Production and sales information notification device

Abstract

By enabling production and stocking of each product in response to daily sales conditions, we can prevent lost sales opportunities and waste. [Solution] The system includes a production quantity acquisition means for acquiring the production quantity of a product for the day, a sales quantity acquisition means for acquiring the sales quantity of the product for the day, a production and sales information calculation means for calculating production and sales information of the product based on the production quantity and the sales quantity, and a notification means for notifying the production and sales information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a production and sales information notification device, a production and sales information notification system, and a program that cooperate with a POS or the like used in a supermarket or a general merchandise store to notify production and sales information of products.

Background Art

[0002] In the ready-to-eat food sales area or the like of a retail store such as a supermarket, in order to always provide customers with fresh products, fresh products such as ready-to-eat food and fresh fish that are cooked in the backyard (for example, at the opening time (10:00), 15:00, and 17:00) are manufactured, priced, and stocked on the display shelves several times a day.

[0003] Conventionally, there is known a product sales data management system that cooperates with a POS system and performs reasonable production and out-of-stock processing based on the sales information of products on the same day. (Patent Document 1)

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, the production, the number, and the timing of stocking of fresh products largely rely on intuition based on the user's experience, and long years of experience are required.

[0006] In addition, in the production instructions and stocking instructions by users with little experience, there may be a chance loss where the production quantity is less than the demand, or a waste loss where the production quantity is more than the demand.

[0007] This invention takes the above circumstances into consideration and aims to minimize lost sales opportunities and waste in stores where products are manufactured and stocked in the back room or elsewhere. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] One embodiment of the present invention is a production and sales information notification device having a production quantity acquisition means for acquiring the production quantity of a product for the day, a sales quantity acquisition means for acquiring the sales quantity of the product for the day, a production and sales information calculation means for calculating production and sales information of the product based on the production quantity and the sales quantity, and a notification means for notifying the production and sales information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the above embodiment, production and stocking can be carried out for each product in response to the sales situation on the day, thereby preventing lost sales opportunities and waste. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is an overall configuration diagram of a POS-linked system including a pricing device (sales status notification device) according to one embodiment of the invention. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram of a pricing device according to one embodiment of the invention. [Figure 3] This is a functional block diagram of a pricing device according to one embodiment of the invention. [Figure 4] This is a diagram showing the pricing screen displayed on the display means of a pricing device according to one embodiment of the invention, during the pricing process. [Figure 5] This is a diagram of the production and sales data screen displayed on the display means of a pricing device according to one embodiment of the invention. [Figure 6] This figure shows the items on the production and sales data screen displayed on the display means of a pricing device according to one embodiment of the invention. [Figure 7] This is a diagram of a manufacturing work instruction screen displayed on the display means of a pricing device according to one embodiment of the invention. [Figure 8]It is a diagram of a manufacturing work instruction screen displayed on the display means of the price tagger according to an embodiment of the invention. [Figure 9] It is a diagram of a product registration screen displayed on the display means of the price tagger according to an embodiment of the invention. [Figure 10] It is a diagram of an alert setting screen displayed on the display means of the price tagger according to an embodiment of the invention. [Figure 11] It is a diagram of an alert setting screen displayed on the display means of the price tagger according to an embodiment of the invention. [Figure 12] It is a diagram of a flowchart of a replenishment alert of the price tagger according to an embodiment of the invention. [Figure 13] It is a diagram of a flowchart of a specified time alert of the price tagger according to an embodiment of the invention. [Figure 14] It is a diagram showing an example of an alert display screen displayed on the display means of the price tagger according to an embodiment of the invention. [Figure 15] It is a diagram showing another example of an alert display screen displayed on the display means of the price tagger according to an embodiment of the invention. [Figure 16] It is a diagram showing another example of an alert display screen displayed on the display means of the price tagger according to an embodiment of the invention. [Figure 17] It is a diagram showing another example of an alert display screen displayed on the display means of the price tagger according to an embodiment of the invention. [Figure 18] It is a diagram showing another example of an alert display screen displayed on the display means of the price tagger according to an embodiment of the invention. [Figure 19] It is a diagram showing a 17:00 display number alert screen displayed on the display means of the price tagger according to an embodiment of the invention. [Figure 20] It is a diagram showing an alert setting screen displayed on the display means of the price tagger according to an embodiment of the invention.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The production and sales information notification system equipped with the production and sales information notification device 2 of this embodiment is a registration and sales device for products purchased by customers, and includes a POS system 1 such as a POS terminal 11 and a storage means 12 connected to the POS terminal 11, and one or more price taggers 2 arranged in the backroom of the store or the like, which perform packaging, pricing, etc. on fresh foodstuffs (fresh fish, meat), and a portable terminal 3 carried by a worker for inputting the status of products in the store.

[0012] In this embodiment, the price tagger 2 functions as a production and sales information notification device. Hereafter, the price tagger 2 will be used as an example to explain the production and sales information notification device.

[0013] The POS system 1, the price tagger 2, and the portable terminal 3 are connected via a wireless or wired network. The price tagger 2 acquires information on the sales quantity and display quantity of products from the POS system 1, the portable terminal 3, etc., and manages the production and product shipment of products in the backyard of the store. Note that the POS system 1 may be connected to a server such as a host computer (not shown).

[0014] The POS terminal 11 executes a registration process for registering products purchased by customers, and executes a settlement process based on the information of the registered products. The registration of products is performed, for example, by using an input means such as a scanner to read the barcode attached to the product, or by operating a preset button displayed on the product registration screen of the display means.

[0015] In addition, the POS terminal 11 stores information (hereinafter referred to as "settlement information") used for the settlement process of the registered products in the storage means 12. The settlement information includes settlement information identification information for identifying the settlement information, the JAN code of the registered product, the quantity (sales quantity) of the product, the selling price at the cash register, the sales date and time, the product identification information of the product, the product name of the product, the total amount (total amount) of the products to be purchased, etc.

[0016] The pricing device 2 includes a weighing device for weighing the goods, a weighing label printer for issuing product labels to be attached to the weighed goods, an automatic weighing and pricing device for automatically attaching the issued labels to the goods, and a weighing, packaging and pricing device for weighing and packaging the goods and manually or automatically attaching the issued labels to the goods.

