Information processing device and method

Abstract

Provided is an information processing method executed by an information processing device which receives delivery tasks from a plurality of shippers and generates a delivery plan on the basis of the received delivery tasks, the method comprising storing resource information about available delivery resources for the delivery tasks and stock information about goods which are to be delivered and are related to the delivery tasks, identifying demanded resources, which are delivery resources and will be required for the delivery tasks from the plurality of shippers within a predetermined period, comparing the identified demanded resources and the available delivery resources, and presenting changes in delivery date and time for at least a part of the delivery tasks from the plurality of shippers on the basis of the stock information and the result of the comparison of the demanded resources and the available delivery resources.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device and method, and is suitable for use in, for example, a delivery plan planning device that plans delivery. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, shipments of packages from multiple shippers' bases to the same shipper's base are often carried out using separate delivery resources (e.g. trucks) for each shipper. This has led to problems such as low loading rate of delivery resources and poor delivery efficiency depending on the amount of packages to be delivered.

[0003] In response to this, in recent years, various companies have been introducing or considering joint delivery, in which multiple shippers who have nearby shipping bases deliver their packages to the same destination using the same delivery resources. This type of joint delivery has the advantage of improving the efficiency of package delivery and reducing the environmental impact.

[0004] As a technique related to joint delivery, there is a technique for generating a joint delivery plan for jointly delivering cargo of a plurality of shippers to each of the shippers. For example, there is a technique described in Patent Document 1. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-180893 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, when the volume of packages shipped by each shipper participating in joint delivery changes from time to time, it is conceivable that on some days the volume of packages to be delivered may exceed the delivery capacity of the delivery resources, or the volume of packages to be delivered may be significantly less than the delivery capacity of the delivery resources. For this reason, it is desirable to devise a way to maintain the benefits of joint delivery even in such cases.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention proposes an information processing device and method that can propose a delivery plan for delivering tasks of multiple shippers with high delivery efficiency, thereby contributing to reducing the environmental load. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve such problems, in the present invention, an information processing device that accepts delivery tasks from multiple shippers and creates a delivery plan based on the accepted delivery tasks is provided with a memory unit that stores resource information on available delivery resources, which are delivery resources that can be used for the delivery tasks, and inventory information of items to be delivered related to the delivery tasks, a processing unit that identifies demand resources, which are the delivery resources required for the delivery tasks of the multiple shippers within a specified period, and compares the identified demand resources with the available delivery resources, and a presentation unit that presents changes to delivery dates and times for at least some of the delivery tasks of the multiple shippers based on the comparison results of the processing unit and the inventory information.

[0009] In addition, in the present invention, an information processing method is executed by an information processing device that accepts delivery tasks from a plurality of shippers and creates a delivery plan based on the accepted delivery tasks, and includes a first step of storing resource information on available delivery resources, which are delivery resources that can be used for the delivery tasks, and inventory information of items to be delivered for the delivery tasks, a second step of identifying demand resources, which are the delivery resources required for the delivery tasks of the plurality of shippers within a specified period, and comparing the identified demand resources with the available delivery resources, and a third step of presenting changes to delivery dates and times for at least some of the delivery tasks of the plurality of shippers based on the comparison results of the demand resources and the available delivery resources and the inventory information. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to realize an information processing device and method that can propose a delivery plan for delivering with high delivery efficiency for delivery tasks of multiple shippers, and that can ultimately contribute to reducing the environmental load. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of a joint delivery planning system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 13 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a shipment-scheduled cargo management table; [Diagram 3] 13 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an available delivery resource management table; [Figure 4A] 13 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a shipped cargo management table (before a delivery plan is modified). [Figure 4B] 13 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a shipped cargo management table (after a delivery plan is modified). [Diagram 5] 13 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an inventory management table. [Figure 6] 4 is a sequence diagram showing the flow of a series of processes executed in relation to the creation of a joint delivery plan by the joint delivery plan creation device. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen configuration of a delivery plan screen. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen configuration of a confirmed vehicle dispatch request screen. [Figure 9] 13 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for joint delivery planning processing. [Figure 10] 13 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an inventory management table according to another embodiment. [Figure 11] 13 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an area management table; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] An embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0013] (1) Configuration of the Joint Delivery Planning System According to the Present Embodiment 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a joint delivery plan making system 1 according to this embodiment. This joint delivery plan making system 1 is configured to include a joint delivery plan making device 3 connected to a network 2, one or more shipper side information processing terminals 4, one or more consignee side information processing terminals 5, and one or more delivery company side information processing terminals 6. The shipper side information processing terminal 4, the consignee side information processing terminal 5, and the delivery company side information processing terminal 6 are each connected to the joint delivery plan making device 3 via the network 2.

[0014] The joint delivery planning device 3 is an information processing device (computer device) owned by a joint delivery platform company that undertakes joint delivery of cargo shipped by multiple shippers, and is configured with a processor 10, a memory 11, a storage device 12, a communication device 13, an input device 14 and an output device 15.

[0015] The processor 10 is a functional unit that controls the operation of the entire joint delivery plan planning device 3, and is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processor Unit), etc. The memory 11 is composed of, for example, a volatile semiconductor memory, and is used as a work memory for the processor 10.

[0016] Furthermore, the storage device 12 is composed of a non-volatile large-capacity storage device such as a hard disk device or an SSD (Solid State Drive), and is used to store various programs and information that needs to be stored for a long period of time.

[0017] The communication device 13 is composed of, for example, a NIC (Network Interface Card) and performs protocol control when communicating with the shipper's information processing terminal 4, the consignee's information processing terminal 5, or the delivery company's information processing terminal 6 via the network 2.

[0018] The input device 14 is composed of a mouse, a keyboard, and the like, and is used by an operator to operate the joint delivery plan planning device 3. The output device 15 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display, and is used to display necessary information and screens. Note that, instead of the input device 14 and the output device 15, a touch panel that integrates these devices may be applied.

[0019] The shipper information processing terminal 4 is a computer device provided on the side of each shipper who uses the joint delivery service provided by the joint delivery platform company. The consignee information processing terminal 5 is a computer device provided on the side of each consignee who receives packages from these shippers. The delivery company information processing terminal 6 is a computer device provided on the side of each delivery company that actually delivers the packages shipped from the shippers to the consignees.

