Information processing device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

The challenge is to reduce unnecessary logistics instructions, thereby lowering the workload on warehouse operations and reducing logistics costs. [Solution] The transportation instruction generation system 10, in the post-processing unit 102, identifies the starting point for increasing the logistics instruction, extracts the routes that can be rerouted when rerouting, and executes a process to reroute the logistics instruction in a way that strictly adheres to the lead time, taking into account the arrival date.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program for generating transportation instructions. Background Art

[0002] In today's industrial world, one of the management issues troubling many companies is the concern that "goods cannot be transported" due to the 2024 logistics problem. In response to this, while efforts are being made to avoid keeping truck drivers waiting by means such as improving the efficiency of in-warehouse operations and refining berth planning, attention is also focused on countermeasures that improve logistics planning with high accuracy and reduce unnecessary logistics movements.

[0003] As part of supply chain management, various techniques have been proposed for efficiently accommodating inventory in consideration of available inventory across the entire supply chain (for example, Patent Document 1). Prior Art Documents Patent Documents

[0004] Patent Document 1 Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2023-154789 Summary of the Invention Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the technique described in Patent Document 1, when priorities are set for each route, depending on the data pattern, an instruction via an intermediate warehouse, which is called "chain transportation", may be output, which may increase the number of unnecessary transportation instructions.

[0006] As a result, the number of logistics touch points such as unloading at each warehouse increases, which increases the load of in-warehouse operations, and it becomes necessary to arrange additional trucks.

[0007] This invention was made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program that can reduce unnecessary logistics instructions, thereby reducing the workload of warehouse operations and lowering logistics costs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the above objectives, one embodiment of the present invention is an information processing device for processing logistics instructions between bases, comprising: a storage unit that stores logistics instructions for each combination of a base that is the source of transport and a base that is the destination when transporting the transported goods; a determination unit that determines whether or not there are intermediate bases in the transport route between the source and destination; and a rerouting unit that, if the determination unit determines that there are intermediate bases, updates the logistics instructions to reroutes the transport route so that the base preceding the intermediate base and the base following the intermediate base are directly connected.

[0009] Another embodiment of the present invention is an information processing method for processing the transportation of goods between bases, characterized in that, among the bases, a base that corresponds to the source or destination of the goods being transported is stored in advance, and if there is an intermediate base in the transportation route between the source and destination that causes the goods to pass through a subsequent base, the transportation route is rerouted to directly connect the base preceding the intermediate base and the base following the intermediate base.

[0010] Furthermore, another embodiment of the present invention is a computer program for processing the transportation of goods between locations, wherein the computer pre-stores locations that correspond to the source or destination of the goods being transported, and if there is an intermediate location in the transportation route between the source and destination that causes the goods to pass through a subsequent location, the computer performs a route rerouting to directly connect the location preceding the intermediate location and the location following it. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, unnecessary logistics instructions can be reduced, thereby lowering the workload on warehouse operations and reducing logistics costs. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This block diagram shows an example of the overall system configuration, including the transport instruction generation system, according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a chain reaction transport prevention function according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of the chain reaction transport prevention function according to this embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a configuration diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration according to this embodiment. [Figure 5] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the table configuration of the "transportation instruction information tree" according to this embodiment. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of the table configuration for the "Delete Transport Instruction Information Tree Report Tree" according to this embodiment. [Figure 7] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the table configuration of the "warehouse group tree" according to this embodiment. [Figure 8] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the table configuration of the "transport master tree" according to this embodiment. [Figure 9] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the table configuration of the "initial inventory table" according to this embodiment. [Figure 10] This flowchart shows an example of the overall processing flow of the "chain reaction prevention process" according to this embodiment. [Figure 11] This flowchart shows an example of the processing flow for "generating warehouse cluster trees" within the "chain reaction suppression processing" according to this embodiment. [Figure 12] This flowchart shows an example of the processing flow for "confirmation of chain reaction transport" within the "chain reaction prevention process" according to this embodiment. [Figure 13] This flowchart shows an example of the processing flow for the "replacement process" within the "chain reaction prevention process" according to this embodiment. [Figure 14] It is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing flow of "target car-ramming replacement processing" within the "replacement processing" according to the present embodiment. [Figure 15] It is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing flow of "determination of transportation volume between From and To" within the "replacement processing" according to the present embodiment. [Figure 16] It is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing flow of "updating transportation instruction information between starting point and To" within the "replacement processing" according to the present embodiment. [Figure 17] It is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing flow of "updating transportation instruction information between From and starting point" within the "replacement processing" according to the present embodiment. [Figure 18] It is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing flow of "registration of deleted transportation instruction information" within the "car-ramming suppression processing" according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0013] In the following description, functions may be described by the expression "yyy unit". A function may be implemented when one or more computer programs are executed by a processor, may be implemented by one or more hardware circuits (e.g., FPGA or ASIC), or may be implemented by a combination thereof. When a function is implemented by a program executed by a processor, the defined processing is performed while appropriately using a storage device and / or interface device or the like, so the function may be regarded as at least a part of the processor. Processing described with a function as the subject may be processing performed by a processor or a device including the processor. The program may be installed from a program source. The program source may be, for example, a program distribution computer or a computer-readable recording medium (e.g., a non-transitory recording medium). The description of each function is an example; a plurality of functions may be combined into one function, or one function may be divided into a plurality of functions.