[0017] The pricing device 2 stores the information used in the product pricing process (hereinafter referred to as "pricing information") in a storage device. The pricing information includes pricing information identification information for identification, product identification information for the priced product, the product name, the date and time the product was priced, the selling price of the product, and the number of priced products (production quantity).

[0018] In addition, while one pricing device 2 may be placed in a single store, they may also be placed in each department, such as the fresh fish department and the meat department, or multiple pricing devices 2 may be placed in a single department.

[0019] The mobile terminal 3 can be carried by the user to look around the store and input information about the status of displayed products. For example, if the user counts the number of products displayed on the shelves and inputs this information into the mobile terminal 3, the mobile terminal 3 will store the product identification information and the actual number of products on display and transmit it to the pricing machine 2 or other devices as needed.

[0020] (Price marking device) The pricing device 2 of this embodiment will be described in more detail. Figure 2 shows a block diagram of the pricing device 2 of this embodiment. The pricing device 2 includes a CPU 21, a ROM 22, a RAM 23, a memory 24, a network interface 25, an input interface 26, and a display interface 27.

[0021] The CPU 21 executes instructions for software programs. The ROM 22 stores programs and other data necessary for operation on the CPU 21. Alternatively, these programs may be stored on a portable storage medium such as a CD-ROM and read by an external device such as a CD-ROM drive.

[0022] RAM23 is used as a work memory area for storing programs and for software to operate. Memory 24 consists of a hard disk drive and stores information about the product. Network I / F25 is a circuit for exchanging data with devices connected on the network. Input interface I / F26 is a circuit for inputting and receiving data from input means 221, such as a barcode scanner. The display interface I / F27 is a circuit for input and output with the display means 222, such as a touch panel.

[0023] Figure 3 shows a functional block diagram of the pricing device 2 in this embodiment. The pricing device 2 functions as a device equipped with a pricing device control means 201, a production quantity acquisition means 202, a sales quantity acquisition means 203, a display quantity acquisition means 204, a production quantity storage means 211, a planned production quantity storage means 212, a display quantity storage means 213 for specified time 1, a display quantity storage means 214 for specified time 2, a display quantity storage means 215 for specified time 3, and so on.

[0024] The pricing device control means 201 is a means for controlling the pricing device 2 as a whole, and weighs products based on instructions entered by the user via the input means 221, and issues labels for the weighed products via the printing means 223.

[0025] The production quantity acquisition means 202 accumulates the number of units produced for each product that has been priced based on the instructions entered by the user and acquires this as production quantity information for each product. In addition to acquiring the production quantity information for the pricing device 2, the production quantity acquisition means 202 may also acquire the total number of units produced for each product priced by multiple pricing devices 2 as the production quantity, or acquire the number of units produced directly entered by the user as production quantity information for a product.

[0026] The sales quantity acquisition means 203 acquires, for example, information on the sales quantity of each product that has been priced by the pricing device 2, from the storage means 12 of the POS terminal 11, at a specified time or time interval specified by the user.

[0027] The display quantity acquisition means 204 acquires information such as the actual number of items on display when a user carries the mobile terminal 3, looks around the store, counts the items displayed on the shelves, and inputs the actual number of items on display.

[0028] Furthermore, the pricing device control means 201 functions as a production and sales information calculation means that calculates information such as additional production quantities based on information regarding the production quantity acquired by the production quantity acquisition means 202 and the sales quantity acquired by the sales quantity acquisition means 203, as well as information stored in each storage means. Furthermore, data is exchanged between the POS terminal 11 and the mobile terminal 3 via the network.

[0029] Furthermore, information on quantities related to the production and sales of goods, such as the production quantity (A) acquired by the production quantity acquisition means 202, the sales quantity (B) acquired by the sales quantity acquisition means 203, the actual display quantity (C) acquired by the display quantity acquisition means 204 (or the display quantity (C) obtained by dividing the sales quantity by the production quantity), and the additional production quantity (I) calculated by the pricing device control means 201, is referred to as production and sales information.

[0030] The production quantity storage means 211 stores the production quantity (A) of each product acquired by the production quantity acquisition means 202. The planned production quantity storage means 212 stores the planned production quantity (D) for the business day set by the user. The specified time 1 display quantity storage means 213, specified time 2 display quantity storage means 214, and specified time 3 display quantity storage means 215 store the planned display quantities (F1 to F3) for specified time 1 to specified time 3 set by the user.

[0031] Furthermore, the pricing device control means 201 functions as a notification means that prompts users to produce additional products by displaying the production and sales information stored in each storage means and the production and sales information calculated by the production and sales information calculation means on the display means 222.

[0032] (Display of production and sales information) Next, we will specifically describe the production and sales information managed by the display means 222 of the pricing device 2 in this embodiment. In this embodiment, the pricing device control means 201 of the pricing device 2 displays the production and sales information on the display means 222 to provide or notify the user of the production and sales information of the product. An example of the production and sales information displayed on the display means 222, the production and sales list screen 5, is shown in Figure 5.

[0033] In the pricing operation screen 4 shown in Figure 4, the user assigns a price to each product and creates a label to be attached to the product. In the example shown in Figure 4, the pricing operation screen 4 for the product "Kuroge Wagyu Beef Loin Thinly Sliced" is shown, and an image of the label to be attached to the product is displayed. The barcode printed on the label contains information such as the product code, price, and expiration date. In addition to this information, it is also possible to manage individual products by adding information that can be passed to other systems, such as the place of origin, weight, raw materials, and allergens, as a unique code for each label based on the manufacturing machine number and serial number. The production and sales list screen 5 is displayed by operating the "Production and Sales List" key 4a located on the pricing operation screen 4. Furthermore, there are no particular limitations on how the production and sales list screen 5 is displayed.

[0034] The production and sales list screen 5 of this embodiment has a "sorting method" field 501, a "display item" field 502, a "display target" field 503, a "manufacturing work instruction" key 504a, and a "production and sales list display" field 510, and the production and sales information is displayed in the "production and sales list display" field 510.

