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

Abstract

We will maintain a "direct delivery" method of delivery whenever possible, and also enable communication with customers. [Solution] The delivery feasibility determination unit refers to the inventory quantity based on the number of items ordered and determines whether or not the ordered items can be delivered. The communication period determination unit refers to the customer visit period master table, which stores the communication period indicating the period during which communication will take place for each customer requiring communication, and determines whether or not the delivery date falls within the communication period set for the customer. If the update processing unit determines that the ordered items cannot be delivered and that the delivery date falls within the communication period, it updates the order data by inputting a "order and delivery" delivery method, in which the purchased items are temporarily stored in a designated warehouse and then delivered to the customer from the warehouse, into the order category of the order data.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a work support apparatus, a work support method, and a work support program.

Background Art

[0002] As background art related to inventory management work, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 11-096240) discloses a product ordering method aimed at efficiently realizing a sales form in which products are directly shipped from a customer to a manufacturer.

[0003] In this product ordering method, a store server that manages a store equipped with a POS terminal, a headquarters server that performs order management at the headquarters, and an order management computer on the manufacturer side are connected online via a communication network. When receiving an order for a manufacturer direct-delivery product that should be shipped directly from the manufacturer to the customer, the store server automatically generates a customer order file storing information such as product information, delivery date, delivery destination including the customer's address, etc. based on information input from a POS terminal or the like, and transfers the generated customer order file to the customer order file of the headquarters server.

[0004] The headquarters server generates an order file in a format that can distinguish between normal inventory replenishment products and manufacturer direct-delivery products from the customer order file, and transfers the order file to the manufacturer's order management computer. Further, the order management computer distinguishes manufacturer direct-delivery products from inventory replenishment products and directly ships them to the customer. This realizes an efficient sales form based on direct shipment of products from the customer to the manufacturer.

[0005] Here, in the case of industries such as machinery trading companies that directly sell products such as machinery to end users (customers), it is often required to provide comprehensive solutions and services including not only product sales, but also equipment installation, maintenance, and update. Therefore, as a part of sales activities, it is important to visit end users, communicate with on-site production engineers or managers, and quickly grasp the end users' requests and current issues.

Prior Art Literature

Patent Literature

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-096240 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] However, in industries such as machinery trading companies, due to the need for logistics efficiency and business practices, it is common practice to deliver goods directly from the manufacturer or wholesaler to the end user, a practice known as "direct shipping."

[0008] As a result, a lack of communication between companies such as machinery trading companies and their customers led to lost business opportunities and made it difficult to detect problems early.

[0009] This invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a business support device, a business support method, and a business support program that enable communication with customers while maintaining a "direct delivery" delivery method as much as possible. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] To solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objective, the business support device according to the present invention includes: a delivery feasibility determination unit that, based on the number of products ordered in the order data, refers to inventory data including the number of products in stock and determines whether or not it is possible to deliver the ordered number of products; a communication period determination unit that, for each customer requiring communication, refers to a customer visit period master table that stores a communication period indicating the period during which communication will take place, based on the customer to whom the products are delivered and the delivery date of the products included in the order data, and determines whether or not the delivery date falls within the communication period set for the customer; and an update processing unit that, when the delivery feasibility determination unit determines that it is not possible to deliver the ordered number of products and the communication period determination unit determines that the delivery date falls within the communication period, inputs a delivery method of "order placement and delivery," which is a delivery method in which the products purchased from the supplier are temporarily stored in a predetermined warehouse and then delivered to the customer from the warehouse, into the order category of the order data and updates the order data.

[0011] Furthermore, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objective, the business support method according to the present invention includes: a delivery feasibility determination step in which a delivery feasibility determination unit refers to inventory data including the inventory quantity of products based on the number of products ordered in the order data and determines whether or not it is possible to deliver the ordered number of products; a communication period determination step in which a communication period determination unit refers to a customer visit period master table, which stores a communication period indicating the period during which communication will be conducted for each customer requiring communication, based on the customer to whom the products included in the order data are to be delivered and the delivery date of the products, and determines whether or not the delivery date falls within the communication period set for the customer; and an update processing step in which, if the delivery feasibility determination step determines that it is not possible to deliver the ordered number of products and the communication period determination step determines that the delivery date falls within the communication period, the update processing unit inputs a delivery method of "order and delivery," which is a delivery method in which products purchased from a supplier are temporarily stored in a predetermined warehouse and then delivered to the customer from the warehouse, into the order category of the order data and updates the order data.

[0012] Furthermore, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objectives, the business support program according to the present invention functions as an update processing unit that updates the order data by inputting a delivery method called "order and delivery" into the order category of the order data, in the case where the delivery of goods purchased from the supplier is temporarily stored in a designated warehouse and then delivered to the customer from the warehouse, if the delivery of goods purchased from the supplier is determined to be impossible to deliver and the delivery date is determined to be impossible to deliver, the business support program according to the present invention functions as an update processing unit that updates the order data by inputting a delivery method called "order and delivery" into the order category of the order data, if the delivery feasibility determination unit determines that the delivery of goods purchased from the supplier is impossible and the communication period determination unit determines that the delivery date is within the communication period. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] This invention allows for communication with customers while maintaining a "direct delivery" delivery method as much as possible. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the business support device according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows an example of a customer master table. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows an example of a customer visit period master table. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows an example of a warehouse master table. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows an example of a supplier master table. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows an example of inventory data. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of the first half of delivery control operation of the business support apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the flow of the second half of delivery control operation of the business support apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a delivery form in which warehouse shipping is performed from a customer-dedicated warehouse. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a delivery form in which warehouse shipping is performed from a regular stock warehouse for products. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a delivery form of an order receiving category of "order placement and receiving" when an order number is required. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining an operation of obtaining a visit opportunity together with delivery to key customers. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining an operation of obtaining a visit opportunity together with delivery to a customer of a commercial transaction classified as a key project. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining an operation of adopting an ordering and receiving delivery form because a shipping fee is charged for direct delivery. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining an operation of adopting a direct delivery form because no shipping fee is required for direct delivery. DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Hereinafter, a business support apparatus according to an embodiment to which the present invention is applied will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0016] (Hardware Configuration) As shown in FIG. 1, the business support apparatus 1 according to the embodiment includes a storage unit 2, a control unit 3, a communication interface unit 4, and an input / output interface unit 5. An input device 6 and an output device 7 are connected to the input / output interface unit 5.

