Sales negotiation system, server, sales negotiation support method, and sales negotiation support program

Abstract

This service facilitates smooth communication regarding business negotiations between steel manufacturers, customers, and trading companies. [Solution] The business negotiation system is a business negotiation system in which a manufacturer's terminal, which is the terminal of a steel manufacturer, a customer's terminal, which is the terminal of a customer purchasing the steel, a trading company's terminal, which is the terminal of a trading company that acts as an intermediary between the manufacturer and the customer, and a server are connected via a network, wherein the server displays a display screen that selectively includes one or more chat windows for displaying chat message exchanges on each of the manufacturer's terminal, the customer's terminal, and the trading company's terminal, and the combination of the one or more chat windows included in the display screen displayed on each of the manufacturer's terminal, the customer's terminal, and the trading company's terminal is different.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a negotiation system, a server, a negotiation support method, and a negotiation support program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a negotiation and quotation examination department receives negotiation information from a customer as electronic data and stores it in a negotiation and quotation database. A specification setting department receives specification information related to product requirements from a customer as electronic data and stores it in a specification setting database. An order processing department receives information related to an order from a customer as electronic data, retrieves the corresponding negotiation information and specification information from the negotiation and quotation database and the specification setting database respectively, creates order information based on the retrieved negotiation information and specification information, and stores it in an order database. A negotiation and order system is known (Patent Document 1).

[0003] Also, a negotiation input department receives negotiation information from a customer and stores it in a negotiation database. An assorting input department retrieves negotiation information from the negotiation database according to a request from a customer and provides it to the customer. It receives assorting unique information from the customer, creates assorting information based on the retrieved negotiation information and the received assorting unique information, and stores it in an assorting database. An order input department retrieves assorting information from the assorting database according to a request from a customer and provides it to the customer. It receives order unique information from the customer, creates order information based on the retrieved assorting information and the received order unique information, and stores it in an order database. A negotiation and order system is known (Patent Document 2).

[0004] Furthermore, an inquiry review support method is known in which the processing steps of the following are executed by the calculation unit of a computer: an inquiry registration step in which the required quality, delivery date, and price are entered for the inquiry; a manufacturing method candidate determination step in which multiple manufacturing method candidates that satisfy the required quality are determined based on past cases; a quality margin determination step in which the degree of deviation that would cause the required quality to no longer be satisfied is calculated from a performance quality database and the quality margin is determined for each manufacturing method candidate; a delivery date margin determination step in which the delivery date margin for each manufacturing method candidate is determined based on past cases; a cost margin determination step in which the cost margin for each manufacturing method candidate is determined based on past cases; and a response determination step in which the manufacturing method to be adopted is determined from the quality margin, delivery date margin, and cost margin of each manufacturing method candidate, and its price and delivery date are output as a response to the inquiry. (Patent Document 3) [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4826211 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 4867291 [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 5234792 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] Each business negotiation in a single transaction involves various individual issues such as new inquiries, price negotiations, delivery date adjustments, and complaint negotiations. However, these are often handled individually by the respective departments and related departments. This results in scattered information about the negotiations, preventing stakeholders from sharing information, and hindering communication with customers and trading companies during individual negotiations. Consequently, the process of completing the transaction is prolonged.

[0007] The present invention aims to provide a business negotiation system, server, business negotiation support method, and business negotiation support program that can support smooth communication regarding business negotiations between steel manufacturers, customers, and trading companies. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To achieve the above objective, the first aspect of the business negotiation system is a business negotiation system in which a manufacturer's terminal, which is the terminal of a steel manufacturer, a customer's terminal, which is the terminal of a customer purchasing the steel, a trading company's terminal, which is the terminal of a trading company that acts as an intermediary between the manufacturer and the customer, and a server are connected via a network, wherein the server displays a display screen that selectively includes one or more chat windows for displaying chat message exchanges on each of the manufacturer's terminal, the customer's terminal, and the trading company's terminal, and the combination of the one or more chat windows included in the display screen displayed on each of the manufacturer's terminal, the customer's terminal, and the trading company's terminal is different.

[0009] In this manner, the server displays a display screen on each of the manufacturer's terminal, the customer's terminal, and the trading company's terminal that selectively includes one or more chat windows for displaying chat message exchanges. At this time, the combination of one or more chat windows included in the display screen displayed on each of the manufacturer's terminal, the customer's terminal, and the trading company's terminal is different. This facilitates smooth communication regarding business negotiations between steel manufacturers, customers, and trading companies.

[0010] The second aspect of the business negotiation system is a business negotiation system according to the first aspect, wherein the display screen displayed on the manufacturer's terminal includes a chat window that displays the exchange of chat messages between the manufacturer and the trading company, and a chat window that displays the exchange of chat messages between the manufacturer, the customer and the trading company.

[0011] The third aspect of the business negotiation system is a business negotiation system according to the first aspect, wherein the display screen shown on the customer terminal includes a chat window that displays the exchange of chat messages between the manufacturer, the customer, and the trading company.

