Inventory management system and inventory management method

Abstract

This will more effectively prevent shortages of frozen products that need to be thawed before being served. [Solution] An inventory management system 100 for managing the inventory of frozen goods 50 at a shipping destination 30 where the frozen goods 50 are provided in a thawed state, comprising a vacuum microwave thawing machine 10 that thaws the frozen goods 50 by irradiating them with microwaves under a reduced pressure state lower than atmospheric pressure, and a management unit 41 that manages the inventory of frozen goods 50. The control unit 20 of the vacuum microwave thawing machine 10 starts the thawing operation of the frozen goods after thawing information related to the thawing of the frozen goods is input to the vacuum microwave thawing machine, and the management unit 41 updates the inventory of frozen goods 50 based on the thawing information input to the vacuum microwave thawing machine 10.

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present technology relates to an inventory management system for frozen products using a vacuum microwave thawing machine and an inventory management method.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, freezing and distributing goods has been widely practiced, and the targets include a wide range of items such as food, pharmaceuticals, and biological tissues. Frozen products have a long expiration date (use-by date) and are highly convenient because only the necessary amount needs to be thawed. Also, due to the long expiration date, it contributes to reducing the number of deliveries, streamlining logistics, and reducing waste loss.

[0003] On the other hand, frozen products cannot be used immediately because they require time to thaw. Therefore, Patent Document 1 describes that thawing is intentionally started when delivering to a store or the like at the delivery destination (shipping destination) by a truck of a refrigerated container. This can shorten the time required for thawing at the shipping destination.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, for example, when the demand suddenly increases after placing an order with the supplier, even if the thawing time is shortened by the method of Patent Document 1, inventory replenishment may not be in time.

[0006] The present technology has been made based on the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to more reliably suppress the shortage of inventory of frozen products provided after thawing.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] To solve the above problems, the inventory management system disclosed in this application has the following features.

[0008] (1) An inventory management system for managing the inventory of frozen products at a destination where the frozen products are delivered in a thawed state, A vacuum microwave thawing machine that thaws the aforementioned frozen product by irradiating it with microwaves under a reduced pressure state lower than atmospheric pressure, The system comprises a management unit for managing the inventory of the aforementioned frozen products, The control unit of the vacuum microwave thawing machine starts the thawing operation of the frozen product after thawing information related to the thawing of the frozen product is input to the vacuum microwave thawing machine. The management unit is an inventory management system that updates the inventory of the frozen products based on the thawing information input to the vacuum microwave thawing machine.

[0009] Furthermore, the above configuration can be adapted to various forms as shown below.

[0010] (2) The thawing information includes the type and quantity of the frozen product, which are input using the control unit for operating the vacuum microwave thawing machine.

[0011] (3) The thawing information includes the microwave irradiation time and the number of irradiations to the frozen product, which are input using the operating unit for operating the vacuum microwave thawing machine.

[0012] (4) The frozen product is provided with an identification mark that allows information related to the frozen product to be understood. The vacuum microwave thawing machine is equipped with a reading unit for the identification display, The thawing information includes the information relating to the frozen product that is input through the reading unit of the vacuum microwave thawing machine.

[0013] (5) If the updated inventory meets the specified conditions, the management unit will place an order with the supplier of the frozen goods to replenish the inventory.

[0014] (6) The frozen product is a frozen food containing cooked rice, At the destination, the frozen food is sold and provided in a thawed state.

[0015] (7) The system further includes a first information processing terminal for inputting the incoming information of the frozen product at the destination, and the management unit updates the inventory of the frozen product based on the incoming information and the thawing information.

[0016] (8) The destination is a store that sells and provides the frozen product in a thawed state, The store further includes a first information processing terminal for inputting the sales information in the store, The management unit updates the inventory of the products other than the frozen product in the store based on the sales information input to the first information processing terminal at the time of sale.

[0017] The inventory management method disclosed in the present application to solve the above problems has the following features.

