Work management device, work management method, and work management system

Abstract

In a workspace, simply securing the necessary space for each work area is not necessarily sufficient to improve overall work throughput. [Solution] The system includes a workspace information storage unit that stores workspace information including information about the workspace; a workspace division unit that divides the workspace; a work object information acquisition unit that acquires work object information relating to work objects working in the workspace; a work information acquisition unit that acquires work information in the workspace; a work volume information acquisition unit that acquires the amount of work in the workspace; and an assignment unit that assigns each task and each work object to at least one workspace divided by the workspace division unit based on the work object information, work information, and amount of work. The work volume information acquisition unit acquires information on the increase or decrease of work volume over time, and the assignment unit identifies tasks where bottlenecks occur based on the information on the increase or decrease of work volume, and changes the arrangement of workspaces or the assignment of work objects to the identified tasks.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a work management device, a work management method, and a work management system.

Background Art

[0002] In a logistics warehouse, it is required to achieve high productivity by effectively utilizing resources while suppressing investment costs. In a logistics warehouse with multiple work processes, in order to improve the overall work throughput, it is necessary to increase the throughput in each process. For this purpose, it is important not to generate a bottleneck process. And as a measure for this, it is conceivable to reallocate necessary resources (such as Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGVs) and workers) from a process with spare capacity in throughput to a process with low throughput.

[0003] Conventionally, as an invention of this kind, there is one described in Japanese Patent No. 6493717 (Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 describes, "A work management device including: a section information acquisition unit that divides a work place into a plurality of sections and acquires section information including at least section range information which is information indicating the range of each section; a worker; a worker information acquisition unit that acquires worker information including at least the correspondence between the worker and the section assigned to the worker; a work performance information acquisition unit that acquires, for each section, first work performance information including the most recent work performance of a first work which is a work having a correlation between sections; a work evaluation index calculation unit that calculates a first work evaluation index for each section based on the first work performance information; and an assignment calculation unit that calculates an assignment between the worker and the section based on the worker information and the first work evaluation index. (Claim 1)".

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

[0005] The invention described in Patent Document 1 describes determining the allocation of workers and machinery, etc., in order to improve overall efficiency according to the predicted progress of work for each process, and further, changing the work area. However, considering the transport of goods between work areas, the positional relationship between the source and destination areas also affects the efficiency of the transport work, so simply securing the necessary space for each work area is not always sufficient to improve the overall work throughput.

[0006] In view of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention aims to provide a work management device, a work management method, and a work management system that can improve the overall throughput of the work. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned problems, the work management device of the present invention comprises: a work space information storage unit that stores work space information including information about the work space; a work space division unit that divides the work space; a work body information acquisition unit that acquires work body information relating to work bodies working in the work space; a work information acquisition unit that acquires work information in the work space; a work volume information acquisition unit that acquires the amount of work in the work space; and an assignment unit that assigns each work and each work body to at least one of the work spaces divided by the work space division unit based on the work body information, work information, and amount of work. The work volume information acquisition unit acquires work volume increase / decrease information relating to the amount of work over time, and the assignment unit identifies the work where a bottleneck occurs based on the work volume increase / decrease information and changes the arrangement of the work space or the assignment of work bodies to the identified work. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, the throughput improvement effect can be increased by deciding on changes to the allocation of workspaces based on an evaluation of throughput changes based on the arrangement of workspaces. Furthermore, by deciding on changes to the allocation of workspaces based on an evaluation of movement costs based on the arrangement of workspaces, the decrease in throughput due to changes in allocation can be suppressed.

[0009] Other issues, configurations, and effects not mentioned above will be clarified by the following description of embodiments for carrying out the invention. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is an example of the overall structure of a work management system. [Figure 2A] This is an example of the configuration of a work management system. [Figure 2B] This is an example of a data table for work area information. [Figure 2C] This is an example of a data table for location information. [Figure 2D] This is an example of a data table for work information. [Figure 2E] This is an example of a data table for work unit information. [Figure 3] This is the overall processing flowchart for the work management system. [Figure 4] This is a flowchart for the process of reviewing the assignment of workspaces and work objects. [Figure 5A] This is an example of a case where a bottleneck occurs. [Figure 5B] This is an example of a case where a bottleneck occurs. [Figure 6] This is an example of a method for predicting whether or not a bottleneck will occur. [Figure 7] This is an example of changing location assignments based on travel costs. [Figure 8A] This is an example of a method for selecting potential transport equipment while considering transportation costs. [Figure 8B] This is an example of a method for selecting potential transport equipment while considering transportation costs. [Figure 8C] This is an example of a method for selecting potential transport equipment while considering transportation costs. [Figure 9] This is an example of a data table for work body information including constraint information. [Figure 10] This is a diagram explaining an allocation method considering constraint information. [Figure 11] This is a flowchart of the reallocation process for the work space and work bodies. [Figure 12] This is an example of a data table for work information. [Figure 13] This is a flowchart of the reallocation process for the work space and work bodies. [Figure 14] This is a flowchart of the reallocation process for the work space and work bodies.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments (examples) for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with appropriate reference to the drawings. The examples are illustrative for explaining the present invention, and for the sake of clarity of explanation, are appropriately omitted and simplified. The present invention can also be implemented in various other forms. Unless otherwise particularly limited, each component may be in a single or plural number.

[0012] The positions, sizes, shapes, ranges, etc. of each component shown in the drawings may not represent the actual positions, sizes, shapes, ranges, etc. in order to facilitate understanding of the invention. Therefore, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the positions, sizes, shapes, ranges, etc. disclosed in the drawings.

[0013] When there are a plurality of components having the same or similar functions, they may be described with the same reference numeral and different subscripts. Also, when it is not necessary to distinguish these plurality of components, the subscripts may be omitted in the description.

[0014] In the examples, the processes performed by executing a program may be described. Here, the computer executes the program using a processor (e.g., CPU, GPU) and performs the processing defined in the program using memory resources (e.g., memory) and interface devices (e.g., communication ports). Therefore, the main entity performing the processing by executing the program may be the processor. Similarly, the main entity performing the processing by executing the program may be a controller, device, system, computer, or node having a processor. The main entity performing the processing by executing the program may be an arithmetic unit, and may include dedicated circuits that perform specific processing. Here, dedicated circuits include, for example, FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays), ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), CPLDs (Complex Programmable Logic Devices), etc.

