage unit of the management server 2 is realized as part of the storage area provided by memory 202 and storage device 203.

[0015] Figure 3 shows an example of the software configuration of the management server 2. The management server 2 includes a report information storage unit 231, a report storage unit 232, a report type input unit 211, a data input unit 212, a report creation unit 213, and a report output unit 214.

[0016] <Storage section> The report information storage unit 231 stores information necessary for preparing an ESG report (hereinafter referred to as "report information"). The report information may include data items that indicate reporting items and the data necessary to create the content of the reporting items (content to be included in the report, hereinafter referred to as "report item data"), corresponding to the type of report related to ESG. There may be one or more reporting items. There may be one or more data items necessary to create one reporting item. Data items can be items included in, for example, registration information, personnel data, financial data, etc. There may be one or more data items. Data items may include, for example, detailed personnel data such as "total number of employees," "number of full-time employees," "number of contract employees," and "number of part-time employees" to create reporting item data related to the number of employees, which is a reporting item; environmental data such as "carbon dioxide emissions," "renewable energy usage rate," and "waste recycling rate" to create reporting item data related to environmental measures, which is a reporting item; and governance data such as "composition of the board of directors," "ratio of outside directors," and "disclosure status of executive compensation" to create reporting item data related to governance, which is a reporting item.

[0017] In this embodiment, the report information also includes logic for creating the report item data to be included in the report. The logic defines processing procedures and calculation formulas for creating the report item data from the created data. The logic can be expressed, for example, as a script written in a specific programming language or as instructions for embedding the created data into a report item data template. The report information storage unit 231 can store the logic for creating report items for each report item, depending on the type of report.

[0018] The report information can include information on the format of the ESG report data (hereinafter referred to as report data) (hereinafter referred to as format information). The format information can include the format of the report data (e.g., file format), the order in which the report items are described, the respective positions of the report items, etc.

[0019] The report storage unit 232 stores the report data. The report data may be, for example, data for displaying pages such as PDF files, word processor files, HTML files, etc., or may be data such as CSV files. For each report item, a value for that report item is set in the report data. Examples of report items include the total number of employees, the number of male and female employees, the number of employees by country, the male-female ratio of the management team, the number of leavers, the leaving rate, etc.

[0020] <Functional unit> The report type input unit 211 receives an input of the type of report to be created. The report type input unit 211 can receive information indicating the type of report that the user is trying to create from the user terminal 1. The type of report may be, for example, one expressed in text, or may be identification information (type ID) for identifying the type of report. The report type input unit 211 may, for example, transmit a list of known report types (managed by the report information storage unit 231) to the user terminal 1 and allow the user to select one type from the list.

[0021] The data input unit 212 accepts the input of data (hereinafter referred to as creation data) necessary for creating a report. The data input unit 212 can identify, from the report information storage unit 231, the data items corresponding to the type of report received by the report type input unit 211, and accept the input of creation data for the identified data items. For example, the data input unit 212 creates screen data including information indicating the identified data items and a form for accepting the input of creation data corresponding to the data items, and transmits the screen data to the user terminal 1, and can receive the creation data input into the form from the user terminal 1. For example, the data input unit 212 can accept the designation of the destination where the creation data is managed, and acquire the creation data from the accepted management destination. For example, the data input unit 212 accepts information for identifying accounting data managed by an accounting system, personnel data managed by a personnel system, etc., accesses the accounting system, the personnel system, etc., and can acquire the accounting data, personnel data, etc. identified by the received information as creation data. Note that there may be a plurality of data items corresponding to the type of report. When a plurality of data items corresponding to the type of report are registered in the report information storage unit 213, for the information indicating one data item, a plurality of forms can be set, or a plurality of access destinations can be accessed.

[0022] The report creation unit 213 creates a report. The report creation unit 213 can create report data using the creation data received by the data input unit 212. For example, the report creation unit 213 acquires, from the report information storage unit 231, the report information corresponding to the type of report received by the report type input unit 211, creates report item data for each of the report items included in the acquired report information based on the creation data received by the data input unit 212, and can create report data by describing the created report item data based on the report information included in the report information.

[0023] Furthermore, the report creation unit 213 can create report item data using the logic contained in the report information. For example, the report creation unit 213 can create report item data based on the logic contained in the report information corresponding to the type of report received by the report type input unit 211 and the creation data received by the data input unit 212. The report creation unit 213 can create report item data by obtaining the logic contained in the report information corresponding to the type of report received by the report type input unit 211 from the report information storage unit 231, and inputting the creation data received by the data input unit 212 into the obtained logic and executing it.