[0018] (9) An inventory management method for managing the inventory of a frozen product at a destination where the frozen product is provided in a thawed state, The frozen product is thawed by irradiating it with microwaves under a reduced pressure state lower than atmospheric pressure using a vacuum microwave thawing machine, The vacuum microwave thawing machine starts the thawing operation of the frozen product after thawing information related to the thawing of the frozen product is input to the vacuum microwave thawing machine, An inventory management method for updating the inventory of the frozen product based on the thawing information input to the vacuum microwave thawing machine

Advantages of the Invention

[0019] According to this technology, it is possible to more reliably suppress a shortage of inventory of frozen products provided after thawing.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020] [Figure 1] Schematic diagram of the inventory management system according to Embodiment 1 [Figure 2] Front view of the vacuum microwave thawing machine [Figure 3] Cross-sectional view taken along line I-I of the vacuum microwave thawing machine of FIG. 2 [Figure 4] Cross-sectional view obtained by cutting the vacuum microwave thawing machine of FIG. 2 at the position of line II-II of FIG. 3 [Figure 5] Diagram showing the state in which frozen food is accommodated in the vacuum microwave thawing machine [Figure 6] Diagram showing the state in which thawing information is input from the operation unit of the vacuum microwave thawing machine [Figure 7] Diagram showing the state in which thawing information is input through the reading unit of the vacuum microwave thawing machine in Embodiment 3

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0021] <Embodiment 1> The inventory management system 100 according to Embodiment 1 and the inventory management method using the same will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. The inventory management system 100 is a system for managing the inventory of frozen products at the shipping destination where the frozen products are provided in a thawed state.

[0022] The types of frozen products subject to inventory management of the present technology are not limited as long as they are thawed using the vacuum microwave thawing machine 10. However, in the present embodiment, the case where the frozen food 50 is used will be described. Further, in the present embodiment, the shipping destination is a retail store 30 (for example, a convenience store), and the case where the frozen food 50 is sold and provided in a thawed state at the retail store 30 will be described.

[0023] Note that the form of provision is not limited to provision by sale, and may be provision of a service. For example, the inventory management system 100 is also applicable to inventory management of frozen foods provided in a thawed state at a food service store when providing a food service at the food service store.

[0024] As shown in Figure 1, the inventory management system 100 includes a vacuum microwave thawing machine 10 for thawing frozen foods 50, a first information processing terminal 33 (e.g., a POS (Point of Sales) terminal), a communication device 35 (e.g., a router), a management server 40, and a second information terminal 72 installed at the source of shipment of the frozen foods 50 70 (e.g., a food manufacturing plant). The communication device 35, the management server 40, and the second information terminal 72 are connected to a communication network 80.

[0025] The vacuum microwave thawing machine 10, the first information processing terminal 33, and the communication device 35 are installed in the sales store 30. The vacuum microwave thawing machine 10 and the first information processing terminal 33 are connected to the communication device 35, and the communication device 35 is connected to the communication network 80. Therefore, the vacuum microwave thawing machine 10 and the first information processing terminal 33 can communicate with the management server 40 via the communication device 35 and the communication network 80. However, the vacuum microwave thawing machine 10 and the first information processing terminal 33 may also be configured to connect directly to the communication network 80 without going through the communication device 35.

[0026] The management server 40 manages the inventory of frozen foods 50 by receiving information transmitted from the vacuum microwave thawing machine 10 and the first information processing terminal 33, updating the inventory of frozen foods 50 at the sales store 30, and placing orders with the second information terminal 72 of the shipping source 70 for inventory replenishment when predetermined conditions are met. The management server 40 refers to a means of realizing server functions that executes programs to realize these functions. In this embodiment, the management server 40 is a server computer, but it may also exist virtually in network space using distributed computing or the like.

