Management support devices and programs

Abstract

To provide a management support device and a program capable of presenting a relationship between a management policy tree and a business flow.SOLUTION: A management support device includes storage control means for storing, in a storage device, a management policy tree with a tree structure in which management goals and measures to achieve the goals are set in stages, and a business flow in which the last policy of the management policy tree contains setting of the procedure for business processing related to the policy, while associating them with each other, and provision means for providing a displayable screen in which the management policy tree of a display object and the business flow related to the management policy tree are associated with each other, in response to an instruction to display the management policy tree stored in the storage device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 14

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a management support device and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, companies that operate stores have created a management policy tree that shows the relationship between goals and measures in a tree structure in order to visualize the relationship between goals from a management perspective and the measures to achieve the goals. For example, a management policy tree is created by using a method such as KPI (Key Performance Indicator).

[0003] Meanwhile, at the workplace, such as a store, various business processes are carried out to achieve goals from the perspective of the workplace. Methods such as BPMN (Business Process Model and Notation) are used to describe the procedures for such business processes (hereinafter also referred to as business flows). For example, a technology has been proposed that can automatically create business flows so that input / output relationships between adjacent tasks are continuous.

[0004] However, because the management policy tree from the management perspective and the work flow from the field perspective are created and managed separately, there is a problem that it is not easy to grasp the relationship between the two. This may result in, for example, being unable to derive effective measures for achieving goals from the field level within the activities of the entire company. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a management support device and program capable of presenting the relationship between a management policy tree and a business flow. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The management support device according to the embodiment includes:The system comprises a first support means for providing an operation screen for supporting the creation of a tree-structured management policy tree in which management goals and measures for achieving the goals are set in a step-by-step manner; a second support means for accepting a selection operation of a measure set in the management policy tree and providing an operation screen for supporting the creation of a business flow in which business processing procedures related to the measure are set; a storage control means for storing the management policy tree created with the support of the first support means in a storage device and storing the business flow created with the support of the second support means in the storage device in association with the measure selected by the selection operation; and a provision means for providing a screen which, when an instruction is given to display the management policy tree stored in the storage device, displays the management policy tree to be displayed and each of the business flows associated with the management policy tree on the same screen or displays them by switching between them. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a management support system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the terminal device according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the server device according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a data configuration of a management policy tree DB according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a visualized management policy tree according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a data file of a management policy tree according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data configuration of the business flow DB according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a visualized business flow according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data file of a business flow according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a terminal device and a server device according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a creation support screen according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a creation support screen according to the embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another example of the creation support screen according to the embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of the overview screen according to the embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing another example of the overview screen according to the embodiment. [Figure 16]FIG. 16 is a diagram showing another example of the summary screen according to the embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a diagram showing another example of the overview screen according to the embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating an example of a first support process executed by the server device of the embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating an example of a second support process executed by the server device of the embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of a creation support screen according to the third modification of the embodiment. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is a diagram showing another example of the creation support screen according to the third modification of the embodiment. [Figure 22] FIG. 22 is a diagram showing another example of the creation support screen according to the third modification of the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below.

[0009] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a management support system according to an embodiment. The management support system is introduced, for example, in a company or the like that operates one or more stores.

[0010] 1, the management support system 1 includes a terminal device 10 and a server device 20. The terminal device 10 and the server device 20 are communicatively connected via a network N such as a LAN (Local Area network).

[0011] The terminal device 10 is a terminal device used by a user of the management support system 1. The terminal device 10 executes various processes in response to user operations. For example, the terminal device 10 cooperates with the server device 20 to support the creation of a management measure tree and a business flow, which will be described later, and displays the created management measure tree and business flow. The terminal device 10 can be realized, for example, by a stationary information processing device such as a PC (Personal Computer), or a portable information processing device such as a notebook PC, a tablet terminal, or a smartphone.

[0012] The server device 20 is an example of a management support device. The server device 20 provides the terminal device 10 with an operation support screen in the form of a GUI (Graphical User Interface) for supporting the creation and viewing of a management measure tree and a business flow, which will be described later. The server device 20 also stores and manages the created management measure tree and business flow.

[0013] In this embodiment, an example is described in which the server device 20 is realized by a single device, but this is not limited to this, and the server device 20 may be realized by multiple devices, for example, using technology such as cloud computing.

[0014] Next, the configuration of the devices included in the management support system 1 will be described.

[0015] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the terminal device 10. As shown in Fig. 2, the terminal device 10 includes a computer configuration including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13.

[0016] The CPU 11 is an example of a processor, and performs overall control of each unit of the terminal device 10. The ROM 12 stores various programs. The RAM 13 is a workspace in which programs and various data are expanded.

[0017] The terminal device 10 also includes a display unit 14 , an operation unit 15 , a storage unit 16 , and a communication unit 17 .

[0018] The display unit 14 is composed of a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). The display unit 14 displays various information under the control of the CPU 11. The operation unit 15 has a keyboard, a pointing device, etc. The operation unit 15 outputs the operation content received from the user to the CPU 11. The operation unit 15 may be a touch panel provided on the display screen of the display unit 14.

[0019] The storage unit 16 is composed of a storage medium such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a flash memory, and maintains the stored contents even when the power is cut off. The storage unit 16 stores programs that can be executed by the CPU 11 and various setting information. For example, the storage unit 16 stores an application program such as a web browser that can access the server device 20 and display and operate various operation support screens provided by the server device 20.

[0020] The CPU 11 executes various types of processing by operating according to programs stored in the ROM 12 or the storage unit 16 and expanded in the RAM 13 .