[0017] As the output device 7, a display unit of a monitor device (including a household television), a printing device, or a speaker device can be used.

[0018] The input device 6 can include a keyboard, mouse, and microphone, as well as a monitor that works in conjunction with the mouse to provide a pointing device function.

[0019] The communication interface unit 4 is connected to a network 50, such as a wide-area network like the Internet or a private network like a LAN (Local Area Network). The network 50 is connected to terminal devices of companies that are the recipients of the goods (=ordering companies) (customer terminal devices 51) and terminal devices of companies that are suppliers (=wholesalers) of the goods (supplier terminal devices 52).

[0020] For the memory unit 2, a storage device such as ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), HDD (Hard Disk Drive), or SSD (Solid State Drive) can be used.

[0021] Memory unit 2 stores a business support program that enables communication with customers while maintaining a "direct delivery" delivery method as much as possible.

[0022] Furthermore, this memory unit 2 is equipped with the following memory areas: customer master table 11, customer visit period master table 12, warehouse master table 13, supplier master table 14, inventory data storage unit 15, quotation data storage unit 16, and order data storage unit 17.

[0023] As shown in Figure 2, the customer master table 11 stores an order number requirement category for each customer, indicating whether or not a unique order number is required for each ordered product. In the example in Figure 2, the order number requirement category for customer C, whose customer code is "T3", is set to "1: Required", while the order number requirement categories for the other customers A, B, D, and E are set to "0: Not Required".

[0024] As shown in Figure 3, the Customer Visit Period Master Table 12 has the start and end dates of the visit period set for customers who require a visit. Figure 3 shows an example where customer D, with customer code "T4", has a visit period set from "January 1, 2021 to March 31, 2024". Also, Figure 3 shows an example where customer E, with customer code "T5", has a visit period set from "November 1, 2020 to January 10, 2021". Note that in the example in Figure 3, no visit period is set for customers A to C.

[0025] As described later, if the delivery date of the product falls within this visit period, the delivery method is automatically switched from "direct delivery" to "order processing," and the product is delivered from the company of business support device 1 to the customer. At this time, the person in charge of business support device 1 visits the customer, which prevents the loss of business opportunities due to a lack of communication with the customer and enables the early detection of problems.

[0026] As shown in Figure 4, the warehouse master table 13 stores the warehouse type and department code for each warehouse owned or used by the company of the business support device 1. In Figure 4, the Tokyo Special Value Warehouse, with warehouse code "C01," is a warehouse where goods to be delivered preferentially to a designated customer are stored. This Tokyo Special Value Warehouse is assigned a warehouse type code of "0" and is managed by the Tokyo Department, with department code "1."

[0027] Furthermore, the Tokyo warehouse with warehouse code "C02" is a warehouse used for "order processing," where goods purchased from suppliers are temporarily stored before being shipped to customers. This Tokyo warehouse is assigned warehouse type code "1" and is managed by the Tokyo department with department code "1".

[0028] Furthermore, the Tokyo permanent warehouse with warehouse code "C03" is a warehouse used for so-called "warehouse shipments," where inventory stored in that warehouse is shipped to customers. This Tokyo permanent warehouse is assigned warehouse type code "2" and is managed by the Tokyo department with department code "1".

[0029] Furthermore, the Osaka Special Price Warehouse with warehouse code "D01" is a warehouse that stores goods that are to be delivered preferentially to designated customers. This Osaka Special Price Warehouse is assigned warehouse type code "0" and is managed by the Osaka Department with department code "2".

[0030] As shown in Figure 5, the supplier master table 14 includes a direct shipping fee requirement category for each supplier, indicating whether or not shipping fees are required between the supplier and the customer when goods are delivered directly from the supplier to the customer, known as "direct delivery".

[0031] Figure 4 shows that for the first manufacturer with supplier code "SI01" and the fifth manufacturer with supplier code "SI05", shipping costs are "1: Required" when shipping directly. Also, Figure 4 shows that for the second manufacturer with supplier code "SI02", the third manufacturer with supplier code "SI03", and the fourth manufacturer with supplier code "SI04", shipping costs are "0: Not Required" when shipping directly.

[0032] In the business support device 1 of this embodiment, as will be described later, if the shipping cost for direct delivery is "0: not required", the "direct delivery" delivery method is automatically selected if the other conditions are also met, and if the shipping cost for direct delivery is "1: required", the "order / receipt" delivery method is automatically selected if the other conditions are also met.

[0033] The inventory data storage unit 15 stores the inventory quantity of each product stored in each of the aforementioned warehouses, as well as specific customer information indicating that the inventory is reserved for a particular customer. The example in Figure 6 shows that the Tokyo Special Price Warehouse, with warehouse code "C01," has "200" touch panels with product code "TP01" stored there, reserved exclusively for delivery to customer A, with customer code "T1."

[0034] Furthermore, the example in Figure 6 shows that the Tokyo warehouse with warehouse code "C02" stores "300" inverters with product code "IN30". This Tokyo warehouse is used for "order and delivery" warehouse operations. In other words, this Tokyo warehouse stores goods purchased from suppliers and then delivered to customers, thus serving as a warehouse for "order and delivery" operations.

[0035] Furthermore, the example in Figure 6 shows that the Tokyo permanent warehouse with warehouse code "C03" stores "100" inverters with product code "IN30". This Tokyo permanent warehouse is a so-called "warehouse for outbound shipments".

[0036] (Functional configuration of business support equipment) Next, the control unit 3 executes the business support program stored in the memory unit 2, and functions as a discrimination unit 21, an update processing unit 22, a data generation unit 23, a display control unit 24, and an output control unit 25, as shown in Figure 1.