[0015] The program may be installed on the computer from the program source. The program source may be, for example, a program distribution server or a storage medium readable by the computer. If the program source is a program distribution server, the program distribution server includes a processor and storage resources for storing the program to be distributed, and the processor of the program distribution server may distribute the program to other computers. In addition, in the embodiment, two or more programs may be implemented as one program, or one program may be implemented as two or more programs. [Examples]

[0016] Figure 1 shows an example of the overall configuration of the work management system in this embodiment, which mainly consists of a logistics warehouse 130, a work management device 201, and a transport management system (TMS) 140.

[0017] The work management device 201 transmits commands to each work object (such as transport equipment like AGVs and forklifts, and workers) within the logistics warehouse 130 via wired or wireless communication, specifying the content of the work and the work area, and collects information from each device necessary to generate those commands. The transport management system 140 manages the dispatch, transport routes, and loading status of trucks arriving at and departing from the logistics warehouse 130, and the work management device 201 can obtain desired information from the transport management system 140 via wired or wireless communication.

[0018] The logistics warehouse 130 is divided into work areas (sections) for each of several different shippers. In this example, it consists of work area 131 for shipper A and work area 132 for shipper B. Furthermore, each work area has an incoming berth 111A, an incoming temporary storage area 111B, a storage area 111C, an outgoing temporary storage area 111D, and an outgoing berth 111E. The number of shippers and the number of work area divisions may be greater than or equal to the number above.

[0019] The receiving berth 111A is the area where arriving truck 101 is parked and cargo is unloaded. The receiving temporary storage area 111B has multiple temporary storage locations 141 where cargo from truck 101 at receiving berth 111A is moved using a work machine (forklift 102A) and temporarily stored. In other words, the unloading process 121A is carried out between receiving berth 111A and receiving temporary storage area 111B.

[0020] Storage area 111C has multiple storage locations 142 where goods from temporary storage locations 141 are moved and stored using an automated guided vehicle (AGV 102B). In other words, the receiving process 121B is carried out between the receiving temporary storage area 111B and the storage area 111C.

[0021] The temporary shipping area 111D has multiple temporary storage locations 143 where goods from storage locations 142 are moved by an automated guided vehicle (AGV 102B) and temporarily stored. In other words, the outbound process 121C is carried out between the storage area 111C and the temporary shipping area 111D.

[0022] At shipping berth 111E, truck 101A, which will be loaded with goods to be shipped, is parked, and goods to be shipped from temporary storage location 143 are moved by a work machine (forklift 102C) and loaded onto truck 101A. In other words, the loading process 121D is carried out between the temporary shipping storage area 111D and shipping berth 111E.

[0023] Figure 2A shows an example of the configuration of the work management device 201 in this embodiment. The work management device 201 is composed of, for example, a computer device, and has a main memory 201A, an auxiliary memory 201B, an arithmetic processing unit 201C, an input / output interface 201D, and a communication interface 201E, which are further connected by a bus signal line 201F.

[0024] The main memory 201A includes a work information acquisition unit 211, a work volume information acquisition unit 212, an allocation unit 213, a work object information acquisition unit 214, and a work space division unit 215. The allocation unit 213 further includes a load status prediction unit 221, an allocation determination unit 222, and a movement cost evaluation unit 223. Each of these units is software (program). The auxiliary memory 201B includes a work area information storage unit 216, a location information storage unit 217, a work information storage unit 218, and a work object information storage unit 219. The functions of each of these units will be described later.

[0025] The arithmetic processing unit 201C is composed of, for example, a processor unit, and functions as each part of the main memory 201A by reading and executing the programs of each part of the main memory 201A. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the processing performed by the work management device 201 is performed by the arithmetic processing unit 201C executing a predetermined program.

[0026] The input / output interface 201D is an interface function for input devices such as keyboards and mice used by operators to input predetermined information, and output devices such as displays that show various information. The work management device 201 may also be composed of a tablet terminal or similar device that has functions equivalent to input and output devices.

[0027] The communication interface 201E provides wired or wireless communication functions for exchanging information with various equipment and work units within the logistics warehouse 130, and for exchanging information with the transportation management system 140 and other external devices via the internet or public network.

[0028] Figure 2B shows an example data table of work area information 2B100 stored in the work area information storage unit 216, and Figure 2C shows an example data table of location information 2C100 stored in the location information storage unit 217. The work area information 2B100 and location information 2C100 record real-time information such as the location information of the small areas that make up each work area within the logistics warehouse 130 shown in Figure 1, as well as the presence or number of packages in a certain area. Both can be treated together (as a single data) as work space information. In this embodiment, the above-mentioned small areas are referred to as "location" or "loc".

[0029] The work area information 2B100 shown in Figure 2B includes an area ID (2B101), a work area type 2B102, a representative location 2B103, a consignor 2B104, a number of locations 2B105, and a volume of goods 2B106. The work space division unit 215 defines the data for the area ID (2B101), work area type 2B102, representative location 2B103, consignor 2B104, and number of locations 2B105 based on user specifications or a predetermined template. The work volume information acquisition unit 212 acquires information related to the volume of goods 2B106.

[0030] Here, the work area type 2B102 indicates, for example, whether it is one of the receiving berth 111A, receiving temporary storage area 111B, storage area 111C, shipping temporary storage area 111D, or shipping berth 111E as shown in Figure 1, and the area ID (2B101) is its identifier.

[0031] Representative position 2B103 is the location information, and for example, if the end 135 of the logistics warehouse 130 (Figure 1) is taken as the origin, and the right direction in the figure is the X-axis direction and the upward direction is the Y-axis direction (140), the distance between the origin 135 and the representative position (e.g., the center) of each area is expressed as (X,Y). Shipper 2B104 indicates the name of the shitter who uses (is assigned to) that work area.

[0032] The location count 2B105 indicates the number of the smallest areas (corresponding to the "location" described later) that make up the work area. For example, the "Incoming Storage" area with area ID (2B101) "2" will consist of 12 "locations". In this example, the "Incoming" area with area ID (2B101) "1" and the "Shipping Area" with area ID (2B101) "10" are excluded from the division and allocation process described later, so the concept of "locations" does not apply to them, and the location count 2B105 is set to "-", but it may also be defined as a collection of "locations" like the other areas.

[0033] The quantity 2B106 indicates the number of goods placed in the work area, and its value (numerical value) is updated by the work volume information acquisition unit 212 according to the work status in the logistics warehouse 130. For example, the work volume information acquisition unit 212 can update the value of quantity 2B106 in real time by collecting information from object detection sensors installed in each work area or by analyzing work content information from each work object (AGV, forklift, worker). Quantity 2B106 is also referred to as work volume.