[0014] Also, in the following description, processing may be explained with the "program" as the subject. Processing described with the program as the subject may also be processing performed by a processor or an apparatus including the processor. Further, two or more programs may be implemented as a single program, or a single program may be implemented as two or more programs.

[0015] Also, in the following description, expressions such as "xxx table" are used to describe information that yields an output corresponding to an input, but such information may be a table of any data structure, or may be a learning model typified by a neural network that generates an output in response to an input, a genetic algorithm, or a random forest. Therefore, "xxx table" can also be referred to as "xxx information". Further, in the following description, the configuration of each table is an example; one table may be divided into two or more tables, or all or part of two or more tables may be combined into a single table.

[0016] Also, in the following description, the "transportation instruction generation system" may be a system configured from one or more physical computers, or may be a system implemented on a group of physical computing resources (e.g., a cloud infrastructure, such as a cloud computing system). The "displaying" of display information by the transportation instruction generation system may refer to displaying the display information on a display device included in the computer, or may refer to the computer transmitting the display information to a display computer (in the latter case, the display information is displayed by the display computer).

[0017] The present embodiment will now be described in detail.

[0018] In the following description, identical or similar components are denoted by common reference signs, and duplicate descriptions thereof may be omitted.

[0019] Furthermore, when multiple elements with the same or similar function exist, different subscripts may be assigned to the same symbol in order to distinguish between them. On the other hand, when there is no need to distinguish between the multiple elements, the subscript may be omitted in the explanation.

[0020] First, an example of the overall system configuration, including the transport instruction generation system 10 according to this embodiment, will be described with reference to Figure 1. Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall system configuration including the transport instruction generation system 10.

[0021] <Example of the overall system configuration> The transportation instruction generation system 10 of this embodiment utilizes methods such as agent simulation, which simulates the behavior of an agent that acts autonomously according to certain rules. The transportation instruction generation system 10 is a computer system that simulates the transportation of products in a supply chain in a virtual space and generates transportation instructions for the inventory of the products in transit based on this simulation. Furthermore, the transportation instruction generation system 10 is implemented by a computer device or server device having the configurations described later.

[0022] As shown in Figure 1, the transport instruction generation system 10 is connected to user terminals 11a, 11b, 11c...11n (hereinafter collectively referred to as "user terminal 11" when referring to them together or without distinction) such as laptop PCs, tablets, and smartphones owned by each user of the transport instruction generation system 10, via an appropriate communication network 12 such as the internet or a dedicated line, enabling data communication between them.

[0023] The transport instruction generation system 10 and the communication network 12 are connected by wire via well-known communication equipment (not shown), but they may also be connected wirelessly. Similarly, the user terminal 11 and the communication network 12 are connected wirelessly, but they may also be connected by wire. Users of the transport instruction generation system 10 are assigned a unique ID called a user ID in advance.

[0024] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the transportation instruction generation system 10 is described as being interconnected with the user terminal 11 via a communication network 12. However, for example, the transportation instruction generation system 10 may be configured as a system including the user terminal 11. Also, for example, the transportation instruction generation system may be configured to include some or all of the functions performed by the user terminal 11.

[0025] As shown in Figure 1, the transportation instruction generation system 10 consists of a pre-processing unit 100, a logistics instruction planning unit 101, a post-processing unit 102, a storage unit 103, and the like. The pre-processing unit 100 includes a demand quantity calculation unit 1000, an ideal inventory quantity calculation unit 1001, and an inventory receipt / disbursement calculation unit 1002. The demand quantity calculation unit 1000 calculates the demand quantity of the product to be transported, the ideal inventory quantity calculation unit 1001 calculates the ideal inventory quantity according to the demand quantity and conditions such as the capacity of each location, and the inventory receipt / disbursement calculation unit 1002 performs the inventory receipt / disbursement calculation. Note that this pre-processing unit 100 can be implemented using an existing mechanism, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0026] The logistics instruction planning unit 101 includes a dispatch instruction unit 1010 and a last-minute stock shortage calculation unit 1011. The dispatch instruction unit 1010 issues dispatch instructions to each location, as described later, and the last-minute stock shortage calculation unit 1011 performs the process of subtracting the number of orders from the inventory quantity. The post-processing unit 102 includes an inventory overflow calculation unit 1020 and a chain reaction transport suppression unit 1021. The inventory overflow calculation unit 1020 calculates the overflow of product inventory, and the chain reaction transport suppression unit 1021 performs processes such as reassigning logistics instructions to suppress chain reaction transport, as described later. Note that the logistics instruction planning unit 101 can be implemented using an existing system, and a detailed explanation is omitted. In the following, "logistics instruction" is a general term for all transport instructions, and the term "transport instruction" is used for transport between individual locations.