[0037] In this example, the discrimination unit 21 to the output control unit 25 are described as being implemented in software based on the business support program, but all or part of the discrimination unit 21 to the output control unit 25 may be implemented in hardware. In either case, the same effects as described later can be obtained.

[0038] The discrimination unit 21 includes the functions of a delivery feasibility discrimination unit 26, a communication period discrimination unit 27, and a priority case classification discrimination unit 28, and as will be described later, it determines whether the ordered quantity of goods can be delivered, whether the delivery date falls within the communication period, and whether the order data is classified as a priority case.

[0039] The data generation unit 23 generates quotation data (described later) based on the input operations of the business operator of the business support device 1 and stores it in the quotation data storage unit 16, generates order data and stores it in the order data storage unit 17, and generates inventory data and stores it in the inventory data storage unit 15.

[0040] The display control unit 24 displays various input screens, such as the quotation input screen, the order input screen, and the inventory input screen, via the output device 7. The data generation unit 23 generates quotation data, order data, and inventory data based on the input contents of the quotation input screen, the order input screen, and the inventory input screen.

[0041] The output control unit 25 controls the output of the quotation data stored in the quotation data storage unit 16, the order data stored in the order data storage unit 17, and the inventory data stored in the inventory data storage unit 15 via the output target device.

[0042] The output target device corresponds to, for example, the output device 7, and can be a display device, a printing device, or a speaker device. The output control unit 25 converts various data into display information, print information, or audio information and supplies it to the corresponding device. This makes it possible to obtain display output, print output, or audio output of various data. In addition, the output target device can be a storage unit 2, an external storage device, or a server device on a network, and various data may be output to or transmitted to these devices for storage.

[0043] The delivery feasibility determination unit 26, based on the number of ordered products, refers to inventory data including the number of products in stock (see Figure 12(b)) and determines whether or not it is possible to deliver the ordered number of products (see Figure 12(a)).

[0044] The communication period determination unit 27, for each customer requiring communication, refers to the customer visit period master table (see Figures 3 and 12(c)), which stores the communication period indicating the period during which communication will take place, based on the customer to whom the goods are delivered and the delivery date of the goods included in the order data. It then determines whether or not the delivery date falls within the communication period set for the customer.

[0045] If the delivery feasibility determination unit 26 determines that the ordered quantity of goods cannot be delivered, and the communication period determination unit 27 determines that the delivery date falls within the communication period, the update processing unit 22 updates the order data by inputting the "order delivery" delivery method, which involves temporarily storing the goods purchased from the supplier in a designated warehouse (in this example, the Tokyo warehouse, which is the order delivery warehouse shown in Figure 4), and then delivering the goods to the customer from the warehouse, into the order category of the order data (see Figure 12(e)).

[0046] This allows for a "order-based delivery" format during the communication period and a "direct delivery" format during periods outside of the communication period. Therefore, it is possible to maintain the "direct delivery" format as much as possible while also facilitating communication with customers.

[0047] Next, the priority case classification unit 28 refers to order data that includes information for identifying the ordered product, the number of products ordered, the customer to whom the product is delivered, the supplier of the product, and the priority case classification assigned to important commercial transactions (see Figure 13(b)), and determines whether or not there is a priority case classification.

[0048] If the delivery feasibility determination unit 26 determines that the ordered quantity of goods cannot be delivered, and the priority case classification determination unit 28 determines that the order is classified as a priority case, the update processing unit 22 updates the order data by inputting the "order-to-delivery" delivery method, which involves temporarily storing the goods purchased from the supplier in a designated warehouse and then delivering the goods from the warehouse to the customer, into the order classification of the order data (see Figure 13(e)).

[0049] Next, the inventory data stores specific customers that are to be supplied with the products in stock (see Figure 9(c)). The delivery feasibility determination unit 26 determines whether or not it is possible to deliver the ordered quantity of products based on the presence or absence of inventory for the specific customer to whom the products are to be delivered, and the inventory for the specific customer.

[0050] Then, if the delivery feasibility determination unit 26 determines that there is an inventory quantity for the specified customer and that the ordered quantity of goods can be delivered using that inventory quantity, the update processing unit 22 updates the order data to set the warehouse storing the goods for the specified customer as the shipping source warehouse (in this example, the Tokyo Special Price Warehouse in Figure 9(d)), and updates the order classification of the order data to the delivery type "warehouse delivery order," which is a delivery type in which goods are delivered from the warehouse (see Figure 9(d)).

[0051] Next, the update processing unit 22, when the communication period determination unit 27 determines that the delivery date is outside the communication period, the priority case classification determination unit 28 determines that no priority case classification is assigned, and the delivery feasibility determination unit 26 determines, based on inventory data, that it is possible to deliver the ordered quantity of goods, sets the shipping source warehouse to the warehouse where the ordered quantity of inventory is stored (in this example, the Tokyo permanent warehouse in Figure 10(c)), and updates the order classification to the "warehouse delivery order" delivery type, which is a delivery type in which goods are delivered from the warehouse (see Figure 10(c)).

[0052] Next, the update processing unit 22, after the communication period determination unit 27 determines that the delivery date is outside the communication period, the priority case classification determination unit 28 determines that no priority case classification is assigned, and the delivery feasibility determination unit 26 determines, based on inventory data, that delivery of the ordered quantity of goods is not possible, refers to the customer master table 11, which stores the order number necessity classification for each customer, indicating whether an order number uniquely assigned to each ordered product is necessary. If the customer's order number necessity classification is an order number necessity classification that "requires" an order number for the customer (see Figure 11(c)), the order classification is set to the "ordered / received" delivery type, and the warehouse that temporarily stores and ships the ordered goods is set as the shipping source warehouse and the order data is updated (see Figure 11(d)).

[0053] Next, the update processing unit 22 determines, based on the communication period determination unit 27, that the delivery date is outside the communication period, the priority case determination unit 28 determines that no priority case classification is assigned, the delivery feasibility determination unit 26 determines, based on inventory data, that delivery of the ordered quantity of goods is not possible, the customer order number requirement classification in the customer master table 11 is an order number requirement classification that indicates "no order number is required" for the customer (see Figure 14(c)), and in the supplier master table 14, where a direct delivery shipping fee requirement classification indicating whether shipping fees are required when goods are delivered directly from the supplier to the customer is set for each supplier, if a direct delivery shipping fee requirement classification of "required" is set for the supplier of the goods (see Figure 14(e)), the order classification of the order data is updated to the order classification of the "ordered and received" delivery type, and the order data is updated to change the warehouse where the ordered goods are temporarily stored and shipped to the shipping source warehouse (see Figure 14(f)).