[0034] The location information 2C100 shown in Figure 2C includes a location ID (2C101), an assigned work area ID (2C102), a center position 2C103, and information on the presence or absence of cargo 2C104. As mentioned above, a "location" is the smallest element that constitutes a work area type 2B102 (receiving, temporary receiving, etc.), and the location ID (2C101) is information that identifies that location. The work space division unit 215 defines the data for the location ID (2C101), assigned work area ID (2C102), and center position 2C103 based on user specifications or a predetermined template. The work volume information acquisition unit 212 acquires information related to the presence or absence of cargo 2C104.

[0035] The assigned work area ID (2C102) corresponds to the area ID (2B101) in the work area information 2B100. In this example, 12 locations with location IDs (2C101) from "1" to "12" are assigned to the area of ​​"temporary receiving storage" with assigned work area ID (2C102), i.e., area ID (2B101) = "2".

[0036] The central position 2C103 indicates the location of each location. For example, similar to the representative position 2B103 of the work area information 2B100, the origin is set at the end 135 of the logistics warehouse 130, and the distance between the origin 135 and the central position of each location is expressed as (x,y).

[0037] The presence / absence of luggage 2C104 indicates the presence or absence of luggage at the location in real time. Similar to the volume of goods 2B106 in the work area information 2B100, this information can be obtained by the work volume information acquisition unit 212 by collecting information from object detection sensors installed in each work area or by analyzing work content information from each work object (AGV, forklift, worker).

[0038] In this embodiment, defining the work area information 2B100 and location information 2C100 as described above by the work space division unit 215 is also expressed as "dividing the work space."

[0039] As described above, the work area information 2B100 and location information 2B200 define the area in which each work unit (AGV, forklift, worker) performs work. Each work unit receives the work area information 2B100 and location information 2B200 and performs work in the area defined by them. Furthermore, through a process described later, the work space division unit 215 modifies the work area information 2B100 and location information 2B200, thereby updating the work area for each work unit.

[0040] Figure 2D shows an example of a data table for work information 2D100 stored in the work information storage unit 218, which includes a serial number (#) 2D101, truck arrival time 2D102, type 2D103, and quantity 2D104. Here, the truck arrival time 2D102 indicates the time of the truck's arrival, the type 2D103 indicates whether the arriving truck arrived for receiving or shipping (purpose), and the quantity 2D104 indicates the quantity of goods (receiving goods) loaded onto the arriving truck. This information is acquired by the work information acquisition unit 211 from the transportation management system 140 via the communication interface 201E. Note that the quantity of shipping goods (#3 and #4) is not yet determined in the transportation management system 140, so it is shown as "-". Thus, work information 2D100 is information about cargo vehicles (trucks) that receive goods into or ship goods from the logistics warehouse 130, and is used to determine the amount of work in the work space (within the logistics warehouse 130) and its changes, etc.

[0041] Figure 2E is an example of a data table for work object information 2E100 stored in the work object information storage unit 219, and includes a work object ID (2E101) that identifies a work object performing work in the logistics warehouse 130, a type 2E102 that indicates the type of work object, a corresponding process 2E103 that indicates the work process to which the work object can be used, an assigning shipper 2E104 that indicates the shipper to which the work object is assigned, an assigning process 2E105 that indicates the work process to which the work object is actually assigned, a current position 2E106 that is shown in X / Y coordinates, similar to the representative position 2B103 of the work area information 2B100 (Figure 2B), for example, a work status 2E107 that indicates the work status of the work object at the present time, and a target position 2E108 that indicates the destination of the work object's current work.

[0042] Of this information, the corresponding process 2E103, the assigned shipper 2E104, and the assigned process 2E105 have appropriate content set in advance based on user specifications or based on a prescribed template, but as will be described later, their content is updated by the assignment unit 213.

[0043] Furthermore, the current position 2E106, work status 2E107, and target position 2E108 are acquired from each work object by the work object information acquisition unit 214. In particular, the current position 2E106 can be acquired by each work object itself using position markers or the like pre-placed within the logistics warehouse 130, or by the SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) function installed on each work object.

[0044] Next, the overall processing flow of the work management device 201 will be explained based on the flowchart shown in Figure 3. In step S301, the work management device 201 defines areas (work spaces) for various types of work in the logistics warehouse, etc., that are to be managed. Specifically, the work space division unit 215 defines the area ID (2B101), work area type 2B102, representative position 2B103, consignor 2B104, and number of locations 2B105 of the work area information 2B100 (Figure 2B), and the location ID (2C101), assigned work area ID (2C102), and center position 2C103 of the location information 2C100 (Figure 2C), based on user specifications or a predetermined template, etc.

[0045] In step S302, the work management device 201 assigns a work object to each work space defined in step S301. Specifically, the assignment unit 213 defines the work object ID (2E101), type 2E102, corresponding process 2E103, assigning shipper 2E104, and assigned process 2E105 of the work object information 2E100 (Figure 2E) based on user specifications or a predetermined template.

[0046] In step S303, information about the workspace defined in step S301 and the work units assigned in step S302 is transmitted to each work unit and / or worker.

[0047] In step S304, each worker performs various tasks within the logistics warehouse 130 based on the information received in step S303 until a predetermined time (for example, 5 to 10 minutes, 60 minutes, etc.) has elapsed (if the answer in step S304 is "No").

[0048] If the predetermined time elapses in step S304 (if "Yes"), step S305 will be used to review the definition (assignment) of the workspace and the assignment of the workpiece. Details of this review process will be described later.

[0049] In step S306, the work management device 201 transmits the reviewed information regarding the work space and work units to each work unit, and each work unit performs various tasks within the logistics warehouse 130 based on this received information. Then, the process returns to step S304, and the review process in steps S305 to S306 is repeated at predetermined intervals.

[0050] Next, the details of the work space and work object allocation review process in step S305 will be explained using the flowchart shown in Figure 4. This review process is carried out for each work area (receiving berth 111A, receiving temporary storage area 111B, storage area 111C, shipping temporary storage area 111D, shipping berth 111E) of the consignors ((consignor A, consignor B)) shown in Figure 1. As mentioned above, receiving berth 111A and shipping berth 111E are excluded from the division and allocation process, so the receiving temporary storage area 111B, storage area 111C, and shipping temporary storage area 111D will be the targets and will be processed in that order.

[0051] In step S401, the area to be processed is set. Specifically, the receiving temporary storage area 111B of consignor A(131) is set as the area to be processed.

[0052] In step S402, the load status prediction unit 221 of the allocation unit 213 determines whether a bottleneck is currently occurring in that area (in this case, the temporary receiving area 111B) or whether there is a possibility of a bottleneck occurring in the future.