[0021] The communication unit 17 is a communication interface that can be connected to the network N. The communication unit 17 communicates with an external device such as a server device 20 via the network N.

[0022] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the server device 20. As shown in Fig. 3, the server device 20 includes a computer configuration including a CPU 21, a ROM 22, and a RAM 23.

[0023] The CPU 21 is an example of a processor, and performs overall control of each unit of the server device 20. The ROM 22 stores various programs. The RAM 23 is a workspace in which programs and various data are expanded.

[0024] The server device 20 also includes a display unit 24, an operation unit 25, a storage unit 26, and a communication unit 27.

[0025] The display unit 24 is composed of a display device such as an LCD. The display unit 24 displays various information under the control of the CPU 21. The operation unit 25 has a keyboard, a pointing device, etc. The operation unit 25 outputs the operation content received from the user to the CPU 11. The operation unit 25 may be a touch panel provided on the display screen of the display unit 24.

[0026] The storage unit 26 is an example of a storage device. The storage unit 26 is composed of a storage medium such as a HDD or a flash memory, and maintains the stored contents even when the power is cut off. The storage unit 26 stores programs that the CPU 21 can execute and various setting information. For example, the storage unit 26 stores web application programs and the like. The CPU 21 executes various processes by operating according to the programs stored in the ROM 22 or the storage unit 26 and deployed in the RAM 23.

[0027] The storage unit 26 also stores a management policy tree DB 261 and a business flow DB 262 .

[0028] The management policy tree DB 261 is a database for storing and managing management policy trees created by users, etc. Here, a management policy tree is a step-by-step representation in a tree structure of the goals of an organization or company (final goals, which will be described later) and the measures for achieving the goals (intermediate goals, factors, solutions, services, etc., which will be described later).

[0029] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of the management policy tree DB 261. As shown in Fig. 4, the management policy tree DB 261 stores policy names, tree names, data files, etc. in association with IDs. Here, the IDs are identifiers assigned to uniquely identify each management policy tree.

[0030] The policy name is set to a character string indicating the target to be realized or improved, which is set by the management policy tree. For example, the policy name is set to a character string such as "store sales." The tree name stores a name that identifies the management policy tree. The data file stores the actual data of the management policy tree (hereinafter also referred to as the data file) or an address indicating the storage location of the data file.

[0031] In addition, a common policy name may be set in association with different IDs in the management policy tree DB 261. In addition, in Fig. 4, the management policy tree DB 261 is configured to have both items of facility name and tree name, but it may be configured to have either one of them.

[0032] The above-mentioned management policy tree is created using a method such as KPI (Key Performance Indicator) and can be visualized as shown in FIG.

[0033] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a visualized management policy tree. As shown in Fig. 5, the management policy tree is made up of multiple nodes connected in a tree structure. Here, the final goal node A, which is the root node, is a node for setting goals to be achieved. The final goal node A corresponds to, for example, a KGI (Key Goal Indicator). For example, if the final goal is to increase store sales, "store sales" or the like is set in the final goal node A.

[0034] One or more intermediate goal nodes B are connected to the final goal node A. One or more intermediate goal nodes B can also be connected to the intermediate goal node B. An intermediate goal is set in the intermediate goal node B to achieve the goal (final goal or intermediate goal) set in the node immediately above. The intermediate goal node B corresponds to, for example, KPIs (Key Performance Indicators).

[0035] 5 shows an example in which intermediate goal node Ba, in which improvement of the average spending per customer (average spending per customer) is set as an intermediate goal, and intermediate goal node Bb, in which improvement of the number of customers who purchase products (number of customers who purchase products) is set as an intermediate goal, are placed below final goal node A. Also, an example is shown in which intermediate goal node Bc, in which improvement of the purchase rate (purchase rate) is set, and intermediate goal node Bd, in which increase of the number of customers visiting the store (number of customers visiting the store) are set, are placed below intermediate goal node Bb.

[0036] In the management policy tree, it is possible to place a factor node C, which indicates a factor for achieving the intermediate goal set in the intermediate goal node B, under the intermediate goal node B. The factor node C corresponds to, for example, a KSF (Key Success Factor). The example in FIG. 5 shows an example in which a factor node Ca, in which an increase in the average purchase points (average purchase points) is set, and a factor node Cb, in which an increase in the average product price (average product price) is set, are placed under the intermediate goal node Ba as factors for increasing the average spending per customer.

[0037] In addition, in the management policy tree, it is possible to place a solution node D, which indicates a solution method for realizing (solving) the intermediate objective or factor set in the node immediately above, under an intermediate goal node B or a factor node C. The example in Figure 5 shows an example in which a solution node D with "strengthening product stocking" set as a measure for realizing an increase in the average purchase points is placed under a factor node Ca.

[0038] In addition, in the management policy tree, it is possible to place a service node E, which represents a specific service that realizes the cause or solution set in the node immediately above, under a factor node C or solution node D. The example in Figure 5 shows that a service node E with a notification of out-of-stock status (out-of-stock notification) set as a service that realizes improved stock-out is placed under a solution node D.

[0039] Here, the service node E corresponds to a terminal node of the management policy tree, and is associated with a business flow related to the service set in the service node E.

[0040] It is preferable to distinguish between the different types of nodes in the management policy tree by changing the background color or pattern. In Fig. 5, the types of nodes are distinguished by changing the hatching type within the node.

[0041] The above-mentioned management policy tree is saved in a data format such as XML (Extensible Markup Language) as shown in FIG.

[0042] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a data file of a management policy tree, in which the management policy tree of Fig. 5 is represented in XML format.