[0054] Next, the update processing unit 22 determines, based on the communication period determination unit 27, that the delivery date is outside the communication period, the priority case determination unit 28 determines that the priority case classification is not assigned, the delivery feasibility determination unit 26 determines, based on the inventory data, that the delivery of the ordered quantity of goods is not possible, the customer order number requirement classification in the customer master table 11 is an order number requirement classification that indicates "no order number required" for the customer (see Figure 15(c)), and the direct shipping cost requirement classification for each supplier is set in the supplier master table 14, which indicates whether shipping costs are required when goods are delivered directly from the supplier to the customer, and the direct shipping cost requirement classification is set to "not required" for the supplier of the goods (see Figure 15(e)), then updates the order classification of the order data to the order classification of the "direct delivery" delivery method (see Figure 15(f)).

[0055] (Delivery control operation) Next, the delivery control operation in the business support device 1 of the embodiment will be explained using the flowcharts in Figures 7 and 8. The flowcharts in Figures 7 and 8 show the flow of an example of the delivery control operation, with the flowchart in Figure 7 showing the flow of the first half of the delivery control operation, and the flowchart in Figure 8 showing the flow of the second half of the delivery control operation.

[0056] First, the business operator of the business support device 1 enters an estimate in response to a customer's request for product delivery via the estimate entry screen. Based on the input content on the estimate entry screen, the data generation unit 23 generates estimate data, as illustrated in Figure 9(a), which includes estimate number, estimate date, delivery date, customer, product code, estimated quantity, shipping warehouse code, supplier code of the product supplier, estimate category (corresponding to order category) indicating the delivery method of the product to the customer, and a priority case category indicating whether or not this commercial transaction is an important case, and stores it in the estimate data storage unit 16.

[0057] Note that, by default, the "quote category" for this type of quotation data is automatically entered as "direct delivery".

[0058] If the customer approves the transaction after this quotation data is presented, the business operator of the business support device 1 enters the order via the order entry screen based on the previously created quotation data. Based on the input content of the order entry screen, the data generation unit 23 generates order data including quotation number, quotation date, delivery date, customer, product code, order quantity, shipping warehouse code, supplier code of the product supplier, order classification indicating the delivery method of the product to the customer, and priority case classification indicating whether or not this business transaction is an important case, as illustrated in Figure 9(b), and stores it in the order data storage unit 17.

[0059] In addition, the "Quotation Category" for this type of order data is automatically entered as "Direct Shipment" by default, just like with quotation data.

[0060] (Step S1) Next, in step S1, the delivery feasibility determination unit 26 refers to the specific customer in the inventory data shown in Figure 9(c) based on the customer code in the order data, and determines whether or not a warehouse dedicated to the goods to be delivered to that customer has been set up. In the example in Figure 9(c), the warehouse code "C01" for customer A, to whom the ordered goods will be delivered, is set up as "Tokyo Special Price Warehouse". The delivery feasibility determination unit 26 recognizes this "Tokyo Special Price Warehouse" as a warehouse dedicated to the goods to be delivered to the customer.

[0061] In addition, the delivery feasibility determination unit 26 also refers to the inventory quantity at the "Tokyo Special Price Warehouse" to determine whether it is possible to deliver the ordered quantity of goods from the customer. In this example, as shown in Figure 9(b), the customer has ordered "100 units" of "touch panels" with product code "TP01". In contrast, as shown in Figure 9(c), the inventory quantity of "touch panels" stored at the "Tokyo Special Price Warehouse" is "200 units". Therefore, the delivery feasibility determination unit 26 determines that it is possible to deliver the ordered quantity of goods (Step S1: Yes).

[0062] If it is possible to deliver the ordered quantity of goods, the update processing unit 22 determines that the delivery method is "warehouse shipment" and delivers the "touch panel" stored exclusively for customer A from the "Tokyo Special Price Warehouse". As shown in Figure 9(d), it updates the shipping source warehouse of the order data to "C01: Tokyo Special Price Warehouse" and updates the order category to "warehouse shipment order" and stores it in the order data storage unit 17.

[0063] (Step S2) Next, if step S1 determines that there is no warehouse dedicated to that customer, such as "Tokyo Special Price Warehouse" (step S1: No), the delivery feasibility determination unit 26 proceeds to step S2. In step S2, the delivery feasibility determination unit 26 determines whether there is a regular warehouse that stores inventory for shipment, and also determines whether it is possible to deliver the ordered quantity of goods based on the inventory of this regular warehouse.

[0064] Specifically, the example in Figure 10(a) shows an instance where customer B has placed an order for "100 units" of "IN30: Inverter". In this case, as shown in Figure 10(b), the delivery feasibility determination unit 26 determines the existence of "C03: Tokyo permanent warehouse" by referring to inventory data. The delivery feasibility determination unit 26 then determines that it is possible to deliver the ordered "100 units" of goods based on the "100 units" in stock at "C03: Tokyo permanent warehouse".

[0065] If it is possible to deliver the ordered quantity of goods, the update processing unit 22 determines that the delivery method is "warehouse shipment" from "Tokyo permanent warehouse" to customer B (step S2: Yes), and as shown in Figure 10(c), it updates the shipping source warehouse of the order data to "C03: Tokyo permanent warehouse" and updates the order category to "warehouse shipment order" and stores it in the order data storage unit 17.

[0066] (Step S3) Next, if step S2 determines that there is no warehouse for shipping, such as "Tokyo permanent warehouse" (step S2: No), the delivery feasibility determination unit 26 proceeds to step S3. In step S3, the delivery feasibility determination unit 26 determines whether a commercial order number is "necessary" for that customer.

