Information processing device, information processing method, and information processing program

Abstract

To provide an information processing apparatus for easily managing regulated chemicals of a part included in a product in consideration of user-friendliness and efficiency, an information processing method, and an information processing program.SOLUTION: A contained material management apparatus 100 implemented by an information processing apparatus includes: a storage unit 110 which stores child part information including a character string which specifies a child part being a constituent component of a master part and chemical substance information including a character string which specifies a chemical substance contained in the child part and the content of the chemical substance; a communication unit 104 which communicates with an external device; and a control unit 102 which transmits a request to the external device via the communication unit 104, when a predetermined condition is satisfied, to provide information on the chemical substance contained in the child part, and modifies the chemical substance information stored in the storage unit 110, when receiving the information on the chemical substance contained in the child part from the external device via the communication unit 104 in response to the request, on the basis of the received information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and an information processing program. [Background technology]

[0002] The number of regulated chemical substances, such as those in the RoHS Directive and REACH Regulation, is increasing year by year. For this reason, small and medium-sized companies that manufacture electronic and mechanical parts and have a shortage of human resources, managing chemical substances and creating documents regarding regulated chemical substances is becoming a heavy burden. Regulated chemical substances were managed using systems such as the JGP system operated by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the AIS system operated by the Joint Article Management. Promotion-consortium (JAMP). In recent years, a regulated chemical substance management system called "chem SHERPA" has been developed under the initiative of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. This system is currently operated by JAMP. Many companies currently manage regulated chemical substances using survey sheets (chemical substance safety data sheets) called shai files that are created using this system. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-008168 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] There have been systems that support the management of regulated chemical substances for some time now. Conventional systems acquire and refer to information on each individual component part, compare the handling standard information for each individual part to generate common information, and use the common information to set the handling standard information for the target product (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0005] For example, as one method of managing regulated chemical substances, a non-containing guarantee that a product does not contain regulated chemical substances is generally created and managed, but the system described in Patent Document 1 does not disclose or suggest how to automatically create and output and manage such guarantees, leaving room for improvement in terms of efficiency and usability. In addition to creating a non-containing guarantee for regulated chemical substances, it may be required to manage evidence data on the regulated chemical substances contained in each part that constitutes a product and to create evidence data on the regulated chemical substances contained in the product. This results in a problem of an increase in the number of steps required to manage regulated chemical substances.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a technology for easily managing regulated chemical substances in parts contained in products, taking into consideration user ease of use and efficiency. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the following measures are adopted. That is, the first aspect is a storage unit for storing child part information including a character string capable of identifying a child part that is a constituent element of a parent part, and chemical substance information including a character string capable of identifying a chemical substance contained in the child part and an amount of the chemical substance contained; A communication unit that communicates with an external device; When a predetermined condition is satisfied, a request for providing information on the chemical substances contained in the child part is transmitted to the external device via the communication unit, and when information on the chemical substances contained in the child part in response to the request is received from the external device via the communication unit, a control unit that changes the chemical substance information stored in the storage unit based on the information; The information processing device includes:

[0008] The disclosed aspects may be realized by a program being executed by an information processing device. That is, the disclosed configuration may be specified as a program for causing an information processing device to execute the processes executed by each of the means in the above-mentioned aspects, or a computer-readable recording medium on which the program is recorded. The disclosed configuration may also be specified by a method in which an information processing device executes the processes executed by each of the above-mentioned means. The disclosed configuration may also be specified as a system including an information processing device that executes the processes executed by each of the above-mentioned means. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, a technique for easily managing regulated chemical substances in parts contained in a product can be provided. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a content substance management device according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an information processing device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an operation flow of the contained substance management in the contained substance management apparatus 100. As shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an operational flow of the contained substance management support in the contained substance management apparatus 100. As shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a progress management screen. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a submission request stored in the request information DB 111. As shown in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of BOM information stored in BOM information DB 112. As shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The configurations of the embodiments are merely examples, and the configurations of the invention are not limited to the specific configurations of the disclosed embodiments. In implementing the invention, a specific configuration according to the embodiment may be appropriately adopted.

[0012] [Embodiment] The contained substance management device of this embodiment manages information on parts that are components of a product, information on child parts that are components of the parts, information on chemical substances (regulated chemical substances, etc.) contained in the parts, etc. In response to a request, the contained substance management device provides information on chemical substances (environmental documents, etc.) contained in the parts it manages. The contained substance management device appropriately requests information on chemical substances contained in parts from an external device, etc.

