Business support device, business support method, and business support program

Abstract

This reduces the workload on the person in charge and enables improved work efficiency. [Solution] The acquisition unit acquires user instructions. When the acquisition unit acquires an instruction to re-allocate goods for a preferred customer to whom goods have not yet been allocated, the allocation processing unit performs a re-allocation process to allocate the maximum number of goods to the preferred customer based on a shipment criteria master that associates a customer ID that identifies each of multiple customers, including the preferred customer, a product code that indicates the product, and a reference value that is the maximum number of goods to be allocated preferentially, as well as allocation processing data that includes the number of goods ordered from the preferred customer and the number of goods already allocated to the preferred customer, and effective inventory information that indicates the inventory status of the goods that can be allocated, and updates the allocation processing data. The output control unit outputs the updated allocation processing data to the output target device.

Description

Technical Field

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[0003]

[0001] The present invention relates to a business support device, a business support method, and a business support program.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-52831) discloses an order data including a plurality of order detail data having product identification data, the number of products in the reserved state that have been reserved for shipment among the number of product orders received, and the priority order when re-reserving inventory. By referring to the order data and subtracting the reserved number until the reserved number in the order detail data becomes 0, the reserved state of the product specified by the product identification data in the order detail data is cancelled, and the total value of the subtracted reserved number is assigned to the reserved number in order from the order detail data with the highest priority, thereby re-reserving inventory for the product whose reserved state has been cancelled. An inventory re-reservation execution device is disclosed.

[0003] This inventory re-reservation execution device includes a cancellation means for canceling the reserved state of the product specified by the product identification data in the order detail data, and an inventory re-reservation means for re-reserving inventory for the product whose reserved state has been cancelled by the cancellation means. This enables an inventory re-reservation process of reassigning reservations from orders with lower priority to orders with higher priority based on the reservation priority.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in the wholesale business, inventory allocation for same-day shipments must be performed daily in the early morning, and then shipping instructions must be issued before the warehouse's shipping deadline. As a result, the person in charge has to manually adjust the allocation details under time constraints, which places a heavy burden on them. Furthermore, because the person in charge adjusts the allocation details based on their own experience, there is a problem in that they cannot focus only on the adjustments that are truly necessary.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a business support device, a business support method, and a business support program that can automatically prioritize inventory allocation to trading partners who should be given priority in inventory allocation, thereby reducing the workload of the person in charge and allowing the person in charge to concentrate only on the necessary adjustments. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objective, the business support device according to the present invention comprises: an acquisition unit that acquires user instructions; an acquisition unit that, when an instruction is acquired by the acquisition unit to re-allocate goods to a preferred trading partner for whom the allocation of ordered goods has been preferentially performed but for whom the allocation of all goods has not yet been completed, performs a shipment standard value master which associates a trading partner ID that identifies each of a plurality of trading partners including the preferred trading partner, a product code that identifies the goods, and a standard value which is the maximum number of goods to be preferentially allocated; allocation processing data which includes the number of goods ordered from the plurality of trading partners including the preferred trading partner and the number of allocated goods for each of the plurality of trading partners; and effective inventory information which is information regarding the inventory status of the goods that can be allocated, performs a re-allocation process to allocate the goods to the preferred trading partner and updates the allocation processing data; and an output control unit which outputs the updated allocation processing data to an output target device.

[0008] Furthermore, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objectives, the business support method according to the present invention includes an acquisition step in which an acquisition unit acquires instructions from a user; an allocation processing step in which, when the acquisition unit acquires an instruction to re-allocate goods to a preferred trading partner for whom the allocation of ordered goods has not yet been completed, the allocation processing unit performs a re-allocation process to allocate goods to the preferred trading partner based on a trading partner ID that identifies each of the multiple trading partners including the preferred trading partner, a product code that identifies the goods, a reference value which is the maximum number of goods to be allocated preferentially, allocation processing data which includes the number of orders for goods from the multiple trading partners including the preferred trading partner and the number of allocated goods for each of the multiple trading partners, and effective inventory information which is information regarding the inventory status of the goods that can be allocated, and updates the allocation processing data; and an output control step in which an output control unit outputs the updated allocation processing data to an output target device.