[0043] As shown in Fig. 6, the data file of the management policy tree is written in tag format. Here, the tag information of the tag TGa corresponds to the management policy tree itself. Specifically, the tag TGa holds an identifier (Tree id="T01") that identifies the management policy tree, and a character string (name="store sales") that indicates the tree name of the management policy tree.

[0044] The tag information of tag TGb corresponds to the final goal node A in Fig. 5. Specifically, the tag information of tag TGb holds a node identifier (Node id="1") capable of identifying each node, type information (kind="KGI") indicating the type of the node, and a character string (name="store sales") set for the final goal node A.

[0045] The tag information of tags TGc and TGd corresponds to intermediate goal nodes Ba and Bb in Fig. 5. The tag information of tags TGc and TGd respectively holds a node identifier (Node id="2", "3") that can identify each node, type information (kind="KPI") that indicates the type of node, and a character string set for the node (name="average customer price", "number of purchasing customers").

[0046] Moreover, the tag information of tag TGe corresponds to service node E in Fig. 5. The tag information of tag TGd holds a node identifier (Node id="100"), type information (kind="Service"), and a character string set for the node (name="Out-of-stock notification"). Moreover, the tag information of tag TGe holds the ID (BPMNID="F01") of a business flow, described later, associated with service node E.

[0047] In Fig. 6, nodes other than the above-mentioned nodes are omitted from the illustration, but are described in the same format as the tag TGb, etc. In Fig. 6, the management policy tree is represented in XML format, but is not limited to this and may be represented in other structured formats such as JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) format.

[0048] On the other hand, the business flow DB 262 is a database for storing and managing business flows related to the services set in the service node E of the business facility tree. Here, the business flow describes the process of processing when the service set in the service node E is executed at the site (practical department) of a store or the like.

[0049] Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of the business flow DB 262. As shown in Fig. 7, the business flow DB 262 stores a flow name, a data file, etc. in association with an ID. Here, the ID is an identifier assigned to uniquely identify each business flow.

[0050] The flow name stores a name that identifies the business flow. The data file stores the data file of the business flow or an address indicating the storage location of the data file.

[0051] The above-mentioned business flow can be created using a method such as a flowchart or BPMN (Business Process Modeling Notation), and can be represented in a visualized state as shown in FIG.

[0052] Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a visualized business flow. Fig. 8 shows an example of a business flow related to the "Out-of-stock notification" set in the service node E in Fig. 5.

[0053] In the business flow, the contents of the processing to be executed between a start event ST and an end event EN are described. In the business flow of Fig. 8, it is described that first, processing of process Qa is executed in pool Pa. Specifically, it is described that processing of taking an image of a shelf on which products are placed by a security camera is executed.

[0054] The business flow in Fig. 8 describes that processes Qb to Qe are executed in pool Pb upon receiving the processing result of pool Pa. Specifically, it describes that in a shelf monitoring system that monitors shelves, an image captured by a monitoring camera is analyzed, and if a shortage of a product is recognized as a result of the analysis, a process of notifying the occurrence of the shortage is executed.

[0055] The above-mentioned business flow is saved in a data format such as XML as shown in FIG.

[0056] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a data file of a business flow, in which the business flow of Fig. 8 is expressed in XML format.

[0057] Here, the tag TGf corresponds to the business flow itself. Specifically, the tag TGf holds an identifier (bpmn id="F01") that identifies the business flow, and a character string (name="out-of-stock notification") that indicates the name of the business flow.

[0058] Although each element included in the business flow is not shown in Fig. 9, the identifier and type indicating each element, the character string set for each element, etc. are described in a data format such as XML. Also, while the business flow is represented in XML format in Fig. 9, it is not limited to this, and may be represented in another structured format such as JSON format.

[0059] 3, the communication unit 27 is a communication interface connectable to the network N. The communication unit 27 communicates with an external device such as the terminal device 10 via the network N.

[0060] Next, the functional configuration of the terminal device 10 and the server device 20 will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the terminal device 10 and the server device 20.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 10, the terminal device 10 includes a display control unit 111 and an operation receiving unit 112 as functional units.

[0062] A part or all of the functional units of the terminal device 10 may be a software configuration realized by cooperation between a processor (e.g., CPU 11) of the terminal device 10 and a program stored in a memory (e.g., ROM 12, storage unit 16). Also, a part or all of the functional units of the terminal device 10 may be a hardware configuration realized by a dedicated circuit or the like mounted on the terminal device 10.

[0063] The display control unit 111 of the terminal device 10 controls the display unit 14 to display various screens on the display unit 14. For example, the display control unit 111 causes the display unit 14 to display various operation support screens related to the operation of a management measure tree and a business flow, which are provided by the server device 20.

[0064] The operation acceptance unit 112 of the terminal device 10 accepts a user operation via the operation unit 15. For example, when the operation acceptance unit 112 accepts an operation on the operation assistance screen displayed on the display unit 14, the operation acceptance unit 112 notifies the server device 20 of the content of the operation.

[0065] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10, the server device 20 includes a GUI providing unit 211, a creation support unit 212, a data management unit 213, a selection support unit 214, a display control unit 215, and an operation receiving unit 216 as functional units.

[0066] A part or all of the functional units of the server device 20 may be a software configuration realized by cooperation between a processor (e.g., CPU 21) of the server device 20 and a program stored in a memory (e.g., ROM 22, storage unit 26). Also, a part or all of the functional units of the server device 20 may be a hardware configuration realized by a dedicated circuit or the like mounted on the server device 20.

[0067] The GUI providing unit 211, the creation support unit 212, and the selection support unit 214 are examples of a providing means. The data management unit 213 is an example of a storage control means. The creation support unit 212 is an example of a first support means and a second support means.