[0027] Here, we will explain domino-effect transport using the example of three locations A, B, and C in a transport route from an originating location to a destination location, moving from upstream to downstream. When originating location A transports goods to downstream locations B and C, respectively, if the destination of the product being transported from location A to location B is location C, it is determined to be domino-effect transport. In this embodiment, in order to suppress such domino-effect transport, the objective is to reduce the total number of logistics instructions by not issuing logistics instructions to the downstream location B, which acts as an intermediate location, and instead issuing logistics instructions to transport goods directly from upstream location A to downstream location C. This also includes the case where the amount of goods to be transported to location B for inventory is zero. In this embodiment, it is important to determine if domino-effect transport occurs in each of the three locations described above, moving from upstream to downstream, and to reassign logistics instructions accordingly.

[0028] Examples of locations include factories that manufacture products, distribution centers, and warehouses. In this embodiment, the term "transportation" is used, but it may be replaced with the term "transfer."

[0029] The memory unit 103 includes a warehouse master information memory unit 1030, a warehouse logic master information memory unit 1031, a simulation period information memory unit 1032, a calculation result memory unit 1033, an order balance / flexible quantity memory unit 1034, a transport instruction memory unit 1035, a dispatch instruction memory unit 1036, and the like.

[0030] The warehouse master information storage unit 1030 stores master information about warehouses necessary for logistics instructions, and the warehouse logic master information storage unit 1031 stores logic master information about warehouses necessary for logistics instructions. The simulation period information storage unit 1032 stores information about the simulation period necessary for logistics instructions, and the calculation result storage unit 1033 stores the results of various calculations, including simulations, necessary for logistics instructions.

[0031] The order balance / flexible quantity storage unit 1034 stores the order balance and flexible quantity based on the above calculation results, the transport instruction storage unit 1035 stores the transport instructions among the logistics instructions, and the outbound instruction storage unit 1036 stores the outbound instructions among the logistics instructions.

[0032] The user terminal 11 will also be described here. The user terminal 11 includes a control unit 110 composed of a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc., a storage unit 111 with storage functionality, a communication unit 112 that communicates with the transport instruction generation system 10 etc. via the communication network 12, an input unit 113 that accepts user operation input, and an output unit 114 that displays various information including information received from the transport instruction generation system 10.

[0033] Here, we will explain the overview of chain-reaction transport and logistics instruction redirection using Figures 2 and 3. Figures 2 and 3 show examples of chain-reaction transport prevention functions, respectively. Figure 2 shows an example in which redirection occurs at three points from upstream to downstream along the transport route, and Figure 3 shows an example in which redirection occurs at four points from upstream to downstream along the transport route.

[0034] Figure 2 shows an example of the chain reaction transport suppression function, ex1, which illustrates the state after the chain reaction transport has been suppressed, from the state where the chain reaction transport occurred, ex10, to the state after the suppression process, ex11. In example ex10, a transport instruction α1ex104, which is a logistics instruction, is issued from warehouse Aex101 to warehouse Bex102, and a transport instruction β1ex105, which is a logistics instruction, is issued from warehouse B to warehouse Cex103. In this case, the warehouse group tree generation process S3000 (see Figure 11), which will be described later, defines warehouse Aex101 as the From warehouse, warehouse Bex102 as the starting warehouse, and warehouse Cex103 as the To warehouse and the end warehouse.

[0035] As logistics instructions, transport instruction α1ex104 is an instruction to transport 10 units of model X, and transport instruction β1ex105 is an instruction to transport 5 units of model X. Then, as will be described in detail later, in S5000 (see Figure 12), which is a confirmation process for chain-reaction transport, it is determined that transport instructions α1ex104 and β1ex105 are chain-reaction transports. As a result, and as will be described in detail later, in the reassignment process S6000 (see Figure 13), transport instructions α1ex104 and β1ex105, which are chain-reaction transports, are reassigned as logistics instructions, and transport instruction γ1ex115 in the post-suppression state ex11 is generated.

[0036] Subsequently, as will be explained in detail later, in S7000 (see Figure 18), which is the registration of delete transport instruction information, the process of updating transport instruction α1ex104 to transport instruction α1'ex114 is executed by subtracting the amount of instruction to be replaced (subtracted quantity). At that time, transport instruction α1'ex114 becomes an instruction to transport a number of units (5 units) of model X that is obtained by subtracting the amount of transport (5 units) instructed in transport instruction β1ex105. In addition, the process of subtracting the amount of transport in the replacement instruction (5 units) is executed from transport instruction β1ex105, and as a result the amount of transport becomes 0 units. This result is registered in the delete transport instruction information, and the disappearance of transport instruction β1ex105 from warehouse B to warehouse C is recorded.

[0037] In the example above, the transport instruction α1ex104 was an instruction to transport 10 units of model X, but in reality, two types of logistics instructions are issued from warehouse A to warehouse B. One is a transport instruction to deliver 5 units of model X as inventory to warehouse B, and the other is a transport instruction to deliver 5 units of model X as inventory to warehouse C, with warehouse B acting as a transit point. Therefore, specifically, although three types of transport instructions were issued, the result is that only two types of transport instructions are needed due to the elimination of the logistics instruction from warehouse B to warehouse C. To explain further, the transport instruction to deliver 5 units of model X as inventory to warehouse C, with warehouse B acting as a transit point, is replaced by transport instruction γ1ex115, as is clear from the post-suppression state ex11, and becomes an instruction to transport directly from warehouse A to warehouse C.