[0009] Furthermore, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objectives, the business support program according to the present invention makes the computer function as an acquisition unit that acquires user instructions, an allocation processing unit that, when the acquisition unit acquires an instruction to re-allocate goods to a preferred trading partner for whom the allocation of ordered goods has been prioritized but for whom the allocation of all goods has not been completed, performs a re-allocation process to allocate goods to the preferred trading partner and updates the allocation processing data based on the number of orders for goods from the multiple trading partners including the preferred trading partner, the number of goods allocated for each of the multiple trading partners, and the number of goods allocated for each of the multiple trading partners, and effective inventory information which is information regarding the inventory status of the goods that can be allocated, and outputs the updated allocation processing data to the output target device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] This invention enables the automatic priority allocation of inventory to trading partners who should be given priority in inventory allocation, thereby reducing the workload on personnel and allowing them to focus only on necessary adjustments. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a business support device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows an example of a product master. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows an example of a master data set for shipping standards. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows an example of order detail data stored in the order detail data storage unit. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows an example of effective inventory information stored in the effective inventory information storage unit. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows an example of allocation processing data stored in the allocation processing data storage unit. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows another example of allocation processing data stored in the allocation processing data storage unit. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows an example of the basic operation flow of a business support device. [Figure 9] Figure 9 shows an example of effective inventory information stored in the effective inventory information storage unit. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] The following describes in detail, with reference to the drawings, a business support device that is an embodiment to which the present invention is applied. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0013] [overview] Conventionally, in the wholesale business, when it is necessary to take action regarding customers to whom inventory should be preferentially allocated, after the allocation process is carried out, there has been a task where the person in charge manually adjusts the allocation details. Mainly, in companies dealing with pharmaceuticals and daily necessities, since there are daily shipments of the same product and inventory fluctuations are intense, it is difficult to carry out the allocation process in advance when conducting inventory allocation operations.

[0014] Also, since it is necessary to perform daily inventory allocation for the shipments of the day early in the morning and then issue a shipping instruction by the warehouse's shipping deadline, inventory allocation operations are required under time constraints.

[0015] Therefore, as a result of intensive studies, the inventors of the present application considered that by registering in advance in the master the trading partners for preferential transactions (i.e., preferential trading partners) and the shipping reference values (hereinafter referred to as reference values), it becomes possible to automatically control the number of allocations to preferentially allocate inventory to the trading partner by referring to the master, thus reducing the workload of the person in charge.

[0016] As a result, under time constraints, there is no need for the person in charge to judge and input the preferential trading partner, so it is considered that input errors by the person in charge can be reduced and inventory can be surely allocated to the preferential trading partner.

[0017] In addition, the inventors of the present application considered that since inventory is automatically allocated to the preferential trading partner, the person in charge can focus on trading partners that require manual adjustment under time constraints, thus improving work efficiency.

[0018] As described above, in this embodiment, when the business support device obtains an instruction to re-assign a product to a priority customer to whom the product assignment has not been completed, based on the shipping standard master in which the customer ID, product code, and reference value are associated, the order quantity of the product from the priority customer, the assignment process data including the assigned quantity which is the number of products already assigned to the priority customer, and the effective inventory information indicating the inventory status of the assignable products, the business support device performs a re-assignment process to assign the maximum number of products to the priority customer and updates the assignment process data. This can reduce the workload of the person in charge and improve work efficiency.

[0019] [Configuration] (Hardware Configuration) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the business support device 1 according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the business support device 1 of the embodiment includes a storage unit 2, a control unit 3, a communication interface unit 4, and an input / output interface unit 5.

[0020] An input device 6 and an output device 7 are connected to the input / output interface unit 5. As the output device 7, a display unit such as a monitor device (including a home TV), a printing device, or a speaker device corresponds. As the input device 6, in addition to a keyboard device, a mouse device, and a microphone device, a monitor device that realizes a pointing device function in cooperation with the mouse device can also be used.

[0021] The communication interface unit 4 is connected to a network such as a wide area network such as the Internet or a private network such as a LAN (Local Area Network). A server device 11 is connected to the network.

[0022] For the memory unit 2, a storage device such as ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), HDD (Hard Disk Drive), or SSD (Solid State Drive) can be used. The memory unit 2 stores a business support program that reduces the workload of the person in charge and improves work efficiency.

[0023] Furthermore, this memory unit 2 is equipped with the following memory areas: product master 21, shipping standard value master 22, order details data storage unit 23, effective inventory information storage unit 24, allocation processing data storage unit 25, and shipping data storage unit 26.

[0024] The information in the memory unit 2 may be entered by the person in charge (also called the user) into the input device 6, or it may be obtained from a server device 11 or the like via the network. The method of inputting to the input device 6 is not particularly limited.

[0025] Product Master 21 is a table that describes product codes and product names to identify products. Products are goods stored in a warehouse and are also called inventory or inventory goods. Product names may include content (e.g., weight, volume, number of items), form (e.g., refill, eco-pack, liquid, tablet, granules, powder, etc.), or these may be listed separately from the product name. Figure 2 shows an example of Product Master 21.

[0026] As shown in Figure 2, the product master 21 may contain, for example, a product code, product name, net weight, and form. In the example in Figure 2, the products are pharmaceuticals, quasi-drugs, and daily necessities, but the example is not limited to these. For example, beverages, food (retort food, frozen food, fresh food, etc.), clothing, miscellaneous goods, etc. may also be included.

[0027] The Shipping Criteria Master 22 is a table that describes customer IDs, product codes, and criteria values ​​(so-called shipping criteria values) that identify customers. The customer ID is an identifier used to identify each of multiple customers, including preferred customers. The criteria value indicates the maximum number of products that should be allocated preferentially. Figure 3 shows an example of the Shipping Criteria Master 22. As shown in Figure 3, the Shipping Criteria Master 22 describes, for example, customer codes, product codes, and criteria values.