[0067] Specifically, the example in Figure 11(a) is an instance where an order for "100 units" of "IN30: Inverter" has been received from customer C. In this case, as shown in Figure 11(c), the delivery feasibility determination unit 26 refers to the customer master table 11 and determines whether an order number is required for customer C. In this example, the order number requirement category "1: Required" is set for customer C. Therefore, the delivery feasibility determination unit 26 determines that an order number is "required" for delivery to customer C.

[0068] Furthermore, the delivery feasibility determination unit 26 refers to the inventory data shown in Figure 11(b) and determines whether it is possible to deliver the ordered quantity of goods (IN30: inverters) based on the inventory quantity of the ordered goods (IN30: inverters) stored in "C02: Tokyo Warehouse," which is the warehouse for order placement and receiving. In this case, the inventory quantity of "IN30: inverters" stored in "C02: Tokyo Warehouse" is "300 units," and the ordered quantity is "100 units," so the delivery feasibility determination unit 26 determines that delivery is possible (Step S3: Yes).

[0069] If customer C requires an order number for delivery and it is possible to deliver the ordered quantity of goods, the update processing unit 22 determines that the delivery method for customer C is a "warehouse shipment" "order / receipt" delivery method. Then, as shown in Figure 11(d), the update processing unit 22 updates the shipping source warehouse of customer C's order data to "C02: Tokyo Warehouse", leaves the supplier as "SI03: Third Manufacturer", updates the order category to "order / receipt", and stores it in the order data storage unit 17.

[0070] As a result, 100 units of the "IN30: Inverter" product will be delivered from the order processing warehouse "C02: Tokyo Warehouse" to customer C, with an order number assigned.

[0071] (Step S4) Next, if the "order number" is determined to be "unnecessary" in step S3 (step S3: No), the process proceeds to step S4 in Figure 8. In step S4, it is determined whether the customer is an important customer that requires specific communication (sales activities) (whether or not it is a key customer). Possible methods of "communication" include telephone calls, visits, and sending emails, but below we will use "visits" as an example of communication for the explanation.

[0072] Specifically, as shown in Figure 12(a), suppose an order for "100 units" of the product "DCR: DC reactor" is received from customer code "T4: Customer D". In this case, the delivery feasibility determination unit 26 refers to the inventory data shown in Figure 12(b) to determine whether or not the product "DCR: DC reactor" is in stock. In this example, it determines that there is no stock of the product in any warehouse.

[0073] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 12(c), the delivery feasibility determination unit 26 refers to the customer master table 11 and determines the order number requirement status set for the customer with the customer code "T4: Customer D". In this example, the delivery feasibility determination unit 26 determines that the order number requirement status of "0: Not required" is set for the customer with the customer code "T4: Customer D".

[0074] Next, the delivery feasibility determination unit 26 determines whether the delivery date for the product for the customer with customer code "T4: Customer D" shown in Figure 12(a) falls within the visit period set in the customer visit period master table 12 shown in Figure 12(d).

[0075] In this example, customer D's delivery date is "January 15, 2021," and the visit period set for customer D is "January 1, 2021 to March 31, 2021." In this case, the delivery feasibility determination unit 26 determines that customer D's delivery date falls within the visit period.

[0076] The fact that customer D's delivery date falls within the visit period indicates that customer D is a key customer and sales activities are necessary (Step S4: Yes). Also, in this example, there is no inventory. Therefore, the data generation unit 23 updates the shipping source warehouse item in the order data to "C02: Tokyo Warehouse," which is the warehouse for order placement and receiving that stores the purchased goods. It also updates the order placement and receiving classification in the order data to "Order Placement and Receiving."

[0077] When the order data's order category is updated to "Order / Receipt" while there is no stock available, the data generation unit 23 generates order data to place an order for the ordered quantity of goods with the supplier. This order data is transmitted to the supplier terminal device 52 by the output control unit 25 at the timing instructed by the business operator. As a result, the goods are procured from the supplier and temporarily stored at "C02: Tokyo Warehouse," which is designated as the shipping source warehouse for order / receipt. Then, in order to meet the delivery date of "January 15, 2021," the goods are shipped from "C02: Tokyo Warehouse" to customer D and delivered.

[0078] Furthermore, customer D is a key customer that requires visits. Therefore, sales representatives and other business operators visit customer D in conjunction with product deliveries to explain new products, listen to complaints, etc. This prevents the loss of business opportunities due to a lack of communication with the customer, and enables the early detection of problems.

[0079] (Step S5) Next, in step S4, if it is determined that the delivery date does not fall within the visit period and the customer is not a priority customer (step S4: No), the process proceeds to step S5. In step S5, the delivery feasibility determination unit 26 determines whether the business transaction is a "priority case" and whether a visit to that customer is necessary.

[0080] Specifically, for business transactions designated as priority projects, the "Priority Project" designation is added, as shown in the quotation data in Figure 13(a) and the order data in Figure 13(b). The delivery feasibility determination unit 26 recognizes a business transaction in the order data as a priority project if the "Priority Project" designation is added to the order data.

[0081] In addition, the delivery feasibility determination unit 26 refers to the inventory data shown in Figure 13(c) and determines whether, in this example, there are "100 units" of the "DCR: DC reactor" product in stock. In this case, the delivery feasibility determination unit 26 determines that there is no inventory of the "DCR: DC reactor" product in any of the warehouses.

[0082] Furthermore, the delivery feasibility determination unit 26 refers to the customer master table 11 shown in Figure 13(d) and, in this example, determines the order number requirement classification set for "T4: Customer D". In the example in Figure 13(d), the delivery feasibility determination unit 26 determines that the order number requirement classification "0: Not required" is set for "T4: Customer D".

[0083] If the order data has the "Priority Order" classification (Step S5: Yes), there is no inventory, and the order number for that customer is "0: Not required", the data generation unit 23 updates the order classification of the order data for customer D to "Order / Receipt" and updates the source warehouse to "C02: Tokyo Warehouse", which is the warehouse for order / receipt.