[0027] The management server 40 includes a management unit 41 that performs inventory update processing and order processing based on an inventory management program, a storage unit 42 that stores the inventory management program and various information such as the inventory of frozen foods 50, and a communication unit 43 for connecting to the communication network 80. The management unit 41 is a CPU or the like that executes instructions for the inventory management program. The storage unit 42 includes a ROM that stores the program executed by the management unit 41, a RAM used as a working area for expanding the program, and a non-volatile memory that stores various information, and may be integrated into the management unit 41. The communication unit 43 is an interface (I / F) that sends and receives various information, and may be integrated into the management unit 41.

[0028] At the shipping source 70, the frozen food 50 is shipped to the sales store 30 based on order information received from the management server 40 via the second information terminal 72. The frozen food 50 is delivered from the shipping source 70 to the sales store 30 by transport equipment (e.g., a transport vehicle), but is not limited to direct delivery; it may also be delivered via a relay facility (e.g., a distribution center).

[0029] The first information processing terminal 33 is, for example, a payment terminal for a POS system commonly installed in a retail store 30. Various information is input to the first information processing terminal 33, including sales information when products (including frozen foods 50) are sold and provided at the retail store 30, and arrival information when products are delivered to the retail store 30. The arrival information includes the type and quantity (number of items, weight, etc.) of the frozen foods 50. The sales information includes the type and quantity of the frozen foods 50 sold in a thawed state. The various information input to the first information processing terminal 33 is transmitted to the management server 40 and stored in the storage unit 42 of the management server 40.

[0030] Next, the configuration of the vacuum microwave thawing machine 10 and the thawing method will be described. The frozen food 50 is thawed using the vacuum microwave thawing machine 10 so that it can be sold in a thawed state at the sales store 30. In this embodiment, the vacuum microwave thawing machine 10 is installed at the sales store 30, and thawing is performed at the sales store 30.

[0031] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the vacuum microwave thawing machine 10 comprises a chamber 11, a door 12, a vacuum pump 13 for reducing the pressure inside the chamber 11, a control valve 14 for restoring (boosting) the pressure inside the chamber 11, a vacuum sensor 15 for measuring the pressure (vacuum level) inside the chamber 11, a magnetron 16 (microwave generator) for generating microwaves, a waveguide 17 for guiding microwaves from the magnetron 16 into the chamber 11, a control unit 20, an operating unit 25, and a reading unit 27. The symbols F, B, L, R, U, and D shown in Figures 2 to 4 indicate the front and rear in the front-to-back direction, left and right in the width direction (left-to-right direction) when viewed from the front, and up and down in the vertical direction (up and down direction), respectively.

[0032] Chamber 11 is a horizontally elongated, roughly rectangular box made of metal such as stainless steel, and its interior serves as a thawing chamber for storing frozen food 50. Chamber 11 has a front opening 11S1 for storing and removing frozen food 50, and the front opening 11S1 can be opened and closed by a swing-type door 12.

[0033] The control unit 20 is equipped with a microcomputer including memory and controls the operation of the vacuum microwave thawing machine 10 based on a control program. The operation unit 25 is provided for store employees 31, maintenance managers, etc. to operate the vacuum microwave thawing machine 10. By pressing buttons etc. included in the operation unit 25, it is possible to start or cancel the thawing operation, input thawing information related to the thawing of frozen food 50, select an operating mode, and change various settings.

[0034] The reading unit 27 is provided for reading the identification mark 55 when the identification mark 55 is attached to the frozen food, as will be explained in Embodiment 3 below. The reading unit 27 may also be attached externally to the vacuum microwave thawing machine 10 as a separate unit.

[0035] When thawing frozen food 50, the employee 31 of the sales store 30 places the frozen food 50 into the chamber 11 of the vacuum microwave thawing machine 10, as shown in Figure 5, and inputs thawing information from the operation unit 25, as shown in Figure 6. In this embodiment, the thawing information is the type and quantity of frozen food 50 to be thawed. Note that the order in which the frozen food 50 is placed and the input of thawing information are performed does not matter; the order of operations is not limited.