[0013] (Configuration example) 1 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a substance management apparatus according to the present embodiment. The substance management apparatus 100 includes a control unit 102, a communication unit 104, an input / output unit 106, and a storage unit 110. The storage unit 110 stores a request information DB (Database) 111, BOM (Bills Of Material) information DB 112, and a storage unit 113. B112, a data request information DB 113, a response information DB 114, a submission information DB 115, a progress information DB 116, and an external list information DB 117. The contained substance management apparatus 100 is communicably connected via a communication unit 104 and a communication network such as the Internet.

[0014] The control unit 102 controls the operation of the substance containing management apparatus 100. The control unit 102 executes processes such as functions of substance containing management, progress management, substance containing management support, browsing, and the like.

[0015] The communication unit 104 is communicatively connected to other devices and controls communication between the contained substance management apparatus 100 and the other devices.

[0016] The input / output unit 106 includes an input device and an output device. The input device accepts input of data, etc. by a user, etc. The output device outputs data, etc. to the user, etc.

[0017] The storage unit 110 stores various programs executed by the substance management apparatus 100, and various data and tables used by the substance management apparatus 100. The storage unit 110 includes a request information DB 111, a BOM information DB 112, a data request information DB 113, a response information DB 114, a submission information DB 115, a progress information DB 116, and an external list information DB 117. The storage unit 110 is an example of a memory unit.

[0018] The request information DB111 is a database that stores information on requests such as a request for submitting environmental information of a part received from an external device or the like. For example, the request information DB111 stores, for each submission request, the part name of the requested part, the part code (identification information), the type of environmental information requested, a character string that can identify the requester, a reply deadline, and the like. The BOM information DB112 is a database that stores BOM information indicating a relationship between a part (parent part) and a part (child part) that is a component of the parent part. The BOM information DB112 stores, for example, BOM information in which a part code (identifier) ​​of a parent part, an identifier that identifies a correspondence between the parent part and the child part, a part code (identifier) ​​of a child part that is a component of the parent part, the number of child parts used in the parent part, and the like are associated with each other. The BOM information is information that indicates a correspondence between a parent part and a child part. The BOM information is an example of corresponding part information. The BOM information DB112 may include parent part information related to a parent part and child part information related to a child part. The parent part information includes a character string that can identify the parent part. The character string that can identify the parent part is, for example, an identifier or name that identifies the parent part. The child part information includes a character string that can identify the child part. The character string that can identify the child part is, for example, an identifier or name that identifies the child part. The BOM information DB 112 may store, for each part (parent part, child part), environmental information including the name of the material contained in each part, the name and amount of the chemical substance. The name of the material may be a character string that can identify the material. The name of the chemical substance may be a character string that can identify the chemical substance, such as a chemical formula of the chemical substance or an identifier that identifies the chemical substance. The environmental information is an example of information on the chemical substance contained in the part, chemical substance information. Furthermore, the BOM information DB 112 may store the environmental information on each part (parent part, child part) in association with the part information of each part. The data request information DB 113 is a database that stores information on requests for data (information) related to the child part from the supplier (manufacturer, etc.) of the child part. The data request information DB 113 stores, for example, the part code of the child part to be requested, the request destination of the data, the request date and time, the reply deadline, etc. The response information DB 114 is a database that stores response information (data) from suppliers of child parts.The response information DB 114 stores, for example, the part code of the child part for which data was requested, the environmental information received from the supplier, the response date and time, a character string for identifying the supplier, and the like. The submission information DB 115 is a database for storing data (information) such as environmental information that is a response to a submission request. The submission information DB 115 stores, for example, for each submission request, the part name of the requested part, the part code (identification information), the acquired environmental information, the created environmental information, a character string for identifying the requester, and the like. The progress information DB 116 is a database for storing, for each submission request, progress information indicating the progress of the environmental information request. The progress information DB 116 stores, for example, for each submission request, information such as the date and time when each process (registration of the submission request (request), creation of BOM information, request for environmental information from the supplier, receipt of environmental information from the supplier, creation of documents (environmental information), submission of a response to the requester, and the like) and environmental information, and the like. The external list information DB117 is a database that stores information on regulations for chemical substances, etc. (external list), 4M change management information, etc. (4M information). 4M stands for Man, Machine, Material, and Method, and are the main items required for quality control. The information in the external list is an example of regulation information.

[0019] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a submission request stored in the request information DB 111. For each submission request in the request information DB 111 in Fig. 6, the requester's name, the product name at the requester, a part code identifying the parent part for which environmental information is requested, and the necessity of each type of environmental information (invoice document) are stored in association with each other. Other information may also be stored in the request information DB 111.

