Trade Management System

Abstract

To provide a transaction management system that allows merchandise transactions to be made while facilitating smooth information sharing of transaction contents between sellers and customers.SOLUTION: A transaction management system 10 has a storage unit 14 that stores databases 16A, 16B. The databases 16A, 16B are data that have been accumulated in a state in which data related to identification information determined for each customer is associated with data related to transaction information of the customer corresponding to the same identification information. The transaction management system 10 has a usage permission unit 18 that allows the databases 16A, 16B to be used by an external terminal 13 by inputting the identification information through operation of the external terminal 13 connected via a communication network 12. When the use of the databases 16A, 16B is permitted, a data processing unit 19 transmits data related to a transaction information page including the transaction information associated with the input identification information to the external terminal 13 via the communication network 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a transaction management system for managing the transaction details of products relating to the exterior of buildings such as houses. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, transactions between a seller (such as a trading company) and a customer (such as a construction company) for products related to the exterior of a building are conducted as follows: First, when the seller receives an offer from the customer, a meeting is held to discuss the planned contents of the transaction (product to be purchased, quantity to be purchased, delivery date, etc.). The seller then prepares documents (a confirmation of the meeting contents and an estimate) based on the items agreed upon in the meeting and presents these documents to the customer. If the seller is satisfied with the transaction contents written in the documents, the seller officially orders the product. The transaction is then completed when the product is delivered to the location specified by the customer (the construction site or construction company).

[0003] In recent years, electronic commerce sites have come into practical use (for example, Patent Document 1). On the electronic commerce site, products selected by sellers are displayed together with their prices. A purchaser selects the product he or she wants from among the products on the electronic commerce site and purchases it. The product thus purchased is delivered to the location (usually the purchaser's home) selected on the electronic commerce site. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-21300 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In exterior construction work, customers such as construction companies set the schedule for construction work using the product based on the delivery schedule of the product. Therefore, customers want to understand the actual transaction details of the product they are purchasing as soon as possible. In this regard, in the general product transactions described above, information is communicated verbally during meetings or by email or fax, which means that it takes time for the transaction details to be communicated between the seller and the customer.

[0006] Here, it is conceivable that all transactions related to exterior products can be carried out using an e-commerce site. Since the e-commerce site stores the history of transaction details, customers can check the transaction details through the history section of the e-commerce site. However, in product transactions between businesses (so-called B2B), various conditions such as the product delivery quantity, delivery time, and past transaction records are taken into consideration, so the product sales price varies depending on the customer. Therefore, simply using an e-commerce system would make it impossible to set such sales prices, resulting in a very difficult-to-use system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] Various aspects of a transaction management system for solving the above problems will be described below. [Mode 1] A transaction management system that manages transaction details for exterior-related products, comprising: a database that stores data regarding identification information assigned to each customer and data regarding transaction information of the customer corresponding to the identification information in an associated state; a memory unit that stores the database; a usage permission unit that permits use of the database by an external terminal connected via a communications network when the identification information is input through operation of the external terminal; and a data processing unit that, when use of the database is permitted by the usage permission unit, obtains from the database data regarding the transaction information associated with the input identification information, and transmits data regarding the transaction information page to the external terminal via the communications network so as to display a transaction information page including the transaction information indicated by the data on the external terminal.

[0008] According to the above configuration, a customer whose identification information has been determined in advance can use the identification information to access a database managed by the seller and ascertain the customer's own transaction information (current status) stored in the database. This eliminates the need for the customer to have a direct meeting with the seller or to communicate by telephone or fax in order to ascertain his / her own transaction information. Therefore, the customer can quickly ascertain his / her own transaction information at any time. Therefore, according to the above configuration, a product can be traded while smoothly sharing information on the transaction content between the seller and the customer.

[0009] [Aspect 2] A trading management system as described in [Aspect 1], wherein the data regarding the trading information includes data regarding pricing variables of the customer. According to the above configuration, products can be displayed on the external terminal in a state that reflects a price setting variable (e.g., a value equivalent to a discount rate) for each customer that is determined by the seller based on various conditions (such as past transaction records.) Therefore, even though the product selling price differs for each customer, the seller can easily present the product selling price corresponding to each customer using the external terminal.

[0010] [Aspect 3] A transaction management system as described in [Aspect 1] or [Aspect 2], wherein the data regarding the transaction information includes data regarding the delivery location of the goods purchased by the customer, and the transaction information page has a delivery location field as a display field for displaying information regarding the delivery location.