[0038] Furthermore, even with transportation routes more complex than example ex1 in Figure 2, it is possible to prevent chain reactions by looping the same process. In this case, as shown in Figure 3, example ex20, in which chain reactions occur, is an example in which warehouse Dex204 is added and transportation instruction δ2ex207 is added so that three units of model X are transported from warehouse Cex203, compared to the example in Figure 2. The chain reaction prevention process in this state will be explained below.

[0039] First, let's consider the suppression of chain-reaction transport in warehouses Aex201, Bex202, and Cex203. Initially, the same process as in example 1ex1 of the chain-reaction transport suppression function in Figure 2 is performed, with warehouse Bex202 as the starting point, warehouse Aex201 as the source point, and warehouse Cex203 as the destination point, and the chain-reaction transport suppression process is carried out. As a result, the state of chain-reaction transport occurrence ex20 becomes the state after the first suppression of chain-reaction transport ex21, and transport instructions α2'ex215 and transport instructions γ2ex215 are generated, updating the logistics instructions.

[0040] From this state, the chain reaction transport suppression process is again performed, with warehouse Cex213 as the starting point, warehouse Aex211 as the source point, and warehouse Dex214 as the destination point. The result is the state shown in ex22, which is the state after the second chain reaction transport suppression process. In this case, transport instruction γ2ex215 is updated to transport instruction γ2'ex225, and a new transport instruction ε2ex226 is generated from warehouse Aex221 to warehouse Dex224.

[0041] In scenario ex20, three types of logistics instructions are issued: 5 units to be transported from warehouse A to warehouse B, 2 units to be transported from warehouse A to warehouse C, and 3 units to be transported from warehouse A to warehouse D. The total transport volume is 10 units from warehouse A to warehouse B. Therefore, the logistics instructions are first reassigned to the three locations, warehouses A, B, and C, as a set.

[0042] In the subsequent state ex21 after the first suppression process, the transfer to warehouse B is complete, so two types of logistics instructions are issued at the downstream end of warehouse B: two units to transport from warehouse A to warehouse C, and three units to transport from warehouse A to warehouse D. The total transport volume is five units to be transported from warehouse A to warehouse C. Therefore, the transfer of logistics instructions is first executed for the three locations of warehouses A, C, and D as a set.

[0043] In the subsequent state after the second suppression process, ex22, the transfer to warehouses C and D has already been completed, and the transport instructions are for two vehicles from warehouse A to warehouse C and three vehicles from warehouse A to warehouse D. As a result, there were originally five logistics instructions: three from warehouse A to warehouse B, two from warehouse B to warehouse C, and one from warehouse C to warehouse D. However, after the above processing, the number of instructions is reduced to three: one from warehouse A to warehouse B, one from warehouse A to warehouse C, and one from warehouse A to warehouse D. In this way, by sequentially processing the chain reaction transport suppression process in units of three locations, and for each location, from upstream to downstream of the transport route, it becomes possible to implement chain reaction transport suppression even in complex logistics routes such as chain reactions.

[0044] Next, the hardware configuration will be explained using Figure 4. Figure 4 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration. The transport instruction generation system 10 consists of a memory 201, a processor 202, a communication IF 203, storage 204, a program 205, an input / output IF 208, and the like.

[0045] The program 205 stored in storage 204 is compiled into machine code and executed by processor 202. Memory 201 is used as temporary storage for the program executed by processor 202. The storage 204 also stores various data from the storage unit 103 described above.

[0046] The communication IF203 corresponds to the communication unit 104 connected to the communication network 12, and the input / output device 206 corresponds to the input unit 105 and the output unit 106. The user terminal 11 can check the processing results of the transport instruction generation system 10 by displaying them on the output unit 114.

[0047] Next, the data structure of the memory unit 103 will be explained using Figures 5 to 9. Figure 5 shows an example of the table configuration of the "transportation instruction information tree," Figure 6 shows an example of the table configuration of the "delete transport instruction information tree," Figure 7 shows an example of the table configuration of the "warehouse group tree," Figure 8 shows an example of the table configuration of the "transportation master tree," and Figure 9 shows an example of the table configuration of the "initial inventory table."

[0048] First, let's explain the data structure of the transport instruction information by referring to Figure 5. Figure 5 shows the transport instruction information tree 510, which is the data structure of the transport instruction information, in a table format. This transport instruction information tree 510 is stored in the transport instruction storage unit 1035. The transport instruction information tree 510 stores the product item 510c, transport date 510d, transport arrival date 510e, transport quantity 510f, update number 510g, update type 510h, and update flag 510i of the product to be transported, linked to the combination of the source warehouse 510a and the destination warehouse 510b.

[0049] Here, update number g is the sequence of the chain reaction described above, and is data to which numbers are assigned sequentially, for example, "1" for the first chain reaction, "2" for the next chain reaction, and so on. Update type h is an increase or decrease in logistics instructions, and is data set to "A" for an increase and "D" for a deletion. Update flag i is data to be set to "1" if an update is made, and "0" if no update is made.