[0020] (2) Joint delivery planning function (2-1) Overview of joint delivery planning function and configuration of various tables Next, a joint delivery plan making function installed in the joint delivery plan making device 3 will be described. This joint delivery plan making function is a function that makes a joint delivery plan so that, when parcels shipped from each base of a plurality of shippers are jointly delivered to a consignee, on a day when the amount of parcels to be delivered is large relative to the delivery capacity of the delivery vehicle secured in advance, the delivery of parcels that can be delivered later is postponed (delayed) to the next day or later, and on a day when the amount of parcels to be delivered is small relative to the delivery capacity of the delivery vehicle, the delivery of parcels that can be delivered forward is brought forward (advance) to that day. There may be one or more consignees. In the following explanation, the case of the same consignee may be explained as an example.

[0021] As a means for realizing such a joint delivery planning function, the memory device 12 of the joint delivery planning device 3 stores a processing program 20, a shipment-scheduled cargo management table 21, an available delivery resource management table 22, a shipment-confirmed cargo management table 23, an inventory management table 24, and an area management table 25.

[0022] The processing program 20 is a program for causing the joint delivery plan planning device 3 to execute various processes related to the above-mentioned joint delivery plan planning function. This processing program 20 is read into the memory 11 when the joint delivery plan planning device 3 is started up or when necessary, and the processor 10 executes the processing program 20 read into the memory 11, thereby executing various processes related to the joint delivery plan planning function of the joint delivery plan planning device 3 as a whole.

[0023] The shipment-scheduled parcel management table 21 is a table used to hold and manage information on delivery tasks notified by each shipper, specifically, various information on parcels scheduled to be shipped from each base such as a factory in one week. As shown in FIG. 2, the shipment-scheduled parcel management table 21 is configured with a quantity management number column 21A, a shipper column 21B, a parcel receipt date column 21C, a sender column 21D, a parcel destination column 21E, and a parcel information column 21F. One record (row) of the shipment-scheduled parcel management table 21 corresponds to information on parcels scheduled to be shipped by a certain shipper (21B) from one base (21D) to a consignee's base (21E) on a certain receipt date (21C). For example, the parcels in one record (row) may be parcels with the same product number (one type) or may include parcels with different product numbers (multiple types), but are of the same parcel type (21FD).

[0024] The quantity control number field 21A stores the control number given to the corresponding parcel by the joint delivery plan making device 3. The consignor field 21B stores identification information such as the name of the consignor who is scheduled to ship the parcel, and the receipt date field 21C stores the date (receipt date) on which the delivery company should receive the parcel, as specified by the consignor. In the present embodiment, the receipt date stored in the receipt date field 21C is the shipment date of the parcel, and in principle, is the delivery date of the parcel to the destination. The receipt date, shipping date, and delivery date may be in the form of a date, a date and time, or other time divisions (such as morning or afternoon). The receipt date, shipping date, and delivery date may be the receipt date and time, the shipping date and time, and the delivery date and time, respectively. Furthermore, the sender field 21D stores the base from which the consignor ships the parcel, and the destination field 21E stores the base of the consignee to which the parcel is to be delivered. In addition, the destination field 21E may store identification information of the consignee and identification information of the consignee's base to which the package is to be delivered.

[0025] The parcel information field 21F is divided into a number field 21FA, a total weight field 21FB, a total volume field 21FC, a parcel type field 21FD, and a delivery vehicle type field 21FE. The number field 21FA, the total weight field 21FB, and the total volume field 21FC store the number of parcels scheduled to be shipped, the total weight of the parcels, and the total volume of the parcels, respectively. The parcel information 21F includes the number field 21FA, the total weight field 21FB, and the total volume field 21FC, but may include only a part of these information or other information as long as the information is capable of identifying the amount of parcels. The parcel type field 21FD stores the type of the parcel. The types of parcels include "room temperature" which can be transported at room temperature, "frozen" which must be transported in a frozen state, and "refrigerated" which must be transported in a refrigerated state.

[0026] Furthermore, the delivery vehicle type column 21FE stores the type of delivery vehicle (hereinafter, referred to as the delivery vehicle type) as the delivery vehicle for the corresponding parcel. The types of delivery vehicles include a "room temperature flat body" vehicle that can only deliver at room temperature and has a flat loading platform, a "refrigerated" vehicle with a refrigerated function in the loading compartment, and a "room temperature wing" vehicle that can only deliver at room temperature and is capable of lifting up the sides and ceiling of the loading compartment. The shipping scheduled parcel management table 21 contains information on delivery tasks notified by each shipper, and the delivery vehicle type may be information notified by the shipper, or may be information determined by the joint delivery plan making device 3 based on the parcel information (21F). For example, for a parcel with a parcel type (21FD) of "refrigerated", the joint delivery plan making device 3 determines the delivery vehicle type (21FE) to be "refrigerated" so that the delivery vehicle is suitable for transporting the parcel.

[0027] Therefore, in the example of Figure 2, for example, a parcel with a quantity control number of "1" is a parcel that is to be received at "Point S" of a shipper called "Shipper A" on "2021 / 11 / 11" and delivered to "Point Z" of a shipper, and the number of pieces is "10", the total weight is "2t", and the total volume is "5m 3 ", the type of cargo is "room temperature", and it is shown that a "room temperature flatbed" is planned to be used as the delivery vehicle for the cargo.

[0028] On the other hand, the available delivery resource management table 22 is a table used to hold and manage information on delivery resources notified by each delivery company, specifically, information on delivery vehicles that can be provided in one week. As shown in Fig. 3, the available delivery resource management table 22 is configured with a number column 22A, a delivery company column 22B, a delivery resource provision date column 22C, a deliverable area column 22D, a confirmation possible column 22E, and an available delivery resource related information column 22F. In the available delivery resource management table 22, one record corresponds to a delivery resource (22FF) that can be provided on a delivery resource provision date (22C) notified by one delivery company, and information on one type of delivery vehicle (same delivery vehicle type) for each deliverable area.

[0029] The number column 22A stores a management number assigned by the joint delivery plan planning device 3 to the type of delivery vehicle of the corresponding delivery company. The delivery company column 22B stores identification information such as the name of the corresponding delivery company. The delivery resource provision date column 22C stores the date (delivery resource provision date) notified by the delivery company when the delivery company can provide the corresponding delivery vehicle. The possible delivery area column 22D stores the area where the package can be delivered by the corresponding delivery vehicle.