[0028] The order details data storage unit 23 stores order details data, where the customer ID, product code, and the number of products ordered are associated with each order number, which indicates the order in which the order was received. The order details data is stored for each order date. The order number may be assigned for each order date or it may be assigned sequentially.

[0029] The order date may be the same date or the order period. The order period is the period during which orders for products are accepted, and may be within a specified time on the same day (for example, from 0:00 to 8:00) or over two consecutive days (for example, from 13:00 on the previous day to 9:00 on the current day).

[0030] Figure 4 shows an example of order detail data stored in the order detail data storage unit 23. As shown in Figure 4, the order detail data may be a table in which the order number is associated with the customer ID, product code, order quantity, allocated quantity, remaining allocated quantity, and allocation status. The order detail data is generated by the order processing unit (not shown). The specific operation will be described later.

[0031] The available inventory information storage unit 24 stores available inventory information, which is information regarding the inventory status of available goods. Available inventory information is, for example, information regarding current inventory (in other words, current stock), and may be associated with receipt and disbursement information for each warehouse where the goods are stored (see Figure 9).

[0032] Inventory receipt and payment refers to the receipt of goods that have been delivered from suppliers and added to inventory, and the payment of goods (so-called "outbound shipments"), which is the act of releasing inventory to deliver it to customers.

[0033] Figure 5 shows an example of effective inventory information stored in the effective inventory information storage unit 24. As shown in Figure 5, the effective inventory information storage unit 24 stores effective inventory information, which is a table describing, for example, product codes, effective inventory quantities, allocated quantities, and unallocated quantities.

[0034] For example, Figure 5(a) shows the available inventory information before allocation is performed. When the allocation processing unit 32, which will be described later, performs the allocation process by referring to the order details data (see Figure 4) and the shipment standard value master 22 in the storage unit 2, priority allocation is performed first, and as shown in Figure 5(b), the allocated number changes from "0" to "15" and the unallocated number changes from "0" to "30". The specific processing will be described later.

[0035] The allocation processing data storage unit 25 stores allocation processing data, which includes the number of orders for goods from multiple customers, including preferred customers, and the number of allocated goods for each of the multiple customers.

[0036] The allocation processing data is created based on the order details data and includes at least the results of the allocation process. As will be described in detail later, the allocation process is performed by the allocation processing unit 32 and consists of two steps. The first step is the allocation process for the preferred customer (also called the first allocation process), and the second step is the allocation process for the product to multiple customers other than the preferred customer (also called the second allocation process).

[0037] The allocation processing data includes the results of at least these two processes. In addition to these two processes, if allocation has not been completed for the number of orders from a preferred customer and a re-allocation process for the goods to that preferred customer has been performed, the allocation processing data further includes the results of the re-allocation process.

[0038] Figure 6 shows an example of allocation processing data stored in the allocation processing data storage unit 25. As shown in Figure 6, the allocation processing data is created based on the order details data (see Figure 4) and includes the results of the allocation processing of goods to the preferred trading partner (the so-called first allocation processing).

[0039] In Figure 6, the allocation status is shown as "0: Not allocated," but it may be changed to "9: Allocation completed" when the first allocation process by the allocation processing unit 32 (described later) is completed, or to "9: Allocation completed" after confirmation by the user (person in charge).

[0040] Figure 7 shows an example of allocation processing data stored in the allocation processing data storage unit 25. The allocation processing data shown in Figure 7 is the allocation processing data after the re-allocation process. First, we will explain the allocation processing data after the second allocation process with reference to Figure 7.

[0041] The allocation processing data after the second allocation processing is created based on the allocation processing data after the first allocation processing (see Figure 6), and includes the results of the first allocation processing and the results of allocation processing to multiple customers other than the preferred customer (the so-called second allocation processing).

[0042] The first and second processes are performed for order numbers "001" to "004," resulting in the following order numbers, customer IDs, order quantities, allocated quantities, remaining allocated quantities, and allocation statuses: (001, A, 10, 10, 0, 9: Allocation Completed), (002, B, 10, 10, 0, 9: Allocation Completed), (003, C, 10, 10, 0, 9: Allocation Completed), and (004, A, 10, 5, 5, 1: Remaining Allocation).

[0043] Next, referring again to Figure 7, we will explain the allocation processing data after the re-allocation process. The re-allocation process is performed again by the allocation processing unit 32, which will be described later, when the allocation of goods ordered from the preferred trading partner has not been completed after the initial allocation process.

[0044] In the reallocation process, similar to the reallocation process described above, first, the goods are reallocated to the preferred trading partner (the so-called first reallocation process), and then the goods are reallocated to other trading partners (the so-called second reallocation process).