[0035] When the user selects a sorting method from the "Sort Method" key 501a in the "Sort Method" field 501, the pricing device control means 201 sorts the production and sales information displayed in the "Production and Sales List Display" field 510. Types of sorting methods include "by part number," "by production quantity," and "by sales quantity."

[0036] Furthermore, when the user selects any display item from the "Display Item" key 502a in the "Display Item" field 502, the pricing device control means 201 selects the items of production and sales information to be displayed in the "Production and Sales List Display" field 510. Types of display items include "Recently Displayed Quantity" and "Displayed Quantity (All Time Specified)".

[0037] When "Recently Displayed Quantity" is selected from the "Display Item" key 502a, the pricing device control means 201 displays the most recent detailed production and sales information of the product in the "Production and Sales List Display" field 510. Also, when "Displayed Quantity (All Time Specified)" is selected from the "Display Item" key 502a, the pricing device control means 201 displays the display status of the product for all time periods.

[0038] Figure 5 shows the "Production and Sales List Display" column 510, where "Recently Displayed Quantity" is selected as the display item, and the most recent production and sales information for each product is displayed.

[0039] Furthermore, when the user selects an arbitrary display target from the "Display Target" key 503a in the "Display Target" field 503, the pricing device control means 201 selects the target products to be displayed in the "Production and Sales List Display" field 510. Types of display targets include "All," "Display Quantity," "Planned Production Quantity," and "Production Quantity Forecast."

[0040] When "All" is selected as the display target from the "Display Target" key 503a, the pricing device control means 201 displays the production and sales information of all products that have been processed by the pricing device 2, that is, all products that exist in the product master of each storage means of the pricing device 2, in the "Production and Sales List Display" field 510.

[0041] Furthermore, when "Display Quantity" is selected as the display target from the "Display Target" key 503a, the pricing device control means 201 displays production and sales information for products for which the user has set the planned display quantity (F) for the most recent specified time in the "Production and Sales List Display" field 510. The planned display quantity (F) for a specified time is the number of products that should be displayed at a specified time specified by the user, and is information that the user predicts as an appropriate display quantity at a specified time based on past sales information, etc., and inputs and sets using the input means 221.

[0042] Furthermore, when "Planned Production Quantity" is selected as the display target from the "Display Target" key 503a, the pricing device control means 201 displays the production and sales information of the product for which the user has set a planned production quantity (D) in the "Production and Sales List Display" field 510. Planned production quantity (D) is the quantity of any product that is planned to be produced on any given business day. This information is input and set by the user using input means 221, based on predictions of the required production quantity derived from past sales information.

[0043] Furthermore, the display targets set in the "Display Target" key 503a of the "Display Target" column 503 are not limited to the above example, and it is preferable to allow users to set the display targets. In addition, multiple display targets can be set, and if multiple display targets are set, the pricing device control means 201 displays the production and sales information of all products related to the set display targets in the "Production and Sales List Display" column 510.

[0044] In the "Production and Sales List Display" column 510 shown in Figure 5, the pricing device control means 201 displays the production and sales information for all products in the product master of the pricing device 2, sorted by product number as of 15:00, the most recent information update time, based on the user's selection of "Product Number Order" from the "Sort Method" key 501a, "Recent Display Quantity" from the "Display Item" key 502a, and "All" from the "Display Target" key 503a.

[0045] The production and sales information in the "Production and Sales List Display" column 510 shown in Figure 5 is shown in Figure 6(a). The production and sales information displayed in the "Production and Sales List Display" column 510 by the pricing device control means 201 includes the following items: "Product Number," "Product Name," "Production Quantity (A)," "Sales Quantity (B)," "Number of Items on Display at 3 PM: Surplus / Shortage (F2)," "Number of Items on Display at 3 PM: Planned Quantity (E2)," "Additional Production Quantity (3 PM Forecast) (G)," and "Additional Production Quantity (I)." Figure 6(a) also includes information on the number of items on display (C), planned production quantity (D), and predicted sales quantity (H).

[0046] The pricing device control means 201 displays the product identification information of the product in the "product number" field and the product name in the "product name" field. In addition, the production quantity information (A) of the most recent (as of 3pm) produced by the pricing device 2, obtained by the production quantity acquisition means 202, is displayed in the "production quantity" field, and the sales quantity information (B) of each product, obtained by the sales quantity acquisition means 203 from the POS terminal 11, etc., is displayed in the "sales quantity" field. Furthermore, the products to be displayed in the "Production and Sales List Display" column 510 may be limited to those present in the product master of the pricing machine 2 in question, or they may be limited to all products present in the product masters of other pricing machines 2 or pricing machines 2 in other departments.

[0047] Furthermore, the pricing device control means 201 displays the number of items to be displayed at the specified time 2 (15:00) in advance, as set by the user, in the "Number of items to be displayed at 15:00: Planned number" field, and displays the surplus / deficit number (F2) (= Number of items to be displayed (C2) - Number of items to be displayed (E2)) obtained by subtracting the number of items to be displayed at 15:00 (C2) (= Production quantity (A2) - Sales quantity (B2)) from the number of items to be displayed at the specified time 2 (15:00) (E2). Details on how to set the number of items to be displayed at the specified time 2 (15:00) (E2) will be described later.

[0048] In the "Number of items on display at 3 PM: Surplus / Shortage" column, a positive (+) value for the surplus / shortage (F2) indicates that the actual number of items on display at 3 PM (C2) is greater than the planned number of items to be displayed at the specified time (3 PM) (E2). A negative (-) value indicates that the number of items on display at 3 PM (C2) is less than the planned number of items to be displayed (E2).

[0049] For example, in the example shown in Figure 6(a), for the product named "Kuroge Wagyu Loin Thinly Sliced," the item "Number of items on display at 3pm: Planned quantity" shows "30," and the item "Number of items on display at 3pm: Surplus / Shortage" shows "-15." This indicates that the user set the appropriate number of items to display at 3 PM (specified number of items to display at 3 PM: E2) to "30," but only "15 (=60-45)" are displayed on the shelves, meaning there is a shortage of "15" items.