[0024] The report output unit 214 outputs the report. The report output unit 214 outputs the report data created by the report creation unit 213. The report output unit 214 can, for example, send the report data to the user terminal 1. The report output unit 214 may also, for example, send the report data to the recipient of the report (for example, a supervisory agency or a private organization). The report output unit 214 can also make the report publicly available via a network. For example, the report can be published on a website or shared on social media.

[0025] <Operation> Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the management server 2.

[0026] The management server 2 receives input from the user regarding the type of report to be created (S301), identifies the data items corresponding to the accepted type (S302), and retrieves the creation data for the identified data items (S303). This allows for efficient retrieval of the data items necessary for creating the report. The management server 2 can also provide the retrieved creation data to the logic to create report item data (S304), and create report data that describes the created report item data (S305).

[0027] As described above, the information processing system of this embodiment allows for the efficient acquisition of necessary creation data according to the type of report to be created. Furthermore, the information processing system of this embodiment allows for the efficient creation of report data based on the creation data.

[0028] Although these embodiments have been described above, they are intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit its interpretation. The present invention can be modified and improved without departing from its spirit, and equivalents thereof are also included.

[0029] For example, the processing performed by each functional unit of the management server 2 described above may be executed by any of the functional units. Furthermore, different functional units may be added to perform some of the processing performed by each of the functional units described above. Also, the functional units of the management server 2 may be distributed across multiple computers.

[0030] Furthermore, the information stored in each memory unit of the management server may be stored in any of the memory units. That is, the information stored in the multiple memory units mentioned above may be stored in a single memory unit, or some of the information stored in one memory unit may be stored in another memory unit.

[0031] <Example 1> In the above embodiment, data items corresponding to the type of report were stored in the report information storage unit 231. In addition, recommended data items that are recommended for each type of report may also be stored in the report information storage unit 231. Recommended data items are data items that are particularly important or generally required for the creation of a report for that type of report. For example, for an environmental report, "carbon dioxide emissions" and "renewable energy usage rate" may be set as recommended data items.

[0032] Furthermore, when the user selects a report type, the report type input unit 211 may retrieve recommended data items corresponding to the selected report type from the report information storage unit 231 and display the retrieved recommended data items on the user terminal 1. Recommended data items can be displayed on the data input screen in a different display manner from the data item input fields (for example, by adding a different color, icon, text, etc.) to allow the user to recognize them as recommended data items. In addition, if the recommended data items are not entered, an alert or a message prompting the user to enter them can be displayed to encourage the user to do so.

[0033] <Modification 2> In the above embodiment, data items corresponding to the type of report were stored in the report information storage unit 231, but instead of this, or in addition to this, the data items may be inferred. In this case, the management server 2 may be equipped with an inference unit that infers data items according to the type of report. The inference unit can, for example, provide a prompt to a large language model that includes the type of ESG report and an instruction indicating the data items necessary to create that type of ESG report, causing it to generate data items. Alternatively, the inference unit can also provide a prompt to a large language model that includes, for example, the reporting items included in the ESG report and an instruction indicating the data items necessary to create each reporting item, causing it to generate data items.

[0034] Furthermore, the system may include a learning model storage unit that stores a learning model created by machine learning using the attributes of the ESG report or reporting items to be created (for example, the reporting agency, the reporting period, and whether the reporting is related to environment, social issues, or governance) and data items as training data. The inference unit may also accept input from the user of the attributes of the ESG report or reporting items to be created and infer data items by providing the received attributes to the learning model.

[0035] <Variation 3> In the above embodiment, the logic for creating report items corresponding to the type of report was stored in the type item correspondence storage unit 231. However, this logic may also use calculation formulas or templates for creating report items. A calculation formula is a mathematical formula for calculating the value of a report item based on the value of a data item. For example, for a report item called "average overtime hours per employee," a calculation formula such as "(total overtime hours ÷ total number of employees)" would be set. On the other hand, a template is a template for the text or graph of a report item, and the content of the report item is completed by filling in the values ​​of the data items in the designated places.

[0036] The report creation unit 213 can automatically calculate the values ​​of report items by substituting the creation data received by the data input unit 212 into the calculation formula included in the logic obtained from the type item correspondence storage unit 231. For example, in the above calculation formula "(total overtime hours ÷ total number of employees)", if the data input unit 212 receives data of "10,000 hours" as "total overtime hours" and "500 people" as "total number of employees", the report creation unit 213 can perform the calculation "10,000 hours ÷ 500 people = 20 hours" and automatically calculate "20 hours" as the value of "average overtime hours per employee".