[0030] Furthermore, the confirmation column 22E stores information indicating whether the use and reservation of the corresponding delivery vehicle has been confirmed. For example, if the use and reservation of the corresponding delivery vehicle has been confirmed, "confirmed" is stored, and if the use and reservation of the corresponding delivery vehicle has not been confirmed, "not yet" is stored.

[0031] The available delivery resource related information field 22F is divided into a loadable weight field 22FA, a number of delivery vehicles field 22FB, a number of delivery vehicle capacity fields 22FC, a delivery vehicle type field 22FD, a loadable volume field 22FE, and a delivery resource field 22FF. The loadable weight field 22FA stores the total weight of the goods that can be loaded onto the corresponding type of delivery vehicle, and the number of delivery vehicles field 22FB stores the number of delivery vehicles that have been confirmed for use on the delivery resource provision date. The delivery vehicle capacity field 22FC stores the number of delivery vehicles that the delivery company can provide on the delivery resource provision date. The delivery vehicle type field 22FD stores the type of the corresponding delivery vehicle (delivery vehicle type). The loadable volume field 22FE stores the total volume of the goods that can be loaded onto the corresponding type of delivery vehicle. The delivery resource field 22FF stores information (e.g., a truck number) that identifies the delivery resource (e.g., a delivery vehicle) that can be provided on the delivery resource provision date.

[0032] In the example of Figure 3, the record assigned the management number "1" is a delivery company called "Company A" that can deliver to "Area X" on "2021 / 11 / 11" with a load capacity of "2t" and a load capacity of "10m 3 The record also indicates that the joint delivery plan making device 3 has been notified that "3" vehicles, "Truck 1, Truck 2, and Truck 3," are available as "room temperature, flatbed" delivery vehicles for "." The record also indicates that the joint delivery plan making device 3 will use "3" delivery vehicles on that day and has "confirmed" the reservations for those delivery vehicles.

[0033] The shipped confirmed parcel management table 23 is a table used to hold and manage various information related to parcels whose shipment is confirmed, notified by the shipper on the day before the receipt date, etc. FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B show configuration examples of the shipped confirmed parcel management table 23. FIG. 4A shows the shipped confirmed parcel management table 23 before the delivery plan is corrected, and FIG. 4B shows the shipped confirmed parcel management table 23 before the delivery plan is corrected. As shown in FIG. 4A, the shipped confirmed parcel management table 23 includes a quantity management number field 23A, a shipper field 23B, a receipt date field 23C, a specified delivery date field 23D, a sender field 23E, a destination field 23F, a constraint field 23G, a parcel number field 23H, a product number field 23I, a weight field 23J, a volume field 23K, a parcel type field 23L, and a delivery resource field 23M. In the shipped confirmed parcel management table 23, one record corresponds to one type of parcel (for example, one product number) scheduled to be shipped on the receipt date.

[0034] The quantity control number field 23A stores the control number of the parcel. The shipper field 23B, receipt date field 23C, sender field 23E, destination field 23F, and parcel type field 23L store information similar to the information stored in the shipper field 21B, receipt date field 21C, sender field 21D, destination field 21E, and parcel type field 21FD of the record in the quantity control number field 21A in which the same quantity control number as the quantity control number field 23A is stored in the shipment scheduled parcel management table 21 (FIG. 2).

[0035] The designated delivery date field 23D stores the delivery date (designated delivery date) designated by the shipper for the corresponding package. The shipper can designate any date after the receipt date as the delivery date (deadline) by which the delivery of the corresponding package to the destination should be completed, or can choose not to designate a delivery date. If no delivery date is designated, information to that effect (for example, "none") is stored in the corresponding designated delivery date field 23D.

[0036] Furthermore, the constraints field 23G stores constraints on the delivery of the corresponding package notified by the shipper. Such constraints include, for example, time constraints that limit the delivery time to "from XX to XX", and constraints on the weight and size of the delivery vehicle, such as "2 tons or less".

[0037] Furthermore, the parcel number column 23H stores the parcel number of the corresponding parcel assigned by the joint delivery plan planning device 3. For example, one or more parcel numbers may be assigned for parcels of the same type (e.g., the same product number) that have the same receiving date, sender, and destination, and are loaded onto one delivery vehicle. Note that when there is a large amount of parcels of the same type, it may be easier to adjust the delivery plan by dividing them into multiple parcel numbers. Parcel numbers may also be assigned in a predetermined unit, such as the unit in which the parcel is packed, the unit of the basket cart, or the unit of the slip number that manages the parcel.

[0038] Furthermore, the part number column 23I stores the part number of the part contained in the package, the weight column 23J stores information on the weight of the package, and the volume column 23K stores information on the volume of the package. The delivery resource column 23M stores identification information (truck number in FIG. 4) of the delivery vehicle assigned by the joint delivery plan making device 3 to the delivery of the package.

[0039] Therefore, in the example of Figure 4A, the parcel assigned the parcel number "1" has a consignor "Consignor A", a receipt date "2021 / 11 / 11", a specified delivery date "2021 / 11 / 12", a sender "Point S", a destination "Point Z", a product number "A", a weight "0.4t", and a volume "1m 3 ", the cargo type is "room temperature," there is a restriction that delivery should be made to the destination between "○ o'clock and △ o'clock," and it is shown that "Truck 1" has been assigned as the delivery vehicle by the joint delivery plan making device 3.

[0040] The inventory management table 24 is a table used to hold and manage the current inventory status of each consignee obtained from that consignee, and is created for each consignee. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the inventory management table 24 is created for each destination (each base of the consignee). When there are multiple consignees and destinations, the inventory management table 24 may contain information identifying the consignee and information identifying the destination in association with the information in each of the columns 24A to 24C. As shown in FIG. 5, the inventory management table 24 is configured with a number column 24A, a part number column 24B, and a part inventory days column 24C. In the inventory management table 24, one record corresponds to the current inventory information of the corresponding part at the corresponding consignee.

[0041] The number column 24A stores the control number assigned to the corresponding part by the joint delivery plan making device 3, and the part number column 24B stores the part number of the part. Furthermore, the part inventory days column 24C stores the inventory days (the number of days until the inventory runs out) of the corresponding consignee for the corresponding part.

[0042] Therefore, in the example of Figure 5, for example, the inventory days of a part with part number "A" assigned with management number "1" is "10," and the inventory days of a part with part number "B" assigned with management number "2" is "20."