[0050] Furthermore, the pricing device control means 201 predicts the production quantity that should be produced on a given business day based on the sales status of the product at 3:00 PM on that business day, and displays the required additional production quantity (3:00 PM prediction) (G) in the "Additional production quantity (3:00 PM prediction)" item. For example, in the example shown in Figure 6(a), for the product named "Kuroge Wagyu Loin Thinly Sliced," the daily predicted sales quantity (H) (=68) is predicted from the sales quantity (B) of "45" at 3 PM, and the additional production quantity (3 PM forecast) (G) of "+8" is calculated by subtracting the production quantity (A) at 3 PM.

[0051] Furthermore, there are no particular restrictions on the method for forecasting the production volume to be produced on a single business day; it can be calculated appropriately based on sales data from the past few days, weather information, etc. The method for setting the above production volume forecast will be described later.

[0052] Furthermore, the pricing device control means 201 displays the additional production quantity (I) (= planned production quantity (D) - production quantity (A)) obtained by subtracting the production quantity (A) from the planned production quantity (D) in the "additional production quantity" item. In this way, by selecting "Recent Display Quantity" from the "Display Items" key 502a to display the production and sales list screen 5, users can grasp the overall production and sales information of the product, check the surplus or shortage of products at the most recent specified time (3 PM), and revise plans for product manufacturing and stocking after 3 PM. Furthermore, by checking the "Additional Production Quantity" item, users can see the planned production and stocking quantities of products for each business day based on the sales plan.

[0053] On the other hand, on the production and sales list screen 5, when the user selects "Display Item (All Time Specified)" from the "Display Item" key 502a, the pricing device control means 201 displays the following items in the "Production and Sales List Display" field 510, as shown in Figure 6(b): "Product Number", "Product Name", "10:00 Display Quantity: Surplus / Shortage", "10:00 Display Quantity: Planned Quantity", "15:00 Display Quantity: Surplus / Shortage", "15:00 Display Quantity: Planned Quantity", "17:00 Display Quantity: Surplus / Shortage", and "17:00 Display Quantity: Planned Quantity". Figure 6(b) shows the information displayed in the "Production and Sales List Display" column 510 as of 3:00 PM.

[0054] The pricing device control means 201 displays the number of items to be displayed at the specified time 1 (10 o'clock) (E1), which has been set in advance by the user, in the "Number of items to be displayed at 10 o'clock: Planned number" column, and displays the number of items to be displayed at the specified time 1 (10 o'clock): Surplus / Shortage (F1) (= Number of items to be displayed (C1) - Planned number of items to be displayed (E1)) by dividing the number of items to be displayed at the specified time 1 (10 o'clock) (E1) by the number of items to be displayed at 10 o'clock (C1).

[0055] Furthermore, the pricing device control means 201 displays the number of items to be displayed at the specified time 3 (17:00) in advance, set by the user, in the "Number of items to be displayed at 17:00: Planned number" field, and displays the surplus / deficit number (F3) (= Number of items to be displayed (C3) - Number of items to be displayed (E3)) obtained by dividing the number of items to be displayed at the specified time 3 (17:00) (E3) by the number of items to be displayed at 15:00 (C3). In the example shown in Figure 5(b), the "Number of items on display at 17:00: Surplus / Shortage" is not displayed because it has not been finalized at 15:00.

[0056] In this way, by selecting "Display Quantity (All Time Specific)" from the "Display Items" key 502a and displaying the production and sales list screen 5, users can grasp the production and sales information of products for all time periods on the business day in question, and revise their plans for subsequent product production and stocking.

[0057] (Manufacturing work instruction function) Depending on the business day, the planned production quantity may be clearly insufficient or, conversely, clearly in excess, depending on the weather or the presence or absence of events. In the pricing device 2 of this embodiment, even in such cases, the user can adjust the number of additional product production instructions at their discretion. The following describes the manufacturing work order function that allows you to modify the additional production quantity of a product.

[0058] Specifically, when the user operates the "Manufacturing Work Instruction" key 504a on the production and sales list screen 5, the pricing device control means 201 switches the "Production and Sales List Display" field 510 to a state where editing of the "Additional Production Quantity" shown in Figure 7 is possible.

[0059] In the switched "Production and Sales List Display" field 510, the user can select a product and enter an arbitrary number in the "Additional Production Quantity" field 510a for the selected product, thereby modifying the additional production quantity to be produced on that business day.

[0060] For example, for "Kuroge Wagyu Loin Thinly Sliced" and "Kuroge Wagyu Thigh for Shabu-Shabu," where the "Number of Items Displayed at 3 PM: Surplus / Shortage" is "-15," after correcting the additional production quantity, the user operates the "Registration Complete" key 504b, and the pricing machine control means 201 displays a pop-up screen 550 as shown in Figure 8. On the pop-up screen 550, the user operates the "Save" key 550a, and the pricing machine control means 201 adds the corrected additional production quantity to the manufacturing work instruction reservation file.

[0061] A manufacturing work order reservation file is a file that records additional production quantities for manufacturing orders. It records additional production quantities (I) based on data such as the planned production quantity (D) and production quantity (A) of the product. As described above, users can add additional production quantities, allowing for appropriate additional production orders to be issued for products where the actual sales for the day differ significantly from the sales forecast, or for products where a planned production quantity (D) has not been set.

[0062] As described above, in the pricing device 2 of this embodiment, various production and sales information of products is displayed on the display means 222 by utilizing the information acquired by the pricing device 2 (production quantity) and sales performance data (sales quantity) acquired from the POS terminal 11, thereby improving the efficiency of product production in the back room and stocking work on display shelves.

[0063] (Alert function) The pricing device 2 of this embodiment is equipped with an alert function that prompts the production and stocking of each product according to the production and sales status of the above-mentioned products, thereby further improving the efficiency of backroom operations. Furthermore, the pricing device 2 of this embodiment is equipped with three types of alert functions: a product replenishment alert function, a specified time alert function, and a production quantity forecast function. The alert function of the pricing device 2 in this embodiment will be described in detail below.

[0064] The alert function of the pricing device 2 in this embodiment can be configured by the user using the "Production and Sales Alert Settings" screen 7, and the appropriate alert function can be set for each product from among the three types of alert functions described above. It is also possible to set multiple alert functions for a single product.