[0050] For example, in the case of a transportation route between source warehouse 510a "Domestic Factory 1" and destination warehouse 510b "Distribution Center 1", the transportation instruction information tree 510 would be set as follows: Item "A", Transportation date "April 1, 2024", Arrival date "April 5, 2024", Transportation quantity "10".

[0051] Furthermore, Figure 6 shows the delete transport instruction information tree 520, which is the data structure of the transport instruction information, in a table format. This delete transport instruction information tree 520 is also stored in the transport instruction storage unit 1035. The delete transport instruction information tree 520 stores the product item 520c, transport date 520d, transport arrival date 520e, transport quantity 520f, update number 520g, update type 520h, and update flag 520i of the product to be transported, linked to the combination of the source warehouse 520a and the destination warehouse 520b. The delete transport instruction information tree 520 stores the same items as the transport instruction information tree 510 described above, so its explanation is omitted.

[0052] Next, using Figure 7, we will explain the warehouse group tree 1030A stored in the warehouse master information storage unit 1030. This warehouse group tree 1030A is a reference table that uses flags to indicate whether each of the above-mentioned locations is the starting point or the ending point during the logistics instruction transfer process. Here, using the example in Figure 2, we will explain the case where warehouse A is distribution center 1, warehouse B is regional warehouse 1, and warehouse C is regional warehouse 2, and transportation takes place within these three locations.

[0053] In Case 1, before the chain reaction transport suppression process, the starting flag 1030c is set to "1" for both Distribution Center 1 and Local Warehouse 1, and the ending flag 1030b is set to "1" for Local Warehouse 2. In Case 2, after the chain reaction transport suppression process, the starting flag 1030c is set to "1" for Distribution Center 1, and the ending flag 1030b is set to "1" for both Local Warehouse 1 and Local Warehouse 2.

[0054] Next, using Figure 8, the transport master tree 1040 stored in the warehouse master information storage unit 1030 will be explained. This transport master tree 1040 is a table that stores route priority 1040d and LT (lead time) 1040e, corresponding to the combination of the source warehouse 1040b and destination warehouse 1040c that correspond to the product item 1040a.

[0055] In the transportation master tree 1040 shown in Figure 8, an example is shown for items "A" and LT "4" common to all. Route priorities are shown from "1" to "4" at the top of the table, with priority increasing sequentially. For example, a route priority of "1" is set for the combination of source warehouse "Domestic Factory 1" and destination warehouse "Distribution Center 1", and a route priority of "2" is set for the combination of source warehouse "Distribution Center 1" and destination warehouse "Local Warehouse 1". Similarly, a route priority of "3" is set for the combination of source warehouse "Local Warehouse 2" and destination warehouse "Local Warehouse 1", and a route priority of "4" is set for the combination of source warehouse "Local Warehouse 2" and destination warehouse "Distribution Center 2".

[0056] Next, the initial inventory table 1050 will be described with reference to Figure 9. This initial inventory table 1050 is stored in the transport instruction storage unit 1035. As shown in Figure 9, the initial inventory table 1050 stores the initial inventory 1050b stored in each warehouse 1050a. For example, initial inventory "100" is stored associated with warehouse "distribution center 1", initial inventory "50" with warehouse "local warehouse 1", and initial inventory "30" with warehouse "local warehouse 2".

[0057] In this embodiment, the chain reaction transport suppression unit 1021 is configured as part of the post-processing unit 102 of the transport instruction generation system 10. Next, an example of the chain reaction transport suppression unit 1021 will be described using Figures 10 to 17. Figures 17 and 18 show an overview of chain reaction transport and its replacement as an example, and will be explained as supplementary information to each operation. The processes described below are executed by the chain reaction transport suppression unit 1021 of the post-processing unit 102 shown in Figure 1. Specifically, the processor 202 shown in Figure 4 executes the program 205 to carry out the processing of the chain reaction transport suppression unit 1021.

[0058] First, using Figure 10, the overall flow of the "chain reaction suppression process" will be explained. In the chain reaction transport suppression unit 1021, the delete transport instruction information tree 520 (see Figure 6) is first initialized (step S1000). In the subsequent steps S2000 to S2001, the process is repeated for each item registered in the transport instruction information tree 510 (see Figure 5) until the update flag (initial value is true) becomes false.

[0059] The processes described above, which are executed repeatedly, are the warehouse group tree in step S3000 (see Figure 7), and the chain reaction transport confirmation (determination) and transfer processes from steps S5000 to S6000, each including related processes within the process. The warehouse group tree process is executed repeatedly until the update flag (initial value is true) is determined to be false (step S4000), and the chain reaction transport confirmation and transfer processes are also executed repeatedly until the update flag (initial value is true) is determined to be false (step S4001). The delete transport instruction information obtained in this way is registered in the delete transport instruction information tree 520 (step S7000).

[0060] The process of generating the warehouse cluster tree in step S3000 will be explained in Figure 11 below. The process of confirming chain-reaction transport in step S5000 will be explained in the flow shown in Figure 12 below. The transfer process in step S6000 will be explained in the flows shown in Figures 13, 14, and 15 below. Finally, the registration process in step S7000 will be explained in the flows shown in Figures 16, 17, and 18 below.