[0053] This section will explain cases where bottlenecks occur, methods for resolving them, and methods for predicting and avoiding bottlenecks. Figure 5A shows an example of a bottleneck occurring due to insufficient area capacity (location). In this example, the receiving berth 111A has a capacity of 40, but the amount of goods currently stored there is 40 (i.e., full). The receiving temporary storage area 111B has a capacity of 100, but the amount of goods currently stored there is 100 (i.e., full). The storage area 111C has a capacity of 500, but the amount of goods currently stored there is 100. The transport capacity in the unloading process 121A between receiving berth 111A and receiving temporary storage area 111B is "10 / min", and the transport capacity in the receiving process 121B between receiving temporary storage area 111B and storage area 111C is "5 / min". In this case, since the receiving temporary storage area 111B is full, it becomes a bottleneck in the unloading process 121A for newly transporting goods into the receiving temporary storage area 111B.

[0054] In such cases, in order to bring goods into the receiving temporary storage area 111B during the unloading process 121A, it is necessary to create new empty space in the receiving temporary storage area 111B, and the proportion of this empty space created corresponds to the transport capacity of the receiving process 121B (5 / min). Therefore, even if the transport capacity in the unloading process 121A is (10 / min), it will be limited by the transport capacity of the receiving process 121B (5 / min). In other words, if the capacity of the receiving temporary storage area can be made sufficiently large relative to the volume of goods in the receiving berth 111A, the bottleneck can be eliminated even if the transport capacity of the receiving process 121B is smaller than the transport capacity of the unloading process 121A.

[0055] Figure 5B also shows another example of a bottleneck occurring, specifically one caused by a shortage of workpieces (in quantity). This case differs from the case described above (Figure 5A) in that the amount of goods at that time is 180 against a storage capacity of 200 at the receiving berth 111A, and the amount of goods at that time is 20 against a storage capacity of 100 at the receiving temporary storage area 111B; otherwise, it is the same as Figure 5A. In such a case, both the receiving temporary storage area 111B and the storage area 111C have ample storage capacity relative to the amount of goods, but because the transport capacity of the receiving process 121B is smaller than the transport capacity of the unloading process 121A, the amount of goods in the receiving temporary storage area 111B overflows before all the goods at the receiving berth 111A are processed, and a bottleneck will occur.

[0056] In such cases, if the transport capacity of the receiving process 121B can be made equal to or greater than that of the unloading process 121A (i.e., by increasing the number of transport equipment), the occurrence of a bottleneck can be avoided.

[0057] Here, we will explain an example of a method for predicting the occurrence of a bottleneck. As shown in Figure 6, the rate of change Δp of the volume of goods in each area is determined by the difference in transport capacity between the preceding and succeeding processes. Therefore, by considering the rate of change from the volume of goods in each area at the current time, we can determine the time when the storable capacity becomes a bottleneck. For example, in the case shown in Figure 5B, the rate of change Δp of the volume of goods in the receiving temporary storage area 111B is: (Conveying capacity of unloading process 121A) - (Conveying capacity of receiving process 121B) = (10 / minute) - (5 / minute) =(5 / min) In other words, the volume of goods in the receiving temporary storage area 111B will increase at a rate of change Δp = (5 / min).

[0058] Furthermore, given that the current volume of goods in receiving temporary storage area 111B is "20" and the available capacity is "100", if the volume of goods in receiving temporary storage area 111B increases at a rate of change Δp = (5 / min), (100-20) / 5 = 16 minutes later, the volume of goods in temporary receiving area 111B will reach its capacity.

[0059] Therefore, if the volume of goods present at the receiving berth 111A at the current time exceeds the transport capacity of the unloading process 121A (10 / min) × 16 (min) = 160, a bottleneck can be predicted to occur after 16 minutes. If the volume is 160 or less, a bottleneck can be predicted not to occur.

[0060] Furthermore, if the relationship is (transport capacity of unloading process 121A) < (transport capacity of receiving process 121B), the volume of goods in the receiving temporary storage area 111B will decrease over time, and when the volume eventually reaches zero, there will be no goods that can be transported in the subsequent process (receiving process 121B), which can lead to a decrease in the work efficiency of the subsequent process and become a bottleneck. In other words, a bottleneck can be described as a state in which the transport capacity between certain processes or the amount of work that can be done in a certain process (throughput) is limited by the transport capacity or the amount of work that can be done in the preceding and succeeding processes, and the original throughput cannot be achieved.

[0061] Returning to the flowchart in Figure 4, the load status prediction unit 221, in the bottleneck determination process in step S402, determines that a bottleneck is occurring or is likely to occur in the future ("Yes" in step S403), proceeds to step S404 to determine whether the bottleneck is due to area capacity. If the bottleneck is due to area capacity (i.e., the bottleneck can be resolved or avoided by increasing area capacity) ("Yes" in step S404), then in step S405, it determines whether there are any available locations based on the location usage status of other shippers' areas (in this case, shipper B (132)).

[0062] If there are multiple available location candidates in other shipper areas, the movement cost evaluation unit 223 calculates the movement cost of the work unit if each candidate is used (step S406), the allocation determination unit 222 selects the location candidate with the minimum movement cost and allocates it to the target area (allocation) (step S407), and proceeds to step S411.

[0063] Here, the change in location allocation based on the aforementioned movement costs will be explained using Figure 7. In Figure 7, if it is determined that a bottleneck is occurring (or is likely to occur) due to insufficient capacity in the receiving temporary storage area 111B of shipper A (131), and locations 141a and 141b in the receiving temporary storage area 111B of shipper B (132) are interchangeable candidates, the one with the smaller sum of the transport distance between the area representative point 701 of receiving berth 111A and the interchangeable candidates (141a, 141b) and the transport distance between the area representative point 702 of storage area 111C and the interchangeable candidates (141a, 141b) (141a) will have lower movement costs, so 141a will be selected as the interchangeable candidate. The transport distance can be calculated as the straight-line distance between two points, based on the coordinate information of the representative position 2B103 in the work area information 2B100 (Figure 2B) and the center position 2C103 in the location information 2C100 (Figure 2C).

[0064] In the example above, when it is unknown (undetermined) how the workpiece moves within each area, receiving berth 111A and storage area 111C, the distance (straight-line distance) between the target location and the representative points of the preceding and succeeding areas is calculated, for example, by assuming the central part of each area as area representative points (701, 702). However, if the destination / source of the workpiece is known, the sum (or average) of the distances between the target location and all destination / source locations relative to that location may be calculated. Furthermore, it is preferable to calculate the distance of the route rather than the straight-line distance. When calculating the distance of the route, methods such as Manhattan distance or Dijkstra's algorithm can be used.