[0068] The GUI providing unit 211 of the server device 20 provides various operation support screens related to the operation of the management measure tree and the business flow in a displayable manner. Here, the operation support screen may be image data representing the operation support screen, or may be various content data for displaying the operation support screen at the destination.

[0069] For example, the GUI providing unit 211 provides operation support screens relating to the creation and viewing of a management measure tree and a business flow to the terminal device 10 that has accessed the server device 20. Also, for example, when a management measure tree and a business flow are created and viewed on the server device 20 itself, the server device 20 provides various operation support screens to the display control unit 215. In this embodiment, a form will be described in which the server device 20 provides various operation support screens to the terminal device 10.

[0070] The creation support unit 212 of the server device 20 cooperates with the GUI provision unit 211 to provide an operation support screen (hereinafter also referred to as a creation support screen) for supporting the creation (or editing) and viewing of management policy trees and business flows.

[0071] For example, the creation support unit 212 provides a creation support screen on which drawing parts corresponding to the KPI methodology and the BPMN notation rules are arranged. Furthermore, when the creation support unit 212 receives an operation to create a management policy tree or a business flow via the creation support screen, the creation support unit 212 creates (generates) a data file representing the management policy tree or the business flow according to the operation content. Furthermore, the creation support unit 212 visualizes and displays the tree structure of the management policy tree and the flow diagram of the business flow.

[0072] Here, Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the creation support screen 30. As shown in Fig. 11, the creation support screen 30 allows the contents to be displayed to be switched using tabs.

[0073] Here, the first tab TA is a tab for creating or viewing a management policy tree. A user of the terminal device 10 can create a management policy tree or view the created management policy tree on the screen displayed by selecting the tab TA. FIG. 11 shows an example of a management policy tree displayed on the screen of the tab TA. Note that, in order to improve the distinguishability of the tab, for example, the policy name or tree name of the management policy tree is displayed on the tab TA (store sales).

[0074] Furthermore, on the creation support screen 30, if the management policy tree displayed on the tab TA screen includes a service node E, a tab corresponding to the service node E is provided. In Fig. 11, the management policy tree displayed on the tab TA screen includes three service nodes E (Ea, Eb, Ec), so tabs TEa to Tec corresponding to each of the service nodes E are provided. Note that, in order to improve the identifiability of the tabs, for example, the node name of the service node E or the flow name of the business flow associated with the service node E is displayed on the tabs TEa to Tec.

[0075] Furthermore, when any one of the tabs TEa to Tec is selected on the creation support screen 30, the screen is switched to that of the selected tab. For example, when the tab TEa is selected, a screen related to the service node Ea corresponding to the tab TEa is displayed as shown in FIG.

[0076] Fig. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a creation support screen similar to that of Fig. 11. Here, on the screen of tab TEa, it is possible to create a business flow to be associated with service node Ea and to view the business flow associated with service node Ea. Fig. 12 shows an example in which a business flow to be associated (or associated with) service node Ea is displayed on the screen of tab TEa. Note that the switching operation of tabs TEa to Tec is not limited to the above example, and may be configured to be switched by a selection operation of service node E.

[0077] As described above, the creation support screen 30 allows the creation and viewing of a management policy tree and a business flow. Furthermore, the creation support screen 30 displays the service node E included in the management policy tree in association with the business flow related to the service node E. This allows the user of the terminal device 10 using the creation support screen to easily confirm the relationship between the service node E included in the management policy tree and the business flow related to the realization of the service set in the service node E.

[0078] The creation support screen is not limited to the creation support screen 30 shown in Fig. 11 and Fig. 12. For example, a creation support screen 31 shown in Fig. 13 may be used in which the management measure tree and the business flow are displayed on the same screen.

[0079] Fig. 13 is a diagram showing another example of the creation support screen 31. As shown in Fig. 13, this creation support screen 31 has an upper area UA and a lower area LA.

[0080] Here, the upper area UA is an area for creating or viewing a management policy tree. The lower area LA is an area for creating or viewing a business flow. Specifically, when one of the service nodes E included in the management policy tree displayed in the upper area UA is selected, the business flow to be associated (or associated with) the selected service node E is displayed in the lower area LA. Note that FIG. 13 shows a state in which the service node Ea in the upper area UA has been selected, and the selected service node Ea is highlighted.

[0081] In this way, on the creation support screen 31, as on the creation support screen 30, it is possible to easily confirm the relationship between the service node E included in the management policy tree and the business flow related to the realization of the service set in the service node E.

[0082] Returning to Fig. 10, the data management unit 213 of the server device 20 is an example of a storage control means. The data management unit 213 stores the management policy tree created with the support of the creation support unit 212 in a management policy tree DB 261. The data management unit 213 also stores the business flow created with the support of the creation support unit 212 in a business flow DB 262 in association with the business policy tree related to the business flow.

[0083] Specifically, the data management unit 213 associates and stores the management policy tree with the business flow by setting the ID of the business flow corresponding to the service of the service node E included in the management policy tree to the tag information of the service node E.

[0084] The selection support unit 214 of the server device 20 works in cooperation with the GUI provision unit 211 to provide an operation support screen (hereinafter also referred to as an overview screen) for supporting the selection of a management policy tree to be displayed, such as for creation or viewing.

[0085] For example, the selection support unit 214 reads out each management policy tree from the management policy tree DB 261 and reads out the business flow associated with the service node E of the management policy tree from the business flow DB 262 .

[0086] Also, for example, the selection support unit 214 provides a search screen for searching for a desired management policy tree, and searches the management policy tree DB 261 for a management policy tree that meets the input search criteria.