[0045] As a result, the allocation processing data is updated as follows: 5 units of the product are allocated to the preferred customer with customer ID "A" for order number "004", the allocated quantity changes from "5" to "10", the remaining allocated quantity changes from "5" to "0", and the allocation status changes from "1: Remaining Allocated" to "9: Allocated". 5 units of the product are allocated to the customer with customer ID "D" for order number "005", the allocated quantity changes from "0" to "5", the remaining allocated quantity changes from "10" to "5", and the allocation status changes from "0: Not Allocated" to "1: Remaining Allocated".

[0046] The shipping data storage unit 26 stores shipping data that associates the number of goods shipped and the shipping date with each customer ID that identifies each of the multiple customer shipments. Referring to Figure 7, the shipping data is generated based on the allocation processing data, for example, for each customer ID for multiple order numbers for which allocation has been completed. At this time, the number of goods shipped and the shipping date are added to the shipping data.

[0047] (Functional configuration of business support equipment) Next, the control unit 3 executes the business support program stored in the memory unit 2, and functions as an acquisition unit 31, an allocation processing unit 32, a shipping processing unit 33, and an output control unit 34, as shown in Figure 1.

[0048] In this example, the acquisition unit 31 to the output control unit 34 are described as being implemented in software based on a business support program, but all or part of the acquisition unit 31 to the output control unit 34 may be implemented in hardware. In either case, the same effects as described later can be obtained.

[0049] The acquisition unit 31 acquires information input to the input device 6, as well as information transmitted via the aforementioned network from external devices such as the server device 11 and terminal devices (not shown in Figure 1).

[0050] For example, the terminal device may be a personal computer, tablet, or smartphone. The information entered into the input device 6 may include, for example, instructions for executing, starting, or ending various processes in the business support device 1, and data. The data may include, for example, customer ID, customer name, product code, product name, quantity, and files. The files may include, for example, image files (e.g., product images) taken with a camera.

[0051] When the allocation processing unit 32 receives an instruction from the acquisition unit 31 to allocate the ordered goods, it refers to the order details data (see Figure 4) and the shipment standard value master 22 (see Figure 3) as described above, and performs a first allocation process to allocate the maximum number of goods (in this case, 15) to the preferred customer, and then performs a second allocation process to allocate goods to the other customers among the multiple customers, excluding the preferred customer, in the order in which the orders were received.

[0052] The allocation processing unit 32 generates allocation processing data that includes the results of these processes. Specifically, the allocation processing unit 32 generates allocation processing data that associates the number of orders and the number of allocated items for each customer ID that identifies each of multiple customers, including preferred customers, and stores it in the allocation processing data storage unit 25.

[0053] Furthermore, when the allocation processing unit 32 receives an instruction from the acquisition unit 31 to re-allocate goods for a preferred trading partner for whom the allocation of goods has not been completed, it performs a re-allocation process to allocate goods to the preferred trading partner based on the shipment standard value master 22, allocation processing data, and available inventory information, and updates the allocation processing data.

[0054] More specifically, in the re-allocation process, if the difference between the number of orders received and the number of orders already allocated falls below a certain threshold, the allocation processing unit 32 allocates the same number of goods as the difference to the preferred customer. Furthermore, after allocating goods to the preferred customer, the allocation processing unit 32 allocates goods to other customers who have not yet had their goods allocated, in the order in which orders were received. The allocation processing unit 32 performs the above re-allocation process and updates the allocation processing data stored in the allocation processing data storage unit 25.

[0055] When the allocation processing data (see Figure 7) is updated and the product shipping instruction is acquired by the acquisition unit 31, the shipping processing unit 33 generates shipping data that associates the number of products to be shipped and the shipping unit with each customer ID that identifies each of the multiple trading partners, based on the allocation processing data.

[0056] At this time, the shipping processing unit 33 generates shipping data for each customer ID for multiple order numbers for which allocation has been completed in the allocation processing data, and adds the number of shipments and the shipping date. The shipping processing unit 33 stores the shipping data in the shipping data storage unit 26.

[0057] The output control unit 34 outputs various data generated by the allocation processing unit 32 and the shipping processing unit 33 to the output target device (for example, the output device 7). The output control unit 34 may also output the product master 21, shipping standard value master 22, customer information master, transfer table, files, user notifications, etc., stored in the storage unit 2 to the output target device.

[0058] The output device 7 can be a display device, a printing device, or a speaker device. The output control unit 34 converts the various data stored in the storage unit 2 into display information, print information, or audio information and supplies it to each device to obtain display output, print output, or audio output corresponding to the various data. Alternatively, the output device 7 may be the storage unit 2, an external storage device, or a server device on a network.

[0059] [Operation] (Operation of business support equipment) Next, the operation of the business support device 1 according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating the operation flow of the business support device 1 according to this embodiment.