[0065] Furthermore, if, for example, 141a and 141c are extracted as interchangeable candidates, the distance between them will be equal. In such cases, either one can be randomly selected, or a priority can be set by selecting the candidate location with the lower usage frequency (number of times used per unit time before the interchange).

[0066] If only one location is available in step S405, the allocation determination unit 222 assigns that location to the target area and proceeds to step S411. Also, if no location is available ("No" in step S405), the process proceeds to step S411.

[0067] Returning to step S404, if the bottleneck is not due to area capacity (the answer in step S404 is "No"), that is, if increasing area capacity does not eliminate the bottleneck (cannot avoid the occurrence of the bottleneck), proceed to step S408 to determine whether there is any transport equipment available in another shipper's area (in this case, shipper B(132)) based on the usage status of transport equipment in that area. In other words, transport capacity is increased and the bottleneck is eliminated by transferring work units from other processes (shipper areas). If there are multiple candidates for transferable work units, select the work unit that minimizes unnecessary movement (movement cost) until the start of the next task.

[0068] If there are multiple candidates for transport equipment that can be diverted to other shippers' areas, the movement cost evaluation unit 223 calculates the movement cost of the work unit if each candidate is diverted (step S409), the allocation determination unit 222 selects the transport equipment candidate with the minimum movement cost and allocates it to the target area (diversification) (step S410), and proceeds to step S411.

[0069] Here, we will explain an example of a method for selecting a suitable transport device, taking into account transportation costs, when multiple flexible transport device options exist.

[0070] The first method involves calculating the distance (path distance) between the target work object and representative points in the preceding and succeeding areas. Specifically, based on the current position 2E106 and target position 2E108 in the work object information 2E100 (Figure 2E), the path distance from the work object's position (or, if work is in progress, the target position of the work) to the representative point of the area where the next task will start is calculated, and the smallest distance is selected.

[0071] For example, as shown in Figure 8A, if 102B1 and 102B2 are selected as candidates for workpieces (conveying equipment) to be provided by consignor B (132), the distance to representative points (801 and 802) of the area where the task will start (receiving temporary storage area 111B and storage area 111C) is measured and compared, for example, using the same method as described above. In this case, conveying equipment 102B1 is selected because it has a shorter distance and therefore lower movement costs.

[0072] The second method involves calculating the sum of the distances between the target work object and all potential task locations relative to that work object. Specifically, the distance from the work object's location (or the target location of the work if work is in progress) to the starting location of the next potential task is determined, the sum or average of these distances is calculated, and the smallest value is selected.

[0073] For example, as shown in Figure 8B, if 102B1 and 102B2 are selected as candidates for work units (transport equipment) to be provided by shipper B (132), the distance to each of them from the hatched locations 111B1, 111B2, 111B3, and 111B4, which are the starting points for the next candidate task, is calculated. The sum or average of these distances is then calculated and compared, and 102B2, which has the smaller distance, is selected as having lower travel costs.

[0074] The third method involves calculating the distance between the target work object and all potential task locations (starting locations for each task) relative to that work object. Specifically, the distance from the work object's position (or, if work is in progress, the target location of the work) to the starting location of the next potential task is calculated, and the one with the minimum distance is selected.

[0075] For example, as shown in Figure 8C, if 102B1 and 102B2 are selected as candidates for work units (transport equipment) to be provided by shipper B(132), the distance to each of them from the hatched locations 111B1, 111B2, 111B3, and 111B4, which are the starting points for the next candidate task, is calculated. Route 8C1 is selected for candidate 102B1, and route 8C2 is selected for candidate 102B2. The distances between candidate 8C1 and candidate 8C2 are then compared, and since route 8C1 is smaller, candidate 102B1 is selected as having lower travel costs.

[0076] If only one transfer device is available in step S408, the allocation determination unit 222 allocates that transfer device to the target area and proceeds to step S411. Also, if no transfer device is available ("No" in step S408), the process proceeds to step S411.

[0077] In step S411, it is confirmed that the above-mentioned assignment review process has been completed for all areas (receiving temporary storage area 111B, storage area 111C, shipping temporary storage area 111D). Here, only the receiving temporary storage area 111B has been processed, so the process moves to step S412 to set the next area (storage area 111C), and then returns to step S402 to repeat the above process.

[0078] If the review process is completed for all areas (receiving temporary storage area 111B, storage area 111C, shipping temporary storage area 111D) in step S411 ("Yes"), then this review process is terminated.

[0079] Furthermore, the results of the review process may be displayed on a display device or tablet terminal (not shown) owned by the administrator or other person via the input / output interface 201D. In cases where a bottleneck has occurred (or is likely to occur) and the bottleneck cannot be avoided through the reallocation process, a warning to that effect may be displayed.

[0080] As described above, according to this embodiment, throughput reduction due to workspace constraints can be suppressed by changing the allocation of workspace between processes. Furthermore, throughput can be improved by deciding and instructing workspace allocation changes based on an evaluation of throughput changes based on the workspace layout (related to the cost of movement between destinations in transport operations). Moreover, throughput reduction due to allocation changes can be suppressed by deciding and instructing workpiece allocation changes based on an evaluation of movement costs based on the workspace layout. [Examples]

[0081] Example 1 described an example of sharing a work unit, which is a conveying device. Example 2 shows an example of sharing a work unit that includes both a worker and a conveying device. Note that the work unit may consist of only a worker.

[0082] Even when considering both conveying equipment and workers, the allocation method of Example 1 can be applied if there are no constraints on the space in which the conveying equipment and workers are allocated. However, from a safety standpoint, it may be difficult to allocate conveying equipment and workers to the same space. For example, depending on the type of conveying equipment, its use in the same space as workers may be prohibited by safety standards. Therefore, from the perspective of improving safety, it is desirable to impose constraints on the allocation of workspace for conveying equipment and workers and to make the allocation while taking those constraints into consideration.

[0083] Figure 9 is an example of a data table for work object information, which includes workable area information relating to the range in which each work object can be placed within the workspace. The workable area information is, for example, a workable area indicating the area in which a work object can work. The data table for work object information 9100 shown in Figure 9 is the data table for work object information 2E100 shown in Figure 2E with the addition of "workable area 9109". The workable area 9109 indicates the area in which a work object can be placed. Note that a single work object may have multiple workable areas.

[0084] Figure 10 illustrates an allocation method that takes into account constraint information regarding the space in which work units are allocated. In accordance with the work unit information 9100 in Figure 9, the transport equipment, i.e., the forklift, is located in the receiving temporary storage area 111B, and the workers are located in the storage area 111C.