[0020] Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of BOM information stored in BOM information DB 112. In the BOM information in Fig. 7, a parent part ID that identifies a parent part, a BOM ID that identifies a relationship between one parent part and one or more child parts, the product name of the parent part, a child part ID that identifies the child part, information on the number of child parts used in the parent part, and the product name of the child part are associated with each other. The same child part ID is used for a child part even if the child part is a component of another parent part.

[0021] The substance management device 100 is, for example, a personal computer (PC), a mobile terminal, a work A screen such as a WEB screen displayed via a dedicated or general-purpose computer such as a work station (WS) serves as an interface, allowing the user to refer to various information from the storage unit. The contained substance management device 100 may also place the storage unit in a cloud environment and communicate various information between users. The contained substance management device 100 may also be realized using a dedicated or general-purpose computer, or an electronic device equipped with a computer.

[0022] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing device. The information processing device shown in FIG. 2 has the configuration of a general computer. The contained substance management device 100 is realized by an information processing device 90 as shown in FIG. 2. The information processing device 90 in FIG. 2 has a processor 91, a memory 92, a storage unit 93, an input unit 94, an output unit 95, and a communication control unit 96. These are connected to each other by a bus. The memory 92 and the storage unit 93 are computer-readable recording media. The hardware configuration of the computer is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 2, and components may be omitted, replaced, or added as appropriate.

[0023] The information processing device 90 has a processor 91 which loads a program stored in a recording medium into a working area of ​​a memory 92 and executes it, and each component, etc. is controlled through the execution of the program, thereby realizing functions consistent with a specified purpose.

[0024] The processor 91 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor).

[0025] The memory 92 includes, for example, a random access memory (RAM) and a read only memory (ROM). The memory 92 is also called a main storage device.

[0026] The storage unit 93 is, for example, an EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM) or a hard disk. The storage unit 93 is a removable media. The removable media may include a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory or a disk recording medium such as a CD (Compact Disc) or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc). The storage unit 93 is also called a secondary storage device.

[0027] The storage unit 93 stores various programs, various data, and various tables in a readable and writable recording medium. An operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, etc. are stored in the storage unit 93. The information stored in the storage unit 93 may be stored in the memory 92. The information stored in the memory 92 may be stored in the storage unit 93. It may be stored.

[0028] The operating system is software that mediates between software and hardware, manages memory space, manages files, and manages processes and tasks. The operating system includes a communication interface. The communication interface is a program that exchanges data with other external devices connected via the communication control unit 96. External devices include, for example, other computers and external storage devices.

[0029] The input unit 94 includes a keyboard, a pointing device, a wireless remote control, a touch panel, etc. The input unit 94 can also include an input device for video or images such as a camera, and an input device for audio such as a microphone.

[0030] The output unit 95 is a liquid crystal display (LCD), an electroluminescence (EL) panel, The output unit 95 may include a display device such as a display panel, a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) display, a PDP (Plasma Display Panel), etc., and an output device such as a printer, etc. The output unit 95 may also include an audio output device such as a speaker.

[0031] The communication control unit 96 connects to other devices and controls communication between the information processing device 90 and the other devices. The communication control unit 96 is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) interface board, a wireless communication circuit for wireless communication, or a communication circuit for wired communication. The LAN interface board and the wireless communication circuit are connected to a network such as the Internet.

[0032] In the information processing device 90 which realizes the contained substance management apparatus 100, a processor 91 loads a program stored in a storage unit 93 into a memory 92 and executes it, thereby realizing functions such as contained substance management of a control unit 102. Meanwhile, each DB stored in the storage unit 110 is provided in a storage area of ​​the memory 92 or the storage unit 93. The communication unit 104 is realized by a communication control unit 96.

[0033] (Example of operation) <Contained substance management> 3 is a diagram showing an example of an operation flow of the contained substance management in the contained substance management apparatus 100. Here, a configuration will be described in which the contained substance management apparatus 100 receives a request for submission of environmental information about a certain part included in a product in response to a request from a manufacturer or the like that manufactures the product, acquires the requested environmental information about the part, and responds to the manufacturer or the like. The contained substance management apparatus 100 is assumed to be installed, for example, on a cloud and used by employees of the manufacturer that manufactures the part or the trading company that sells the part. The contained substance management apparatus 100 may also be installed in the manufacturer that manufactures the part or the trading company that sells the part, and used by employees of the manufacturer, trading company, etc.