[0011] In the exterior industry, it is difficult to store products (exterior materials) used in construction for long periods at the construction site, which is the customer's property. Therefore, when customers purchase products, they have a wide range of requirements for the delivery location of the products, such as just-in-time delivery to the construction site, delivery to the customer (such as a construction company), or delivery by the customer picking up the product from the seller.

[0012] According to the above configuration, the customer can know the delivery location of the product he or she purchased at any time by operating the external terminal. Therefore, the customer can smoothly carry out work at the construction site where the product he or she purchased is used while checking the delivery location of the product.

[0013] [Aspect 4] A transaction management system described in any one of [Aspect 1] to [Aspect 3], wherein the data regarding the transaction information includes data regarding a desired delivery date for the product purchased by the customer and data regarding an actual delivery date for the same product, the transaction information page has as its display column a delivery date column displaying information regarding the actual delivery date, and the delivery date column has a different display color depending on whether the actual delivery date satisfies or does not satisfy the desired delivery date.

[0014] The construction work plan (work process) using the purchased product is determined based on the delivery date of the product. Therefore, whether the actual delivery date of the purchased product satisfies the desired delivery date assumed at the time of ordering is an important factor for purchasers and construction companies.

[0015] In the above configuration, the display color of the delivery date field on the display screen of the external terminal is set to a different color depending on whether the actual delivery date satisfies the desired delivery date or not. Therefore, by simply glancing at the delivery date field on the display screen, it becomes possible to understand based on the display color whether the actual delivery date of the product is in a good condition and satisfies the desired delivery date, or whether the actual delivery date is in an inappropriate condition and does not satisfy the desired delivery date. This improves the convenience of the transaction management system.

[0016] [Aspect 5] A transaction management system described in any one of [Aspect 1] to [Aspect 4], wherein the transaction information page has as its display field a schedule column that displays a schedule of the work required for using the product purchased by the customer.

[0017] According to the above configuration, it is possible to check transaction details (delivery date, delivery location, etc.) of a purchased product while checking them against the process in which the product is used. Effect of the Invention

[0018] According to the present invention, a product transaction can be carried out while smoothly sharing information on the transaction contents between the seller and the customer. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a transaction management system. [Diagram 2] A schematic diagram conceptually showing the structure of data stored in a database. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the display content of a login screen on the home screen. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the display contents of the property management page in a display state showing price information. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 illustrates the property management page in a hidden state, without showing price information. [Figure 6] A diagram showing the display contents of an additional order page. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the display content of a scheduled delivery time confirmation page. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the display contents of a process chart page. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] An embodiment of the transaction management system will be described below. The transaction management system of this embodiment is a system introduced by a sales trading company that sells products related to building exteriors, and is used to manage various information related to product transactions between the sales trading company and its customers, who are purchasers.

[0021] (Overview of the transaction management system) As shown in Fig. 1, a transaction management system 10 of this embodiment includes a management server 11 having a web server function and an application server function. The management server 11 is connectable to an external terminal 13 (specifically, a user terminal such as a personal computer or a smartphone) via a communication network 12 such as a mobile phone network or the Internet. The management server 11 is capable of transmitting and receiving information to and from the external terminal 13. Various data is transmitted and received between the external terminal 13 and the management server 11 in accordance with a known communication protocol.

[0022] (Management Server) The management server 11 has a storage unit 14 and a processing unit 15. The storage unit 14 stores a database 16A in which various data related to the transaction contents of the product are stored. The storage unit 14 also stores a database 16B in which data related to identification information (customer ID) determined for each customer and data related to identification information (salesperson ID) determined for each salesperson are stored. In the storage unit 14, a database server is used as a part for storing the database 16A and a part for storing the database 16B. In addition, the storage unit 14 stores applications and various software used to manage the transaction contents of the product. In addition, the storage unit 14 also stores information on various catalogs. In the storage unit 14, a storage such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD) is used as a part for storing the applications, various software, various catalogs, etc.

[0023] A central processing unit (so-called CPU) or the like is used as the processing unit 15 of the management server 11. This processing unit 15 executes various processes related to the management of product transaction details based on applications and various software stored in the storage unit 14. This processing unit 15 has a data receiving unit 17, a usage permission unit 18, a data processing unit 19, and a display switching unit 19A.