[0012] The fourth aspect of the business negotiation system is a business negotiation system according to the first aspect, wherein the display screen displayed on the trading company's terminal includes a chat window that displays the exchange of chat messages between the manufacturer and the trading company, and a chat window that displays the exchange of chat messages between the manufacturer, the customer and the trading company.

[0013] The fifth aspect of the business negotiation system, in the business negotiation system according to the first aspect, causes the server to display an input display screen on each of the manufacturer's terminal, the customer's terminal, and the trading company's terminal, which has a specification information input section that can input information regarding at least one of the following: a business negotiation number for identifying the business negotiation, the department in charge of the business negotiation, customer information, delivery destination, material, specifications, customer drawings, dimensions, required quantity, allowable error between the required quantity and the shipped quantity, shipping method, delivery date, and quotation response deadline.

[0014] The negotiation system according to the sixth embodiment is a negotiation system according to the fifth embodiment, wherein the input display screen includes a chat button for transitioning to a display screen that selectively includes one or more chat windows related to the negotiation.

[0015] The seventh aspect of the business negotiation system is a business negotiation system according to the first aspect, wherein the server causes the manufacturer's terminal to display a display screen having a business negotiation display unit that displays the progress status of the business negotiation.

[0016] The eighth aspect of the negotiation system is a negotiation system according to the fifth aspect, wherein the input display screen has at least one of the following enabled: a button for inputting information, a button for referencing the inputted information, and a button for sending the inputted information, depending on the progress of the negotiation; the server determines the progress of the negotiation in response to the pressing of the enabled button, and based on the determined result, displays the progress of the negotiation on the negotiation display unit of the input display screen.

[0017] The negotiation system according to the ninth embodiment, in the negotiation system according to the first embodiment, when the negotiation is between the manufacturer and the customer, the server causes the manufacturer's terminal and the customer's terminal to each display a display screen that selectively includes one or more chat windows for displaying the exchange of chat messages.

[0018] The server according to the tenth embodiment is a server connected via a network to a manufacturer-side terminal which is the terminal of a steel manufacturer, a customer-side terminal which is the terminal of a customer that purchases the steel, and a trading company-side terminal which is the terminal of a trading company that acts as an intermediary between the manufacturer and the customer, wherein each of the manufacturer-side terminal, the customer-side terminal, and the trading company-side terminal displays a display screen which selectively includes one or more chat windows for displaying chat message exchanges, and the combination of the one or more chat windows included in the display screen displayed on each of the manufacturer-side terminal, the customer-side terminal, and the trading company-side terminal is different.

[0019] The negotiation support method according to the 11th aspect is a negotiation support method in a negotiation system in which a manufacturer-side terminal that is a terminal of a manufacturer manufacturing steel materials, a customer-side terminal that is a terminal of a customer purchasing the steel materials, a trading company-side terminal that is a terminal of a trading company mediating between the manufacturer and the customer, and a server are connected via a network. The server selectively displays a display screen including one or more chat windows for displaying chat message exchanges on each of the manufacturer-side terminal, the customer-side terminal, and the trading company-side terminal. The combinations of the one or more chat windows included in the display screens displayed on each of the manufacturer-side terminal, the customer-side terminal, and the trading company-side terminal are different.

[0020] The negotiation support program according to the 12th aspect causes a computer to display, on each of a manufacturer-side terminal that is a terminal of a manufacturer manufacturing steel materials, a customer-side terminal that is a terminal of a customer purchasing the steel materials, and a trading company-side terminal that is a terminal of a trading company mediating between the manufacturer and the customer, a display screen selectively including one or more chat windows for displaying chat message exchanges, and the combinations of the one or more chat windows included in the display screens displayed on each of the manufacturer-side terminal, the customer-side terminal, and the trading company-side terminal are different.

Effect of the Invention

[0021] As described above, according to the negotiation system, server, negotiation support method, and negotiation support program of the present invention, an effect can be obtained that smooth communication regarding negotiations among a manufacturer, a customer, and a trading company manufacturing steel materials can be supported.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022] [Figure 1] It is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a negotiation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a schematic block diagram of an example of a computer functioning as a server, a manufacturer-side terminal, a customer-side terminal, and a trading company-side terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] It is a block diagram showing the configuration of a server according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the manufacturer side terminal. [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the customer side terminal and the trading company side terminal. [Figure 6A] It is a diagram showing an example of a chat display screen displayed on the manufacturer side terminal. [Figure 6B] It is a diagram showing an example of a chat display screen displayed on the manufacturer side terminal. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing an example of a chat display screen displayed on the trading company side terminal. [Figure 8] It is a diagram showing an example of a chat display screen displayed on the customer side terminal. [Figure 9] It is a diagram showing an example of a business negotiation list screen displayed on the manufacturer side terminal, the customer side terminal, and the trading company side terminal. [Figure 10] It is a diagram showing an example of a status management screen displayed on the manufacturer side terminal. [Figure 11] It is a flowchart showing the flow of business negotiation support processing of the server according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] It is a flowchart showing the flow of business negotiation support processing of the server according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0023] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 1, a business negotiation system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is a system for supporting business negotiations of steel materials, and includes a server 10, a manufacturer side terminal 12A which is a terminal of a manufacturer manufacturing steel materials, a customer side terminal 12B which is a terminal of a customer purchasing steel materials, and a trading company side terminal 12C which is a terminal of a trading company mediating between the manufacturer and the customer. The steel material is, for example, hot extruded steel.