[0061] Next, using Figure 11, we will explain an example of the processing flow for "Warehouse cluster tree generation" within the "Combo Prevention Processing". First, the warehouse cluster tree is initialized (step S3100). In the subsequent processing from steps S3200 to S3201, the generation of a warehouse cluster tree based on all transportation instruction information associated with the items is repeatedly performed.

[0062] First, if the source warehouse ID of the transport instruction information does not exist in the warehouse group tree (the YES route in step S3210), the source warehouse ID, end flag (false), and start flag (false) of the transport instruction information are registered in the warehouse group tree (step S3300). The end flag is defined as true for end warehouses and false for non-end warehouses. The start flag is defined as true for start warehouses and false for non-start warehouses. If the source warehouse ID of the transport instruction information does exist in the warehouse group tree (the NO route in step S3210), the process proceeds to step S3310.

[0063] Next, if the destination warehouse ID of the transport instruction information does not exist in the warehouse group tree (YES route in step S3310), the destination warehouse ID, end flag (false), and start flag (false) of the transport instruction information are registered in the warehouse group tree (step S3400). The end flag is defined as true for end and false for not end. The start flag is defined as true for start and false for not start. If the destination warehouse ID of the transport instruction information does exist in the warehouse group tree (NO route in step S3310), the process proceeds to step S3500.

[0064] Next, all destination warehouses for records where the destination warehouse ID is the source warehouse are retrieved from the transport master tree (step S3500). Then, from the warehouse master tree, if there is a warehouse of the sales company class among the retrieved destination warehouses (YES route in step S3510), the warehouse information is updated (step S3600). Here, the end flag is set to true (true: end, false: not end). If there is no warehouse of the sales company class (NO route in step S3510), the process proceeds to step S3210.

[0065] Next, using Figure 12, we will explain an example of the processing flow for "confirmation of chain reaction transport" within the "chain reaction prevention process." The function corresponding to this "confirmation of chain reaction transport" process is the determination unit that determines whether or not it is a chain reaction transport.

[0066] Between steps S5100 and S5101, the chain reaction transport confirmation is performed repeatedly using information registered in the warehouse group tree where the starting flag is true. The loop terminates when the starting flag for all information becomes false.

[0067] Furthermore, between steps S5100 and S5101, and between steps S5200 and S5201, the process is repeatedly executed using information registered in the warehouse group tree where the terminal flag is true, and the loop terminates when the terminal flag of all information becomes false.

[0068] Then, between steps S5200 and S5201 described above, all records in the transport instruction information associated with the item in question are obtained (step S5300), and the origin flag information associated with the source warehouse of the transport instruction information is repeatedly updated to true (true: origin, false: not origin) from the warehouse group tree using the obtained transport instruction information records.

[0069] Next, using Figure 13, we will explain an example of the processing flow for the "reassignment process" within the "chain reaction prevention process". Between steps S6100 and S6101, the reassignment process repeatedly executes all information registered in the warehouse group tree where the origin flag is true. First, all records with a transport volume greater than zero among the records where the warehouse ID is the destination base are obtained from the transport instruction information associated with the item (step S6200). Here, the transport instruction information is the transport instruction information between From and the origin.

[0070] Then, if there is a record of transportation instruction information between From and the origin (YES route in step S6210), all records with a transportation volume greater than zero among the records where the warehouse ID is the source location are retrieved from the transportation instruction information associated with the item (step S6300). Here, the transportation instruction information is the transportation instruction information between the origin and the destination.

[0071] Then, sorting of the transport instruction information between the origin and destination is performed (step S6400), and in the following steps S6500 and S6501, the reassignment of domino-directed transport is performed using the transport instruction information between the origin and destination. In this repetition, first, sorting of the transport instruction information between the origin and destination is performed (step S6600), and further, in steps S6700 and S6701, the reassignment of the target domino-directed transport is performed using the transport instruction information between the origin and destination (step S6800). This reassignment process is described in detail in Figure 14.

[0072] In this way, once the transfer process is complete, the warehouse information is updated (step S6900). Specifically, the end flag is set to true (true: end, false: not end), and the start flag is set to false (true: start, false: not start). Then, once all the information registered in the warehouse group tree with the start flag set to true has been repeatedly executed (step S6101), this transfer process is completed.

[0073] Next, using Figure 14, we will explain the processing flow of the "redirection processing of target chain reactions" within the "redirection processing". First, if From-To is the same location (YES route in step S6801), the process proceeds to step S6810. If they are not the same location (SNO route in step S6802), it is determined whether the highest route priority among the origin-To and From-origin is greater than or equal to the route priority of the From-To (step S6802).

[0074] If the result is determined to be large (YES route in step S6802), the records for the origin-to and from-to destinations are retrieved from the transport master (step S6810). Furthermore, if the transport arrival date after the transfer is the same as the sum of the Sim start date and the transport LT of the from-to destination, the transport LT of the from-to destination is set to 0 (step S6820). Note that Sim indicates the simulation result. If the result is determined to be not large (NO route in step S6802), the process in Figure 14 is terminated.