[0065] First, when a user operates the "Product Sales Alert" key 6a or the like on the product registration screen 6 (Figure 9) where the user registers settings for each product of the pricing device 2, the pricing device control means 201 displays the "Production and Sales Alert Setting" screen 7 for the product that was registered on the product registration screen 6 on the display means 222. An example of the "Production and Sales Alert Setting" screen 7 is shown in Figures 10 and 11.

[0066] The "Production and Sales Alert Setting" screen 7 of the pricing device 2 in this embodiment includes a "Product Replenishment Alert Setting" field 701, a "Specified Time Alert Setting" field 702, and a "Production Forecast Setting" field 703. In the "Production and Sales Alert Settings" screen 7 shown in Figure 10, no settings are made in the settings fields for all three alert functions, and each alert function is disabled. On the other hand, in the "Production and Sales Alert Settings" screen 7 shown in Figure 11, settings are made in the settings fields for all three alert functions, and all alert functions are enabled.

[0067] (Product replenishment alert) First, let me explain the product replenishment alert function. A product replenishment alert is a function that notifies the user that a product needs to be restocked whenever the sales quantity of a particular product exceeds a predetermined threshold.

[0068] When a user enters an arbitrary number in the "Number of Product Replenishment Alerts" field 701a of the "Product Replenishment Alert Settings" field 701, as shown in Figure 11, the pricing device control means 201 sets the number of product replenishment alerts (J) which will serve as the basis for product replenishment alerts and enables the product replenishment alert function. Furthermore, when a user enters an arbitrary number in the "Planned Production Quantity" field 701b of the "Product Replenishment Alert Setting" field 701, the pricing device control means 201 sets the planned daily production quantity (D) for the relevant product.

[0069] The pricing device control means 201 then determines, for example, whether or not to issue a product replenishment alert for products for which the product replenishment alert function is enabled, based on the production quantity (A) obtained by the production quantity acquisition means 202, the sales quantity (B) obtained by the sales quantity acquisition means 203, and the set number of product replenishment alerts (J), whenever the sales quantity acquisition means 203 acquires the sales quantity of a product from the POS terminal 11. The product replenishment alert function will be explained below, referring to the flowchart shown in Figure 12.

[0070] First, the pricing device control means 201 checks at predetermined intervals whether the sales quantity acquisition means 203 has acquired sales quantity (B) data from the POS terminal 11 (s101). If the sales quantity acquisition means 203 has not acquired the sales quantity (B) data, it terminates the process and waits for the next predetermined time to arrive.

[0071] When the sales quantity acquisition means 203 acquires the current sales quantity (Bn), the pricing device control means 201 subtracts the sales quantity (Bm) acquired by the sales quantity acquisition means 203 when the previous product replenishment alert was issued from the acquired current sales quantity (Bn) to calculate the sales quantity since the previous product replenishment alert (Bk = Bn - Bm) (s102). At the same time, the production quantity acquisition means 202 acquires the current production quantity (An).

[0072] Next, the pricing device control means 201 compares the sales quantity (Bk) since the last product replenishment alert with the number of product replenishment alerts (J) set by the user to determine whether the sales quantity (Bk) since the last product replenishment alert is equal to or greater than the number of product replenishment alerts (J) (s103).

[0073] The pricing device control means 201 terminates processing without issuing a product replenishment alert for products where the sales quantity (Bk) after the product replenishment alert is less than the number of product replenishment alerts (J). On the other hand, for products where the sales quantity (Bk) after a product replenishment alert is equal to or greater than the number of product replenishment alerts (J), the system switches to a mode that notifies product replenishment alerts.

[0074] In the mode for notifying product replenishment alerts, the pricing device control means 201 checks whether the user has set the daily planned production quantity (D) for the relevant product in the "Planned Production Quantity" field 601b of the "Product Replenishment Alert Settings" field 601 (s104).

[0075] In s104, if it is confirmed that the planned production quantity (D) has been set, the pricing device control means 201 issues a replenishment alert 1 (s105) and terminates the process.

[0076] Here, an example of replenishment alert 1 will be explained with reference to Figure 14. Replenishment alert 1 is implemented by displaying a pop-up display 801 to prompt the user to produce additional products. The pop-up display 801 has a comment section 801a that instructs additional production, including the number of additional products to be produced, such as "The following products are running low. Please produce an additional 20 packs," a "production instruction" key 801b, a sales status display section 801c that displays the sales performance status of the products, such as the cumulative sales quantity and the time of the last sale, a "list" key 801d, a "confirm" key 801e, and a "product number recall" key 801f.

[0077] When the user operates the "production instruction unit" key 801b, the pricing device control means 201 prints a barcode or the like on a label that records the product number and the number of additional units to be produced for the product that triggered the replenishment alert 1. By having the barcode or other information on the printed label read by a scanner or other input device on another pricing machine, the user can transfer information such as the items that need replenishing and the number of additional units to be produced to other devices.

[0078] Furthermore, the transfer of product sales information to other devices is not limited to printing labels with barcodes; it can also be done by outputting to a medium that can be input by other devices. In other words, the pricing device 2 of this embodiment only needs to be equipped with some output means to output production and sales information in order to transfer the production and sales information to other pricing devices, etc.

[0079] When the user operates the "list" key 801d, the pricing device control means 201 displays the production and sales list screen 5 shown in Figure 5 on the display means 222. The pop-up display 801 for replenishment alert 1 only displays very limited production information such as sales quantity, but the display on the display means 222 can be switched to the production and sales list screen 5 with a simple operation such as operating the "list" key 801d, allowing the user to check detailed production information of the product for which replenishment alert 1 was issued.

[0080] When the user operates the "Confirm" key 801e, the pricing device control means 201 terminates the pop-up display 801 and returns to the display before the replenishment alert 1 was announced. In this embodiment shown in Figure 14, the pricing operation screen 4 for product number 000201 and product name "Domestic Pork Trimmings" is displayed.