[0025] Server 10, manufacturer-side terminal 12A, customer-side terminal 12B, and trading company-side terminal 12C are connected via a network 26 such as the Internet.

[0026] The manufacturer's terminal 12A, the customer's terminal 12B, and the trading company's terminal 12C consist of mobile terminals or computer terminals, etc. Here, mobile terminals include smartphones, mobile phones, and PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants). Computer terminals include notebook computers and desktop computers.

[0027] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the server 10, manufacturer-side terminal 12A, customer-side terminal 12B, and trading company-side terminal 12C in this embodiment.

[0028] As shown in Figure 2, the server 10, manufacturer-side terminal 12A, customer-side terminal 12B, and trading company-side terminal 12C each have a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, storage 14, input unit 15, display unit 16, and communication interface (I / F) 17. Each component is connected to the others via a bus 19 so that they can communicate with each other.

[0029] The CPU 11 is a central processing unit that executes various programs and controls various components. Specifically, the CPU 11 reads a program from the ROM 12 or storage 14 and executes the program using the RAM 13 as a working area. The CPU 11 controls each of the above components and performs various calculations according to the program stored in the ROM 12 or storage 14. In this embodiment, the ROM 12 or storage 14 stores programs for performing various processes.

[0030] ROM12 stores various programs and data. RAM13 temporarily stores programs or data as a working area. Storage14 consists of an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive) and stores various programs, including the operating system, and various data.

[0031] The input unit 15 includes a pointing device such as a mouse and a keyboard, and is used for various types of input.

[0032] The display unit 16 is, for example, a liquid crystal display and displays various information. The display unit 16 may also function as an input unit 15 by employing a touch panel system.

[0033] The communication interface 17 is an interface for communicating with other devices, and standards such as Ethernet®, FDDI, and Wi-Fi® can be used.

[0034] Next, we will describe the functional configuration of server 10. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of server 10.

[0035] The server 10 functionally comprises a communication unit 30, an authentication unit 32, an information acquisition unit 34, a screen control unit 36, a progress management unit 38, and a business negotiation information database (DB) 40.

[0036] The communication unit 30 transmits and receives data between the manufacturer's terminal 12A, the customer's terminal 12B, and the trading company's terminal 12C.

[0037] The authentication unit 32 performs authentication processing for any user accessing the server 10, whether it be a manufacturer-side terminal 12A, a customer-side terminal 12B, or a trading company-side terminal 12C. It identifies the user and determines whether the user's terminal is a manufacturer-side terminal 12A, a customer-side terminal 12B, or a trading company-side terminal 12C.

[0038] The information acquisition unit 34 acquires business opportunity information for users whose authentication process has been successful from the business opportunity information database 40.

[0039] The screen control unit 36 ​​displays an input display screen on one of the terminals of a user whose authentication process has been successful, namely the manufacturer's terminal 12A, the customer's terminal 12B, and the trading company's terminal 12C. The screen control unit 36 ​​has an input section for specification information input that allows input of information related to at least one of the following: a deal number for identifying the deal, the department in charge of the deal, customer information, delivery date, delivery destination, material, specifications, customer drawings, dimensions, required quantity, D / A (delivery allowance: tolerance for error between the quantity shipped and the actual quantity shipped), shipping method, delivery date, and quotation response deadline. For example, basic information of the deal can be entered in the specification information input section, such as company name, department name, person in charge name, deal number, product name, field of use, and specific application. For example, information from the manufacturing plant can be entered in the specification information input section, such as drawing number, drawing file name, specification number, and nominal dimensions. For example, response information from sales can be entered in the specification information input section, such as comments for internal use and comments for external use. Furthermore, in the specification information input section, for example, information such as negotiation result, reason for selecting the negotiation result, detailed reason, specification number, planned order, sales summary comment, and confidential comment can be entered. Furthermore, upon successful authentication, the top screen (not shown in the diagram) displays input screens G1 and G2, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, via a link within the screen. The deal number is an identification number assigned to each deal. Customer information is information about the customer.

[0040] Figure 4 shows an example where the input display screen G1 displayed on the manufacturer's terminal 12A has a specification information input section G11 where customer decisions regarding D / A, shipping method, delivery date, and quotation response deadline can be entered, and a specification information input section G12 where negotiation results can be entered. The input display screen G1 also shows an example where the negotiation number, responsible department, customer information, delivery destination, etc. are displayed. The input display screen G1 also shows an example where each negotiation tab displays material, specifications, customer drawings, dimensions, required quantity, etc., along with a button B12 to disclose the manufacturer's response, a button B13 to return to the progress status, a button B14 to advance the progress status, a button B15 to request consideration, and a button to lock or unlock the negotiation. The input display screen G1 also shows an example where each sales response tab displays D / A, shipping method, delivery date, quotation response deadline, sales price, etc., along with a button B11 to load the sales price consideration proposal.