[0024] The data receiving section 17 has a function of receiving data transmitted from the external terminal 13 through the operation of the external terminal 13 via the communication network 12 . The usage permission unit 18 has the function of permitting the external terminal 13 to use the databases 16A and 16B by inputting the above-mentioned identification information (customer ID or sales representative ID) through operation of the external terminal 13 connected via the communication network 12.

[0025] The data processing unit 19 has a function of acquiring data on transaction information of a commodity associated with the identification information (customer ID or salesperson ID) inputted at this time from the databases 16A and 16B when the use of the databases 16A and 16B is permitted. The data processing unit 19 also has a function of transmitting data on the transaction information page to the external terminal 13 via the communication network 12 so as to cause the external terminal 13 to display a transaction information page including the transaction information indicated by the data acquired from the databases 16A and 16B. The function of the display switching unit 19A will be described later.

[0026] (Data management device) The transaction management system 10 has a data management device 20 for updating the databases 16A, 16B. The data management device 20 is configured by a computer having an input device 21 (e.g., a mouse and a keyboard) for performing input operations. The data management device 20 is connected to the management server 11. The data management device 20 is intended for use by an administrator of the transaction management system 10 (e.g., an employee of a sales trading company).

[0027] The data stored in databases 16A and 16B is updated successively by operating data management device 20 at an appropriate timing. In more detail, the administrator of transaction management system 10 operates data management device 20 to update data related to existing transaction information, add data related to new transaction information, and add data related to identification information corresponding to new customers and sales representatives.

[0028] (Database) The data stored in the databases 16A and 16B will be described in detail below. As conceptually shown in Fig. 2, databases 16A and 16B store purchased product data, customer ID, price setting variables, delivery location, delivery method, desired delivery date, actual delivery date, sales representative ID, item name, order slip number, scheduled delivery time, sender, delivery date notification, etc. in an associated state. These data will be explained in more detail below.

[0029] [Purchased Product Data] Purchased product data (A1, A2...) is data about the products purchased by the customer (product model number, manufacturer name, product name, product color, etc.). [Customer ID] The customer ID (B1, B2, etc.) is data related to identification information determined for each customer (customer code, login ID, and login password). This customer ID is set by the sales trading company for customers with whom the company trades products.

[0030] [Price setting variables] The price setting variables (C1, C2...) are data on variables related to setting product prices (e.g., 30% discount). These price setting variables are set by the sales trading company for each customer, taking into consideration past trading performance (e.g., trading period, trading volume), etc.

[0031] [Delivery location] The delivery location (D1, D2, etc.) is data related to the location where the goods purchased by the customer are delivered. Data stored as the delivery location includes "your company," "land yard," "worksite," and "- (other)." "Your company" indicates that the goods will be delivered directly to the customer (for example, a construction company). "Land yard" indicates that the delivery location will be the customer's material storage yard. "Worksite" indicates that the delivery location will be the site where the customer will install the goods. "-" indicates that the delivery location will be some other location.

[0032] "Delivery method"The delivery method (E1, E2,...) is data about the method of delivering the goods purchased by the customer. Data stored as the delivery method includes "normal," "collection from manufacturer," "delivery to store," "collection at construction," and "direct delivery from manufacturer." "Normal" indicates that the selling trading company delivers the goods. "Collection from manufacturer" indicates that the customer directly collects the goods from the product's manufacturer. "Delivery to store" indicates that the goods are handed over at the selling trading company to which the sales representative belongs (more precisely, at the selling trading company's office, warehouse, or logistics center). "Collection at construction" indicates that the selling trading company arranges for and installs the goods, more precisely, that the goods are assembled by construction engineers employed by the selling trading company in accordance with the construction timing of the goods, and then the goods are picked up. "Direct delivery from manufacturer" indicates that the goods are delivered directly from the manufacturer to the customer.

[0033] [Desired Delivery Date] Desired delivery date (F1, F2...) is data related to the desired delivery date (year, month, and day) of the product specified by the customer when placing the product order. [Actual Delivery Date] Actual delivery date (G1, G2...) is data on the actual delivery date (year, month, day) of the product that is confirmed by the seller with the manufacturer (or sales company) based on the details of the order placed by the customer.

[0034] [Salesperson ID] The salesperson ID (H1, H2,...) is data related to identification information (salesperson code, login ID, and login password) that is determined for each salesperson of the sales trading company. This salesperson ID is set by the sales trading company for the salesperson who sells the product.