[0084] When the order data's order category is updated to "Order / Receipt" while there is no stock available, the data generation unit 23 generates order data to place an order for the ordered quantity of goods with the supplier. This order data is transmitted to the supplier terminal device 52 by the output control unit 25 at the timing instructed by the business operator. As a result, the goods are procured from the supplier and temporarily stored at "C02: Tokyo Warehouse," which is designated as the shipping source warehouse for order / receipt. Then, in order to meet the delivery date of "January 15, 2021," the goods are shipped from "C02: Tokyo Warehouse" to customer D and delivered.

[0085] Furthermore, customer D is a key case that requires a visit. Therefore, the sales representatives of the operations operator will visit customer D in conjunction with product delivery to explain new products, listen to any complaints, etc. This prevents the loss of business opportunities due to a lack of communication with the customer and enables the early detection of problems.

[0086] (If Step S6: Yes) Next, in step S5, if the priority case classification for "priority cases" is not determined and it is determined that the commercial transaction case is not a priority case (step S5: No), the process proceeds to step S6. In step S6, the delivery feasibility determination unit 26 determines whether the supplier requires shipping costs when the supplier selects a delivery method known as "direct delivery," where the goods are transported directly from the supplier to the customer.

[0087] Specifically, as shown in Figure 14(a), suppose we receive an order for 100 units of the product "DCR: DC reactor" from "T5: Customer E". The supplier of this "DCR: DC reactor" product is "SI05: Fifth Manufacturer".

[0088] The delivery feasibility determination unit 26, based on the inventory data shown in Figure 14(b), determines that there is no inventory of the "DCR: DC reactor" product in any of the warehouses. Then, it refers to the customer master table 11 shown in Figure 14(c) and determines the order number requirement classification assigned to "T5: Customer E". In this case, the order number requirement classification assigned to "T5: Customer E" is "0: Not required".

[0089] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 14(d), the delivery feasibility determination unit 26 refers to the customer visit period master table 12 and determines whether the delivery date for "T5: Customer E" falls within the visit period set for "T5: Customer E". In this example, the delivery date for the product to "T5: Customer E" is "January 15, 2021", and the visit period is "November 1, 2020 to January 10, 2021". Therefore, the delivery feasibility determination unit 26 determines that the delivery date for the product to "T5: Customer E" is outside the visit period.

[0090] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 14(e), the delivery feasibility determination unit 26 refers to the supplier master table 14 and determines whether a direct shipping shipping fee requirement is set for "SI05: Fifth Manufacturer," which is the supplier of the "DCR: DC Reactor" product. In this example, the delivery feasibility determination unit 26 determines that a direct shipping shipping fee requirement of "1: Required" is set for "SI05: Fifth Manufacturer," indicating that a shipping fee is required for direct shipping.

[0091] Thus, when there is no inventory, no order number is required, no visit period is set for the customer, and shipping costs are required for direct delivery, the update processing unit 22 updates the order data to set the shipping warehouse where the "DCR: DC reactor" purchased from supplier "SI05: Fifth Manufacturer" is stored as "C02: Tokyo Warehouse".

[0092] Furthermore, the delivery feasibility determination unit 26 updates the order classification in the order data to "order / delivery," which is a delivery method in which the "DCR: DC reactor" purchased from the supplier of "SI05: fifth manufacturer" is temporarily stored in "C02: Tokyo warehouse," which is a warehouse for order / delivery, and then delivered from "C02: Tokyo warehouse" to "T5: customer E."

[0093] This prevents the inconvenience of having "T5: Customer E" bear the shipping costs by setting the product delivery method to "direct delivery".

[0094] (Step S6: If No) Next, in step S5, if the priority case classification for "priority cases" has not been determined and it is determined that the commercial transaction case is not a priority case (step S5: No), the process proceeds to step S6 as described above. In step S6, the delivery feasibility determination unit 26 determines whether the supplier requires shipping costs when selecting a delivery method known as "direct delivery," where the goods are transported directly from the supplier to the customer.

[0095] Specifically, as shown in Figure 15(a), suppose we receive an order for 100 units of the product "DCR: DC reactor" from "T5: Customer E". The supplier of this "DCR: DC reactor" product is "SI04: Fourth Manufacturer".

[0096] The delivery feasibility determination unit 26, based on the inventory data shown in Figure 15(b), determines that there is no inventory of the product "DCR: DC reactor" in any of the warehouses. Then, it refers to the customer master table 11 shown in Figure 15(c) and determines the order number requirement classification assigned to "T5: Customer E". In this case, the order number requirement classification assigned to "T5: Customer E" is "0: Not required".

[0097] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 15(d), the delivery feasibility determination unit 26 refers to the customer visit period master table 12 and determines whether the delivery date for "T5: Customer E" falls within the visit period set for "T5: Customer E". In this example, the delivery date for the product to "T5: Customer E" is "January 15, 2021", and the visit period is "November 1, 2020 to January 10, 2021". Therefore, the delivery feasibility determination unit 26 determines that the delivery date for the product to "T5: Customer E" is outside the visit period.

[0098] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 15(e), the delivery feasibility determination unit 26 refers to the supplier master table 14 and determines whether a direct shipping shipping fee requirement is set for "SI04: Fourth Manufacturer," which is the supplier of the "DCR: DC Reactor" product. In this example, the delivery feasibility determination unit 26 determines that a direct shipping shipping fee requirement of "0: Not required" is set for "SI04: Fourth Manufacturer," indicating that no shipping fee is required for direct shipping.

[0099] Here, as shown in Figure 15(a), by default, the shipping warehouse for the order data is not set, and the order type is set to "Direct Shipping". As mentioned above, if there is no inventory, no order number is required, no visit period for the customer is set, and no shipping fee is required for direct shipping, the update processing unit 22 leaves the shipping warehouse for the order data unset, and the order type remains "Direct Shipping".

[0100] This allows the supplier "SI04: Fourth Manufacturer" to deliver goods directly to customer "T5: Customer E" without incurring shipping costs.

[0101] The priority assigned to each process in the flowcharts of Figures 7 and 8 represents the order in which the processes are considered preferable to execute. In the example of Figures 7 and 8, the process in step S4 in Figure 8 has the first priority, and the process in step S5 has the second priority. Furthermore, the processes in steps S1 to S3 in Figure 7 have the third to fifth priorities, respectively, and the process in step S6 in Figure 8 has the sixth priority.