[0087] Specifically, when a search condition for searching a management policy tree is input by a user of the terminal device 10, the selection support unit 214 searches for a management policy tree that matches the input search condition from the management policy tree DB 261. Here, the search condition is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a facility name, a tree name, or a part of a character string set in a node.

[0088] In this case, the selection support unit 214 reads out a management policy tree that meets the search criteria from the management policy tree DB 261, and then refers to the service node E included in that management policy tree, and reads out a workflow associated with that service node E from the workflow DB 262. More specifically, the selection support unit 214 reads out a workflow that corresponds to the flow ID set in the tag information of the service node E from the workflow DB 262. Furthermore, when there are multiple management policy trees that meet the search criteria, the selection support unit 214 reads out the workflow related to each management policy tree for each management policy tree.

[0089] In the above example, a character string for searching a management policy tree is input as the search criteria, but the search criteria is not limited to this, and a character string for searching a business flow may be input. In this case, the selection support unit 214 reads out a business flow that meets the search criteria from the business flow DB 262, and reads out a management policy tree associated with the business flow from the management policy tree DB 261. More specifically, for each management policy tree registered in the management policy tree DB 261, the selection support unit 214 compares the flow ID set in the tag information of the service node E included in the management policy tree with the flow ID of the searched business flow. Then, the selection support unit 214 reads out a management policy tree with a matching flow ID from the management policy tree DB 261.

[0090] Furthermore, the selection support unit 214 cooperates with the GUI provision unit 211 to provide the terminal device 10 with an overview screen that visually displays the relationship between the read-out management policy tree and the business flow. An example of the overview screen provided by the selection support unit 214 will be described below.

[0091] Fig. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a summary screen. As shown in Fig. 14, the summary screen 40 has a tree display area 410 and a flow display area 420. Fig. 14 shows an example of displaying a management policy tree with a policy name or tree name of "store sales".

[0092] A summary image such as a thumbnail image visualizing an overview of the tree structure of the management measure tree is displayed in the tree display area 410. Also, the tree display area 410 displays a tree name 411 of the management measure tree being displayed.

[0093] The flow display area 420 displays an overview image such as a thumbnail image that visualizes an overview of a flow diagram of a business flow related to the management measure tree displayed in the tree display area 410. The flow display area 420 also displays a flow name 421 of the business flow to be displayed. Note that the flow display area 420 may also display a character string or the like set in a service node E related to the business flow.

[0094] Here, the background color and pattern of the flow display area 420 are the same as the display color and pattern of the service nodes E related to the business flow displayed in the flow display area 420, among the service nodes E included in the management measure tree displayed in the tree display area 410. In other words, the relationship between the service nodes E and the business flow is displayed in an identifiable manner.

[0095] This allows a user of the terminal device 10 to check the overview of the management policy tree and business flow by looking at the overview screen 40, and can easily understand the relationship between the service node E included in the management policy tree and the business flow.

[0096] 15 and 16 are diagrams showing other examples of the summary screen. In Fig. 15 and Fig. 16, a display example is shown in which a management measure tree includes a plurality of service nodes E (Ea, Eb).

[0097] When a management policy tree includes multiple service nodes E, the selection support unit 214 provides an overview screen 41 in which flow display areas 420, 430 equal to the number of service nodes E are arranged in the row direction in a tree display area 410, as shown in, for example, FIG. 15.

[0098] Here, the flow display area 420 is an area for displaying a business flow related to the service node Ea included in the management measure tree in the tree display area 410. The flow display area 420 displays a flow name 421 of the business flow related to the service node Ea, etc. The background color and pattern of the flow display area 420 are the same as the display color and pattern of the service node Ea.

[0099] Moreover, the flow display area 430 is an area for displaying a business flow related to the service node Eb included in the management measure tree in the tree display area 410. The flow display area 430 displays a flow name 431 of the business flow related to the service node Eb, etc. The background color and pattern of the flow display area 430 are the same as the display color and pattern of the service node Eb.

[0100] By using this display format, the user of the terminal device 10 can check an overview of the management policy tree and the business flow, and can easily understand the relationship between the service node E included in the management policy tree and the business flow.

[0101] 16 shows an overview screen 42 in which a flow display area 420 and a flow display area 430 are arranged in a column direction in association with the tree display area 410. More specifically, the flow display area 420 and the flow display area 430 are arranged on the terminal side (rightward in the figure) of the tree structure of the management measure tree displayed in the tree display area 410. Also, the flow display area 420 and the flow display area 430 are arranged in a column direction in an order according to the tree structure of the management measure tree displayed in the tree display area 410. In other words, in the overview screen 42 of FIG. 16, the display position of the business flow corresponding to the service node E is controlled according to the arrangement position of the service node E shown in the tree structure of the management measure tree.

[0102] This allows the user of the terminal device 10 to check the overview of the management policy tree and business flow by looking at the overview screen 40, and can easily understand the positional relationship between the service node E included in the management policy tree and the business flow.

[0103] Furthermore, for example, in the case where there are multiple management policy trees with the same facility name, the selection support unit 214 provides an overview screen 43 in which tree display areas 410, 450 are arranged for each management policy tree, as shown in FIG.

[0104] Here, the tree display areas 410, 450 are both for displaying overview images of management measure trees, and different overview images of management measure trees are displayed. Also, the tree display areas 410, 450 each display the tree names 411, 451, etc. of the management measure trees being displayed.

[0105] Furthermore, in the case where the management policy tree includes a service node E, flow display areas 420, 460 are provided in association with the tree display areas 410, 450, respectively, in the same manner as described above.