[0036] The store clerk 31 places the frozen food 50 into the machine, inputs the thawing information, and then starts the thawing operation from the control unit 25 (for example, by turning on the start button). In other words, the control unit 20 of the vacuum microwave thawing machine 10 starts the thawing operation after the thawing information is input. Therefore, it is preferable that the control unit 20 prevents the start button from being turned on when no thawing information has been input.

[0037] In the thawing operation, the control unit 20 repeatedly performs a depressurization process and a repressurization process while irradiating the frozen food 50 with microwaves, sublimating the ice contained in the frozen food 50 into water vapor, thereby thawing the frozen food 50 without heating it to a high temperature. The ice in the frozen food 50 sublimes into water vapor without undergoing a phase transition to water. Therefore, since thawing is performed in a pressure and temperature range where water cannot exist with the vacuum microwave thawing machine 10, the generation of drip (moisture containing flavor components, etc., that flows out of the frozen food 50) that occurs during thawing can be suppressed. As a result, the frozen food 50 can be thawed at room temperature at a low temperature and without stickiness. Furthermore, even if localized thawing progresses during thawing, the water in the thawed area sublimes, generating a cooling effect due to latent heat, thus suppressing excessive heating and reducing uneven thawing (uneven heating).

[0038] In particular, in this embodiment, the type and quantity of frozen food 50 are input as thawing information before the start of the thawing operation, so the thawing operation can be controlled with high precision accordingly, and high-quality thawing can be achieved.

[0039] Once the thawing process is complete, the thawed frozen food 50 is removed by the store clerk 31 and displayed on shelves or other surfaces within the sales store 30.

[0040] Furthermore, thawing information entered from the operation unit 25 before the start of the thawing operation of the vacuum microwave thawing machine 10 is transmitted to the management server 40 via the communication device 35 and the communication network 80. Based on the received thawing information, the management unit 41 of the management server 40 updates the inventory of frozen foods 50 at the sales stores 30 stored in the storage unit 42. For example, if the type and quantity of frozen foods 50 to be thawed are received as thawing information, the management unit 41 of the management server 40 reduces the inventory of frozen foods 50 by the received type and quantity and overwrites the storage unit 42 with the updated inventory.

[0041] In this embodiment, the inventory of frozen foods 50 stored in the storage unit 42 of the management server 40 is updated based on incoming information transmitted from the first information processing terminal 33 and thawing information from the vacuum microwave thawing machine 10. In addition, the inventory of products other than frozen foods 50 is updated based on incoming information transmitted from the first information processing terminal 33 and sales information. The incoming information may be the same as the shipping information transmitted from the shipping source 70 to the management server 40.

[0042] As explained above, the inventory management system 100 and the inventory management method using it update the inventory of frozen foods 50 at the sales store 30 based on thawing information entered before the start of the thawing operation of the vacuum microwave thawing machine 10, and the management unit 41 of the management server 40 updates the inventory of frozen foods 50 at the sales store 30. Conventionally, inventory management systems at sales stores 30 are generally so-called POS systems that update inventory based on information entered into the payment terminal at the time of sale and provision. In contrast, using this inventory management system 100, inventory can be updated when the frozen foods 50 are thawed, and inventory can be updated earlier than at the time of sale. As a result, shortages of frozen foods 50 that are thawed and provided can be identified earlier, the time until inventory replenishment can be shortened, inventory shortages can be suppressed more reliably, and in turn, lost sales opportunities can be suppressed.

[0043] Furthermore, the management unit 41 of the management server 40 executes an order process to the second information terminal 72 of the shipping source 70 to replenish the inventory when the updated inventory meets predetermined conditions (for example, when the quantity of updated inventory falls below a predetermined threshold). In this way, automatic ordering by the management unit 41 can more reliably suppress inventory shortages and, consequently, the loss of sales opportunities.

[0044] Furthermore, the management unit 41 of the management server 40 may update the inventory of products other than frozen foods 50 based on sales information entered from the first information processing terminal 33. In this way, inventory management of other products that are not thawed by the vacuum microwave thawing machine 10 can be managed based on conventional sales information. As a result, efficient inventory management can be achieved by integrating this technology with the POS system.