[0102] The processing order (priority) of each process from step S1 to step S6 in the flowcharts shown in Figures 7 and 8 is just an example; the processing order of each process from step S1 to step S6 can be set to any order.

[0103] (Effects of the embodiment) As is clear from the above description, the business support device 1 of the embodiment can maintain a "direct delivery" delivery method as much as possible while also enabling communication with the customer.

[0104] Therefore, it is possible to prevent the inconvenience of lost business opportunities due to a lack of communication with customers, and to enable the early detection of problems.

[0105] Furthermore, because automated product ordering is possible, ordering operations do not depend on human judgment by the person in charge, preventing the inconvenience of ordering errors. It also prevents the inconvenience of placing orders with suppliers even when inventory is already in stock, resulting in excess inventory.

[0106] Therefore, it is possible to maintain sales activities with customers while managing inventory at an appropriate level, thereby improving customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.

[0107] [Contribution to the United Nations-led Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)] This invention can contribute to improving operational efficiency and promoting appropriate management decisions by companies, and therefore can contribute to SDGs Goals 8 and 9.

[0108] Furthermore, this invention can contribute to reducing waste and promoting paperless and digital processes, thereby contributing to SDGs Goals 12, 13, and 15.

[0109] Furthermore, this invention can contribute to strengthening control and governance, and therefore can contribute to achieving the 16 goals of the SDGs.

[0110] [Other embodiments] The present invention can be implemented in various different forms within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims, even in embodiments other than those described above.

[0111] For example, among the processes described in the embodiments, all or part of the processes described as being performed automatically may be performed manually. Alternatively, all or part of the processes described as being performed manually may be performed automatically by known methods or the like.

[0112] Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the processing procedures, control procedures, specific names, registration data for each process, information including parameters such as search conditions, screen examples, and database configuration shown in the specification or drawings can be arbitrarily changed.

[0113] Furthermore, with respect to the business support device 1, each component shown in the diagram is a functional concept and does not necessarily have to have the physical configuration shown. For example, the processing functions of the business support device 1, particularly the processing functions performed by the control unit 3, may be implemented in whole or in any part by a program interpreted and executed by the control unit 3 (CPU: Central Processing Unit), or by hardware using wired logic.

[0114] The program is recorded on a non-temporary, computer-readable recording medium containing programmed instructions for the information processing device to execute the processes described in the embodiment, and is mechanically read by the business support device 1 as needed. In other words, the storage unit 2, such as ROM or HDD, records a computer program that works in cooperation with the OS (Operating System) to give instructions to the control unit 3 (CPU) and perform various processes. This computer program is loaded into RAM, unpacked, and executed by the control unit 3 as appropriate.

[0115] Furthermore, the business support program for this business support device 1 may be stored on another server device connected to the business support device 1 via any network, and all or part of it may be downloaded and executed as needed.

[0116] Furthermore, the business support program for executing the processes described in the embodiment may be stored on a non-temporary computer-readable recording medium, or it may be configured as a program product.

[0117] Here, any "portable physical medium" can be used as the "recording medium," such as memory cards, USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, SD (Secure Digital) cards, flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, ROMs, EPROMs (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), EEPROMs (Registered Trademark) (Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory), CD-ROMs (Compact Disk Read Only Memory), MOs (Magneto-Optical Disks), DVDs (Digital Versatile Disks), and Blu-ray (Registered Trademark) Discs.

[0118] Furthermore, "program" refers to a data processing method written in any language or writing method, regardless of whether it is source code or binary code.

[0119] Furthermore, the term "program" is not necessarily limited to a single, monolithic entity, but also includes those that are distributed as multiple modules or libraries, and those that work in cooperation with other programs, such as an operating system, to achieve their functions.

[0120] Furthermore, for the specific configuration, reading procedure, and post-reading installation procedure for the business support device 1 of the embodiment, well-known configurations or procedures can be used.

[0121] The storage unit 2 is a storage means such as a memory device like RAM or ROM, a fixed disk device like a hard disk, a flexible disk, and an optical disk, and stores various programs, tables, databases, and web page files used for various processing or website provision.

[0122] Furthermore, the business support device 1 may be composed of a known personal computer device or an information processing device such as a workstation, or it may be composed of an information processing device to which any peripheral device is connected. In addition, the information processing device may be implemented by implementing software (including programs or data, etc.) that realizes the processing described in the embodiment.

[0123] Furthermore, the specific forms of distribution and integration of the devices are not limited to those shown in the figures, and all or part of them can be configured by functionally or physically distributing or integrating them in any unit according to various additions or functional loads. In other words, the embodiments described above can be selectively implemented by arbitrarily combining the embodiments described above. [Industrial applicability]

[0124] The present invention is particularly suitable for use in inventory management operations and other tasks in industries that perform "direct delivery" to customers, such as machinery trading companies, where products are delivered directly from the manufacturer. [Explanation of symbols]

[0125] 1 Business support equipment 2 Storage section 3. Control Unit 4. Communication Interface Section 5 Input / Output Interface Section 6 Input devices 7 Output device 11. Customer Master Table 12. Customer Visit Period Master Table 13 Warehouse Master Table 14. Supplier Master Table 15. Inventory Data Storage Unit 16 Estimate Data Storage Unit 17 Order Data Storage Unit 21 Discrimination part 22 Update Processing Unit 23 Data Generation Unit 24 Display Control Unit 25 Output control unit 26. Delivery Feasibility Determination Unit 27 Communication Period Determination Unit 28 Priority project classification division 50 Networks 51 Customer terminal equipment 52 Supplier terminal equipment

Claims

1. A delivery feasibility determination unit determines whether it is possible to deliver the ordered quantity of the product based on the number of orders for the product included in the order data, by referring to inventory data including the inventory quantity of the product, A communication period determination unit refers to a customer visit period master table, which stores the communication period for each customer requiring communication, based on the customer to whom the product is delivered and the delivery date of the product included in the order data, and determines whether the delivery date falls within the communication period set for the customer. If the delivery feasibility determination unit determines that the ordered quantity of the goods cannot be delivered, and the communication period determination unit determines that the delivery date falls within the communication period, the update processing unit updates the order data by inputting a delivery method called "order and delivery," which involves temporarily storing the goods purchased from the supplier in a designated warehouse and then delivering the goods from the warehouse to the customer, into the order category of the order data. A business support device having the following features.