[0106] Here, flow display area 420 corresponds to tree display area 410, and displays a business flow related to service node Ea included in the management policy tree of tree display area 410. Flow display area 460 corresponds to tree display area 450, and displays a business flow related to service node Eb included in the management policy tree of tree display area 450. Furthermore, flow display areas 420, 460 each display flow names 421, 461, etc. of the business flows to be displayed.

[0107] When one management measure tree is selected from the above-mentioned overview screens 40 to 43, the GUI providing unit 211 reads out the selected management measure tree and the business flow related to that management measure tree from the management measure tree DB 261 and the business-like flow 262. Then, the GUI providing unit 211 cooperates with the creation support unit 212 to provide a creation support screen on which the read management measure tree and business flow can be created and viewed.

[0108] 10, the display control unit 215 of the server device 20 controls the display unit 24 to display various screens on the display unit 24. For example, the display control unit 215 causes the display unit 24 to display various operation support screens related to the operation of the management measure tree and the business flow, which are provided by the GUI providing unit 211.

[0109] The operation acceptance unit 216 of the server device 20 accepts a user operation via the operation unit 25. For example, when the operation acceptance unit 216 accepts an operation on the operation assistance screen displayed on the display unit 24, the operation acceptance unit 216 outputs the content of the operation to the CPU 21.

[0110] An example of the operation of the management support system 1 will now be described.

[0111] FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing an example of the first support process executed by the server device 20.

[0112] First, the creation support unit 212 provides a creation support screen for a management policy tree to the server device 20 that has accessed the creation support unit 212, thereby causing the creation support screen to be displayed on the display unit 24 of the server device 20 (step S11). Next, the creation support unit 212 displays the management policy tree created by the user's operation in a visualized state (step S12).

[0113] Next, the creation support unit 212 determines whether or not an operation to select the service node E has been performed (step S13). If the service node E has not been selected (step S13; No), the process proceeds to step S17.

[0114] In addition, when the creation support unit 212 receives an operation on the tab corresponding to the above-mentioned service node E or an operation on the visualized service node E, it determines that an operation to select service node E has been performed (step S13; Yes), and proceeds to processing of step S14.

[0115] In step S14, the creation support unit 212 provides a creation support screen for a business flow related to the selected service node E to the server device 20, thereby causing the creation support screen to be displayed on the display unit 24 of the server device 20 (step S14). Next, the creation support unit 212 displays the business flow created by the user's operation in a visualized state (step S15).

[0116] Next, the creation support unit 212 judges whether or not an operation to complete (or interrupt) the creation of the business flow has been performed (step S16). If an operation to instruct the completion of the creation of the business flow has not been performed (step S16; No), the process returns to step S15 and continues the creation support of the business flow.

[0117] Furthermore, when the creation support unit 212 receives an operation to instruct the completion of the creation of the business flow (step S16; Yes), it judges whether an operation to complete (or interrupt) the creation of the management policy tree has been performed (step S17). If an operation to instruct the completion of the creation of the management policy tree has not been performed (step S17; No), it returns to step S12 and continues the creation support of the management policy tree.

[0118] Furthermore, when the creation support unit 212 receives an instruction to complete the creation of the management policy tree (step S17; Yes), the data management unit 213 associates the created management policy tree with the business flow and stores them in the management policy tree DB 261 and business flow DB 262 (step S18). More specifically, the data management unit 213 associates the management policy tree with the business flow by setting the ID of the business flow corresponding to the service node E in the tag information of the service node E included in the management policy tree.

[0119] This enables the server device 20 to assist in the creation of a management policy tree and a business flow related to the management policy tree, and to store the created management policy tree and business flow in association with each other.

[0120] 19 is a flowchart showing an example of the second support process executed by the server device 20. In this process, a process for searching for a corresponding management policy tree based on a search condition input by a user of the server device 20 will be described.

[0121] First, the selection support unit 214 waits until a search condition is input (step S21; No). When the search condition is input, the selection support unit 214 reads out a management policy tree that matches the input search condition from the management policy tree DB 261 (step S22).

[0122] Next, the selection support unit 214 generates an overview screen showing the tree structure of the read management policy tree, and provides it to the server device 20, thereby causing the overview screen to be displayed on the display unit 24 of the server device 20 (step S23).

[0123] The selection support unit 214 also determines whether the read management policy tree includes a service node E (step S24). If the service node E is not included (step S24; No), the process ends.

[0124] On the other hand, if the read management policy tree includes the service node E (step S24; Yes), the selection support unit 214 reads the business flow associated with the service node E from the business flow DB 262 (step S25). Next, the selection support unit 214 generates an overview screen showing a flow diagram of the read business flow and provides it to the server device 20, thereby displaying the overview screen in association with the overview screen of the corresponding management policy tree (step S26), and ends this process.

[0125] This allows the server device 20 to provide a summary screen that associates the management measure tree with the business flow related to the management measure tree to the user of the server device 20. Therefore, the user of the server device 20 can easily confirm and select the management measure tree and business flow to be created or viewed by looking at the displayed summary screen.

[0126] In addition, even if the management policy tree includes a service node E, if there is no business flow related to the service node E, the selection support unit 214 may display only the overview screen of the management policy tree, or may display a blank overview screen of the business flow.

[0127] As described above, the server device 20 associates a tree-structured management policy tree in which management goals and measures for achieving the goals are set in a stepwise manner with a business flow in which a procedure for business processing related to the measure is set for the last measure (service node E) of the management policy tree, and stores them in the management policy tree DB 261 and the business flow DB 262. Furthermore, when an instruction is given to display a management policy tree stored in the management policy tree DB 261, the server device 20 provides an operation support screen (creation support screen, overview screen) in which the management policy tree to be displayed and the business flow associated with the management policy tree are associated with each other, so that the operation support screen (creation support screen, overview screen) can be displayed.