[0034] Environmental information includes, for example, certificates of non-content and SDS (Safety Data Sheets). ), shai file, mill sheet, certificate of origin, etc. A certificate of non-content is a document that certifies that a specified chemical substance is not contained. An SDS is a document used to provide information on the physical and chemical properties, hazards and harmfulness, and handling of a chemical substance to the other party when transferring a chemical substance or a mixture containing a chemical substance. An SDS contains information on the names of the contained chemical substances, their physical and chemical properties, hazards, harmfulness, first aid measures in case of exposure, handling methods, storage methods, disposal methods, etc. Shai files are files created and used by ChemSHERPA, a data creation support tool for the proper management of information on chemical substances contained in products throughout the supply chain. Shai files store information on chemical substances contained as materials for parts, etc. (component information (chemical substance name, amount, etc.), compliance judgment information, etc.). ChemSHERPA uses the Shai file for each child part to , a Shai file of a parent part having child parts as components can be generated. The environmental information is not limited to these. ChemSHERPA is executed, for example, in the substance management device 100 or an external device capable of communicating with the substance management device 100. The version of ChemSHERPA is updated when there is a change in regulated chemical substances. The version information of ChemSHERPA is stored, for example, in the external list information DB 117. A mill sheet is a document that certifies the quality of steel. A certificate of origin is a document that certifies the origin of conflict minerals such as gold, wolframite, and minerals that are a source of funding for conflicts in countries adjacent to the Congo.

[0035] In S101, the control unit 102 of the contained substance management apparatus 100 receives a submission request for environmental information on the target part, which is transmitted from an external device via the communication unit 104. The external device here is, for example, a device such as a computer managed by a manufacturer that manufactures a product having the part as a component. The control unit 102 may also receive an input of a submission request for environmental information on the target part by a user of the contained substance management apparatus 100 via the input / output unit 106 or the like. The submission request includes a part code (identification information) that identifies the target part, a type of environmental information requested (certificate of non-content, SDS, shai file), and the like. The part code that identifies the target part may be a character string that can identify the part. The control unit 102 extracts the part code that identifies the target part and the type of environmental information requested from the submission request, and stores them in the request information DB 111 of the storage unit 110 for each submission request. When the user inputs the information, for example, the user has received a submission request for environmental information on the target part in advance from a manufacturer that manufactures a product having the part as a component by means of e-mail or the like. The control unit 102 of the contained substance management apparatus 100 may receive, together with the submission request or separately from the submission request, BOM information indicating the relationship between the target part (parent part) and the child parts that are constituent elements of the parent part, via the communication unit 104. The control unit 102 stores the received BOM information in the BOM information DB 112. The control unit 102 also stores the date and time when the submission request was received, etc., in the progress information DB 116, together with identification information that identifies the submission request.

[0036] In S102, the control unit 102 searches the BOM information in the BOM information DB 112 in the storage unit 110, and extracts child parts having the part included in the submission request accepted in S101 as a parent part. The control unit 102 extracts the child parts using, for example, the part code (parent part code) of the parent part as a search key. The BOM information DB 112 stores, for example, BOM information in which information on the parent part (name, parent part code, model, identifier, etc. of the parent part) is associated with information on the child parts such as the name, child part code, model, identifier, quantity used, and supplier (manufacturer, etc.) of the child parts that are components of the parent part. The BOM information DB 112 may store information on the parent part as parent part information and information on the child parts as child part information. The supplier information is, for example, identification information of the supplier, contact information (notification destination) such as an email address of the supplier. The contact information of the supplier may be associated with the identification information of the supplier and stored in another DB. The contact information of the supplier is used when notifying the supplier. When BOM information DB 112 does not contain BOM information for a parent part, control unit 102 may generate BOM information for the parent part by receiving input of parent part information (identifier, etc.) and child part information (identifier, etc.) to input / output unit 106, etc. Furthermore, when BOM information DB 112 does not contain BOM information for a parent part, control unit 102 may generate BOM information by uploading BOM information acquired from an external device, etc., to BOM information DB 112. Control unit 102 may also generate information on the parts included in the BOM information (parent part information, child part information), etc., together with the BOM information. Control unit 102 stores the date and time when the BOM information was generated, etc., in progress information DB 116, together with identification information for identifying a submission request.

[0037] In S103, the control unit 102 issues a notification to each supplier of each child part extracted in S102, requesting the environmental information of each part requested in the submission request in S101, via the communication unit 104. The notification is made, for example, by sending an e-mail to each supplier. The notification includes, for example, the part code of the child part, the type of environmental information requested for the child part, and the reply deadline. Here, if the environmental information for each child part is already stored in the reply information DB 114, the control unit 102 may not notify the request for the stored environmental information of the child part. However, even if the environmental information for the child part is stored in the reply information DB 114, the control unit 102 will notify the request for the environmental information of the part if the information such as the predetermined information and the 4M change management information (4M information) included in the external list information DB 117 has been updated since the environmental information was stored in the reply information DB 114. An update of the predetermined information refers to, for example, a change in chemical substance regulations or an update of the chemSHERPA version. The control unit 102 stores the date and time of the request for the environmental information in the progress information DB 116 together with the identification information for identifying the submission request and the information of each child part.