[0085] In this way, the work management device 201 performs the assignment process for each work object using work object information, which includes workable range information. The work management device 201 restricts the candidate workspaces to which each work object is assigned to within the workable area of ​​the work object. That is, the work management device 201 assigns the workspace to which the work object will perform work based on the restricted workable area. Furthermore, after each work object has been assigned to each task or each workspace, the work management device may revise the assignment of each work object using the workable range information included in the work object information. Note that the assignment described above is performed by the assignment unit 213 of the work management device 201.

[0086] In the example in Figure 10, the forklift assignment restricts its work area to the receiving temporary storage area 111B. In other words, the assignment change between shipper A and shipper B is made while restricting the forklift's work area to the receiving temporary storage area 111B. Similarly, the worker assignment is restricted to the storage area 111C. In other words, the assignment change between shipper A and shipper B is made while restricting the worker's work area to the storage area 111C. In this way, even when there are work entities that cannot coexist in the same space for safety reasons, such as conveying equipment and workers, it is possible to safely change assignments.

[0087] In the example above, the workable area for each work unit was assigned to the area of ​​each process (receiving temporary storage area 111B, storage area 111C), but the workable area can be specified by any distinction. For example, when specifying the workable area for a particular work unit, one or more areas of any process of the consignor can be specified. In addition, the workable area can be one or more arbitrary regions defined by some criteria within the space.

[0088] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10, when work units with different working areas cooperate to transport goods, it is necessary to transfer the goods between each work unit. Any method can be used for this transfer. For example, a temporary storage area 111D for transfers can be set up at the boundary between the receiving temporary storage area 111B and the storage area 111C. The forklift can then place the goods in the temporary storage area 111D, and the workers can retrieve the goods from the temporary storage area 111D. This allows for a smooth transfer.

[0089] As described above, the work management device according to this embodiment enables safe operation even when assigning tasks to groups of workers that are difficult to mix in the same space, such as transport equipment and workers. [Examples]

[0090] In Example 1, the truck arrival time 2D102 is shown as an example of a table of work information 2D100 (Figure 2D) stored in the work information storage unit 218. In Example 1, an example was described in which the truck arrival time 2D102 indicates the time of the truck's arrival, the type 2D103 indicates whether the arriving truck arrived for receiving or shipping (purpose), and the quantity 2D104 indicates the quantity of goods (receiving goods) loaded onto the arriving truck. In other words, the type 2D103 indicates whether the truck that arrived in the past arrived for receiving or shipping (purpose). Also, the quantity 2D104 indicates the quantity of goods (receiving goods) loaded onto the truck that arrived in the past.

[0091] In contrast, in this embodiment (Embodiment 3), work units are assigned considering the time and purpose of trucks scheduled to arrive in the future. Specifically, in the work information 2D100 (Figure 2D) in this embodiment, the truck arrival time 2D102 indicates the truck's future arrival time. The type 2D103 indicates whether the truck scheduled to arrive in the future is arriving for either receiving or shipping (purpose), and the volume 2D104 indicates the volume of goods loaded or scheduled to be loaded onto the truck scheduled to arrive in the future. The truck's future scheduled arrival time 2D102, type 2D103, and volume 2D104 may be transmitted from an external system, the Transportation Management System (TMS) 140, or they may be information entered by the user.

[0092] Next, we will explain the method of assigning work units between shippers using the estimated future arrival times of trucks, referring to the flowchart shown in Figure 11.

[0093] In step S1101, the work management device 201 obtains the estimated future arrival time of the truck and the truck's work information from the transport management system (TMS) 140.

[0094] In step S1102, the work management device 201 calculates the volume of goods in each area of ​​the warehouse when the truck arrives at the scheduled arrival time. Here, the areas of the warehouse refer to, for example, the storage areas for goods.

[0095] In step S1103, the work management device 201 determines whether or not a bottleneck will occur at the scheduled arrival time in the future. The method for determining whether or not a bottleneck will occur is the same as in Example 1.

[0096] If it is determined in step S1104 that there is no bottleneck (No), then no work unit sharing process is required, and this flow ends. If it is determined that there is a bottleneck (Yes), the area and / or work unit in the warehouse where the bottleneck occurs is identified. Then, the area capacity and / or work unit sharing is performed in the area and / or work unit where the bottleneck occurs. The sharing method is the same as in Example 1. Here, sharing a work unit (work robot) means, for example, that a sharing plan is automatically created, the work robot receives the sharing plan, and the receiving work robot automatically moves to the sharing destination.

[0097] There are multiple timings for sharing area capacity and / or work units. For example, the sharing may be performed when the calculations of the work management device 201 are completed, or when the remaining time until the truck's future arrival time reaches a predetermined value. Alternatively, the sharing may be performed when the work unit to be shared has completed its current or present work, or by considering the urgency or importance of the work content of the arriving truck. Currently, work units or areas are shared with trucks that have just arrived. Area capacity and / or work units may also be shared based on the future expected arrival time without determining whether a bottleneck has occurred.

[0098] Thus, the work management device 201 in this embodiment can improve work efficiency within the warehouse because it can be arranged before the truck arrives. Furthermore, since arranging work to be done in a different location requires moving the work to that location, it takes time to move the work. Therefore, by considering the expected arrival time in the future, it becomes possible to prepare in advance, making it easier to plan with the work management device 201.

[0099] It should be noted that future estimated arrival times are only estimates and may not necessarily be accurate, and this point also needs to be considered. For example, it is important to (1) improve the accuracy of future estimated arrival times and (2) handle appropriately when a truck does not arrive at the estimated time (delayed / early arrival).

[0100] First, as a measure to improve the accuracy of future estimated arrival times, we will explain a method of adjusting future estimated arrival times based on actual data of past arrival times.

[0101] The work management device 201 (work information acquisition unit 211) acquires actual data from the transportation management system (TMS) 140, which includes the actual arrival time in the past and the estimated future arrival time at that time. It then calculates the difference between the actual arrival time in the past and the estimated future arrival time at that time. The method for calculating the difference is, for example, to calculate the average value and standard error from the actual data for a certain period in the past. Then, as shown in Figure 12, work information 1200 is created by adding the calculated average value and standard error as difference actual data 1203 to the work information 2D100 shown in Figure 2D.