[0060] When the business support device 1 receives an order for goods, it reads pre-registered basic information such as the product master 21, shipping standard value master 22, and customer information master from the storage unit 2 and processes the order. When the business support device 1 receives an instruction to start the allocation process, it performs the allocation process based on the order details data, shipping standard value master 22, and available inventory information. When it receives an instruction to start the re-allocation process, it performs the re-allocation process based on the shipping standard value master 22, allocation processing data, and available inventory information. The following will be explained in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0061] (Basic information registration process) First, let's explain the process of registering basic information. For example, a user (person in charge) registers the maximum number of products to be allocated preferentially for a trading partner as the shipment standard value (standard value) in the shipment standard value master 22 (see Figure 3).

[0062] (Registration process for received orders) Next, we will explain the process of registering received orders. Figure 8 shows an example of the basic operation flow of the business support device 1. Figure 9 shows an example of the effective inventory information stored in the effective inventory information storage unit 24.

[0063] Although not shown in Figure 8, the first step is the registration process for the ordered products, that is, the generation of order details data. When a user opens the new registration screen, an order number is assigned, and the user enters the customer ID, the product code of the ordered product, and the quantity ordered. At this time, the order date and time are also entered. When the user operates the registration button, the order details data (see Figure 4) is stored in the order details data storage unit 23.

[0064] (The operation of the allocation process) Next, the operation of the allocation process will be explained. For example, when a user operates the execution button for the allocation process for order details data (see Figure 4), the acquisition unit 31 receives the instruction to start the allocation process, and the allocation processing unit 32 starts the allocation process. Specifically, the allocation processing unit 32 refers to the order details data, the shipping standard value master 22 (see Figure 3), and the available inventory information (see Figure 5(a)) and performs a first allocation process to allocate the goods to the preferred trading partner.

[0065] In the first allocation process, the allocation processing unit 32 identifies the customer ID "A" of the preferred customer, which is associated with the product code "Z0001" based on the shipment standard value master 22, from the order details data (see Figure 4), and identifies the order numbers "001", "004", and "006" associated with the customer ID "A".

[0066] Next, it is determined whether the number of orders, "10," is greater than the shipping threshold value, "15." The shipping threshold value is the maximum number of products that will be preferentially allocated to preferred customers. Since the number of orders is less than the shipping threshold value, the allocation processing unit 32 allocates "10" of the product to order number "001" (see Figure 6).

[0067] Since a maximum of 15 items can be allocated to the preferred customer with customer ID "A", the allocation processing unit 32 then processes the allocation of "5" of the items for order number "004" (see Figure 6).

[0068] In this allocation process, the maximum number of products has been allocated to the preferred customer with customer ID "A", so the first allocation process is completed. At this time, the allocation processing unit 32 changes the allocation status of order number "001" to "9: Allocation Complete" and changes the allocation status of order number "004" to "1: Allocation Remaining".

[0069] The allocation processing unit 32 generates allocation processing data including the result of the first allocation processing and stores it in the allocation processing data storage unit 25. At this time, the allocation processing unit 32 updates the effective inventory information stored in the effective inventory information storage unit 24 by changing the effective inventory quantity from "45" to "30", the allocated quantity from "0" to "15", and the unallocated quantity from "0" to "45" (see Figures 5(a) and 5(b)).

[0070] In the second process, the allocation processing unit 32 allocates goods with order quantities of "10" and "10" for the order numbers "002" and "003" for the other customers among the multiple customers that are not the preferred customer (for example, customers with customer IDs "B" and "C").

[0071] In the second process, goods are allocated to customers who received orders earlier than the preferred customer ID "A," and the allocation status of order numbers "002" and "003" is changed to "9: Allocation Complete." The allocation processing unit 32 generates allocation processing data including the results of the second allocation process and stores it in the allocation processing data storage unit 25.

[0072] At this time, the allocation processing unit 32 updates the effective inventory information stored in the effective inventory information storage unit 24 by changing the effective inventory quantity from "30" to "10", the allocated quantity from "15" to "35", and the unallocated quantity from "45" to "25".

[0073] (Reallocation process operation) Next, the operation of the re-allocation process will be explained. For example, if a user confirms that the allocation of goods ordered from a preferred trading partner has not been completed with respect to the allocation processing data, and they operate the re-allocation execution button, the acquisition unit 31 will acquire the instruction to start the re-allocation process, and the allocation processing unit 32 will start the re-allocation process.

[0074] Specifically, the allocation processing unit 32 performs a first allocation process by referring to the allocation processing data, the shipment standard value master 22 (see Figure 3), and the available inventory information (see Figure 5(a)) to allocate goods to the preferred trading partner.

[0075] In the first allocation process, for example, the allocation processing unit 32 may, for preferred customers for whom the allocation of all goods has not been completed, reset the number of allocated goods associated with the order number for which the maximum number of goods has not been allocated to "9" (the release process in Figure 8), and then perform a re-allocation process to allocate the maximum number of goods.