[0043] The area management table 25 is a table used to hold and manage information related to areas where delivery vehicles make deliveries. As shown in FIG. 11, the area management table 25 includes an area column 25A and a location column 25B. The area column 25A stores identification information that identifies an area. The location column 25B stores identification information that identifies a location corresponding to the area. Note that some locations (e.g. location Z) may correspond to multiple different areas (e.g. area X and area Y). Note that the area management table 25 only needs to contain information that associates areas with locations (e.g. bases such as sender and destination), and may be able to define areas using map information, for example.

[0044] (2-2) Process flow for joint delivery planning function FIG. 6 shows a series of processing steps carried out in relation to the above-mentioned joint delivery plan planning function among the shipper's information processing terminal 4, the joint delivery plan planning device 3 of the joint delivery platform company, the delivery company's information processing terminal 6, and the recipient's information processing terminal 5 of the destination.

[0045] In this embodiment, each shipper transmits delivery task information regarding cargo scheduled to be shipped on the receiving date (e.g., one week later) each day, such as the shipper, receiving date, sender, destination, number of cargoes, total weight, total volume, and type of cargo (e.g., room temperature, frozen, or refrigerated), using his / her own shipper's information processing terminal 4 to the joint delivery planning device 3 of the joint delivery platform company as information on cargo scheduled to be shipped (S1).

[0046] In this way, the joint delivery plan making device 3 receives the shipment-scheduled parcel information transmitted from each shipper's information processing terminal 4, and registers and manages the received shipment-scheduled parcel information in the shipment-scheduled parcel management table 21 (FIG. 2). At this stage, the corresponding information is stored in each field of the shipment-scheduled parcel management table 21 except for the delivery vehicle type field 21FE, and the delivery vehicle type field 21FE is left blank.

[0047] Each delivery company also transmits the number of each type of delivery vehicle (room temperature vehicle, freezer vehicle, refrigerated vehicle, flatbed, etc.) that can be provided on the delivery resource provision date (e.g., one week later) each day, as well as information such as the load capacity and delivery area of ​​each delivery vehicle (e.g., information stored in 22B-22D, 22FA, 22FC-22FF in Figure 3) to the joint delivery planning device 3 as available delivery resource information using its own delivery company information processing terminal 6 (S2).

[0048] In this way, the joint delivery plan making device 3 registers and manages the available delivery resource information transmitted from each delivery company's information processing terminal 6 in the available delivery resource management table 22 (FIG. 3). At this stage, the corresponding information is stored in each field of the available delivery resource management table 22 other than the confirmation possibility field 22E and the number of delivery vehicles field 22FB, and the confirmation possibility field 22E and the number of delivery vehicles field 22FB are left blank.

[0049] The joint delivery planning device 3 then performs a total volume calculation for each delivery area to determine how many packages are scheduled to be delivered from which point to which point on the receipt date (e.g., one week later) based on each shipment-scheduled package information registered in the shipment-scheduled package management table 21 (S3).

[0050] The joint delivery planning device 3 also executes a demand resource calculation for each delivery area to calculate demand resources such as the type and number of delivery vehicles required based on the results of the total quantity calculation (S4). In this demand resource calculation, the joint delivery planning device 3 determines the type of delivery vehicle (delivery vehicle type) to be used for delivering each package of each shipper, and stores the determined delivery vehicle type in the delivery vehicle type column 21FE of the shipment scheduled package management table 21.

[0051] Then, based on the demand resource calculation results, the joint delivery plan making device 3 searches for a delivery company that can provide the type and number of delivery vehicles predicted to be required on the receiving date (e.g., one week later) for each delivery area, based on each available delivery resource information registered in the available delivery resource management table 22. The joint delivery plan making device 3 also reserves the delivery vehicle by transmitting information such as the type and number of delivery vehicles desired to be provided on the receiving date and the delivery area of ​​the delivery vehicle (hereinafter, this will be referred to as delivery resource reservation information) to the delivery company side information processing terminal 6 of the delivery company detected by such search (S5).

[0052] Furthermore, if the delivery company that has received the delivery resource reservation information has no problem with the reservation details recognized based on the delivery resource reservation information, it transmits a response to that effect to the joint delivery plan planning device 3 via the delivery company's information processing terminal 6 (S6). Thus, based on the responses from these delivery companies, the joint delivery plan planning device 3 stores "confirmed" information in the confirmation possibility column 22E of the record corresponding to the delivery company and delivery vehicle type for which the vehicle allocation reservation has been confirmed in the available delivery resource management table 22, and stores the number of vehicles of that delivery vehicle type for which the reservation has been confirmed in the delivery vehicle number column 22FB of that record.

[0053] On the other hand, each shipper transmits information regarding the shipment of a parcel whose shipment has been confirmed each day, such as the shipper, the receipt date (for example, the next day, which as mentioned above will in principle be the delivery date for the parcel), the specified delivery date, the sender, the destination, restrictions, the parcel number, the product number, the weight, the volume, and the type of parcel, to the joint delivery plan making device 3 using their own shipper's information processing terminal 4 as shipment-confirmed parcel information (S7).

[0054] In this way, the joint delivery plan making device 3 registers and manages the confirmed shipment information transmitted from each shipper's information processing terminal 4 in the confirmed shipment management table 23 (FIG. 4A). At this stage, the corresponding information is stored in each field of the confirmed shipment management table 23 except for the delivery resource field 23M, and the delivery resource field 23M remains blank.

[0055] Next, the joint delivery planning device 3 accesses the consignee's information processing terminal 5 of the consignee of the cargo to be delivered on the receipt date (e.g., the next day), acquires the inventory status of the consignee's destination (e.g., part number and number of days the parts will be in stock) as inventory information, and registers and manages the acquired inventory information in the inventory management table 24 (FIG. 5) (S8).

[0056] Then, the joint delivery planning device 3 creates a final delivery plan (S9) specifying which parcels will be delivered, when, and by which delivery vehicle of which delivery company, based on the shipped parcel information of each shipper registered in the shipped parcel management table 23 in step S7 and the inventory information registered in the inventory management table 24 in step S8.

[0057] At this time, the joint delivery plan making device 3 makes a joint delivery plan so that, if the amount of packages to be delivered is greater than the delivery capacity of the delivery vehicle for the pre-booked receipt date (e.g. the next day), the delivery of the packages that can be delivered later is postponed to the next delivery or later, and, if the amount of packages to be delivered is less than the delivery capacity of the delivery vehicle, the delivery of the packages that can be delivered earlier is brought forward to the receipt date.