[0102] The work management device 201 adds or subtracts the calculated difference (actual difference 1203) from the future arrival time (truck arrival time 1202) obtained from the transport management system (TMS) 140. For example, the truck arrival time 1202 may be offset by the average value, then further advanced by the standard deviation σ, or even further advanced by 2σ for safety. This allows the work management device 201 to use a more reliable future arrival time based on past performance data, enabling the operation of work units in accordance with the truck's arrival. This makes it possible to suppress unnecessary movements of work units. By eliminating unnecessary movements, it is possible to reduce the energy consumption of work units. In addition, the overall work efficiency of the warehouse can be improved.

[0103] Next, the response method of the work management device 201 when a truck is delayed from its scheduled arrival time will be explained using the flowchart shown in Figure 13. The process described in this flowchart aims to effectively utilize resources (locations / transportation equipment) by allocating them to other areas or processes that require locations or transport equipment, if the truck is delayed and the locations or transport equipment are needed in those areas or processes, in order to resolve bottlenecks related to the scheduled arrival of the truck.

[0104] In step S1301, the work management device 201 (assignment unit 213) obtains delay information for arriving trucks from the transportation management system (TMS) 140.

[0105] In step S1302, the work management device 201 determines whether or not the allocation of area or work unit has been carried out for the arriving truck. If it has not been carried out (No), this flow ends; if it has been carried out (Yes), the process proceeds to step S1303.

[0106] In step S1303, the work management device 201 determines whether a bottleneck has occurred in areas other than the area subject to the exchange, and / or in work objects other than the work object subject to the exchange, and if a bottleneck has occurred, it calculates the time of its occurrence.

[0107] In step S1304, the work management device 201 determines whether a bottleneck outside the area to be shared should be resolved with priority over the bottleneck in the area to be shared. If it is not a bottleneck that should be resolved with priority (No), this flow ends. If it is a bottleneck that should be resolved with priority (Yes), in step S1305, the sharing of the area and work unit is performed before or at the time the calculated bottleneck occurred.

[0108] Next, we will explain how the work management device 201 responds when a truck arrives earlier than its scheduled arrival time, using the flowchart shown in Figure 14. The process described in this flowchart is as follows: if a truck (cargo) arrives earlier than scheduled, the cargo will be handled if it is possible to process it quickly by sharing location and transport equipment from other areas / processes among the shippers; otherwise, the priority will be lowered (until the scheduled time) and the cargo will be handled accordingly.

[0109] In step S1401, the work management device 201 (assignment unit 213) obtains arrival information (early arrival information) from the transport management system (TMS) 140, indicating that the truck will arrive earlier than its scheduled future arrival time.

[0110] In step S1402, the work management device 201 calculates the necessary area capacity and / or work area flexibility to prevent bottlenecks from occurring when a truck arrives earlier than its scheduled arrival time.

[0111] In step S1403, the work management device 201 determines whether a bottleneck will occur in other areas if the area capacity and / or work units are shared using the calculated amount of shared resources.

[0112] In step S1404, if the work management device 201 determines that there is a bottleneck in another area (No), it will not perform area and / or work unit sharing (in this case, the work management device 201 will perform the same sharing process as in Figure 11, assuming that the truck will arrive at the scheduled arrival time in the future).

[0113] In step S1404, if the work management device 201 determines that there is no bottleneck in other areas (Yes), then in step S1405, it performs area and / or work unit adjustments based on the time of the early arrival information.

[0114] As described above, it becomes possible to appropriately handle situations where a truck does not arrive at its scheduled arrival time (delay / early arrival). The scheduled arrival time allows for flexibility, enabling the work management device 201 to create a plan for flexibility before the truck arrives. Therefore, preparations for shipping and receiving can be made in advance. Furthermore, even if a truck is delayed beyond its scheduled arrival time, work can be performed on currently available tasks rather than waiting for the delayed truck. This allows workers to continue their work in the warehouse without delaying current tasks. Similarly, even if a truck arrives earlier than its scheduled arrival time, workers can continue their work in the warehouse without neglecting their current tasks.

[0115] Furthermore, the work management device 201 in this embodiment may be configured to calculate the readiness rate for trucks scheduled to arrive at a future arrival time and output (present) it to the manager or other relevant party. Here, the readiness rate indicates how much of the amount of cargo that needs to be loaded onto the truck has been prepared. Alternatively, the readiness rate indicates how much of the receiving temporary storage area 111B has been cleared relative to the amount of cargo to be unloaded from the truck.

[0116] The work management device 201 calculates the required available capacity of the receiving temporary storage area 111B based on the amount of cargo obtained from the transport management system (TMS) 140. It compares the calculated available capacity of the receiving temporary storage area 111B with the actual available capacity of the receiving temporary storage area 111B and calculates the readiness completion rate. The work management device 201 also compares the amount of cargo obtained from the transport management system (TMS) 140 with the amount of cargo that has been prepared and calculates the readiness completion rate.

[0117] The work management device 201 outputs the calculated readiness rate to the equipment held by the warehouse manager, the supervisor of the transportation management system (TMS) 140, or the truck driver. The work management device 201 also transmits the readiness rate to the transportation management system (TMS) 140. This allows the warehouse manager and others to understand the readiness status of goods and work spaces in the logistics warehouse 130 in relation to the estimated arrival time of the truck. Furthermore, by notifying the truck driver of the work readiness status, it becomes possible to adjust the arrival time as needed.

[0118] Furthermore, the present invention can be modified in various ways to the extent possible. For example, in the above embodiments (Embodiments 1 to 3), an example was described in which work area 131 is the work area of ​​shipper A and work area 132 is the work area of ​​shipper B, and work space is shared between shipper A and shipper B. However, work area 131 may be a space used exclusively for a shipper's shipping operations (shipping space), and work area 132 may be a space used exclusively for receiving operations (receiving space), and work space may be shared between the shipping space and the receiving space. Similarly, work area 131 may be the receiving space and work area 132 may be the shipping space, and work space may be shared between the two.

[0119] In addition to separating the work area into shipping and receiving spaces, another method is to divide the work area according to the type of packaging. For example, one could have a dedicated space for items packaged in cardboard boxes or a dedicated space for items packaged in wood. By doing so, it becomes possible to assign work equipment that corresponds to specific types of packaging, allowing for the appropriate work equipment to be placed for specific types of goods, and also contributing to the protection of the goods. Furthermore, the work management device 201 can, for example, automatically move shipping-only work equipment from the receiving space to the shipping space, and move receiving-only work equipment to the receiving space. Similarly, the work management device 201 can, for example, automatically move receiving-only work equipment from the shipping space to the receiving space, and move shipping-only work equipment to the shipping space. This allows for adaptation to changes in work processes through the flexibility of space, and also enables adaptation to changes in the work environment.