[0128] In this way, the server device 20 can display an operation support screen that associates a management measure tree with a workflow associated with the management measure tree, and can therefore present the relationship between the management measure tree and the workflow to the user. This allows the server device 20 to allow the user to understand the relationship between the management measure tree and the workflow. This also allows the server device 20 to support, for example, the task of deriving effective measures for achieving goals from the field level in the activities of the entire company.

[0129] The server device 20 also provides an operation support screen (creation support screen, overview screen) that visualizes the tree structure of the management policy tree and the business flow associated with the management policy tree. This allows the server device 20 to present to the user the measures (service node E) that the business flow takes in the tree structure of the management policy tree and the processing contents set in the business flow, allowing the user to understand the relationship between the management policy tree and the business flow.

[0130] The server device 20 also provides an operation support screen (creation support screen, overview screen) that displays the business flow and the measure (service node E) at the end of the management policy tree with which the business flow is associated in an identifiable state. This allows the server device 20 to clearly show the user the measure (service node E) that the business flow is responsible for in the tree structure of the management policy tree, allowing the user to understand the relationship between the management policy tree and the business flow.

[0131] In addition, the server device 20 provides an operation support screen (creation support screen) capable of displaying a workflow associated with a policy set at the end of the management policy tree in response to a selection operation of the policy (service node E). This allows the server device 20 to switch and present related workflows in response to the selection of the service node E, thereby enabling the user to grasp the relationship between the management policy tree and the workflow.

[0132] The server device 20 also assists in the creation of a management policy tree and a workflow, stores the created management policy tree in a management policy tree DB 261, and stores the created workflow in a workflow DB 262 in association with a measure selected by a selection operation from among the measures (service node E) at the end of the management policy tree. This allows the server device 20 to centrally manage the creation and management of the management policy tree and the workflow, thereby improving the work efficiency when creating the management policy tree and the workflow.

[0133] The above-described embodiment can be modified as appropriate by changing a part of the configuration or function of each of the above-described devices. Therefore, some modified examples of the above-described embodiment will be described below as other embodiments. Note that the following mainly describes the differences from the above-described embodiment, and a detailed description of the common points with the contents already described will be omitted. The modified examples described below may be implemented individually or in appropriate combination.

[0134] (Variation 1) In the above-described embodiment, an example was shown in which the terminal device 10 and the server device 20 work together to display various operation support screens (creation support screens and overview screens) provided by the server device 20 on the terminal device 10, but this is not limited to the above, and the terminal device 10 may display them alone.

[0135] In this case, the terminal device 10 may function as a management support device by including functional units such as the above-mentioned GUI providing unit 211, creation support unit 212, data management unit 213, and selection support unit 214, and may display various creation support screens and summary screens on the terminal device 10. Note that the terminal device 10 is in a state in which it can read and write the management measure tree DB 261 and the business flow DB 262 held by the server device 20.

[0136] In this case, the terminal device 10 may be configured to hold either or both of the management policy tree DB 261 and the business flow DB 262, or the data may be held on another device or on the cloud that the terminal device 10 can access.

[0137] (Variation 2) In the above embodiment, a form in which a business flow is associated with a service node E located at the end of a business policy tree has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a form in which a business flow is associated with a node other than the service node E located at the end of a business policy tree may also be used.

[0138] In this case, the above-mentioned GUI providing unit 211, creation support unit 212, data management unit 213, and selection support unit 214 perform the same processing as in the above-mentioned embodiment for the business flow associated with the last node of the business measure tree. This makes it possible to present the relationship between the business measure tree and the business flow to the user, as in the above-mentioned embodiment.

[0139] (Variation 3) In the above embodiment, a screen configuration in which the display contents are switched by tabs has been described as an example of a creation support screen (see Figs. 11 and 12). In this modified example, another form of displaying a management measure tree and a business flow in such a tab-type screen configuration will be described.

[0140] Fig. 20 is a diagram showing an example of a creation support screen according to this modified example. As shown in Fig. 20, in the creation support screen 50, the displayed contents can be switched by tabs, similarly to the creation support screens described in Fig. 11 and Fig. 12.

[0141] Here, the creation support screen 50 has tabs TBa and TBb. Tab TBa is a tab related to the management policy tree "Store Sales", and by selecting (activating) tab TBa, "Store Sales", which is an example of a management policy tree, is displayed on the screen. Tab TBb is a tab related to "Workflow 1", which is an example of a business flow, and by selecting tab TBb, "Workflow 1" related to tab TBb is displayed on the screen. FIG. 20 shows a state in which tab TBb is activated.

[0142] Here, it is assumed that three workflows (Workflows 1 to 3) including at least "Workflow 1" displayed on the screen of tab TBb are associated with the management policy tree "Store Sales" related to tab TBa by the above-mentioned method. That is, FIG. 20 shows a state in which one of the workflows included in the management policy tree "Store Sales" of tab TBa is displayed on tab TBb. Hereinafter, tabs TBa and TBb are collectively referred to as tab TB.

[0143] The first operator OPa with a cross mark provided on the tab TB is for instructing the deletion of the tab TB in which the first operator OPa is provided. For example, when the creation support unit 212 receives an operation of the first operator OPa, it deletes the tab TB in which the first operator OPa is provided from the creation support screen 50.