[0035] [Property Name] The property name (J1, J2, etc.) is data relating to the property name (for example, Mr. A's house in Ginan Town) corresponding to the product purchased by the customer. [Order slip number] The order slip number (K1, K2...) is data related to the order slip number corresponding to the product purchased by the customer.

[0036] [Scheduled Delivery Time] Scheduled delivery time (L1, L2...) is data regarding the scheduled delivery time of the product purchased by the customer. [Shipment origin] Shipment origin (M1, M2...) is data regarding the shipment origin of the product purchased by the customer.

[0037] [Delivery date notification] Delivery date notification (N1, N2...) is data showing the status of the delivery date notification for the product purchased by the customer. (Operation of the transaction management system 10) In the transaction management system 10 of this embodiment, a customer or a salesperson can check product transaction information on a transaction information page displayed on the external terminal 13 through the operation of the external terminal 13.

[0038] The following describes the process by which a customer or a salesperson checks product transaction information using the transaction management system 10 of this embodiment. First, when a customer or a salesperson operates the external terminal 13 to access the transaction management system 10 (more specifically, the management server 11), a home screen is displayed on the display screen of the external terminal 13.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 3, if a customer or a salesperson is not logged in to the transaction management system 10, a login screen is displayed on the home screen 30. When a customer starts using the transaction management system 10, a "customer ID" is entered on this home screen 30. More specifically, a login ID is entered in the ID input field 31 on the home screen 30, and a login password is entered in the password field 32, and then the login button 33 is operated. When this customer ID is authenticated by the usage permission unit 18 of the management server 11, the external terminal 13 is permitted to use the databases 16A and 16B. Thereby, from then on, various information related to product transactions linked to the customer ID entered at this time (more specifically, a transaction information page including this information) is permitted to be displayed on the external terminal 13.

[0040] On the other hand, when a salesperson uses the transaction management system 10, a salesperson ID is entered on the home screen 30. More specifically, a login ID is entered in the ID input field 31 on the home screen 30, a login password is entered in the password field 32, and then the login button 33 is operated. When this salesperson ID is authenticated by the usage permission unit 18 of the management server 11, the external terminal 13 is permitted to use the databases 16A and 16B. Thereby, from then on, various information related to the product transaction linked to the salesperson ID entered at this time (more specifically, a transaction information page including this information) is permitted to be displayed on the external terminal 13.

[0041] In the transaction management system 10 of this embodiment, a menu field 40 is set on the transaction information page (including the home screen 30) displayed on the external terminal 13. Various operation buttons are displayed in the menu field 40, such as a "Home" button 41, a "Customer ledger" button 42, an "Order history" button 43, a "Property management" button 44, a "Schedule" button 45, a "Catalog" button 46, and an "Inquiry" button 47. Customers and sales staff can operate these operation buttons 41 to 47 by logging in to the transaction management system 10.

[0042] When the “home” button 41 in the menu field 40 is operated, the home screen 30 is displayed on the external terminal 13 . When the “Property Management” button 44 in the menu section 40 is operated, a property management page, which is one of the transaction information pages, is displayed on the external terminal 13.

[0043] As shown in Fig. 4, property management page 50 displays various information related to the transaction details of a product, organized by the property that the customer is constructing. Property management page 50 has display columns for displaying information related to the transaction details of the product, such as a purchased product information column 60, a property name column 61, an order slip number column 62, a delivery location column 63, a shipping origin column 64, a desired delivery date column 65, an actual delivery date column 66, and a delivery method column 67. The information related to the transaction details of the product displayed in each display column is described below.

[0044] (Purchased Product Information Column 60) Information about the product purchased by the customer (specifically, product code, product name, remaining order quantity, list price, sales price, and sales amount) is displayed. (Property Name Column 61) The property name corresponding to the product is displayed.

[0045] (Order slip number column 62) The order slip number corresponding to the product is displayed. (Delivery location field 63) The delivery location of the product is displayed. (Shipping origin field 64) Displays the shipping origin of the product.