[0038] The supplier that receives the notification prepares the requested environmental information and responds to the substance management apparatus 100. The response may be addressed to the user of the substance management apparatus 100. The control unit 102 stores in the data request information DB 113 a notice to each supplier of each child part that the notification has been sent. The control unit 102 stores the date and time when the environmental information was requested, together with identification information for identifying the submission request and information on the child part, in the progress information DB 116. This makes it possible to automatically request environmental information for each child part.

[0039] In S104, the control unit 102 receives, as a response, the environmental information on the sub-parts requested in S103 from an external device via the communication unit 104. The external device here is, for example, a device such as a computer managed by a supplier (such as a manufacturer that manufactures the sub-parts). The control unit 102 may also receive, as a response, an input (upload) of the target environmental information by a user who has received the environmental information from the supplier, etc., via the input / output unit 106, etc. For example, the control unit 102 receives the environmental information on each sub-part by, for example, importing the environmental information on the sub-parts (electronic files such as a certificate of non-content, SDS, and shai file) contained in an email or the like sent from a person in charge of the supplier to the user of the contained substance management apparatus 100. The control unit 102 stores the received environmental information on each sub-part in the response information DB 114. The control unit 102 stores the date and time when the environmental information was received, together with identification information for identifying the submission request and information on each sub-part, in the progress information DB 116.

[0040] In S105, if the submission request in S101 includes a request for a shai file, the control unit 102 assists in creating a shai file for the parent part. When the control unit 102 confirms that the shai file for each child part that is a component of the parent part has been received from each supplier through the response information DB 114 and the progress information DB 116 in the storage unit 110, the control unit 102 extracts the shai file for each child part from the response information DB 114. The control unit 102 inputs the extracted shai file for each child part to chemSHERPA. The chemSHERPA creates a shai file for the parent part based on the input shai file for each child part. The control unit 102 receives the shai file for the parent part created from chemSHERPA and stores it in the submission information DB 115. The control unit 102 may also output the shai file for each extracted child part, and a user may input the output shai file to chemSHERPA to create a shai file for the parent part. At this time, the control unit 102 accepts input (upload) of the shai file of the parent part by the user via the input / output unit 106 etc. The control unit 102 stores the date and time when the shai file of the parent part was stored, etc., in the progress information DB 116 together with identification information for identifying the submission request.

[0041] In S106, if the submission request in S101 includes a request for a non-inclusion guarantee, the control unit 102 creates a non-inclusion guarantee for the parent part. When the control unit 102 confirms from the response information DB 114 and the progress information DB 116 in the storage unit 110 that a non-inclusion guarantee for each child part that is a constituent element of the parent part has been received from each supplier, the control unit 102 extracts a non-inclusion guarantee for each child part from the response information DB 114. The control unit 102 then checks the non-inclusion guarantee for each extracted child part. The control unit 102 integrates the guarantees and creates a non-inclusion guarantee for the parent part. The control unit 102 stores the created non-inclusion certificate for the parent part in the submission information DB 115. The control unit 102 stores the date and time when the non-inclusion certificate for the parent part was created, etc., in the progress information DB 116 together with identification information that identifies the submission request.

[0042] In S107, the control unit 102 extracts environmental information for the requested target part (parent part) stored in the submission information DB 115 of the storage unit 110 based on the submission request of S101. The control unit 102 transmits the extracted environmental information as a response to the request to the external device that transmitted the submission request via the communication unit 104. The control unit 102 may also output the extracted environmental information as an electronic file or the like as a response to the request. The user can transmit the output response (electronic file) by email or the like to the person who requested the environmental information (such as a person in charge at a manufacturer that manufactures a product including the parent part).

[0043] The control unit 102 may store the acquired or created environmental information of each part in association with parent part information and child part information in the BOM information DB 112 of the storage unit 110.

[0044] <Contained substance management support> 4 is a diagram showing an example of an operational flow of the contained substance management support in the contained substance management apparatus 100. Here, a configuration is described in which the contained substance management apparatus 100 extracts related parts and acquires environmental information related to the extracted parts when an external list (materials, regulations, etc.) is updated. Here, updating of the external list is described, but the same applies not only to updates of the external list, but also to updates of 4M information, etc.