[0045] A specific example of the frozen food 50 in this embodiment is a frozen food containing cooked rice (specifically, frozen rice balls). By using the vacuum microwave thawing machine 10 to thaw frozen rice balls, they can be thawed in a shorter time and with higher quality compared to thawing them naturally or in a refrigerator. Frozen rice balls deteriorate less in quality than rice balls that can be stored at room temperature and can be stored for a longer period of time, thus reducing the number of deliveries to the sales stores 30 and improving the efficiency of logistics, which can also alleviate the driver shortage problem that has become serious in recent years. In addition, food waste due to excess inventory can be reduced. Furthermore, by having store employees 31 thaw frozen rice balls according to sales, etc., lost sales opportunities due to insufficient inventory can also be reduced.

[0046] <Embodiment 2> The inventory management method according to Embodiment 2 will now be described. In Embodiment 2, the content of the thawing information differs from that of Embodiment 1. Explanations of the same configuration, operation, and effects as in Embodiment 1 will be omitted to avoid repetition.

[0047] The thawing information in Embodiment 2 includes the microwave irradiation time and the number of irradiations to the frozen food 50 in the vacuum microwave thawing machine 10. Furthermore, the type of frozen food 50 in this embodiment is considered to be the same (single) and specified.

[0048] The microwave irradiation time and number of irradiations, which are thawing information input from the operation unit 25 of the vacuum microwave thawing machine 10, are transmitted to the management server 40 in the same manner as in Embodiment 1. The management unit 41 of the management server 40 calculates the quantity of thawed frozen food 50 based on the specified type of frozen food 50, the microwave irradiation time, and the number of irradiations.

[0049] Alternatively, the control unit 20 of the vacuum microwave thawing machine 10 may calculate the quantity of frozen food 50 based on the microwave irradiation time, the number of irradiations, and the type of frozen food 50, and transmit the calculated quantity to the management server 40.

[0050] Specific examples of frozen food 50 in this embodiment include frozen fresh seafood (for example, frozen tuna). When frozen fresh seafood is thawed using the vacuum microwave thawing machine 10 for raw consumption such as sashimi, it can be thawed in a shorter time and with higher quality compared to natural thawing or thawing in a refrigerator. For example, when thawing a large quantity of frozen tuna, the store clerk 31 can input the microwave irradiation time and number of irradiations into the operation unit 25 when using the vacuum microwave thawing machine 10, thereby calculating the quantity (weight) of thawed frozen tuna, and updating the inventory (weight) of frozen tuna based on this.

[0051] <Embodiment 3> The inventory management method according to Embodiment 3 will be described with reference to Figure 7. In Embodiment 3, the method of inputting thawing information to the microwave thawing machine 10 differs from that of Embodiment 1. In Embodiment 3, redundant explanations of the same configuration, operation, and effects as in Embodiment 1 will be omitted.

[0052] In this embodiment, the frozen food 150 is provided with an identification mark 55 that allows information related to the frozen food 150 to be obtained, as shown in Figure 7. This information includes at least the type and quantity of the frozen product. The identification mark 55 is a barcode, a two-dimensional code, an RFID tag, etc., and is provided, for example, by being attached to the packaging of the frozen food 50.

[0053] The identification indicator 55 is read by the reading unit 27 of the vacuum microwave thawing machine 10 before the start of the thawing operation. The read identification indicator 55 is input to the vacuum microwave thawing machine 10 as thawing information. This makes the input of thawing information more efficient. The thawing information input through the reading unit 27 is transmitted to the management server 40, as in Embodiment 1.

[0054] <Other Embodiments> This technology is not limited to the embodiments described above and in the drawings, and the following embodiments, for example, are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0055] (1) The inventory management methods according to Embodiments 1 to 3 may be used in combination. That is, depending on the frozen products to be thawed, the contents of the thawing information according to Embodiments 1 and 2, and the input methods for thawing information according to Embodiments 1 and 3 may be used in combination.