[0037] Furthermore, the report creation unit 213 can automatically generate the content of report items by embedding the creation data received by the data input unit 212 into predetermined locations in the template included in the logic obtained from the type item correspondence storage unit 231. For example, the template for the report item "Environmental countermeasures" is the sentence "Our company is working on various environmental countermeasures such as {Activity 1}, {Activity 2}, and {Activity 3}," and "{Activity 1}" etc. are the parts that are replaced with data items. If the data input unit 212 receives data such as "EV conversion of company vehicles" as "Activity 1," "Introduction of renewable energy" as "Activity 2," and "Waste recycling" as "Activity 3," the report creation unit 213 can automatically generate the content of the report item "Our company is working on various environmental countermeasures such as EV conversion of company vehicles, introduction of renewable energy, and waste recycling" by replacing "{Activity 1}" in the template with "EV conversion of company vehicles," "{Activity 2}" with "Introduction of renewable energy," and "{Activity 3}" with "Waste recycling."

[0038] <Modification 4> In the above embodiment, the data input unit 212 received input of creation data from the user via the user terminal 1. In addition to this, the data input unit 212 may also be configured to automatically acquire creation data in cooperation with other systems. Other systems include, for example, business systems such as accounting systems, human resources systems, inventory management systems, and customer management systems within a company, as well as specialized systems such as systems for managing environmental data and systems for managing sustainability data.

[0039] The data entry unit 212 identifies other systems that require coordination, depending on the type of report received by the report type input unit 211, and requests the identified systems to provide the necessary data items. For example, if the report type is a "personnel report," the data entry unit 212 requests the personnel system to provide data items such as "number of employees," "average length of service," and "turnover rate." The other system that receives the request sends the data items corresponding to the requested data items to the data entry unit 212 in a predetermined format. The data entry unit 212 then passes the data received from the other system to the report creation unit 213.

[0040] In this modified example, the data input unit 212 may perform data linkage with other systems based on predefined linkage settings. The linkage settings can define connection information (such as URLs and account information) for the linked system, the data items to be linked, and the data format. By pre-defining such linkage settings, it becomes possible to quickly and reliably obtain the necessary data from appropriate other systems depending on the type of report.

[0041] Furthermore, in this modified example, the data input unit 212 may combine data input via the user terminal 1 with the acquisition of creation data from other systems. For example, for creation data that cannot be acquired from other systems (such as data not managed by other systems or data from other systems that is outdated), the system can request input from the user via the user terminal 1, thereby ensuring that all necessary creation data is collected without omission.

[0042] <Modification 5> In the above embodiment, the report data created by the report creation unit 213 was output directly from the report output unit 214. However, in addition to or instead of this, the report data created by the report creation unit 213 may be presented to the user as a draft, and the user may make corrections and approve them.

[0043] For example, the report creation unit 213 sends the created report data along with an approval request to the user terminal 1. The user terminal 1 displays the contents of the report on its screen based on the received report data and provides the user with an editing function to modify the report contents. The user checks the contents of the report on the screen of the user terminal 1 and modifies the contents of the report as needed. Modifications to the report include, for example, editing the contents of report items, adding or deleting report items, and changing the arrangement of report items. After modifying the contents of the report as appropriate, the user confirms the contents of the modified report and sends an approval instruction for the report from the user terminal 1 to the management server 2.

[0044] When the report creation unit 213 of the management server 2 receives an approval instruction for the report from the user terminal 1, it finalizes the report data modified by the user as the final version of the report data. The report creation unit 213 then passes the final version of the report data to the report output unit 214. The report output unit 214 outputs the final version of the report based on the final version of the report data.

[0045] If the report data received from user terminal 1 does not include any modifications by the user (i.e., the report created by report creation unit 213 is approved as is), report creation unit 213 finalizes the report data it created as the final version.

[0046] In this modified example, appropriate security measures may be taken when exchanging report data between the management server 2 and the user terminal 1. For example, by applying security measures such as communication encryption, user authentication, access control, and tamper detection, the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the report data can be ensured.

[0047] <Variation 6> In the above embodiment, the report output unit 214 output the created report by methods such as sending it to the user terminal 1, sending it to the recipient, or posting it on a website. In addition to these, the report output unit 214 may also be equipped with a function for efficiently disseminating and sharing the created report.

[0048] For example, the report output unit 214 may have a function to automatically publish the created report to a predetermined website. Specifically, the report output unit 214 transfers the report data to a predetermined web server, converts the report data into a file for publication (e.g., an HTML file or a PDF file) on the web server, and publishes it at a predetermined URL.

[0049] Furthermore, the report output unit 214 can be equipped with a function to automatically notify relevant parties of the created report via email. Specifically, the report output unit 214 automatically creates an email with the report data attached based on a pre-registered list of email addresses and sends it to all relevant parties simultaneously. Examples of potential recipients of the email include company management, IR personnel, sustainability personnel, investors, and auditing firms.