[0041] Furthermore, the input display screen G1 shows an example where each tab for the manufacturer's response displays the manufacturer's drawing number, manufacturer's drawing, standard abbreviation, mechanical properties, manufacturing cost information, D / A, shipping method, delivery date, quotation response deadline, quotation proposal, etc., along with a button to launch the information transfer screen. The button to launch the information transfer screen is used to transfer information regarding the authentication of specifications between the customer and the system to another system.

[0042] Figure 5 shows an example where the input display screen G2, displayed on the customer terminal 12B, has multiple tabs such as "Sales Response Tab 1" and "Sales Response Tab 2" for each sales negotiation. Each tab has a specification information input section G21 where the customer can input their judgment regarding D / A, shipping method, delivery date, and quotation response deadline, a specification information input section G22 where the negotiation results can be entered, and a button B22 for requesting consideration. The sales department is responsible for setting and negotiating sales conditions, managing delivery dates, inventory management, etc. Although Figure 5 explains the case where multiple tabs such as "Sales Response Tab 1" and "Sales Response Tab 2" are arranged as an example, the tabs could also be separated chronologically. Furthermore, the input display screen G2 shows an example where each tab for a business negotiation displays information such as material, specifications, customer drawings, dimensions, and required quantity. Additionally, the input display screen G2 shows an example where each tab for a sales response displays information such as D / A, shipping method, delivery date, quote validity period, and a button B21 for responding.

[0043] Furthermore, the input display screens G1 and G2 include chat buttons B1 and B2 for transitioning to a chat display screen that selectively includes one or more chat windows related to the business opportunity being displayed. By including this feature, users can easily transition to the chat display screen where chat messages related to the target business negotiation are being exchanged.

[0044] The screen control unit 36 ​​displays a chat display screen that selectively includes one or more chat windows for displaying chat message exchanges to each of the manufacturer's terminal 12A, the customer's terminal 12B, and the trading company's terminal 12C. Here, the combination of one or more chat windows included in the chat display screen displayed to each of the manufacturer's terminal 12A, the customer's terminal 12B, and the trading company's terminal 12C is different.

[0045] Specifically, as shown in Figure 6A, the chat display screen G3 shown on the manufacturer's terminal 12A includes a chat window W1 that displays chat message exchanges between the manufacturer, the customer, and the trading company, a chat window W2 that displays chat message exchanges between departments within the manufacturer, and a chat window W3 that displays chat message exchanges between the manufacturer and the trading company.

[0046] In the above embodiment, the example described was one in which chat windows W1, W2, and W3 are arranged side by side, but the invention is not limited to this. Chat windows W1, W2, and W3 may be displayed in a way that allows switching between them using tabs. In addition, the chat display screen G3 displayed on the manufacturer's terminal 12A may be configured to display only chat windows W1 and W3, without displaying chat window W2.

[0047] Figure 6B also shows examples of chat message exchanges in chat windows W1, W2, and W3. Chat window W1 shows an example of chat messages exchanged between a customer and a manufacturer to confirm the specifications of the product being negotiated.

[0048] Chat window W2 shows examples of chat messages exchanged between departments within a manufacturer, including messages reporting that an inquiry has been answered, messages confirming the delivery date of a product under negotiation, messages requesting approval of a proposed price for a product under negotiation, messages notifying that a product delivery location has been registered, and messages reporting that a proposed answer has been approved. Each chat message is also displayed along with the sender and the time it was sent.

[0049] Chat window W3 shows examples of chat messages exchanged between a trading company and a manufacturer, including messages to confirm the delivery destination of the product being negotiated, messages reporting that a quote for the product has been provided, and messages inquiring about the details of the quote. Furthermore, it is possible to attach documents (XLS, docx, pptx, pdf, jpeg, etc.) to each of the above chat windows W1, W2, and W3. For example, specification-related documents, inquiry-related documents (customer plans, etc.), and example photos (installation locations) can be attached for sharing purposes other than the input items of the system itself.

[0050] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, the chat display screen G4 shown on the trading company terminal 12C includes a chat window W4 that displays the exchange of chat messages between the manufacturer and the trading company, and a chat window W5 that displays the exchange of chat messages between the manufacturer, the customer and the trading company.

[0051] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, the chat display screen G5 shown on the customer terminal 12B includes a chat window W6 that displays the exchange of chat messages between the manufacturer, the customer, and the trading company.

[0052] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9, the business opportunity list display screen G6 has a list display unit G61 that displays a list of business opportunities related to the user.

[0053] Figure 9 shows an example where the list display unit G61 displays various information for each business opportunity related to the user in a table format. At the top of the business opportunity list display screen G6 in Figure 9, several items such as the responsible department, status, reception date (From To), business opportunity number, property name, and unread chat messages are displayed, and it is possible to narrow down the results by selecting these search criteria. Figure 9 shows an example of narrowing down the results by selecting the responsible department as the search criterion.