[0056] (2) The installation and use of the vacuum microwave thawing machine 10 is not limited to the sales store 30, but may also be installed in the transport equipment from the shipping source 70 to the sales store 30, or in a relay facility. In that case, the thawing information input to the vacuum microwave thawing machine 10 may be transmitted via a communication device in the transport equipment or relay facility, or it may be transmitted directly from the vacuum microwave thawing machine 10 without going through a communication device.

[0057] (3) The configuration of the vacuum microwave thawing machine 10 is not limited as long as it can thaw the frozen food 50 by the mechanism described above. For example, the vacuum microwave thawing machine 10 shown in Figures 2 to 4 includes a stirrer 18 that diffuses microwaves into the chamber 11 to suppress uneven heating, and a motor 19 that rotates the stirrer 18. However, these are not provided, and a rotating table on which the frozen food 50 is placed may be provided to suppress uneven heating. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0058] 10: Vacuum microwave thawing machine, 20: Control unit, 25: Operation unit, 27: Reading unit, 30: Sales store (shipping destination), 33: First information processing terminal, 41: Management unit, 42: Storage unit, 50, 150: Frozen food (frozen products), 55: Identification display, 70: Shipping source, 100: Inventory management system

Claims

1. An inventory management system for managing the inventory of frozen products at a destination where the frozen products are delivered in a thawed state, A vacuum microwave thawing machine that thaws the aforementioned frozen product by irradiating it with microwaves under a reduced pressure state lower than atmospheric pressure, The system comprises a management unit for managing the inventory of the aforementioned frozen products, The control unit of the vacuum microwave thawing machine starts the thawing operation of the frozen product after thawing information related to the thawing of the frozen product is input to the vacuum microwave thawing machine. The management unit is an inventory management system that updates the inventory of the frozen products based on the thawing information input to the vacuum microwave thawing machine.

2. The inventory management system according to claim 1, wherein the thawing information includes the type and quantity of the frozen product, which are input using an operating unit for operating the vacuum microwave thawing machine.

3. The inventory management system according to claim 1, wherein the thawing information includes the microwave irradiation time and the number of irradiations to the frozen product, which are input using an operating unit for operating the vacuum microwave thawing machine.

4. The aforementioned frozen product is provided with an identification mark that allows information related to the frozen product to be understood. The vacuum microwave thawing machine is equipped with a reading unit for the identification display, The inventory management system according to claim 1, which includes the thawing information, which is input through the reading unit of the vacuum microwave thawing machine, relating to the frozen product.

5. The inventory management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the management unit executes an order process to the supplier of the frozen goods in order to replenish the inventory if the updated inventory meets predetermined conditions.

6. The aforementioned frozen product is a frozen food containing cooked rice. The inventory management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the frozen food is sold and provided to the recipient in a thawed state.

7. The system further comprises a first information processing terminal into which information on the arrival of the frozen products at the aforementioned shipping destination is entered. The inventory management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the management unit updates the inventory of the frozen products based on the incoming information and the thawing information.

8. The aforementioned recipient is a retail store that sells and provides the aforementioned frozen product in a thawed state. The system further comprises a first information processing terminal into which sales information from the aforementioned sales store is entered, The inventory management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the management unit updates the inventory of products other than frozen products sold at the sales store based on the sales information entered into the first information processing terminal at the time of sale.

9. An inventory management method for managing the inventory of frozen products at a destination where the frozen products are delivered in a thawed state, The aforementioned frozen product is thawed by irradiating it with microwaves under reduced pressure conditions below atmospheric pressure using a vacuum microwave thawing machine. The vacuum microwave thawing machine starts the thawing operation of the frozen product after thawing information related to the thawing of the frozen product has been input to the vacuum microwave thawing machine. An inventory management method for updating the inventory of frozen products based on the thawing information input to the vacuum microwave thawing machine.

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