[0058] Then, based on the joint delivery plan thus prepared, the joint delivery plan preparation device 3 stores the identification information of the delivery vehicle assigned to the corresponding cargo in the delivery resource column 23M of each record in the shipment confirmed cargo management table 23, and transmits the determined delivery plan for each cargo of the shipper to the shipper's information processing terminal 4 (S10).

[0059] Here, Fig. 7 shows an example of the screen configuration of the delivery plan screen 30 displayed on each shipper's information processing terminal 4 based on the delivery plan. As shown in Fig. 7, the delivery plan screen 30 includes a delivery plan list 31 and a send button 32.

[0060] The delivery plan list 31 is a list (delivery plan) of each package scheduled for shipment that was notified by the corresponding shipper in S7 of Figure 6, and is configured with, for example, a number column 31A, a package number column 31B, a product number column 31C, a pre-change date column 31D, a post-change date column 31E, a delivery date column 31F, a number of days in stock column 31G, and a pass / fail column 31H.

[0061] The number column 31A, parcel number column 31B, product number 31C, pre-change date column 31D, post-change date column 31E, delivery date column 31F and inventory days column 31G respectively store the quantity control number, parcel number, product number of the corresponding parcel, the shipping date of the parcel notified in S7 of Figure 6 (which is in principle the receipt date, hereafter referred to as the pre-determined date), the receipt date for the parcel determined in S9 of Figure 6 (hereafter referred to as the post-determined date), the delivery date (delivery date) if a delivery date has been specified for the parcel, and the inventory days at the destination of the parcel (part).

[0062] At this time, in the delivery plan list 31, if the post-determination date has been changed with respect to the pre-determination date, the pre-determination date and the post-determination date are highlighted by marking, etc. Such pre-determination date and the post-determination date may be highlighted in a color (e.g., red) different from other pre-determination dates and post-determination dates.

[0063] If the shipper approves the delivery plan (including changes to the delivery date) for each proposed delivery date or package number of each package, he / she inputs information to that effect (e.g., "○") in the pass / fail column 31H corresponding to that package on the delivery plan screen 30, and if he / she does not approve, he / she inputs information to that effect (e.g., "X") in the pass / fail column 31H and clicks the send button 32. As a result, the input response is transmitted from the shipper's information processing terminal 4 to the joint delivery plan planning device 3 (S11).

[0064] If the delivery plan requires the consignee's approval, the joint delivery plan making device 3 transmits the determined delivery plan for each consignee's parcel to the consignee's information processing terminal 5. For example, this delivery plan may be transmitted as a screen in which the delivery plan list 31 on the delivery plan screen 30 is a delivery plan for parcels to be shipped for the consignee or destination. Then, the consignee inputs information indicating approval or disapproval in the pass / fail column 31H corresponding to the parcel on the delivery plan screen 30, and clicks the send button 32. As a result, the input response is transmitted from the consignee's information processing terminal 5 to the joint delivery plan making device 3.

[0065] If the joint delivery plan planning device 3 does not obtain approval for the package delivery plan from any of the shippers or consignees, it re-plans a delivery plan using other affiliated joint delivery platform companies (hereinafter referred to as external joint delivery platform companies) or delivery companies that can prepare a delivery vehicle on the delivery date, and repeats the process of sending the re-planned delivery plan to each shipper or consignee.

[0066] Then, when the joint delivery plan planning device 3 obtains approval for the delivery plan from all shippers and receivers who are scheduled to ship their packages on the delivery date (e.g., the next day), it sends a final dispatch request based on the joint delivery plan planned in step S9 (hereinafter referred to as a confirmed dispatch request) to the delivery company's information processing terminal 6 of the delivery company that reserved the dispatch in step S5 (S12).

[0067] 8 shows an example of the screen configuration of a confirmed vehicle dispatch request screen 40 displayed on the delivery company's information processing terminal 6 based on the confirmed vehicle dispatch request. As shown in FIG. 8, the confirmed vehicle dispatch request screen 40 includes a confirmed vehicle dispatch request list 41 and an OK button 42.

[0068] The confirmed vehicle dispatch request list 41 displays, for each type of cargo that the delivery company is requested to deliver, a list of the receipt date (in principle the next day), sender, cargo number, destination, and the identification information (truck number) of the delivery vehicle assigned by the joint delivery planning device 3 to deliver the cargo.

[0069] The delivery company, for which the confirmed vehicle dispatch request screen 40 is displayed on the delivery company's information processing terminal 6, can approve the confirmed vehicle dispatch request displayed on the confirmed vehicle dispatch request screen 40 by clicking an OK button 42. In this case, a response to that effect is transmitted to the joint delivery plan making device 3 (S13). Note that, if the delivery company does not approve the confirmed delivery request displayed on the confirmed vehicle dispatch request screen 40, the delivery company contacts the person in charge at the joint delivery platform company by telephone or the like to that effect.

[0070] Thus, on the delivery date, the delivery company dispatches a delivery vehicle in accordance with the confirmed vehicle dispatch request notified by the joint delivery plan planning device 3, thereby executing delivery of the package in accordance with the joint delivery plan planned in step S9 (S14).

[0071] (2-3) Joint delivery planning process Here, Fig. 9 shows specific processing contents of the joint delivery plan making process executed by the joint delivery plan making device 3 in step S9 described above with reference to Fig. 6. The joint delivery plan making device 3 makes a joint delivery plan according to the processing procedure shown in Fig. 9.

[0072] In practice, when the joint delivery plan making device 3 proceeds to step S9 in Fig. 6, it starts the joint delivery plan making process shown in Fig. 9. First, the joint delivery plan making device 3 makes a delivery plan for parcels that are registered in the shipped-confirmed parcel management table 23 and whose shipping is confirmed for a certain shipping date (for example, the next day) (S20).

[0073] For example, in the example of FIG. 4A, the joint delivery plan making device 3 makes a delivery plan for parcel numbers 1 to 6 and 8 to 11 whose receipt date (shipping date) is "2021 / 11 / 11". The joint delivery plan making device 3 refers to the area management table 25 and identifies the corresponding area from the information of the sender and destination of each parcel. The joint delivery plan making device 3 refers to the available delivery resource management table 22 and identifies the delivery resource that the identified area is a deliverable area and can be provided by the delivery company on the shipping date. The joint delivery plan making device 3 assigns the identified delivery resource to the delivery task of each parcel so as to satisfy the requirements of the delivery task. For example, a vehicle with a delivery vehicle type of "room temperature (room temperature, flatbed, etc.)" is assigned to the delivery task of a parcel whose parcel type is "room temperature", and a vehicle with a delivery vehicle type of "refrigerated" is assigned to the delivery task of a parcel whose parcel type is "refrigerated". In addition, the joint delivery plan making device 3 can create a delivery plan so that delivery resources (trucks) are allocated as much as possible to delivery tasks with the same sender or destination or relatively close destination, so as to increase delivery efficiency. Here, it is assumed that the delivery resources shown in FIG. 4A are allocated as a result of S20.