[0081] When the user operates the "product number recall" key 801f, the pricing machine control means 201 terminates the pop-up display 801 and moves to the pricing operation screen 4 for the product for which replenishment alert 1 was reported. In the embodiment shown in Figure 14, the pricing operation screen 4 for product number 000101 and product name "Kuroge Wagyu Loin Thinly Sliced" is displayed. This allows users to easily view detailed information about the products for which replenishment alert 1 has been issued. The above explains the pop-up display 801, which is an example of supplemental alert 1 shown in Figure 14.

[0082] Returning to the flowchart, in s104, for products for which the user has confirmed that no planned production quantity (D) has been set, the pricing device control means 201 determines whether the current number of products on display (Cn=An-Bn) is less than the number of products to be replenished (J) (s106).

[0083] If it is determined that the number of items on display (Cn) is less than the number of items to be restocked (J), the system will terminate processing by notifying the user of a restocking alert 2 (s107) prompting them to produce more of the item, as there are not enough items on display.

[0084] On the other hand, for products where the number of items on display (Cn) is determined to be equal to or greater than the number of product replenishment alerts (J), the system issues a replenishment alert 3 (s108) to indicate that a certain quantity of the product has been sold, as there are still enough items on display despite the sale of the product.

[0085] Examples of supplemental alerts 2 and 3 are shown in Figures 15 and 16. The replenishment alert 2 shown in Figure 15 is implemented by displaying a pop-up display 802 to prompt the user to replenish the product. The pop-up display 802 includes a comment section 802a that instructs additional production, such as "The following products are running low. Please produce more," a "production instruction" key 802b, a sales status display section 802c, a "list" key 802d, a "confirmation" key 802e, and a "product number recall" key 802f.

[0086] Furthermore, the replenishment alert 3 shown in Figure 16 is performed by displaying a pop-up display 803 to the user showing the quantity of products sold. The pop-up display 803 includes a comment section 803a that displays a message such as "The following products have been sold," a sales status display section 803c, a "list" key 803d, a "confirm" key 803e, a "product number recall" key 803f, and so on. The functions of the keys and other elements in the pop-up display shown in Figures 15 and 16 are the same as those of the pop-up display 801 shown in Figure 14, so no explanation is provided.

[0087] Note that the above-mentioned replenishment alerts 1 to 3 are not limited to the pop-up displays described above. For example, as shown in Figure 17, the pop-up display 802 may be made movable for each product, and a "previous" key 802g and a "next" key 802h may be placed on the pop-up display 802. By operating the "previous" key 802g and the "next" key 802h on the pop-up display 802, the user can switch between and check the products for which a replenishment alert has been issued.

[0088] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 18, a slide bar 802i may be provided in the sales status display section 802c of the pop-up display 802 to allow for continuous scrolling display of information on products that are subject to replenishment alerts. Furthermore, for pop-up displays that instruct users to order additional production, as shown in Figures 14 and 15, it is acceptable to use different background colors or other elements to alert the user.

[0089] Furthermore, it is preferable that the above-mentioned pop-up displays 801 to 803 are not displayed when the user is performing tasks such as pricing, but are displayed when no screen operations are performed for a predetermined time (e.g., 10 seconds), thereby prioritizing the user's ongoing operations and displaying the pop-up displays only when the tasks are completed.

[0090] Furthermore, if the conditions for the next product replenishment alert are met without the user confirming the pop-up display, the previous product replenishment alert may be reset, the pop-up display may be dismissed, and the next product replenishment alert may be displayed. In this case, the content of the previous product replenishment alert may also be included in the pop-up display for the next product replenishment alert.

[0091] (Scheduled time alert) Next, we will explain the scheduled time alert function. The specified time alert function is a feature that notifies users at a specified time whether there is an over- or under-stocking of a product compared to the pre-set planned display quantity.

[0092] When a user enters any number in the "Number of Items Displayed at Specified Time 1" field 702a to "Number of Items Displayed at Specified Time 3" field 702c of the "Specified Time Alert Setting" field 702 shown in Figure 11, the pricing device control means 201 sets the number of items to be displayed at Specified Time 1 (E1) to Specified Time 3 (E3). In addition, it is possible to enter numerical values ​​in some of the fields from "Number of items to display at specified time 1" (702a) to "Number of items to display at specified time 3" (702c), and it is not necessary to set the planned number of items to display at all specified times.

[0093] Then, when the time exceeds any of the specified times 1 to 3, the pricing device control means 201 automatically displays a "production and sales list screen" 5 for products for which a specified time display quantity (E) has been set, including the specified time n display quantity (En) for the specified time n that has been exceeded, and the surplus or shortage of products at specified time n (Fn) (= number of items on display (Cn) - number of items on display (En)). The specified time alert function will be explained below with reference to the flowchart shown in Figure 13.

[0094] First, the price setting device control means 201 determines whether the current time (T) has exceeded the specified time 3 (t3) (s201). If it is determined that the time (T) has not exceeded the specified time 3 (t3), the price setting device control means 201 determines whether the time (T) has exceeded the specified time 2 (t2) (s202). If it is determined that the time (T) has not exceeded the specified time 2 (t2), the price setting device control means 201 determines whether the time (T) has exceeded the specified time 1 (t1) (s203).

[0095] In step s203, if it is determined that the time (T) has not exceeded the specified time 1 (t1), the process is terminated. On the other hand, if it is determined in s203 that the time (T) has exceeded the specified time 1 (t1), the pricing device control means 201 determines whether or not the number of items to be displayed at the specified time 1 (E1) has been set (s204).

[0096] In s204, if it is determined that the number of items to be displayed at the specified time (E1) has not been set, the process is terminated. If it is determined that the number of items to be displayed at the specified time (E1) has been set, the pricing device control means 201 determines whether or not "1" has been assigned to the time 1 flag (f1) (s205). The time n flag (fn) indicates whether or not a specified time alert has already been issued at the specified time n. If "1" is assigned to the time n flag (fn), it means that a specified time alert has already been issued at the specified time n.

[0097] If it is determined that the time 1 flag (f1) is set to "1", the specified time alert for specified time 1 has already been sent, and processing will be terminated. On the other hand, if it is determined that the time 1 flag (f1) is not assigned the value "1", the production quantity acquisition means 202 acquires the production quantity (A1) data at the specified time 1 (t1), and the sales quantity acquisition means 203 acquires the sales quantity (B1) data from the POS terminal 11 and stores it in the storage means (s206).