[0144] In addition, a second operator OPb is displayed on the activated tab TBb. The second operator OPb is an operator for displaying a list of the business measure tree and the business flow related to the business flow of the tab TBb. For example, when the creation support unit 212 accepts the operation of the second operator OPb, it displays a selection screen 51 that displays a list of the business measure tree and the business flow related to the "Business Flow 1" of the tab TBb, as shown in FIG.

[0145] FIG. 21 is a diagram showing another example of the creation support screen according to this modified example. As shown in FIG. 21, when the creation support unit 212 accepts the operation of the second operator OPb, it displays the selection screen 51 in a pull-down manner in association with the tab TBb of the operation destination. The selection screen 51 displays a list of the management measure tree and the workflow related to the "Workflow 1" displayed in the tab TBb. More specifically, the selection screen 51 displays the management measure tree "Store Sales" to which the "Workflow 1" of the tab TBb belongs, and each of the workflows (Workflows 1 to 3) included in the management measure tree. Note that, although the "Workflow 1" related to the tab TBb is included and displayed in the selection screen 51 in FIG. 21, it may be excluded from the display.

[0146] Furthermore, each item (management policy tree, business flow) displayed on the selection screen 51 is selectable, and when any one of the items is selected, the creation support unit 212 displays the selected item on the screen of the tab TBb. For example, as shown in Fig. 21, when "business flow 2" is selected from the selection screen 51, the creation support unit 212 displays the selected "business flow 2" on the screen of the tab TBb, as shown in Fig. 22.

[0147] Fig. 22 is a diagram showing another example of the creation support screen according to this modified example, and shows an example of the screen of tab TBb after "Business Flow 2" is selected from the selection screen 51 of Fig. 21. When an item is selected by an operation on the selection screen 51, the creation support unit 212 displays the selected item on the screen of tab TBb. In addition, the creation support unit 212 changes the name of tab TBb along with the change in the content displayed on the screen of tab TBb.

[0148] In this modified example, the operation related to the selection screen 51 has been explained using the second operator OPb displayed on the tab TBb as an example, but when the tab TBa is activated, the second operator OPb is displayed on the tab TBa in the same way as the tab TBb.

[0149] In this manner, in this modified example, for an item of a management measure tree or a business flow displayed on a tab TB, a selection screen 51 is provided that allows the selection of a management measure tree or a business flow related to that item, and the item selected from the selection screen 51 is displayed on the tab TB. This allows the user to easily grasp the relationship between the business measure tree and the business flow, and the relationship between business flows, thereby improving convenience.

[0150] In this modified example, the item selected from the selection screen 51 is displayed on the screen of the tab TBb from which the operation is performed. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a new tab may be generated and the item selected from the selection screen 51 may be displayed on the generated tab.

[0151] In addition, in this modified example, the screens in Figures 20 to 22 have been described as examples of creation support screens provided by the creation support unit 212, but this is not limiting, and the screens may be provided by the selection support unit 214 as examples of overview screens.

[0152] The programs executed by each device of the above-described embodiments are provided in a state where they are pre-installed in a ROM, a storage unit, etc. The programs executed by each device of the above-described embodiments may be provided by being recorded in a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a flexible disk (FD), a CD-R, or a digital versatile disk (DVD) in the form of an installable or executable file.

[0153] Furthermore, the programs executed by each device of the above-described embodiments may be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by being downloaded via the network. Also, the programs executed by each device of the above-described embodiments may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet.

[0154] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, this embodiment is presented as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These new embodiments and their modifications can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0155] 1. Management Support System 10 Terminal Equipment 20 Server device 111 Display control unit 112 Operation reception section 211 GUI provision department 212 Creation Support Department 213 Data Management Department 214 Selection Support Department 215 Display control unit 216 Operation reception section 261 Management Policy Tree DB 262 Business flow DB [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0156] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-235470 A

Claims

1. a first support means for providing an operation screen for supporting the creation of a tree-structured management policy tree in which management goals and measures for achieving the goals are set in a stepwise manner; A second support means for receiving a selection operation of a policy set in the management policy tree and providing an operation screen for supporting the creation of a workflow in which a procedure of a business process related to the policy is set; a storage control means for storing the management measure tree created with the support of the first support means in a storage device, and for storing the business flow created with the support of the second support means in the storage device in association with the measure selected by the selection operation; a provision means for providing a screen for displaying the management policy tree stored in the storage device and each of the business flows associated with the management policy tree on the same screen or by switching between the screens when the display of the management policy tree is instructed; A management support device equipped with:

2. 2. The management support device according to claim 1, wherein said providing means provides the screen on which a tree structure of said management measure tree and steps of said business flow associated with said management measure tree are visualized.

3. 3. The management support device according to claim 1, wherein said providing means provides said screen on which said business flow and a measure of said management policy tree with which said business flow is associated are displayed in an identifiable manner.

4. 2. The management support device according to claim 1, wherein the providing means provides the screen capable of displaying the business flow associated with a measure set in the management policy tree in response to a selection operation of the measure.

5. Computers for management support devices, a first support means for providing an operation screen for supporting the creation of a tree-structured management policy tree in which management goals and measures for achieving the goals are set in a stepwise manner; A second support means for receiving a selection operation of a policy set in the management policy tree and providing an operation screen for supporting the creation of a workflow in which a procedure of a business process related to the policy is set; a storage control means for storing the management measure tree created with the support of the first support means in a storage device, and for storing the business flow created with the support of the second support means in the storage device in association with the measure selected by the selection operation; a provision means for providing a screen for displaying the management policy tree stored in the storage device and each of the business flows associated with the management policy tree on the same screen or by switching between the screens when the display of the management policy tree is instructed; A program to make it function as such.

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