[0046] (Desired delivery date field 65) The desired delivery date of the product specified by the customer when ordering the product is displayed. (Actual delivery date field 66) The actual delivery date of the product that has been confirmed by the seller with the manufacturer (or sales company) is displayed. In the transaction management system 10 of this embodiment, when the actual delivery date of the product is in an unconfirmed state and has not been confirmed, the actual delivery date field 66 displays "Delivery date unconfirmed." Also, when the actual delivery date of the product is in a confirmed state and the actual delivery date satisfies the desired delivery date, the actual delivery date is displayed in "black" in the actual delivery date field 66. On the other hand, when the actual delivery date does not satisfy the desired delivery date and is in the confirmed state, the actual delivery date is displayed in red in the actual delivery date field 66.

[0047] (Delivery method field 67) The delivery method of the product is displayed. A switching section 68 for switching on and off the display of product prices is set on the property management page 50. This switching section 68 is configured as a pull-down menu that allows the customer (or salesperson) to select either "display price" or "hide price" through operation.

[0048] When "display price" is selected in the switching unit 68, the property management page 50 is in a display state (as shown in FIG. 4) in which the price information of the product (specifically, the list price, the unit price of sales, and the sales amount) is displayed in the purchased product information field 60. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5, when "non-display price" is selected in the switching unit 68, the property management page 50 is in a non-display state in which the price information of the product is not displayed in the purchased product information field 60. In this way, in the transaction management system 10 of this embodiment, it is possible to switch between a display state in which the price field displaying the price information of the product is displayed on the display screen of the external terminal 13 and a non-display state in which the price field is not displayed, through the operation of the external terminal 13. In this embodiment, the process of switching between the display state and the non-display state in this way is executed by the display switching unit 19A in the processing unit 15 of the management server 11 (see FIG. 1).

[0049] An additional order button 70 for placing an additional order for a product is set on the property management page 50. The additional order button 70 is set for each group of products ordered at the same time (specifically, products with the same order slip number). In the transaction management system 10 of this embodiment, by operating the additional order button 70, an additional order for a product included in the group of products corresponding to the additional order button 70 can be easily placed. In the transaction management system 10 of this embodiment, the screen display content when the additional order button 70 is operated differs depending on whether the user logs in using a salesperson ID or a customer ID. The procedure for executing such an additional order will be described below.

[0050] When the salesperson logs into the transaction management system 10 using the salesperson ID, when the salesperson operates the additional order button 70 (see FIG. 5), the additional order page 51 is displayed on the external terminal 13.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 6, the additional order page 51 displays an input field 71 for placing an additional order for the product corresponding to the additional order button 70 operated at this time. The input field 71 has a display field for displaying information about the product previously purchased by the customer (specifically, product code, product name, list price, sales unit price, discount rate, purchase unit price, cost rate, and supplier), as well as the following input sections 72 to 75 for additional orders. Specifically, the additional order page 51 has a desired delivery date input section 72 for inputting a desired delivery date for the product to be additionally ordered, and a delivery destination input section 73 for inputting a delivery destination for the product to be additionally ordered. The additional order page 51 also has a delivery date notification input section 74 for inputting the status of delivery date notification for the product to be additionally ordered, and a quantity input section 75 for inputting the quantity of the product to be additionally ordered. In the transaction management system 10 of this embodiment, a value corresponding to the "price setting variable" is used as the "discount rate" displayed in the input field 71, and a price reflecting the "price setting variable" in the "list price" is used as the "sales unit price".

[0052] Then, after the salesperson has completed inputting data into the desired delivery date input area 72, delivery destination input area 73, delivery date notification input area 74, and quantity input area 75, the confirmation button 76 set on the additional order page 51 is operated. This causes the screen display on the external terminal 13 to switch to a confirmation page (not shown) for confirming the details of the additional order. Then, after confirming the details of the additional order on this confirmation page, the order button displayed on the confirmation page is operated to confirm the additional order.

[0053] On the other hand, when the customer logs in to the transaction management system 10 using the customer ID, and operates the additional order button 70 (see FIG. 5) described above, the additional order page 51 is displayed on the external terminal 13.

[0054] In the transaction management system 10 of this embodiment, the display mode of the additional order page 51 differs only in the display items in the display field of the input field 71 between when the customer logs in using the customer ID and when the customer logs in using the salesperson ID. Specifically, when the customer logs in using the customer ID, the display field of the input field 71 does not display "unit purchase price, cost rate, supplier (see FIG. 6)" as information on the product previously purchased by the customer, but displays only "product code, product name, list price, unit sales price, discount rate." Even in this case, after the customer inputs information into the desired delivery date input section 72, delivery destination input section 73, delivery date contact input section 74, and quantity input section 75, the confirmation button 76 set on the additional order page 51 is operated. This switches the screen display of the external terminal 13 to a confirmation page (not shown) for confirming the contents of the additional order. After confirming the contents of the additional order on this confirmation page, the order button displayed on the confirmation page is operated to confirm the additional order.