2. The system further includes a priority case classification determination unit that refers to order data including information for identifying the ordered product, the number of orders for the product, the customer to whom the product is delivered, the supplier of the product, and a priority case classification assigned to important commercial transactions, and determines whether or not the priority case classification exists. The update processing unit, when the delivery feasibility determination unit determines that the ordered quantity of the goods cannot be delivered, and the priority case classification determination unit determines that the priority case classification has been assigned, updates the order data by inputting a delivery method of "order and delivery," which is a delivery method in which the goods purchased from the supplier are temporarily stored in a designated warehouse and then delivered from the warehouse to the customer, into the order classification of the order data. The business support device according to claim 1, characterized by the following:

3. The aforementioned inventory data includes specific customer information, indicating the customers to whom the inventory items are intended. The delivery feasibility determination unit determines whether it is possible to deliver the ordered quantity of the product based on the presence or absence of inventory for the customer to whom the product is delivered, and the inventory for the customer to whom the product is delivered. The update processing unit, when the delivery feasibility determination unit determines that there is an inventory quantity for the customer that is the specified customer, and that the order quantity of the product can be delivered using the inventory quantity for the customer that is the specified customer, updates the order data to set the warehouse storing the product for the specified customer as the shipping source warehouse, and updates the order classification of the order data to the delivery type of "warehouse delivery order," which is a delivery type in which the product is delivered from the warehouse. A business support device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized by the above.

4. The update processing unit, when the communication period determination unit determines that the delivery date is outside the communication period, the priority case classification determination unit determines that the priority case classification is not assigned, and the delivery feasibility determination unit determines, based on the inventory data, that it is possible to deliver the ordered quantity of the product, sets the shipping source warehouse to the warehouse where the ordered quantity of inventory is stored, and updates the order classification to the "warehouse delivery order" delivery method, which is a delivery method in which the product is delivered from the warehouse. The business support device according to claim 2, characterized by the following:

5. The update processing unit, when the communication period determination unit determines that the delivery date is outside the communication period, when the priority case determination unit determines that the priority case category is not assigned, when the delivery feasibility determination unit determines, based on the inventory data, that the delivery of the ordered quantity of the goods is not possible, and when the customer master table, which stores an order number requirement category for each customer indicating whether an order number uniquely assigned to each ordered product is required, determines that the order category is the "ordered / received" delivery type, updates the order data with the warehouse that temporarily stores and then ships the ordered goods as the shipping source warehouse. The business support device according to claim 2, characterized by the following:

6. The update processing unit, when the communication period determination unit determines that the delivery date is outside the communication period, the priority case determination unit determines that the priority case category is not assigned, the delivery feasibility determination unit determines, based on the inventory data, that the delivery of the ordered quantity of the product is not possible, the customer master table's order number requirement category is an order number requirement category indicating that an order number is "not required" for the customer, and the supplier master table has a direct shipping cost requirement category set for each supplier indicating whether shipping costs are required when goods are delivered directly from the supplier to the customer, and the supplier of the product has a direct shipping cost requirement category set to "required", the update processing unit updates the order category of the order data to the order category of the "order and delivery" delivery type, and updates the order data to the shipping source warehouse where the ordered goods are temporarily stored and shipped. The business support device according to claim 5, characterized by the following:

7. The update processing unit updates the order classification in the order data to the order classification for the "direct delivery" delivery method when the communication period determination unit determines that the delivery date is outside the communication period, the priority case classification determination unit determines that the priority case classification is not assigned, the delivery feasibility determination unit determines, based on the inventory data, that the delivery of the ordered quantity of the product is not possible, the customer master table's order number requirement classification is an order number requirement classification indicating that an order number is "not required" for the customer, and the supplier master table, which has a direct delivery shipping cost requirement classification set for each supplier indicating whether shipping costs are required when goods are delivered directly from the supplier to the customer, has a direct delivery shipping cost requirement classification of "not required" indicating that shipping costs are not required for the supplier of the product. The business support device according to claim 6, characterized by the following:

8. The delivery feasibility determination unit determines whether it is possible to deliver the ordered quantity of the product based on the number of products ordered in the order data, by referring to inventory data including the inventory quantity of the product, in a delivery feasibility determination step. A communication period determination unit, for each customer requiring communication, refers to a customer visit period master table, which stores the communication period indicating the period during which communication will take place, based on the customer to whom the product is delivered and the delivery date of the product included in the order data, and determines whether the delivery date falls within the communication period set for the customer. The update processing unit, when it is determined in the delivery feasibility determination step that the delivery of the ordered quantity of the goods is not possible, and when it is determined in the communication period determination step that the delivery date falls within the communication period, updates the order data by inputting a delivery method of "order and delivery," which is a delivery method in which the goods purchased from the supplier are temporarily stored in a designated warehouse and then delivered to the customer from the warehouse, into the order category of the order data. A business support method that has the following characteristics.

9. Computers, A delivery feasibility determination unit determines whether it is possible to deliver the ordered quantity of the product based on the number of orders for the product included in the order data, by referring to inventory data including the inventory quantity of the product, A communication period determination unit refers to a customer visit period master table, which stores the communication period for each customer requiring communication, based on the customer to whom the product is delivered and the delivery date of the product included in the order data, and determines whether the delivery date falls within the communication period set for the customer. If the delivery feasibility determination unit determines that the ordered quantity of the goods cannot be delivered, and the communication period determination unit determines that the delivery date falls within the communication period, the update processing unit updates the order data by inputting a "order and delivery" delivery method, which involves temporarily storing the goods purchased from the supplier in a designated warehouse and then delivering the goods from the warehouse to the customer, into the order category of the order data. A business support program designed to function as such.

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