[0045] In S201, the control unit 102 of the contained substance management apparatus 100 receives an external list from an external device via the communication unit 104. The external list includes information on chemical substance regulations, chemSHERPA version information, and the like. The external list is transmitted from the external device to the contained substance management apparatus 100 every time the information on the external list included in the external list information DB 117 is updated. The information on the external list included in the external list information DB 117 is updated, for example, when laws and regulations such as REACH and ROHS are changed. The information on chemical substance regulations includes, for example, information such as the name of a regulated chemical substance, the permitted content of a regulated chemical substance, the use of a regulated chemical substance, and a regulated area. The control unit 102 of the contained substance management apparatus 100 stores the received external list in the external list information DB 117 of the storage unit 110, and updates the information on the external list in the external list information DB 117. The control unit 102 may also cause a user of the contained substance management apparatus 100 who has acquired the updated external list to input (upload) the external list via the input / output unit 106 or the like. The control unit 102 stores the input external list in the external list information DB 117 of the storage unit 110 , and updates the information of the external list in the external list information DB 117 .

[0046] In S202, when the control unit 102 detects an update of the external list stored in the external list information DB 117 of the storage unit 110, the control unit 102 extracts a child part related to the update. The child part related to the update is, for example, a child part including a chemical substance, a material, etc. related to the updated external list. The child part related to the update is a legally regulated part. The control unit 102 extracts the chemical substance, the material, etc. related to the updated external list. The control unit 102 extracts child part information of a child part including the chemical substance, the material, etc. from the child part information of the BOM information DB 112 of the storage unit 110 using the extracted chemical substance, the material, etc. as a search key. In addition, the control unit 102 may cause a user who has extracted a child part including the chemical substance, the material, etc. based on the previously updated external list to input a child part (such as an identifier of the child part) including the chemical substance, the material, etc., via the input / output unit 106, etc. At this time, the control unit 102 extracts child part information of the input child part from the child part information of the BOM information DB 112 of the storage unit 110. Detection of updates to the external list, and input of child parts including chemical substances, materials, etc. related to the updated external list by the user , are examples of predetermined conditions.

[0047] Furthermore, control unit 102 uses the extracted child part as a search key to extract parent part information of a parent part that has the extracted child part as a component from the BOM information in BOM information DB 112 in storage unit 110. Control unit 102 uses the extracted parent part as a search key to extract child part information of all child parts that are components of the parent part from the BOM information in BOM information DB 112 in storage unit 110.

[0048] In S203, the control unit 102 notifies each supplier of all the child parts extracted in S202 via the communication unit 104, requesting environmental information for each child part. The notification is sent, for example, to a device (external device) managed by the supplier. The notification is sent, for example, by actively sending an e-mail to each supplier. The notification is an example of sending a request for information on chemical substances contained in the child parts. The e-mail includes, for example, the part code of the child part, the type of environmental information requested for the child part, and the like. The type of environmental information is, for example, the same type of environmental information as the type of environmental information of the child part stored in the BOM information DB 112. The control unit 102 extracts contact information (notification destination) such as an e-mail address of the supplier of each child part from the child part information in the BOM information DB 112 in the storage unit 110.

[0049] The supplier that receives the notification prepares the requested environmental information and responds to the substance management apparatus 100. The response may be addressed to the user of the substance management apparatus 100. The control unit 102 stores in the data request information DB 113 a notice to each supplier of each child part that the notification has been sent. The control unit 102 stores the date and time when the environmental information was requested, together with identification information for identifying the submission request and information on the child part, in the progress information DB 116. This makes it possible to automatically request environmental information for related child parts when the external list is updated.

[0050] In S204, the control unit 102 receives, as a response, the environmental information on the sub-parts requested in S203 from the external device via the communication unit 104. The external device here is, for example, a device such as a computer managed by a supplier (such as a manufacturer that manufactures the sub-parts). The control unit 102 may also receive, as a response, an input (upload) of the target environmental information by a user who has received the environmental information from the supplier, etc., via the input / output unit 106, etc. For example, the control unit 102 receives the environmental information on each sub-part by importing the environmental information on the sub-parts (electronic files such as a certificate of non-content, an SDS, and a shai file) contained in an email or the like sent from a person in charge of the supplier to the user of the contained substance management device 100. The control unit 102 changes the environmental information of each sub-part previously obtained to the environmental information of each sub-part that has been received, and stores the environmental information in the BOM information DB 112. This makes it possible to obtain the environmental information of related sub-parts when the external list is updated.

[0051] Progress Management Here, we will explain progress management that manages the progress of the operational flow of substance content management in Fig. 3. Progress management is started when a user inputs information to display a progress management screen into the substance content management device 100. The control unit 102 accepts an input from the user to the input / output unit 106 to display the progress management screen. The control unit 102 displays the progress management screen on the display means (such as a display) of the input / output unit 106 based on the progress information DB 116 in the storage unit 110.