[0074] The joint delivery planning device 3 refers to the available delivery resource management table 22 and the shipped package management table 23 to determine whether there is a capacity overload for the delivery plan (S21). In the example of FIG. 4, it determines that there is a capacity overload for package numbers 8 to 11, for which the delivery resource is "unassigned." Specifically, of the delivery resources that can deliver to the area (X area) corresponding to the sender (point U) and destination (point Z) of package numbers 8 to 11, the only unassigned one is "truck 3." The joint delivery planning device 3 then refers to the available delivery resource management table 22 and the shipped package management table 23 to determine that the total of the weights (23J) of the target package numbers 8 to 11 (23J) is "0.5+1+0.5+0.5=2.5t" and the total of the volumes (23K) is "1+2+2+1=6m 3 ", the unallocated "Truck 3" has a loading capacity of "2t" (22FA) and a loading capacity of "10m 3If it does, it is determined that the capacity is exceeded, and if it does not, it is determined that the capacity is not exceeded. In this example, the total weight of the packages, "2.5t", exceeds the loadable weight of the unallocated "Truck 3", "2t", so it is determined that the capacity is exceeded. Note that if the ratio of the total weight of the packages to the loadable weight of the unallocated delivery resource or the ratio of the total volume of the packages to the loadable volume of the unallocated delivery resource exceeds a predetermined loading rate upper limit (threshold value), it may be determined that the capacity is exceeded, and if it does not, it may be determined that the capacity is not exceeded. The storage device 12 stores the loading rate upper limit value. If the determination in step 21 is negative, step S22 is executed.

[0075] On the other hand, if the judgment in step S21 is positive, this means that all of the packages to be delivered on the receiving date requested by each shipper cannot be loaded onto the delivery vehicle to be used for delivery on the receiving date. Thus, at this time, the joint delivery plan making device 3 judges whether or not to procure a delivery vehicle from an external joint delivery platform company with which it is affiliated to deliver the packages that cannot be loaded onto the delivery vehicle to be used for delivery on the receiving date (hereinafter, this will be referred to as the surplus package) (S26).

[0076] In such a case (when all of the packages to be delivered on the receiving date requested by each shipper cannot be loaded onto the truck to be used for delivery on the receiving date), if a setting has been made in advance to procure a delivery vehicle for delivering the surplus packages from an external joint delivery platform company (step S26: YES), the joint delivery plan making device 3 procures a delivery vehicle for delivering the surplus packages among the packages to be delivered on the receiving date from an affiliated external joint delivery platform company, and makes a joint delivery plan for the packages based on the state after procurement (S27).The joint delivery plan making device 3 then executes step S22.

[0077] On the other hand, when a setting is made in advance from an external joint delivery platform company that it is affiliated with that the joint delivery plan making device 3 should not procure delivery vehicles for delivering surplus packages (step S26: NO), it refers to the available delivery resource management table 22, the shipped package management table 23, and the inventory management table 24, and modifies the joint delivery plan so that, among the packages scheduled for delivery on the day, the packages with the longest inventory days are delivered in order, while strictly adhering to the designated deadline for each package, until the loading rate of the delivery vehicle used for delivery on the day of receipt falls below the loading rate upper limit (S28).The joint delivery plan making device 3 then executes step S22.

[0078] For example, the joint delivery planning device 3 refers to the shipment confirmed package management table 23 (FIG. 4A) to identify the product numbers (D to G) and the designated delivery dates of the packages with package numbers 8 to 11. The joint delivery planning device 3 refers to the inventory management table 24 among the delivery tasks that can comply with the designated delivery date even if the delivery date is postponed, and modifies the delivery plan so that the delivery task of the package (product number G) with a longer parts inventory period for the identified product number is delivered later. As a result, for the delivery task of package number 11, the delivery date was "2021 / 11 / 11" in FIG. 4A, but by executing S28, the delivery date is postponed to "2021 / 11 / 12" as shown in FIG. 4B. And the delivery tasks of package numbers 8 to 10 are assigned to "Truck 3" by the joint delivery planning device 3.

[0079] The joint delivery plan making device 3 judges whether or not the loading rate of the truck when each package allocated in the delivery plan is loaded for each delivery resource (each truck) exceeds a preset threshold value (hereinafter, this is called the loading rate threshold value) (S22). If the loading rate of all trucks exceeds the loading rate threshold value, the judgment in step S22 is affirmative, and the joint delivery plan making process is terminated.

[0080] If the loading rate of any truck exceeds the loading rate threshold, the determination in step S22 is negative, and step S23 is executed. The negative result in step S22 means that there is still room for loading cargo on the truck (delivery vehicle) used for delivery on the receipt date. Thus, the joint delivery plan making device 3 at this time determines whether to acquire a delivery task for additional cargo from an external joint delivery platform company with which it is affiliated (S23).

[0081] When the joint delivery plan making device 3 is set in advance to acquire additional delivery tasks from the affiliated external joint delivery platform company (step S23: YES), it accepts delivery requests from the external joint delivery platform company until the loading rate of the delivery vehicle used for delivery on the receipt date reaches the loading rate threshold, and makes a joint delivery plan including the packages (S24).The joint delivery plan making device 3 then ends the joint delivery plan making process.

[0082] On the other hand, when the joint delivery plan making device 3 has been set in advance not to acquire additional delivery tasks from the affiliated external joint delivery platform company (step S23: NO), it refers to the available delivery resource management table 22, the shipped confirmed parcel management table 23, and the inventory management table 24, and modifies the joint delivery plan so that deliveries are made in advance starting with parcels with the fewest days of inventory until the loading rate of the truck to be used for delivery on the day of receipt reaches the loading rate threshold (S25), and then terminates the joint delivery plan making process.