[0054] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10, the status management screen G7 has a deal display unit G71 that displays the progress status of each deal.

[0055] Figure 10 shows an example where the sales opportunity display unit G71 displays the progress stage of each sales opportunity using "●". Note that in the status management screen G7, items are displayed selectively by the user. Figure 10 shows an example where the progress stage of each sales opportunity is displayed using "●" from various statuses such as "Inquiry being entered", "Sales received (inquiry)", "Inquiry being confirmed", "Manufacturing plant received", "Manufacturing plant response in progress", "Sales received (manufacturing plant response)", "Sales price under consideration", "Approval request received", "Approval in progress", "Sales response being entered", "Customer received (quote)", "Customer quotation being confirmed", "Sales received (customer decision)", "Customer decision being confirmed", "Information draft being prepared", "Information draft being prepared", "Information in progress", "Information approved", and "Trading company entry request submitted".

[0056] The progress management unit 38 determines the progress status of the target business opportunity in response to the press operation of the buttons for managing the progress status displayed on the input display screen, and based on the determined result, displays the progress status of the target business opportunity on the business opportunity display unit G71 of the status management screen G7. Note that buttons B13 and B14 in Figure 4 above are examples of buttons for managing the progress status. The progress management unit 38 enables at least one of the following buttons on the input display screen, depending on the progress status of the business negotiation being displayed: a button for entering information, a button for viewing entered information, and a button for submitting entered information. Here, "enable" means that the button can be pressed, and the user cannot press a button that is not enabled. Note that button B11 in Figure 4 above is an example of a button for viewing entered information. Button B12 in Figure 4 above and button B21 in Figure 5 above are examples of buttons for submitting entered information.

[0057] The progress management unit 38 determines the progress status of the target business opportunity in response to the operation of pressing the activated button, and based on the determined result, displays the progress status of the target business opportunity on the business opportunity display unit G71 of the status management screen G7.

[0058] The sales opportunity information database (DB) 40 stores information about sales opportunities for all users.

[0059] Next, the operation of the business negotiation system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0060] First, when any user from the manufacturer's terminal 12A, the customer's terminal 12B, or the trading company's terminal 12C accesses the server 10, the server 10 executes the sales support process shown in Figures 11 and 12, according to the sales support program stored in the storage 14. Note that the sales support process is just one example of a sales support method.

[0061] In step S100, the authentication unit 32 performs authentication processing using an ID and password for a user accessing the server 10, identifies the user, and determines whether the user's terminal is the manufacturer's terminal 12A, the customer's terminal 12B, or the trading company's terminal 12C.

[0062] In step S102, the screen control unit 36 ​​displays the top screen on one of the terminals of the user whose authentication process was successful: the manufacturer's terminal 12A, the customer's terminal 12B, or the trading company's terminal 12C. The top screen displayed on the manufacturer's terminal 12A includes links to transition to an input display screen for entering new business opportunity information, a link to transition to a business opportunity list screen, and a link to transition to a status management screen. The top screens displayed on the customer's terminal 12B and the trading company's terminal 12C include links to transition to an input display screen for entering new business opportunity information and links to transition to a business opportunity list screen.

[0063] In step S104, the screen control unit 36 ​​determines whether the user has clicked a link on the top screen. If the user clicks a link to transition to the status management screen, the process proceeds to step S106. If the user clicks a link to transition to the business opportunity list screen, the process proceeds to step S114. If the user clicks a link to transition to the input display screen, the process proceeds to step S120.

[0064] In step S106, the information acquisition unit 34 acquires business opportunity information for users whose authentication process was successful from the business opportunity information database 40.

[0065] In step S108, the information acquisition unit 34 acquires the progress status of the business opportunity information for the user whose authentication process was successful from the business opportunity information database 40.

[0066] In step S110, the screen control unit 36 ​​displays a status management screen on the manufacturer's terminal 12A, which is the terminal of the user whose authentication process was successful.

[0067] In step S112, the screen control unit 36 ​​determines whether or not it has received a selection from the user for a business opportunity to be displayed on the status management screen. If it has received a selection from the user for a business opportunity to be displayed, it proceeds to step S120. On the other hand, if the user finishes by confirming the contents displayed on the status management screen, the business opportunity support process is terminated.

[0068] In step S114, the information acquisition unit 34 acquires business opportunity information for users whose authentication process was successful from the business opportunity information database 40.

[0069] In step S116, the screen control unit 36 ​​displays the business negotiation list screen on one of the terminals of the user whose authentication process was successful: the manufacturer's terminal 12A, the customer's terminal 12B, or the trading company's terminal 12C.

[0070] In step S118, the screen control unit 36 ​​determines whether or not it has received a selection from the user for a business opportunity to be displayed on the business opportunity list screen. If it has received a selection from the user for a business opportunity to be displayed, it proceeds to step S120. On the other hand, if the user finishes by confirming the contents displayed on the business opportunity list screen, the business opportunity support process is terminated.