[0075] After step S6820, if the delivery arrival date in the delivery instruction information for the origin-to is equal to or greater than the delivery arrival date after the transfer, or if the delivery arrival date in the delivery instruction information for the origin-to is empty (YES route in step S6803), a process to determine the amount of transport between From and To is executed, as shown in Figure 15, as will be described later (step S6830). Note that if the process transitions to the NO route from step S6803, the process in Figure 14 is terminated.

[0076] Next, if the determination result is obtained that the transport volume between From and To is greater than zero (YES route in step S6804), the update flag is set to true and the update number is incremented by 1 (step S6840). Furthermore, transport instruction information between From and To is generated (step S6850). If the determination result in step S6804 is not obtained as greater than zero (NO route), the process proceeds to step S6860.

[0077] In step S6860, as will be described later and shown in Figure 16, a process is executed to update the transport instruction information between the origin and the destination. In the following step S6870, as will be described later and shown in Figure 17, a process is executed to update the transport instruction information between the origin and the destination.

[0078] Next, using Figure 15, we will explain an example of the process flow for "determining the amount of goods transported between From and To" within the "transfer process." First, the minimum amount of goods transported between the origin and To, and the amount of goods transported from From to the origin, are set (step S6831). Then, it is determined whether From and To are the same location. If the determination result is that they are the same location (YES route in step S6832), the initial inventory of the From item is obtained from the initial inventory table (step S6833). If the determination result is that they are not the same location (NO route in step S6832), the process in Figure 15 ends.

[0079] Next, the shipment order quantity for the item in question is set to zero (step S6834), and all records where the "From" is the source warehouse are retrieved from the shipment order information associated with the item (step S6835). Subsequently, between steps S6836 and S6838, a process is executed to add the shipment quantity of the shipment order information to the shipment order quantity for the item in question for all records of the shipment order information thus retrieved (step S6837).

[0080] Subsequently, the amount of the item to be transported from the source is subtracted from the initial inventory and set as the amount of the item to be transported from the source (step S6839). The minimum amount of the item to be transported from the source and the amount of the item to be transported from the source are then set (step S6840).

[0081] Next, using Figure 16, a flowchart is shown illustrating an example of the processing flow for "updating the transportation instruction information between the origin and destination" within the "transfer processing." First, it is determined whether the update type of the transportation instruction information between the origin and destination is empty. If the result is empty (YES route in step S6861), a clone of the transportation instruction information between the origin and destination is generated (step S6862). If the result is not empty (NO route in step S6861), the process proceeds to step S6865.

[0082] Next, the update type of the clone of the transport instruction information between the origin and destination is set to "D" for delete (step S6863), and the process of registering the clone of the transport instruction information between the origin and destination in the delete transport instruction information tree is executed (step S6864).

[0083] In the following step S6865, the process is executed to set the transport volume to the transport volume between the origin and destination, the update type to "A" (additional), and the update number to the new update number for the transport instruction information between the origin and destination.

[0084] Next, using Figure 17, we will explain an example of the processing flow for "updating the transport instruction information between From and the starting point" within the "transfer processing". First, it is determined whether the update type of the transport instruction information between From and the starting point is empty. If the result is empty (YES route in step S6871), a clone of the transport instruction information between From and the starting point is created (step S6872), and the update type of the clone of the transport instruction information between From and the starting point is set to "D" for deletion (step S6873). If the result is not empty (NO route in step S6871), the processing in Figure 17 is terminated.

[0085] Next, a clone of the transport instruction information between the From and the starting point is registered in the delete transport instruction information tree (step S6874), and for the transport instruction information between the From and the starting point, the transport volume is set to the transport volume between the From and the To, the update type is set to an additional "A", and the update number is set to a new update number (step S6875).

[0086] Next, using Figure 18, we will explain an example of the processing flow for "Registration of Delete Transport Instruction Information" within the "Chain Reaction Prevention Processing." Between steps S7100 and S7101, registration is repeatedly performed in the records of the Delete Transport Instruction Information Tree.

[0087] First, it is determined whether a transport instruction information with the same key value as the deleted transport instruction information exists in the transport instruction information tree, assuming the update type of the deleted transport instruction information is set to "A". If the result is that such information exists (YES route in step S7110), the transport instruction information is set to the transport instruction information with the same key value as the deleted transport instruction information, assuming the update type of the deleted transport instruction information is set to "A" (step S7200). If the result is that such information does not exist (NO route in step S7110), the process proceeds to step S7400.

[0088] Following step S7200, it is determined whether the transport quantity of the transport instruction information is zero. If the result is not zero (the NO route in step S7210), the process of overwriting the transport instruction information with the deleted transport instruction information (update type, transport quantity) is executed (step S7300). On the other hand, if the result is zero (the YES route in step S7210), the process of registering the deleted transport instruction information in the transport instruction information tree is executed (step S7400).

[0089] Here, I would like to add some details to the above explanation. The chain reaction transport suppression unit 1021 is a function that processes the transport instruction information calculated by the logistics instruction planning unit 101 and updates it to a more efficient transport instruction.