[0083] For example, in S22, the joint delivery plan planning device 3 determines that the loading rate of trucks 1 and 3 will exceed the loading rate threshold when each of the packages allocated in the delivery plan is loaded, but determines that the loading rate of truck 2 will not exceed the loading rate threshold. At this time, by referring to the available delivery resource management table 22 and the shipped package management table 23, the loadable weight of truck 2 is "2t" (22FA) and the loadable volume of truck 2 is "10m 3" (22FE) and the total weight and volume of the parcels (parcel numbers 4 to 6) already assigned to truck 2, the joint delivery plan making device 3 calculates the total weight and volume of parcels that can be additionally assigned to truck 2. Based on this calculated value, the joint delivery plan making device 3 assigns unassigned delivery tasks to truck 2 until the loading rate of truck 2 reaches the loading rate threshold, within a range that does not cause capacity overload. At this time, in order to maintain delivery efficiency, the joint delivery plan making device 3 can preferentially assign delivery tasks with the same sender or destination or relatively close. In addition, the joint delivery plan making device 3 can preferentially assign delivery tasks with a nearby receipt date or a nearby designated delivery date. From the above viewpoint, when there are multiple delivery tasks that are candidates for additional assignment, the joint delivery plan making device 3 performs additional assignment so that delivery is brought forward in order of delivery tasks of parcels with fewer days of inventory.

[0084] For example, if there are multiple delivery tasks (package numbers 4 to 6) assigned to truck 2 that have the same sender and destination and package type as the delivery tasks assigned to truck 2 as candidates for additional delivery tasks to be assigned, the inventory management table 24 is referenced and the delivery plan is modified to additionally assign a delivery task for a product number (product number A) with a shorter parts inventory days to truck 2. As a result, for the delivery task of package number 7, the receipt date was "2021 / 11 / 12" in Figure 4A, but by executing S25, the receipt date is brought forward to "2021 / 11 / 11" as shown in Figure 4B, and the task is additionally assigned to truck 2.

[0085] Figure 4A illustrates an example of the shipped cargo management table 23 before the delivery plan is modified in the delivery plan created in S20, and Figure 4B illustrates an example of the shipped cargo management table 23 after the delivery plan is modified in S28 or S25 for this example.

[0086] In addition, in S25, if there is no delivery task suitable for additional allocation, it is possible to end the process without allocating an additional delivery task, for example.

[0087] (3) Effects of this embodiment As described above, the joint delivery plan planning device 3 of this embodiment creates a joint delivery plan so that, when jointly delivering luggage shipped from each of the base stations of multiple shippers to a consignee, on a day when the amount of luggage to be delivered is greater than the delivery capacity of the delivery vehicle secured in advance, the delivery of luggage that can be delivered later is postponed to the next day or later, and on a day when the amount of luggage to be delivered is less than the delivery capacity of the delivery vehicle, the delivery of luggage that can be delivered forward is brought forward to that day.

[0088] Therefore, according to the joint delivery plan making device 3 of this embodiment, it is possible to propose a joint delivery plan for always jointly delivering cargo with high delivery efficiency regardless of the amount of cargo shipped from each shipper, which can ultimately contribute to reducing the environmental load.

[0089] (4) Other embodiments In the above embodiment, the inventory management table 24 is configured as shown in Fig. 5, and the number of inventory days for each part is managed. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the inventory management table 24' may be configured as shown in Fig. 10, in which the parts corresponding to Fig. 5 are marked with "'" with the same reference numerals, and the standard number of inventory days for each part (the number of inventory days stored in the standard number of inventory days column 24D in Fig. 10, hereinafter referred to as the standard number of inventory days) and the current number of inventory days with respect to the standard number of inventory days (the number of inventory days stored in the surplus number of inventory days column 24E in Fig. 10, hereinafter referred to as the surplus number of inventory days) may be acquired from each consignee and managed. The inventory management table 24' is configured with a number column 24A', a part number column 24B', a part number of inventory days column 24C', a standard number of inventory days column 24D, and a surplus number of inventory days column 24E.

[0090] Then, based on this inventory management table 24', the joint delivery planning device 3 may, in S28, give priority to selecting parcels with a large inventory amount (parcels with a large amount of inventory days due to spare) as parcels for which delivery should be delayed, or, in S25 of Figure 9, may give priority to selecting parcels with a small inventory amount (parcels with a small amount of inventory days due to spare) as parcels for which delivery should be brought forward.

[0091] In the above embodiment, the joint delivery plan making device 3 is configured from one computer device, but the present invention is not limited to this example, and the joint delivery plan making device 3 may be configured from a distributed computing system. In this case, the following functional units to be mounted on the joint delivery plan making device 3 may be distributed and arranged on multiple computers constituting such a distributed computing system: a reception unit that receives delivery tasks of multiple shippers, a processing unit that identifies demand resources that are delivery resources required from the delivery tasks of multiple shippers within a predetermined period and compares the identified demand resources with available delivery resources, and a presentation unit that presents changes to delivery dates and times for at least some of the delivery tasks of the multiple shippers based on the comparison results of the processing unit and inventory information.

[0092] Furthermore, the information processing device and the information processing method of the present invention may have, for example, the configurations described below.

[0093] For example, an information processing device (e.g., joint delivery plan making system 1 or joint delivery plan making device 3) accepts delivery tasks (delivery requests) of multiple shippers, and makes a delivery plan based on the accepted delivery tasks. The information processing device includes a storage unit (e.g., storage device 12), a processing unit (e.g., processor 10), and a presentation unit. The storage unit stores resource information (e.g., available delivery resource management table 22) on available delivery resources, which are delivery resources (delivery vehicles) available for delivery tasks, and inventory information (e.g., inventory management tables 24, 24') on items to be delivered related to the delivery tasks. The processing unit identifies demand resources, which are delivery resources required by delivery tasks of multiple shippers within a predetermined period, and compares the identified demand resources with the available delivery resources. The presentation unit presents changes to delivery dates and times for at least some of the delivery tasks of the multiple shippers based on the comparison results of the processing unit and the inventory information. The presentation unit may be, for example, the processor 10, or may be realized by a configuration including, in addition to the processor 10, an output device 15, information processing terminals (shipper's information processing terminal 4, delivery company's information processing terminal 5, consignee's information processing terminal 6), and at least a part of the communication device 13.

[0094] When demand resources are greater than available delivery resources, the presentation unit presents a change to delay the delivery date and time of some items that have a greater inventory days or inventory amount (e.g., parts inventory days or excess inventory days) at the destination of the delivery task.