[0071] In step S120, the screen control unit 36 ​​displays an input display screen on one of the terminals of the user whose authentication process was successful: the manufacturer's terminal 12A, the customer's terminal 12B, or the trading company's terminal 12C. If, in step S104, a link to transition to an input display screen for entering new business opportunity information is pressed on the top screen, the input display screen for the new business opportunity is displayed. If, in step S112 or S118, the selection of a business opportunity to be displayed is received, the input display screen for the business opportunity to be displayed is displayed.

[0072] In step S122, the screen control unit 36 ​​determines whether or not it has received an operation from the user on the input display screen. If the user's operation is an operation to input negotiation information, the process proceeds to step S124. If the user's operation is an operation to press a chat button, the process proceeds to step S130. If the user's operation is a press of a button that instructs the user to move to the next progress stage, such as "Open response screen," "Disclose response," or "Request consideration," the process proceeds to step S126. If the user's operation is an information input that does not move the user to the next progress stage, the process proceeds to step S128. In step S124, the screen control unit 36 ​​saves the input negotiation information to the negotiation information database 40 as information about the negotiation to be displayed, and then returns to step S122.

[0073] In step S126, the progress management unit 38 updates the progress status of the sales opportunity to be displayed, according to the button pressed in step S122.

[0074] In step S128, the screen control unit 36 ​​updates the display content of the input display screen and terminates the business negotiation support process.

[0075] In step S130, the screen control unit 36 ​​displays the chat display screen on whichever of the following terminals—the manufacturer's terminal 12A, the customer's terminal 12B, or the trading company's terminal 12C—is the terminal of the user whose authentication process was successful.

[0076] In step S131, the screen control unit 36 ​​determines whether or not the user has entered a message on the chat display screen. If the user has entered a message, the process proceeds to step S132. On the other hand, if the user has only viewed the message, the sales support process is terminated. In step S132, the screen control unit 36 ​​determines whether the user has pressed the send button on the chat display screen. If the user has entered a message and pressed the send button, the process proceeds to step S134.

[0077] In step S134, the screen control unit 36 ​​updates the chat display screen to show the entered message and terminates the business negotiation support process.

[0078] The chat display screen is a supplementary function for communication regarding items other than the input content, and its use is not mandatory in the flow of a sales negotiation. For example, in response to information in the sales response tab, which includes technical information from the manufacturer, the customer or trading company enters information such as "received response" or "request for revised quote" in the specification information input section G21 for entering the customer's decision, and then presses button B21. This changes the progress status to "customer consideration" or "sales reconsideration." On the other hand, the "sales negotiation result" is registered by the manufacturer's sales representative or trading company by entering the sales negotiation result into the specification information input sections G12 and G22, based on the customer's decision and the communication between the customer and the trading company, or information written on the chat display screen (decision made, decision not made, on hold, etc.).

[0079] As described above, the business negotiation system according to the embodiment of the present invention displays a display screen that selectively includes one or more chat windows for displaying chat message exchanges on each of the following terminals: the manufacturer's terminal, which is the terminal of a steel manufacturer; the customer's terminal, which is the terminal of a customer purchasing steel; and the trading company's terminal, which is the terminal of a trading company that acts as an intermediary between the manufacturer and the customer. At this time, the combination of one or more chat windows included in the display screen displayed on each of the manufacturer's terminal, customer's terminal, and trading company's terminal is different. This makes it possible to support smooth communication regarding business negotiations between steel manufacturers, customers, and trading companies.

[0080] Furthermore, the display screen, including the chat window, allows for centralized management of communications between the customer, trading company, and manufacturer regarding the displayed business negotiation, enabling comprehensive information acquisition and rapid communication.

[0081] Furthermore, by incorporating all information related to a particular business negotiation into the system, various aspects (themes) of that negotiation can be centrally managed, enabling timely information sharing and reducing the burden of information retrieval.

[0082] Furthermore, the steel materials that are the subject of negotiations are suitable for materials with irregular shapes that have variations in shape, rather than simple shapes such as round or rectangular cross-sections, such as structural steel and extruded materials, and are even more suitable for hot extruded materials that are close to one-off production.

[0083] Furthermore, the server processing described above may be distributed and executed across multiple computers connected to a network.

[0084] Furthermore, while the explanation used steel materials as an example of the product being negotiated, it is not limited to this. Products other than steel materials may also be the subject of negotiations.

[0085] Furthermore, although the present invention has been described using the example of applying it to a business negotiation between a manufacturer, a customer, and a trading company, it is not limited to this. The present invention may also be applied to a business negotiation between two of the three companies: the manufacturer, the customer, and the trading company. For example, if the business negotiation is between a manufacturer and a customer, a display screen including a chat window may be displayed on both the manufacturer's terminal and the customer's terminal. In this case, the display screen on the manufacturer's terminal includes a chat window that displays the exchange of chat messages between the manufacturer and the customer, and a chat window that displays the exchange of chat messages between various departments within the manufacturer. The display screen on the customer's terminal includes a chat window that displays the exchange of chat messages between the manufacturer and the customer. Also, if the business negotiation is between a manufacturer and a trading company, a display screen including a chat window may be displayed on both the manufacturer's terminal and the trading company's terminal. Furthermore, the display screens on the customer's terminal and the trading company's terminal may include a chat window that shows the exchange of chat messages between the trading company and the customer.