[0098] Next, the pricing device control means 201 calculates the number of items on display (C1=A1-B1) and the number of items in excess or understaffed (F1=C1-E1) at the specified time 1(t1) and stores them in the storage means (s207). Then, the pricing device control means 201 reads the surplus / deficit quantity (F1), planned quantity (E1), planned quantity (E2), and planned quantity (E3) from the storage means, creates and displays the production and sales list screen 5 (s208), assigns "1" to the time 1 flag (f1) (s209), and terminates the process.

[0099] Returning to S202, if it is determined that the time (T) has exceeded the specified time 2 (t2), the pricing device control means 201 determines whether or not the number of items to be displayed at the specified time 2 (E2) has been set (s214).

[0100] In S214, if it is determined that the number of items to be displayed at the specified time (E2) has not been set, the process ends. If it is determined that the number of items to be displayed at the specified time (E2) has been set, the pricing device control means 201 determines whether or not "1" has been assigned to the time 2 flag (f2) (S215).

[0101] If it is determined that the time 2 flag (f2) is set to "1", the specified time alert for specified time 2 has already been reported, and processing will be terminated. On the other hand, if it is determined that the time 1 flag (f2) is not set to "1", the production quantity acquisition means 202 acquires the production quantity (A2) data at the specified time 2 (t2), and the sales quantity acquisition means 203 acquires the sales quantity (B2) data from the POS terminal 11 and stores it in the storage means (s216).

[0102] Next, the pricing device control means 201 calculates the number of items on display (C2=A2-B2) and the number of items that are surplus or understated (F2=C2-E2) at the specified time 2(t2) and stores them in the storage means (s217). Then, the pricing device control means 201 reads the surplus / deficit number (F1), planned number (E1), surplus / deficit number (F2), planned number (E2), and planned number (E3) from the storage means, creates and displays the production and sales list screen 5 (s218), assigns "1" to the time 2 flag (f2) (s219), and terminates the process.

[0103] Returning to S201, if it is determined that the time (T) has exceeded the specified time 3 (t3), the pricing device control means 201 determines whether or not the number of items to be displayed at the specified time 3 (E3) has been set (s224).

[0104] In s224, if it is determined that the number of items to be displayed at the specified time (E3) has not been set, the process ends. If it is determined that the number of items to be displayed at the specified time (E3) has been set, the pricing device control means 201 determines whether or not "1" has been assigned to the time 3 flag (f3) (s225).

[0105] If it is determined that the time 3 flag (f3) is set to "1", the specified time alert for specified time 3 has already been sent, and processing will be terminated. On the other hand, if it is determined that the time 1 flag (f3) is not set to "1", the production quantity acquisition means 202 acquires the production quantity (A3) data at the specified time 3 (t3), and the sales quantity acquisition means 203 acquires the sales quantity (B3) data from the POS terminal 11 and stores it in the storage means (s226).

[0106] Next, the pricing device control means 201 calculates the number of items on display (C3=A3-B3) and the number of items that are surplus or understated (F3=C3-E3) at the specified time 3(t3) and stores them in the storage means (s227). The pricing device control means 201 then reads the surplus / deficit number (F1), planned number (E1), surplus / deficit number (F2), planned number (E2), surplus / deficit number (F3), and planned number (E3) from the storage means, creates and displays the production and sales list screen 5 (s228), assigns "1" to the time 3 flag (f3) (s229), and terminates the process.

[0107] As described above, the pricing device control means 201 of this embodiment automatically displays a "production and sales list screen" 5 including the number of items to be displayed at the specified time (E) and the number of items to be over or understated at the specified time (F) (= actual number of items on display (C) - number of items to be displayed (E)) when the specified time 1 to specified time 3 has passed for items for which the specified time alert function has been set.

[0108] Figure 18 shows an example of the display of a specified time alert. This example shows the notification status of the specified time alert at specified time 3 (17:00). At specified time 3 (17:00), it is displayed that the number of Kuroge Wagyu Loin Thinly Sliced ​​(product number: 000101) that is scheduled to be displayed at specified time 3 (E3) is "20", and the surplus / shortage is "-5".

[0109] Furthermore, for "Kuroge Wagyu Shoulder Loin Thinly Sliced ​​(Product Number: 000102)," the number of items scheduled to be displayed at the specified time (E3) is "10," and the surplus / shortage is "+8." A user who sees this example display will be able to see that the store's shelves have 5 fewer units of "Kuroge Wagyu Beef Loin Thinly Sliced" than the planned number to be displayed, and 8 more units of "Kuroge Wagyu Beef Shoulder Loin Thinly Sliced" than the planned number to be displayed. These displays allow users to review the production and stocking processes for products after the specified time (5 PM).

[0110] It is preferable that the automatic display of the "production and sales list screen" 5 via the specified time alert function is not displayed while the user is performing tasks such as pricing products, but rather displayed only after no screen operation has been performed for a predetermined time (e.g., 10 seconds), thereby prioritizing the user's ongoing work and displaying the alert only when the work is completed. The specified time for displaying the alert for the above-mentioned time-specified alert can be set as appropriate using the alert settings screen described later.

[0111] When issuing alerts for product replenishment or time-specified alerts, if, for example, the alert time coincides with a large number of products on display that are close to their expiration or best-before dates, a pop-up display prompting the store to affix discount stickers to the products or a message such as "Please check the expiration dates on the shelves" may be displayed.

[0112] (Production forecast) The production forecasting function predicts the daily sales volume based on past sales performance and the current day's sales performance, and then uses that value to notify the user of the additional quantity that should be produced from that point onward.

[0113] There are no particular limitations on the method for forecasting production volume. For example, production volume may be forecasted using short-term forecasts, such as based on sales performance for each day of the week and each business hour over the past few weeks. Alternatively, the company may analyze seasonal changes in product sales over the past several years, as well as changes in sales due to weather and temperature on business days, and use the results of this analysis to predict production volume. Furthermore, by analyzing the increase or decrease in sales volume for each product due to events such as Christmas and Setsubun (bean-throwing festival), it is possible to predict the production volume for special products based on the results of this analysis.