[0095] When the demand resources are less than the available delivery resources, the presentation unit presents a change to an earlier delivery date and time for some items that have a smaller inventory days or inventory amount at the destination of the delivery task.

[0096] When the demand resources are greater than the available delivery resources, it is determined whether or not to procure additional delivery resources from the outside, and when it is determined not to procure them, a change is presented to delay the delivery date and time of some of the items with a larger inventory number or inventory amount at the destination of the delivery task.

[0097] When demand resources are less than available delivery resources, a decision is made as to whether to acquire additional delivery tasks from outside (e.g., other affiliated joint delivery platform companies or other delivery companies), and when it is decided not to acquire additional delivery tasks, a change is presented to bring forward the delivery date and time of some items with fewer days of inventory or inventory amounts at the destination of the delivery tasks.

[0098] The information processing method is executed by an information processing device (e.g., the joint delivery plan making system 1 or the joint delivery plan making device 3) that accepts delivery tasks (delivery requests) of multiple shippers and makes a delivery plan based on the accepted delivery tasks. The method includes a first step of storing resource information (e.g., the available delivery resource management table 22) on available delivery resources that are delivery resources (delivery vehicles) that can be used for delivery tasks and inventory information (e.g., the inventory management tables 24, 24') on items to be delivered related to the delivery tasks, a second step of identifying demand resources that are delivery resources required from the delivery tasks of the multiple shippers within a predetermined period and comparing the identified demand resources with the available delivery resources, and a third step of presenting changes to delivery dates and times for at least some of the delivery tasks of the multiple shippers based on the comparison results of the demand resources and the available delivery resources and the inventory information.

[0099] In a third step, when the demand resources are greater than the available delivery resources, the information processing device proposes a change to delay the delivery date and time of some items that have a longer inventory days or inventory amount (e.g., parts inventory days or excess inventory days) at the destination of the delivery task.

[0100] In a third step, when the demand resources are less than the available delivery resources, the information processing device proposes a change to advance the delivery date and time of some items that have a smaller inventory days or inventory amount at the destination of the delivery task.

[0101] In a third step, when the demand resources are greater than the available delivery resources, the information processing device determines whether to procure additional delivery resources from outside (e.g., other affiliated joint delivery platform companies or other delivery companies), and when it is determined not to procure them, presents a change to delay the delivery date and time of some items with a larger inventory day or inventory amount at the destination of the delivery task.

[0102] In a third step, when the demand resources are less than the available delivery resources, the information processing device determines whether to acquire additional delivery tasks from outside, and if it determines not to acquire them, presents a change to an earlier delivery date and time for some items that have a shorter inventory days or inventory amount at the destination of the delivery task. [Industrial Applicability]

[0103] The joint delivery plan making device 3 can be widely applied to various information processing devices having a function of making a joint delivery plan for goods. [Explanation of symbols]

[0104] 1...Joint delivery planning system, 3...Joint delivery planning device, 4...Shipper's information processing terminal, 5...Consignee's information processing terminal, 6...Delivery company's information processing terminal, 10...Processor, 20...Processing program, 21...Scheduled shipment cargo management table, 22...Available delivery resource management table, 23...Confirmed shipment cargo management table, 24...Inventory management table, 30...Delivery plan screen, 40...Confirmed vehicle dispatch request screen.

Claims

1. An information processing device that receives delivery tasks from a plurality of shippers and creates a delivery plan based on the received delivery tasks, A storage unit that stores resource information on available delivery resources that are delivery resources that can be used for the delivery task, and inventory information on items to be delivered for the delivery task; A processing unit that identifies demand resources, which are the delivery resources required by the delivery tasks of the multiple shippers within a predetermined period, and compares the identified demand resources with the available delivery resources; a presentation unit that presents a change in delivery date and time for at least some of the delivery tasks of the plurality of shippers based on the comparison result of the processing unit and the inventory information; An information processing device comprising:

2. The presentation unit is When the demand resources are greater than the available delivery resources, a change is proposed to delay the delivery date and time of some of the items with a larger inventory number or inventory amount at the destination of the delivery task.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

3. The presentation unit is When the demand resources are less than the available delivery resources, a change is proposed to advance the delivery date and time of some of the items with fewer days of inventory or fewer inventory amounts at the destination of the delivery task.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

4. When the demand resources are greater than the available delivery resources, it is determined whether or not to procure additional delivery resources from outside, and when it is determined not to procure additional resources, a change is presented to delay the delivery date and time of some of the items at the destination of the delivery task that has a larger inventory number or inventory amount.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2.

5. When the demand resources are less than the available delivery resources, it is determined whether to acquire additional delivery tasks from outside, and when it is determined not to acquire them, a change is presented to advance the delivery date and time of some of the items with fewer days of inventory or less inventory at the destination of the delivery tasks.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3.

6. An information processing method executed by an information processing device that receives delivery tasks of a plurality of shippers and creates a delivery plan based on the received delivery tasks, comprising: A first step of storing resource information on available delivery resources that are delivery resources available for the delivery task and inventory information of items to be delivered for the delivery task; A second step of identifying demand resources, which are the delivery resources required by the delivery tasks of the multiple shippers within a predetermined period, and comparing the identified demand resources with the available delivery resources; a third step of suggesting changes to delivery dates and times for at least some of the delivery tasks of the plurality of shippers based on the comparison of the demand resources and the available delivery resources and the inventory information; An information processing method comprising:

7. In the third step, the information processing device When the demand resources are greater than the available delivery resources, a change is proposed to delay the delivery date and time of some of the items with a larger inventory number or inventory amount at the destination of the delivery task.

7. The information processing method according to claim 6,

8. In the third step, the information processing device When the demand resources are less than the available delivery resources, a change is proposed to advance the delivery date and time of some of the items with fewer days of inventory or fewer inventory amounts at the destination of the delivery task.

7. The information processing method according to claim 6,

9. In the third step, the information processing device When the demand resources are greater than the available delivery resources, it is determined whether or not to procure additional delivery resources from outside, and when it is determined not to procure additional resources, a change is presented to delay the delivery date and time of some of the items at the destination of the delivery task that has a larger inventory number or inventory amount.

8. The information processing method according to claim 7,

10. In the third step, the information processing device When the demand resources are less than the available delivery resources, it is determined whether to acquire additional delivery tasks from outside, and when it is determined not to acquire them, a change is presented to advance the delivery date and time of some of the items with fewer days of inventory or less inventory at the destination of the delivery tasks.

9. The information processing method according to claim 8,

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