[0086] The embodiments of the present invention described above can be realized by a computer executing a program. Furthermore, a computer-readable recording medium on which the program is recorded, and a computer program product such as the program itself, can also be applied as embodiments of the present invention. Examples of recording media that can be used include flexible disks, hard disks, optical disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-ROMs, magnetic tapes, non-volatile memory cards, ROMs, and the like. The present invention may also be applied to program products.

[0087] [Note 1] A business negotiation system in which a manufacturer's terminal, which is the terminal of a steel manufacturer, a customer's terminal, which is the terminal of a customer purchasing the steel, a trading company's terminal, which is the terminal of a trading company that acts as an intermediary between the manufacturer and the customer, and a server are connected via a network, The server causes each of the manufacturer's terminal, the customer's terminal, and the trading company's terminal to display a display screen that selectively includes one or more chat windows for displaying chat message exchanges. The combination of one or more chat windows included in the display screen shown on the manufacturer's terminal, the customer's terminal, and the trading company's terminal is different. Business negotiation system. [Note 2] The display screen shown on the manufacturer's terminal includes: A chat window that displays the exchange of chat messages between the manufacturer and the trading company, and The business negotiation system described in Appendix 1 includes a chat window that displays the exchange of chat messages between the manufacturer, the customer, and the trading company. [Note 3] The display screen shown on the customer terminal includes: A business negotiation system according to Appendix 1 or 2, which includes a chat window that displays the exchange of chat messages between the manufacturer, the customer, and the trading company. [Note 4] The display screen shown on the trading company's terminal includes: A chat window that displays the exchange of chat messages between the manufacturer and the trading company, and A business negotiation system as described in any one of Appendix 1 to Appendix 3, which includes a chat window that displays the exchange of chat messages between the manufacturer, the customer, and the trading company. [Note 5] The aforementioned server, A business negotiation system according to any one of Appendix 1 to Appendix 4, wherein each of the manufacturer's terminal, the customer's terminal, and the trading company's terminal displays an input display screen having a specification information input section on which information relating to at least one of the following can be entered: a business negotiation number for identifying the business negotiation, the department in charge of the business negotiation, customer information, delivery date, delivery destination, material, specifications, customer drawings, dimensions, required quantity, allowable error between the required quantity and the shipped quantity, shipping method, delivery date, and deadline for responding to the quotation. [Note 6] The aforementioned input display screen is a business negotiation system as described in Appendix 5, which includes a chat button for transitioning to a display screen that selectively includes one or more chat windows related to the business negotiation. [Note 7] The aforementioned server, The negotiation system according to Appendix 1, wherein a display screen having a negotiation display unit that displays the progress status of the aforementioned negotiation is displayed on the manufacturer's terminal. [Note 8] The input display screen has at least one of the following enabled depending on the progress of the business negotiation: a button for entering information, a button for viewing the entered information, and a button for submitting the entered information. The negotiation system described in Appendix 5, wherein the server determines the progress of the negotiation in response to the operation of pressing the activated button, and displays the progress of the negotiation on the negotiation display section of the input display screen based on the determined result. [Note 9] In the case of a business negotiation between the aforementioned manufacturer and the aforementioned customer, The business negotiation system described in any one of the appendices 1 to 8, wherein the server displays a display screen on each of the manufacturer's terminal and the customer's terminal that selectively includes one or more chat windows for displaying chat message exchanges. [Note 10] A server connected via a network to each of the following: a manufacturer's terminal, which is the terminal of a steel manufacturer; a customer's terminal, which is the terminal of a customer who purchases the steel; and a trading company's terminal, which is the terminal of a trading company that acts as an intermediary between the manufacturer and the customer. The manufacturer's terminal, the customer's terminal, and the trading company's terminal are each configured to display a screen that selectively includes one or more chat windows for displaying chat message exchanges. The combination of one or more chat windows included in the display screen shown on the manufacturer's terminal, the customer's terminal, and the trading company's terminal is different. server. [Note 11] A method for supporting business negotiations in a business negotiation system in which a manufacturer's terminal, which is the terminal of a steel manufacturer, a customer's terminal, which is the terminal of a customer purchasing the steel, a trading company's terminal, which is the terminal of a trading company that acts as an intermediary between the manufacturer and the customer, and a server are connected via a network, The server causes each of the manufacturer's terminal, the customer's terminal, and the trading company's terminal to display a display screen that selectively includes one or more chat windows for displaying chat message exchanges. The combination of one or more chat windows included in the display screen shown on the manufacturer's terminal, the customer's terminal, and the trading company's terminal is different. How to support business negotiations. [Note 12] The system includes displaying a display screen that selectively includes one or more chat windows for displaying chat message exchanges on each of the following terminals: a manufacturer's terminal, which is the terminal of a steel manufacturer; a customer's terminal, which is the terminal of a customer who purchases the steel; and a trading company's terminal, which is the terminal of a trading company that acts as an intermediary between the manufacturer and the customer. The combination of one or more chat windows included in the display screen shown on the manufacturer's terminal, the customer's terminal, and the trading company's terminal is different. A business negotiation support program that uses computers to perform tasks. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0088] 10 servers 11 CPU 12A Manufacturer's terminal 12B Customer terminal 12C Trading company terminal 14 Storage 30 Communications Department 32 Authentication Department 34 Information Acquisition Department 36 Screen Control Unit 38 Progress Management Department 40 Business Opportunity Information Database 100 Sales Opportunity System