[0076] Furthermore, for example, the allocation processing unit 32 may, with respect to a preferred trading partner for whom the allocation of all goods has not been completed, not perform the above-mentioned cancellation process. Instead, if the difference between the number of orders associated with an order number for which the maximum number of goods has not been allocated (for example, "004" in Figure 7) and the number of goods allocated is greater than or equal to a standard value, it may allocate the maximum number of goods. If the difference value (for example, "5") is less than the standard value "15" (see Figures 6 and 7), it may allocate the same number of goods as the difference value, "5", to the preferred trading partner.

[0077] As a result, in the example shown in Figure 7, the allocation processing unit 32 has allocated goods to satisfy the number of orders "10" from the preferred trading partner, so it terminates the first allocation process, changes the allocation status of order number "004" to "9: Allocation Completed", and updates the allocation processing data.

[0078] In the second allocation process, the allocation processing unit 32 allocates goods to customers other than preferred customers for whom the allocation of goods has not yet been completed, in the order in which the orders were received.

[0079] In the example in Figure 7, for customer ID "C" with order number "005" and order quantity "10", the inventory item "5" is allocated based on the available inventory information. In this case, the allocation processing data is updated to include the fact that the allocated quantity is "5".

[0080] At this time, as shown in Figure 9, the allocation processing unit 32 updates the effective inventory information stored in the effective inventory information storage unit 24 by changing the effective inventory quantity from "10" to "-15", the allocated quantity from "35" to "45", and the unallocated quantity from "15" to "-15".

[0081] (Inventory dispatch process) Next, the operation of the outbound processing will be explained. When the user (person in charge) presses the start button for the shipping process, the acquisition unit 31 acquires the shipping instruction for the goods. The shipping processing unit 33 generates shipping data that associates the number of goods to be shipped and the shipping date with the allocation processing data associated with the customer ID that identifies the customer, for customers from among multiple customers for whom the allocation of goods has been completed.

[0082] The output control unit 34 outputs the shipping data to the output device 7, and the user (person in charge) checks the shipping data and operates the shipping button. As a result, the shipping instruction is sent to the terminal device of the relevant department, and the allocation processing unit 32 registers in the storage unit 2 as priority allocation processing candidates for customers from among multiple customers for whom the allocation of goods has not yet been completed, so that allocation processing can be performed preferentially.

[0083] [Effects of the embodiment] As is clear from the above description, the business support device 1 according to the embodiment obtains an instruction to redo the allocation of goods for preferred trading partners for whom the allocation of ordered goods is given priority, but for which the allocation of goods has not yet been completed.

[0084] When the business support device 1 receives an instruction to re-allocate this product, it performs a re-allocation process to allocate the product to the preferred customer based on the following: the shipment reference value master 22, which associates customer IDs that identify each of multiple customers, including the preferred customer, with product codes that identify the products and reference values ​​that represent the maximum number of products to be preferentially allocated; the allocation processing data, which includes the number of orders for products from multiple customers, including the preferred customer, and the number of allocated products for each of the multiple customers; and the effective inventory information, which is information regarding the inventory status of the products that can be allocated. The device then updates the allocation processing data and outputs the updated allocation processing data to the output device.

[0085] This allows for automatic priority allocation of inventory to trading partners who should be given priority in inventory allocation, reducing the workload on staff and enabling them to focus only on necessary adjustments.

[0086] Furthermore, according to the business support device 1 of the embodiment, in the re-allocation process, if the maximum number of goods has not been allocated to a preferred trading partner for whom the allocation of all goods has not been completed, the allocated number of goods is reset to zero, and then the maximum number of goods is allocated to the preferred trading partner.

[0087] This allows the person in charge to reset the allocation process for unallocated ordered items and perform the allocation process again without performing any special operations.

[0088] Furthermore, according to the business support device 1 of the embodiment, in the re-allocation process, if the difference between the number of orders and the number of items already allocated is greater than or equal to a standard value, the maximum number of items is allocated. If the difference is less than the standard value, the same number of items as the difference is allocated to the preferred trading partner. As a result, the person in charge can perform the re-allocation process without canceling the allocation status without performing any special operations.

[0089] Furthermore, according to the business support device 1 of this embodiment, in the re-allocation process, after allocating goods to the preferred customer, goods are allocated to other customers who have not yet had their goods allocated, in the order in which orders were received. This allows for the allocation of goods to the preferred customer to the maximum extent possible, and then to other customers in order, thereby improving operational efficiency while meeting customer demands.

[0090] Furthermore, according to the business support device 1 of this embodiment, upon receiving an instruction to allocate ordered goods, it refers to the order details data, the shipment standard value master 22, and the available inventory information, allocates the goods to the preferred trading partner, and then allocates the goods to the other trading partners among the multiple trading partners in the order in which the orders were received. For each trading partner ID that identifies each of the multiple trading partners, including the preferred trading partner, it generates allocation processing data that associates the number of orders and the number of allocated goods, and outputs this data to the output target device. This allows the person in charge to confirm whether the allocation process has been performed appropriately and to ensure that the allocation process is executed reliably.