[0090] To prevent chain-reaction transport, a warehouse tree is generated to identify intermediate warehouses (starting points), and chain-reaction transport is checked for those warehouses (steps S5000 in Figure 10 and Figure 12). If chain-reaction transport is occurring, a rerouting process is performed (S6000 in Figure 10 and Figure 13). Furthermore, the transport instruction information for which rerouting has been performed is reduced by subtracting the transport volume from the original transport instruction. The functions of this embodiment are realized through this processing flow.

[0091] As a warehouse group tree 1030A, each warehouse is assigned a "terminal flag 1030b" and a "starting point flag 1030c". All warehouse information held in the transport instruction information table is extracted, and if that warehouse is of the sales company class (=terminal), the terminal flag 1030b is set to "true". The transport instruction information table is checked to see if there is a chain reaction transport for the warehouse where the terminal flag 1030b is "true". If there is, the starting point flag 1030c and terminal flag 1030b are updated to "false" for the warehouse of the source warehouse 1010a in the warehouse group tree 1030A. This process is repeated until the terminal flag 1030b for all warehouses becomes "false", thereby identifying the starting point.

[0092] For the identified starting points, the target chain reassignment process (S6800 in Figure 13 and Figure 14) is performed. Here, the transport volume between From and To is determined, taking into account the transport arrival date, considering the route priority and lead time, i.e., with the transport arrival date fixed and unchanged. If the transport volume is greater than zero, the transport information between the starting point and To, and between From and starting point, is updated. Records that have been updated are made identifiable as having an update type of "A" in the transport instruction information table. Delete instruction information is stored for records with an update type of "A" in the transport instruction information table.

[0093] As explained above, according to this embodiment, in response to a logistics instruction, the starting point for increasing the logistics instruction is identified, alternative routes are extracted when rerouting is performed, and the logistics instruction is rerouted in a way that strictly adheres to the lead time by taking into account a fixed arrival date. As a result, it is possible to reduce unnecessary logistics instructions, reduce the workload on warehouse operations, and lower logistics costs.

[0094] Furthermore, a fifth-generation mobile phone system (5G) may be used for communication in the embodiments described above. Communication includes, for example, receiving and / or outputting data, and transitioning from one flow to another in the flowchart described above. For example, the transport instruction generation system 10 may be configured such that each part shown in Figure 1 is individually connected by communication via a network. In this case, each part has a hardware configuration similar to that shown in Figure 4.

[0095] Furthermore, while the above-described embodiment uses a supply chain as an example and therefore uses products as the transported goods, it is not limited to this, as it applies to transport between hubs along a transport route that includes both a source and a destination. It can also be applied to home delivery, and the transported goods could be home delivery packages. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0096] 10. Transportation Instruction Generation System 11 User terminals 100 Pre-processing 101 Logistics Instruction Planning Department 102 Post-processing 103 Storage section 104 Communications Department 105 Input section 106 Output section 201 memory 202 processors 203 Communication IF 204 storage 205 Programs 206 Input / Output Devices 510 Transport instruction information tree 520 Delete Transport Instruction Information Tree 1030A Warehouse Gungi 1040 Transport Master Tree 1050 Initial Inventory Table

Claims

1. An information processing device for processing logistics instructions between locations, A storage unit that stores logistics instructions for each combination of the source base and destination base when transporting the transported goods from the aforementioned bases, A determination unit that determines whether there are intermediate stops in the transportation route between the source and destination of the transport, If the determination unit determines that an intermediate stop exists, the rerouting unit updates the logistics instructions to directly connect the stop preceding the intermediate stop and the stop following the intermediate stop. An information processing device characterized by comprising:

2. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines the existence of the transit points sequentially from upstream to downstream in a unit of three interconnected points along the transport route.

3. The information processing device according to claim 2, wherein the storage unit stores the starting point and ending point of the three bases linked to the bases based on the transportation route changed by the update unit.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the storage unit stores the delivery date for each logistics instruction, and the replacement unit updates the logistics instruction with the delivery date fixed.

5. The information processing device according to claim 3, wherein the storage unit stores the transit point among the three locations as a first chain reaction and the location after the transit point as a second chain reaction.

6. An information processing device according to claim 1, further comprising an output unit that is connected to a user terminal via a network and outputs information from the storage unit to the user terminal.

7. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit stores the delivery quantity for each combination, the logistics instruction includes the delivery quantity between points on the transport route, and the existence of an intermediate point is determined by referring to the delivery quantity between points.

8. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit stores an update flag associated with the updated combination among the combinations.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the relocation unit selects a route along a relocation route set based on the priority of each transport route for each combination.

10. An information processing method for handling the transportation of goods between locations, An information processing method characterized by pre-memorizing the bases that correspond to the source or destination of the transported goods, and if there is an intermediate base in the transport route between the source and destination that causes the transported goods to pass through a subsequent base, the transport route is rerouted to directly connect the base preceding the intermediate base and the subsequent base.

11. A computer program that handles the transportation of goods between locations, To the aforementioned computer, A program that, among the aforementioned bases, stores in advance the bases that correspond to the source or destination of the transported goods, and, if there is an intermediate base in the transport route between the source and destination that causes the transported goods to pass through a subsequent base, executes a rerouting of the transport route so that the base preceding the intermediate base and the subsequent base are directly connected.

Images