[0050] Furthermore, the report output unit 214 can be equipped with a function to automatically register the created report in a designated internal system. For example, the report output unit 214 can automatically register the report data in internal systems such as a document management system, an electronic approval system, or a project management system.

[0051] In addition, the report output unit 214 can be equipped with a function to automatically post public information of the created report to social media such as SNS and blogs. For example, the report output unit 214 can automatically post the URL of the report to SNS or automatically post a summary of the report as a blog post.

[0052] <Example 7> In the above embodiment, the type item corresponding storage unit 231 stored data items and report items corresponding to the type of report as predefined master data. In addition to this, the type item corresponding storage unit 231 may also store data items and report items actually used in reports created in the past, so that past examples can be referenced when creating the next report.

[0053] Specifically, the report creation unit 213 registers the data items and report items used in the report creation process, along with the type of report, in the type item correspondence storage unit 231.

[0054] Then, when the report creation unit 213 starts the process of creating a new report, it first refers to the type item correspondence storage unit 231 and extracts past cases of the same type of report as the one it is trying to create. The report creation unit 213 can then reuse the data items and reporting items included in the extracted past cases to create the new report.

[0055] For example, the report creation unit 213 can prioritize selecting frequently used data items or data items with a high degree of commonality with other reports from past cases and set them as data items for a new report. Furthermore, the report creation unit 213 can extract standard reporting items (such as headings and chapter outlines) and frequently occurring reporting items (such as business overviews and management policies) from past cases and use them as templates for new reports. In addition, the report creation unit 213 can learn from past cases about excellent disclosure examples and effective expression methods, and use this to improve the quality of new reports.

[0056] Furthermore, the type item corresponding storage unit 231 may also collect and store data items and reporting items used not only in the company's past reports but also in reports of other companies, as examples of past cases.

[0057] Here, when the type-item-corresponding storage unit 231 stores past cases, it is necessary to give sufficient consideration to the protection of personal information and the management of confidential information. For example, the type-item-corresponding storage unit 231 may process past reports by removing personally identifiable information or by masking confidential company information before registering them as past cases.

[0058] <Disclosure Items> Furthermore, this disclosure also includes the following configurations. [Item 1] A report information storage unit that stores data items necessary for creating the report, corresponding to the type of report related to ESG, A report type input unit that accepts input of the type of report to be created, A data input unit identifies the data item corresponding to the received type from the report information storage unit and accepts input of data related to the identified data item, An information processing system characterized by comprising the following features. [Item 2] The information processing system described in item 1, The system includes a report creation unit that creates the report using the identified data. An information processing system characterized by the following. [Item 3] The information processing system described in item 2, The report information storage unit stores one or more data items associated with the type of report, and logic for creating the content of the report items included in the report using the data items. The report creation unit creates the content of the report items based on the identified data and logic. An information processing system characterized by the following. [Item 4] The steps include: storing data items necessary for creating the report in a report information storage unit, corresponding to the type of report related to ESG; A step to accept input for the type of report to be created, The steps include identifying the data item corresponding to the received type from the report information storage unit, and receiving input of data related to the identified data item, An information processing method characterized by a computer executing the following. [Item 5] The steps include: storing data items necessary for creating the report in a report information storage unit, corresponding to the type of report related to ESG; A step to accept input for the type of report to be created, The steps include identifying the data item corresponding to the received type from the report information storage unit, and receiving input of data related to the identified data item, A program that causes a computer to execute something. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 1 User terminal 2 Management Server

Claims

1. A report information storage unit that stores data items necessary for creating the report, corresponding to the type of report related to ESG, A report type input unit that accepts input of the type of report to be created, A data input unit identifies the data item corresponding to the received type from the report information storage unit and accepts input of data related to the identified data item, An information processing system characterized by comprising the following features.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1, The system includes a report creation unit that creates the report using the identified data. An information processing system characterized by the following.

3. The information processing system according to claim 2, The report information storage unit stores one or more data items associated with the type of report, and logic for creating the content of the report items included in the report using the data items. The report creation unit creates the content of the report items based on the identified data and logic. An information processing system characterized by the following.

4. The steps include: storing data items necessary for creating the report in a report information storage unit, corresponding to the type of report related to ESG; A step to accept input for the type of report to be created, The steps include identifying the data item corresponding to the received type from the report information storage unit, and receiving input of data related to the identified data item, An information processing method characterized by a computer executing the following.

5. The steps include: storing data items necessary for creating the report in a report information storage unit, corresponding to the type of report related to ESG; A step to accept input for the type of report to be created, The steps include identifying the data item corresponding to the received type from the report information storage unit, and receiving input of data related to the identified data item, A program that causes a computer to execute something.

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