Claims

1. A business negotiation system in which a manufacturer's terminal, which is the terminal of a steel manufacturer, a customer's terminal, which is the terminal of a customer purchasing the steel, a trading company's terminal, which is the terminal of a trading company that acts as an intermediary between the manufacturer and the customer, and a server are connected via a network, The server causes each of the manufacturer's terminal, the customer's terminal, and the trading company's terminal to display a display screen that selectively includes one or more chat windows for displaying chat message exchanges. The combination of one or more chat windows included in the display screen shown on the manufacturer's terminal, the customer's terminal, and the trading company's terminal is different. Business negotiation system.

2. The display screen shown on the manufacturer's terminal includes: A chat window that displays the exchange of chat messages between the manufacturer and the trading company, and The business negotiation system according to claim 1, which includes a chat window that displays the exchange of chat messages between the manufacturer, the customer, and the trading company.

3. The display screen shown on the customer terminal includes: The business negotiation system according to claim 1, which includes a chat window that displays the exchange of chat messages between the manufacturer, the customer, and the trading company.

4. The display screen shown on the trading company's terminal includes: A chat window that displays the exchange of chat messages between the manufacturer and the trading company, and The business negotiation system according to claim 1, which includes a chat window that displays the exchange of chat messages between the manufacturer, the customer, and the trading company.

5. The aforementioned server, The business negotiation system according to claim 1, wherein each of the manufacturer's terminal, the customer's terminal, and the trading company's terminal displays an input display screen having a specification information input section that allows input of information relating to at least one of the following: a business negotiation number for identifying the business negotiation, the department in charge of the business negotiation, customer information, delivery destination, material, specifications, customer drawings, dimensions, required quantity, allowable error between the required quantity and the shipped quantity, shipping method, delivery date, and quotation response deadline, from at least one of the manufacturer's terminal, the customer's terminal, and the trading company's terminal.

6. The business negotiation system according to claim 5, wherein the input display screen includes a chat button for transitioning to a display screen that selectively includes the one or more chat windows relating to the business negotiation.

7. The aforementioned server, The negotiation system according to claim 1, wherein a display screen having a negotiation display unit that displays the progress status of the negotiation is displayed on the manufacturer's terminal.

8. The input display screen has at least one of the following enabled depending on the progress of the business negotiation: a button for entering information, a button for viewing the entered information, and a button for submitting the entered information. The negotiation system according to claim 5, wherein the server determines the progress of the negotiation in response to the operation of pressing the activated button, and displays the progress of the negotiation on the negotiation display unit of the input display screen based on the determined result.

9. In the case of a business negotiation between the aforementioned manufacturer and the aforementioned customer, The business negotiation system according to claim 1, wherein the server causes the manufacturer's terminal and the customer's terminal to display a display screen that selectively includes one or more chat windows for displaying chat message exchanges.

10. A server connected via a network to each of the following: a manufacturer's terminal, which is the terminal of a steel manufacturer; a customer's terminal, which is the terminal of a customer who purchases the steel; and a trading company's terminal, which is the terminal of a trading company that acts as an intermediary between the manufacturer and the customer. The manufacturer's terminal, the customer's terminal, and the trading company's terminal are each configured to display a screen that selectively includes one or more chat windows for displaying chat message exchanges. The combination of one or more chat windows included in the display screen shown on the manufacturer's terminal, the customer's terminal, and the trading company's terminal is different. server.

11. A method for supporting business negotiations in a business negotiation system in which a manufacturer's terminal, which is the terminal of a steel manufacturer, a customer's terminal, which is the terminal of a customer purchasing the steel, a trading company's terminal, which is the terminal of a trading company that acts as an intermediary between the manufacturer and the customer, and a server are connected via a network, The server causes each of the manufacturer's terminal, the customer's terminal, and the trading company's terminal to display a display screen that selectively includes one or more chat windows for displaying chat message exchanges. The combination of one or more chat windows included in the display screen shown on the manufacturer's terminal, the customer's terminal, and the trading company's terminal is different. How to support business negotiations.

12. The system includes displaying a display screen that selectively includes one or more chat windows for displaying chat message exchanges on each of the following terminals: a manufacturer's terminal, which is the terminal of a steel manufacturer; a customer's terminal, which is the terminal of a customer who purchases the steel; and a trading company's terminal, which is the terminal of a trading company that acts as an intermediary between the manufacturer and the customer. The combination of one or more chat windows included in the display screen shown on the manufacturer's terminal, the customer's terminal, and the trading company's terminal is different. A business negotiation support program that uses computers to perform tasks.

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