[0091] Furthermore, according to the business support device 1 of this embodiment, upon receiving a product shipment instruction, for customers from among multiple customers for whom product allocation has been completed, shipment data is generated that associates the number of products to be shipped and the shipment date with the allocation processing data associated with the customer ID that identifies the customer. For customers from among multiple customers for whom product allocation has not been completed, the shipment data and the priority allocation processing candidates are registered as priority allocation processing candidates, and the shipment data and priority allocation processing candidates are output to the output target device.

[0092] This allows the person in charge to check the shipping data and issue shipping instructions, and products with order numbers for which allocation has not yet been completed can be automatically registered in the storage unit 2 as priority allocation processing candidates, thus ensuring that all orders are handled without fail.

[0093] [Contribution to the United Nations-led Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)] This invention can contribute to improving operational efficiency and promoting appropriate management decisions by companies, and therefore can contribute to SDGs Goals 8 and 9.

[0094] Furthermore, this invention can contribute to reducing waste and promoting paperless and digital processes, thereby contributing to SDGs Goals 12, 13, and 15.

[0095] Furthermore, this invention can contribute to strengthening control and governance, and therefore can contribute to achieving the 16 goals of the SDGs.

[0096] [Other embodiments] The present invention can be implemented in various different forms within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims, even in embodiments other than those described above.

[0097] For example, among the processes described in the embodiments, all or part of the processes described as being performed automatically may be performed manually. Alternatively, all or part of the processes described as being performed manually may be performed automatically by known methods or the like.

[0098] Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the processing procedures, control procedures, specific names, registration data for each process, information including parameters such as search conditions, screen examples, and database configuration shown in the specification or drawings can be arbitrarily changed.

[0099] Furthermore, with respect to the business support device 1, each component shown in the diagram is a functional concept and does not necessarily have to have the physical configuration shown. For example, the processing functions of the business support device 1, particularly the processing functions performed by the control unit 3, may be implemented in whole or in any part by a program interpreted and executed by the control unit 3 (CPU: Central Processing Unit), or by hardware using wired logic.

[0100] The program is recorded on a non-temporary, computer-readable recording medium containing programmed instructions for the information processing device to execute the processes described in the embodiment, and is mechanically read by the business support device 1 as needed. In other words, the storage unit 2, such as ROM or HDD, records a computer program that works in cooperation with the OS (Operating System) to give instructions to the control unit 3 (CPU) and perform various processes. This computer program is loaded into RAM, unpacked, and executed by the control unit 3 as appropriate.

[0101] Furthermore, the business support program for this business support device 1 may be stored on another server device connected to the business support device 1 via any network, and all or part of it may be downloaded and executed as needed.

[0102] Furthermore, the business support program for executing the processes described in the embodiment may be stored on a non-temporary computer-readable recording medium, or it may be configured as a program product.

[0103] Here, any "portable physical medium" can be used as the "recording medium," such as memory cards, USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, SD (Secure Digital) cards, flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, ROMs, EPROMs (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), EEPROMs (Registered Trademark) (Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory), CD-ROMs (Compact Disk Read Only Memory), MOs (Magneto-Optical Disks), DVDs (Digital Versatile Disks), and Blu-ray (Registered Trademark) Discs.

[0104] Furthermore, "program" refers to a data processing method written in any language or writing method, regardless of whether it is source code or binary code.

[0105] Furthermore, the term "program" is not necessarily limited to a single, monolithic entity, but also includes those that are distributed as multiple modules or libraries, and those that work in cooperation with other programs, such as an operating system, to achieve their functions.

[0106] Furthermore, for the specific configuration, reading procedure, and post-reading installation procedure for the business support device 1 of the embodiment, well-known configurations or procedures can be used.

[0107] The storage unit 2 is a storage means such as a memory device like RAM or ROM, a fixed disk device like a hard disk, a flexible disk, and an optical disk, and stores various programs, tables, databases, and web page files used for various processing or website provision.

[0108] Furthermore, the business support device 1 may be composed of a known personal computer device or an information processing device such as a workstation, or it may be composed of an information processing device to which any peripheral devices are connected. In addition, the information processing device may be implemented by implementing software (including programs or data, etc.) that realizes the processing described in the embodiment.

[0109] Furthermore, the specific forms of distribution and integration of the devices are not limited to those shown in the figures, and all or part of them can be configured by functionally or physically distributing or integrating them in any unit according to various additions or functional loads. In other words, the embodiments described above can be selectively implemented by arbitrarily combining the embodiments described above. [Industrial applicability]

[0110] This invention is particularly suitable for application in logistics operations and the like. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0111] 1 Business support equipment 2 Storage section 3. Control Unit 4. Communication Interface Section 5 Input / Output Interface Section 6 Input devices 7 Output device 11 Server equipment 21 Product Master 22. Master of Shipping Standard Values 23 Order Details Data Storage Unit 24 Effective Inventory Information Storage Unit 25. Allocation Processing Data Storage Unit 26. Shipping data storage unit 31 Acquisition Department 32. Allocation Processing Unit 33 Shipping Processing Unit 34 Output Control Unit