[0120] Furthermore, by using the estimated future arrival time of the truck, the work management device 201 can adjust the workspace or work units, thereby enabling the device to plan the adjustment of workspace or work units before the truck arrives. This makes it possible to adjust workspace or work units before the truck arrives, and to prepare for receiving and shipping before the truck arrives. Specifically, by using the estimated future arrival time of the truck, the work management device 201 can know in advance when the truck will arrive. Therefore, the work management device 201 can predict future increases or decreases in workload and adjust workspace or work units according to the predicted increases or decreases. As a result, creating an adjustment plan based on the estimated future arrival time, rather than creating one when the truck arrives, can improve the overall work efficiency of the warehouse. In addition, by improving work efficiency, it is possible to reduce the energy consumption of work units.

[0121] Furthermore, if the objective is to achieve the effect of being able to create a flexibility plan even before the truck arrives, then inventions that utilize the truck's estimated future arrival time to allocate workspace or workspace can be selectively extracted. In that case, the bottleneck determination described in the above embodiment is not an essential component. Similarly, inventions that utilize the truck's estimated future arrival time to allocate workspace or workspace can be applied to the allocation of workspace or workspace between shippers, to the allocation of workspace or workspace according to the cargo form of the truck's shipments and arrivals, and to the allocation of truck's receiving and shipping spaces.

[0122] Furthermore, while the examples of flexibility described in each embodiment illustrate the use of equipment between shippers, the application of the present invention is not limited to equipment exchange between shippers. For example, even within a single shipper, if conveying equipment used for a specific process operation is used for a different process operation, equipment exchange between process operations may be carried out using a similar approach to equipment exchange between shippers. The present invention can also be applied when multiple conveying devices are used for multiple purposes. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0123] 130: Logistics warehouse 140: Transportation Management System 201: Work management device 201A: Main memory 201B:Auxiliary storage device 201C: Arithmetic Processing Unit 201D: Input / Output Interface 201E: Communication Interface 201F: Bus signal line

Claims

1. A workspace information storage unit that stores workspace information including information about the workspace, A workspace division unit that divides the aforementioned workspace, A work object information acquisition unit that acquires work object information relating to a work object working in the aforementioned workspace, A work information acquisition unit that acquires work information in the aforementioned workspace, A work volume information acquisition unit that acquires the amount of work in the aforementioned workspace, Based on the work object information, the work information, and the amount of work, the assignment unit assigns each work and each work object to at least one of the work spaces divided by the work space division unit, Equipped with, The aforementioned work volume information acquisition unit acquires time-series information on the increase or decrease in the amount of work, The work management device is characterized in that the allocation unit identifies the work in which a bottleneck occurs based on the information on increase or decrease in workload, and changes the arrangement of the workspace or the assignment of work units for the identified work.

2. A work management device according to claim 1, The aforementioned workspace information is Work area information including work type and location information for multiple work areas, the name of the consignor and the number of locations, Location information including location information for each location constituting the aforementioned work area, A work management device characterized by having the following features.

3. A work management device according to claim 2, The work management device is characterized in that the work information includes the arrival time and quantity of cargo vehicles entering and leaving the work space.

4. A work management device according to claim 3, A work management device characterized by acquiring the aforementioned work information from a transportation management system.

5. A work management device according to claim 4, The work management device is characterized in that the work information includes information about the type of work, applicable work processes, assigning client, assigned work process, current location, work status, and target location for the work object.

6. A work management device according to claim 5, The work management device is characterized in that the allocation unit changes the arrangement of the work space or the allocation of work bodies, taking into consideration the cost of moving work bodies due to changes in the work or work assignment.

7. A work management device according to claim 6, A work management device characterized in that the change in the assignment of the work object is determined based on the distance between the current position of the work object and the representative position of the area where the next work will be started.

8. A work management device according to claim 6, A work management device characterized in that the change in the assignment of the work object is determined based on the sum or average value of the distances between the current position of the work object and the starting positions of a plurality of next work candidates.

9. A work management device according to claim 6, A work management device characterized in that the change in the assignment of the work object is determined based on the minimum distance between the current position of the work object and the starting position of a plurality of next work candidates.

10. A work management device according to claim 6, The work object information includes workable range information relating to the range in which each work object can be placed within the work space, The work management device is characterized in that the assignment unit assigns a work object to each task using the workable range information.

11. A work management device according to claim 6, The arrival time of the cargo vehicle in the aforementioned work information refers to the estimated future arrival time of the cargo vehicle. The work management device is characterized in that the allocation unit identifies the work that will become a bottleneck at the scheduled future arrival time, and changes the arrangement of the workspace or the assignment of the work unit for the identified work.

12. A work management device according to claim 11, The aforementioned work information acquisition unit, The difference between the actual arrival time in the past and the estimated future arrival time at that time is calculated. The estimated future arrival time is corrected using the difference calculated above. A work management device characterized by the following features.

13. A work management device according to claim 11, The aforementioned allocation unit is, If delay information is received indicating that the cargo truck will arrive later than the scheduled future arrival time, and if it is necessary to arrange workspace or assign work units in other areas / processes, then arrange workspace or assign work units in those other areas / processes. A work management device characterized by the following features.

14. A work management device according to claim 11, The aforementioned allocation unit is, If early arrival information is received indicating that the cargo truck will arrive before the scheduled future arrival time, and it is determined that no bottlenecks will occur in other areas / processes, the arrangement of the workspace or the assignment of the work units will be changed based on the time of the early arrival information. A work management device characterized by the following features.

15. A work management device according to claim 11, A work management device characterized by calculating and presenting to the manager the readiness rate for cargo trucks scheduled to arrive at the aforementioned future arrival time.

16. A workspace information storage unit that stores workspace information including information about the workspace, A workspace division unit that divides the aforementioned workspace, A work object information acquisition unit that acquires work object information relating to a work object working in the aforementioned workspace, A work information acquisition unit that acquires work information in the aforementioned workspace, A work volume information acquisition unit that acquires the amount of work in the aforementioned workspace, Based on the work object information, the work information, and the amount of work, the assignment unit assigns each work and each work object to at least one of the work spaces divided by the work space division unit, A work management method in a work management device equipped with, The aforementioned work volume information acquisition unit acquires time-series information on the increase or decrease in the amount of work, The allocation unit identifies the task where a bottleneck occurs based on the workload increase / decrease information, and changes the arrangement of the workspace or the assignment of the work unit for the identified task. A work management method characterized by the following:

17. A work management device according to any one of claims 1 to 15, The logistics warehouse managed by the aforementioned work management device, A transportation management system that transmits management information of cargo vehicles entering and leaving the logistics warehouse to the work management device, A work management system characterized by having the following features.

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