[0052] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the progress management screen. For each environmental information submission request, the progress management screen shows the following items: an identifier (number) (#) that identifies the environmental information submission request, status, information confirmation, BOM creation, data request, request document, storage of A (A UP), creation of B, reply submission, and information A. Each line on the progress management screen shows the environmental information submission request (S101 ) is received. The status is an item showing the progress of each environmental information submission request. The information confirmation is an item that displays details about the environmental information submission request by selecting the relevant item. The details include, for example, the completion date and time of each item, the request destination for the environmental information, parent part information (customer information, request information, etc.), child part information (supplier information, environmental information, etc.), and the request information history (answer data, etc.). The detailed information allows the user to grasp the details of the progress. The BOM creation is an item showing the creation of BOM information for the parent part included in the environmental information submission request (S102). The data request is an item showing the request for environmental information to the supplier, etc. for the extracted child part (S103). The request document is an item showing the receipt of environmental information, which is the request document to the supplier, etc. (S104). Here, the request documents are Document A, Document B, and Document C. The information displayed in the Document A, Document B, and Document C columns indicates the number of documents (environmental information) received compared to the number requested. Document A, Document B, and Document C include, for example, Shai files, non-content certificates, and SDSs. Storage of A (A UP) is an item indicating the storage of document A in response information DB114 (S105). Creation of B (Create B) is an item indicating the creation of document B (S106). Response submission is an item indicating the submission of a response to a request for environmental information (S107). Information A is an item indicating information related to each request for environmental information. The progress management screen may include information indicating other information than that listed here.

[0053] In each of the items BOM creation, data request, invoice documents, storage of A (A UP), creation of B (B creation), and response submission, a black square indicates that the environmental information submission request has progressed to the stage of the item in question. A black square in the BOM creation item indicates that the environmental information submission request has been accepted, but the creation of the BOM information has not been completed. A black square in the data request item indicates that the BOM creation has been completed, but a data request (a request for environmental information from a supplier, etc.) has not been made. A black square in the invoice documents item indicates that a data request (a request for environmental information from a supplier, etc.) has been completed, but the receipt of the requested environmental information (invoice documents) has not been completed. A black square in the storage of A (A UP) item indicates that the receipt of the requested environmental information (invoice documents) has been completed, but the storage of document A in the response information DB 114 has not been completed. The item "Create B" (Create B) is shown with a black square, which indicates that the requested environmental information (requested documents) has been received but the creation of document B has not been completed. For example, it indicates that the non-content certificates for each child part have been received but the creation of the non-content certificate for the parent part has not been completed. The item "Submit Response" is shown with a black square, which indicates that the response documents (environmental information) are complete but the submission of the requested environmental information to the requester has not been completed. For example, in response to the request for submission of environmental information in #3, it indicates that the creation of BOM information for the parent part has been completed but the request for data from the supplier of each child part has not been completed. In addition, in response to the request for submission of environmental information in #4, it indicates that the request for environmental information has been completed, and 3 documents A have been received out of 10 requests, 3 documents B have been received out of 5 requests, and 3 documents C have been received out of 4 requests.

[0054] Furthermore, when BOM creation, data request, invoice document, storage of A (A UP), creation of B (B creation), or reply submission on the progress management screen is selected by clicking the input / output unit 106, the control unit 102 displays detailed information of each item on the display means of the input / output unit 106 by referring to the database stored in the storage unit 110. When BOM creation is selected, the control unit 102 displays BOM information and information related to the BOM information (child part information, parent part information). When BOM creation is selected and BOM information has not been created, the control unit 102 may display a BOM information creation screen. The user can create BOM information according to the BOM information creation screen. When data request is selected, the control unit 102 displays information related to the request for environmental information (child part information, supplier information, etc.). When invoice document is selected, the control unit 102 displays information related to the request for environmental information (child part information, supplier information, etc.). The control unit 102 displays related information. When the request document is selected, the control unit 102 may display a screen for storing the received environmental information in the substance management device 100. The user can store the received environmental information according to the screen. When the storage of A (A UP) is selected, the control unit 102 displays information about the document A. When the storage of A (A UP) is selected, the control unit 102 may display a screen for storing the received document A in the substance management device 100 or a screen for transmitting the received document A to chemSHERPA, etc. The user can store the received document A or transmit the document A to chemSHERPA according to the screen. When the creation of B (creation of B) is selected, the control unit 102 displays information about the document B. When the creation of B (creation of B) is selected, the control unit 102 may display a screen for creating document B, etc. The user can create the received document B according to the screen. When the submission of a response is selected, the control unit 102 displays information about the environmental information to be responded to. The control unit 102 may provide a viewing authority for each user that limits the information that can be viewed.