[0114] When the user sets the "Production Forecast Setting" field 803 shown in Figure 10 to "Yes," the pricing device control means 201 predicts the number of units to be sold on the day and calculates the number of additional units to be produced on the day, displaying them in the "Additional Production Quantity (15:00 Forecast)" field on the production and sales list screen 5, as shown in Figure 5. At this time, the pricing device control means 201 functions as a production quantity forecasting means.

[0115] In this embodiment, the pricing device 2 has a production quantity forecast alert function that predicts additional production quantities based on the sales situation on a business day and displays them as additional production quantities. This allows the user to produce and stock products according to the sales situation on that day.

[0116] As described above, the pricing device 2 of this embodiment is equipped with multiple alert functions, including a product replenishment alert (first alert) that notifies when product production and sales information meets predetermined conditions, a specified time alert (second alert) that notifies product production and sales information at specified intervals, and a production quantity forecast (third alert) that predicts and notifies the required production quantity based on the sales situation on a business day. Therefore, users can set an alert function appropriate for each product, thereby improving the efficiency of back-office work.

[0117] Here, Figure 20 shows an example of the alert settings screen 9 for configuring the basic information of the alert function described above. The alert setting screen 9 includes a "Production Quantity Forecast" field 901, a "Product Replenishment Alert Display" field 902, a "Specified Time 1" field 903, a "Production Quantity Forecast for Specified Time 1" field 904, a "Specified Time 2" field 905, a "Production Quantity Forecast for Specified Time 2" field 906, a "Specified Time 3" field 907, a "Production Quantity Forecast for Specified Time 3" field 908, and a "Confirm" button 99, etc.

[0118] By having the user enter numerical values ​​or other information into each field on the alert setting screen 9, the pricing device control means 201 functions as a notification method setting means, allowing the user to set alert functions for each product or for each product attribute (department).

[0119] The "Production Quantity Forecast" field 901 determines whether or not to perform the third notification, which is a production quantity forecast. When the user enters "Yes" in the "Production Quantity Forecast" field 901, the pricing device control means 201 (third notification means) calculates the additional production quantity (15:00 forecast) (G) and displays it on the production and sales list screen 5.

[0120] The "Product Replenishment Alert Display" field 902 allows the pricing device control means 201 (first notification means) to set the target products for which the product replenishment alert function will be activated. In the pricing device 2 of this embodiment, the "product replenishment alert display" field 902 is provided with the options "none," "yes (only for products with low stock)," and "yes (all products)," and one of these options is set.

[0121] When "Yes (only for items with low stock)" is selected in the "Product replenishment alert display" field 902, the pricing device control means 201 (first notification means) will provide a pop-up notification only for items with low stock levels in the product replenishment alert function. Furthermore, when "Yes (All Products)" is selected in the "Product Replenishment Alert Display" field 902, the pricing device control means 201 (first notification means) will provide a pop-up notification for all products, including products for which there are sufficient stock on display, in the product replenishment alert function.

[0122] Based on the inputs in the "Specified Time 1" field 903, "Specified Time 2" field 905, "Specified Time 3" field 907, and "Forecast Production Quantity for Specified Time 1" field 904, "Forecast Production Quantity for Specified Time 3" field 906, and "Forecast Production Quantity for Specified Time 3" field 908, the pricing device control means 201 (second notification means) sets whether or not to notify using the specified time alert function.

[0123] Specifically, the "Specified Time 1" field 903, "Specified Time 2" field 905, and "Specified Time 3" field 907 allow you to set the alert time for the specified time alert. In addition, the "Specified Time 1 Production Quantity Forecast" field 904, "Specified Time 3 Production Quantity Forecast" field 906, and "Specified Time 3 Production Quantity Forecast" field 908 allow you to set whether or not to display an alert at each specified time.

[0124] In the example shown in Figure 20, the system is configured to not display a time-specific alert at specified time 1 (10:00), but to display time-specific alerts at specified time 2 (15:00) and specified time 3 (17:00).

[0125] As described above, the pricing device 2 of this embodiment is equipped with multiple alert functions with different alert conditions, and an appropriate alert function can be set for each product. Therefore, it is possible to set appropriate notifications according to the characteristics of the product, and unnecessary notifications can be omitted, allowing the user to receive necessary and sufficient notifications.

[0126] Although embodiments of this invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments. For example, in the above embodiment, the sales quantity acquisition means 203 acquired the sales quantity from the POS system 1, but it may also be configured to acquire the actual number of items displayed in the sales area (display location) of the product entered by the user using a portable terminal 3. Furthermore, the notification of production and sales information by the notification means may also be made to other production and sales information notification devices (pricing devices) connected to the production and sales information notification device (pricing device), and the pricing device control means 201 may function as an output means for outputting the production and sales information to other production and sales information notification devices (pricing devices). [Explanation of symbols]

[0127] 1: POS system 11: POS terminal 12: Storage means 2: Pricing device 201: Pricing device control means 202: Means of obtaining production numbers 203: Methods for obtaining sales figures 204: Means for obtaining the actual number of items on display 211: Production quantity storage means 212: Planned production quantity storage means 213: Predetermined time 1 display number storage means 214: Predetermined time 2 display number storage means 215: Predetermined time 3 display number storage means 221: Input method 222:Display means 223:Printing means 3: Mobile devices 4: Pricing operation screen 5: Production and Sales List Screen 6: Product registration screen 7: Production and Sales Alert Settings Screen

Claims

[Claim 1] A means for obtaining the number of priced goods as the production quantity for the day, A sales quantity acquisition means that acquires the sales quantity of the said product at predetermined time intervals, A production and sales information calculation means calculates production and sales information including additional production quantities based on the aforementioned production quantity and sales quantity, A means of setting the number of product replenishment alerts for each product in response to user actions, A means for notifying a product replenishment alert, including an additional production quantity and a production instruction key, when the sales quantity meets the conditions based on the number of product replenishment alerts, When the production instruction key included in the product replenishment alert is operated, a means for printing a code on a label that records the product number and the additional production quantity for the product for which the product replenishment alert was issued, A device that provides production and sales information notification.

Images