Claims

1. An acquisition unit that acquires user instructions, When the acquisition unit acquires an instruction to re-allocate the goods for a preferred trading partner to whom the allocation of ordered goods is performed preferentially, and for a preferred trading partner to whom the allocation of all of the goods has not yet been completed, the allocation processing unit performs a re-allocation process to allocate the goods to the preferred trading partner and updates the allocation processing data, based on a shipment reference value master which associates a trading partner ID that identifies each of the multiple trading partners including the preferred trading partner, a product code that identifies the goods, and a reference value which is the maximum number of the goods to be preferentially allocated; allocation processing data which includes the number of orders for the goods from the multiple trading partners including the preferred trading partner and the number of allocated goods that have been allocated for each of the multiple trading partners; and effective inventory information which is information regarding the inventory status of the goods that can be allocated, the allocation processing unit performs a re-allocation process to allocate the goods to the preferred trading partner and updates the allocation processing data. An output control unit that outputs the updated allocation processing data to the output target device, A business support device equipped with the following features.

2. In the re-allocation process, the allocation processing unit, For preferred trading partners for whom the allocation of the aforementioned goods has not been completed, if the maximum number of the aforementioned goods has not been allocated, the allocated number of the aforementioned goods shall be reset to zero, and then the maximum number of the aforementioned goods shall be allocated to the preferred trading partner. The business support device according to claim 1.

3. In the re-allocation process, the allocation processing unit, If the difference between the number of orders and the number of items already allocated is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the maximum number of items will be allocated; if the difference is less than the threshold value, the same number of items as the difference will be allocated to the preferred trading partner. The business support device according to claim 1.

4. In the re-allocation process, the allocation processing unit, A business support device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, after allocating the goods to the preferred customer, the device allocates the goods to other customers other than the preferred customer who have not yet completed allocating the goods, in the order in which they were received.

5. The aforementioned allocation processing unit is, When the acquisition unit receives an instruction to allocate ordered goods, it refers to the order detail data, which associates the customer ID, product code, and the number of orders for the goods with each order number indicating the order order, the shipment standard value master, and the available inventory information, and after allocating the goods to the preferred customer, it allocates the goods to the other customers among the multiple customers, excluding the preferred customer, in the order in which the orders were received, and generates the allocation processing data which associates the number of orders and the number of allocated goods with each customer ID that identifies each of the multiple customers, including the preferred customer. The output control unit outputs the allocation processing data to the output target device. The business support device according to claim 4.

6. moreover, When the acquisition unit acquires a shipping instruction for the aforementioned product, the shipment processing unit generates shipment data that associates the number of shipments and the shipment date of the aforementioned product with the allocation processing data associated with the customer ID that identifies the customer, for the customer from among the multiple customers for whom the allocation of the aforementioned product has been completed. The allocation processing unit registers, among the multiple trading partners, those for whom the allocation of the goods has not yet been completed as priority allocation processing candidates, and The output control unit outputs the shipping data and the priority allocation processing candidates to the output target device. The business support device according to claim 5.

7. The acquisition unit performs an acquisition step to acquire user instructions, When the allocation processing unit receives an instruction from the acquisition unit to re-allocate the goods for a preferred customer to whom the allocation of ordered goods has been prioritized, but for which the allocation of all the goods has not yet been completed, the allocation processing unit performs a re-allocation process to allocate the goods to the preferred customer based on the following: a shipment reference value master which associates a customer ID that identifies each of the multiple customers including the preferred customer, a product code that identifies the goods, and a reference value which is the maximum number of the goods to be preferentially allocated; allocation processing data which includes the number of orders for the goods from the multiple customers including the preferred customer, the number of allocated goods for each of the multiple customers; and effective inventory information which is information regarding the inventory status of the goods that can be allocated. The allocation processing step updates the allocation processing data. The output control unit performs an output control step in which it outputs the updated allocation processing data to the output target device. A business support method that has the following characteristics.

8. Computers, An acquisition unit that acquires user instructions, When the acquisition unit acquires an instruction to re-allocate the goods for a preferred trading partner to whom the allocation of ordered goods is performed preferentially, and for a preferred trading partner to whom the allocation of all of the goods has not yet been completed, the allocation processing unit performs a re-allocation process to allocate the goods to the preferred trading partner and updates the allocation processing data, based on a shipment reference value master which associates a trading partner ID that identifies each of the multiple trading partners including the preferred trading partner, a product code that identifies the goods, and a reference value which is the maximum number of the goods to be preferentially allocated; allocation processing data which includes the number of orders for the goods from the multiple trading partners including the preferred trading partner and the number of allocated goods that have been allocated for each of the multiple trading partners; and effective inventory information which is information regarding the inventory status of the goods that can be allocated, the allocation processing unit performs a re-allocation process to allocate the goods to the preferred trading partner and updates the allocation processing data. Output control unit outputs the updated allocation processing data to the output target device. A business support program designed to function as such.

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