[0055] In this way, the user can check the progress status at a glance and store, create, etc., prescribed documents using the progress management screen displayed on the substance management device 100. The substance management device 100 allows the user to easily check the progress status of a request to submit environmental information, thereby reducing the frequency of inquiries to suppliers, etc., and improving work efficiency.

[0056] (Actions and Effects of the Embodiments) The contained substance management device 100 of this embodiment accepts a request for submission of environmental information about a certain part included in a product in response to a request from a manufacturer or the like that manufactures the product, obtains the requested environmental information about the part, and responds to the manufacturer or the like. Furthermore, when external list information is changed, the contained substance management device 100 extracts related parts and obtains environmental information about the extracted parts. When the external list is changed, the contained substance management device 100 can extract related child parts and request environmental information about the child parts from a supplier or the like. When a requester requests environmental information about a parent part, the contained substance management device 100 can quickly provide environmental information based on the latest external list. The contained substance management device 100 can easily manage environmental information about parent parts.

[0057] Computer-readable recording medium A program for causing a computer or other machine or device (hereinafter, referred to as a computer, etc.) to realize any of the above functions can be recorded on a recording medium readable by the computer, etc. Then, the computer, etc. can provide the function by reading and executing the program from the recording medium.

[0058] Here, a computer-readable recording medium refers to a recording medium that stores information such as data and programs by electrical, magnetic, optical, mechanical, or chemical action and can be read by a computer, etc. Such a recording medium may be provided with elements that constitute a computer, such as a CPU and memory, and the CPU may be made to execute the program.

[0059] Among such recording media, those that are removable from a computer etc. include, for example, flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-ROMs, CD-R / Ws, DVDs, DATs, 8mm tapes, memory cards and the like.

[0060] Further, examples of recording media fixed to a computer include a hard disk and a ROM.

[0061] (others) Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these. Each configuration may be modified without departing from the spirit of the claims. Various modifications based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art are possible, such as combinations of the above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 90 Information processing equipment 91 Processor 92 Memory 93 Memory section 94 Input section 95 Output section 96 Communication Control Unit 100 Contained substance management device 102 Control section 104 Communications Department 106 Input / output section 110 Storage area 111 Request Information DB 112 BOM Information DB 113 Data Request Information DB 114 Answer information DB 115 Submission information DB 116 Progress Information DB 117 External List Information DB

Claims

1. a storage unit for storing child part information including a character string capable of identifying a child part that is a constituent element of a parent part, and chemical substance information including a character string capable of identifying a chemical substance contained in the child part and an amount of the chemical substance contained; A communication unit that communicates with an external device; a control unit that transmits a request for providing information on the chemical substances contained in the child parts to the external device via the communication unit when a predetermined condition is satisfied, and when information on the chemical substances contained in the child parts in response to the request is received from the external device via the communication unit, changes the chemical substance information stored in the storage unit based on the received information; Equipped with the storage unit stores regulation information regarding regulations on chemical substances contained in the child parts; The information processing device, wherein the predetermined condition is to detect a change in the regulation information stored in the storage unit.

2. the storage unit stores parent part information including a character string capable of identifying the parent part, and corresponding part information indicating a correspondence relationship between the parent part and the child part which is a component of the parent part; the control unit extracts, based on the child part information of one child part and the corresponding part information, the parent part information of a parent part having the child part as a component, and the child part information of all child parts that are components of the parent part. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. the control unit receives the parent part information and the corresponding part information from an external device via the communication unit, and stores the parent part information and the corresponding part information in the storage unit. The information processing device according to claim 2 .

4. the control unit stores, in the storage unit, the parent part and the chemical substance information of the chemical substance contained in each of the child parts that are components of the parent part in association with each other. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

5. The computer Child part information including a character string that can identify a child part that is a component of a parent part, and the child part storing chemical substance information including a character string that can identify a contained chemical substance and a content amount of the chemical substance, and regulation information regarding regulations on the chemical substances contained in the child parts; when a change in the regulation information is detected, a request for provision of information on the chemical substances contained in the child parts is transmitted to an external device, and when information on the chemical substances contained in the child parts in response to the request is received from the external device, the stored chemical substance information is changed based on the received information. An information processing method for performing the above.

6. The computer storing child part information including a character string capable of identifying a child part that is a component of a parent part, chemical substance information including a character string capable of identifying a chemical substance contained in the child part and a content amount of the chemical substance, and regulation information regarding regulations on the chemical substance contained in the child part; when a change in the regulation information is detected, a request for provision of information on the chemical substances contained in the child parts is transmitted to an external device, and when information on the chemical substances contained in the child parts in response to the request is received from the external device, the stored chemical substance information is changed based on the received information. An information processing program for carrying out this task.

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