[0055] In this way, in the transaction management system 10 of this embodiment, additional orders for previously purchased products can be easily placed from a transaction information page (more specifically, the property management page 50) that displays information about the transaction details of the product. This allows the ordering process to be performed with minimal effort when repurchasing previously purchased products in various situations (such as adding to or repairing products that have already been installed).

[0056] 4 and 5, a scheduled delivery time button 80 is set on the property management page 50. When the scheduled delivery time button 80 is operated by a customer (or a salesperson), a scheduled delivery time confirmation page is displayed on the external terminal 13.

[0057] As shown in Fig. 7, the estimated delivery time confirmation page 53 has display columns for displaying information related to the transaction details of the product, such as a purchased product information column 60, a property name column 61, an order slip number column 62, a delivery location column 63, a sender column 64, an actual delivery date column 66, and an estimated delivery time column 69. The example shown in Fig. 7 shows the display contents of the estimated delivery time confirmation page 53 for a product for which delivery has been completed. As shown in Fig. 7, in the transaction management system 10 of this embodiment, when delivery of the product has been completed, "Delivered" is displayed in the estimated delivery time column 69.

[0058] In this way, in the transaction management system 10 of this embodiment, by operating the scheduled delivery time button 80 on the property management page 50, details about the delivery schedule (including the scheduled delivery time of the product) can be displayed and confirmed on the external terminal 13.

[0059] When the "Order History" button 43 in the menu section 40 (see FIG. 3) on a transaction information page (e.g., property management page 50) is operated, an order history page (not shown), which is one of the transaction information pages, is displayed on the external terminal 13. On the order history page, various information on the products ordered by the customer is displayed in a table. The display items on the order history page include the product's "order number," "order date," "orderer," "customer," "property name," "desired delivery date," "delivery destination," "product name," and "quantity."

[0060] When the "Schedule" button 45 in the menu section 40 (see FIG. 3) on the transaction information page is operated, a schedule page is displayed on the external terminal 13. The transaction management system 10 of this embodiment has a function of displaying a schedule for construction work using a product when the customer purchases the product.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 8, a search field 90 and a process chart field 91 are displayed on the process chart page 54. The search field 90 has input fields for inputting search information such as "search start date," "customer," "sales representative," and "construction engineer." The "customer" is the purchaser of the product. The "sales representative" is the person in charge of the sales trading company who is responsible for selling the product. The "construction engineer" is the person who constructs the product. The search field 90 also has a search button 92. In this embodiment, by inputting information into the input fields of the search field 90 and operating the search button 92, a schedule for the product that matches the conditions entered into the input fields is displayed in the schedule field 91. The search field 90 also has input fields for inputting sorting conditions for the schedule displayed in the schedule field 91.

[0062] The example shown in Fig. 8 shows the display state of the process chart page 54 when a salesperson ID is used to log in to the transaction management system 10. When a customer ID is used to log in to the transaction management system 10, the only input field displayed in the search field 90 for inputting search information is the "search start date".

[0063] The schedule section 91 of the schedule page 54 has display sections that display information about the construction of the product, such as "client," "property name," "work details," and "construction calendar." In the "construction calendar," the "date" section that corresponds to the construction date is colored, making the construction date clear. In the display section that displays the "construction details" in the schedule section 91, a details button 93 is provided. By operating this details button 93, the details of the product to be constructed and the delivery date are displayed.

[0064] The contents displayed in the schedule column 91 are entered and stored as follows: When a product is purchased, the installation date for the product is decided after coordination among the relevant parties. Information regarding the installation of the product (including the installation date) is then entered into the transaction management system 10 through the operation of the data management device 20. Based on the information entered in this manner, information about the product is displayed in the schedule column 91 on the schedule page 54.

[0065] In this embodiment, the construction date is displayed in the "Construction Calendar" column on the condition that the actual delivery date of the product has been confirmed, specifically, that data indicating the actual delivery date has been stored in the actual delivery date field of the databases 16A and 16B through the operation of the data management device 20. In other words, when the actual delivery date of the product purchased by the customer is in an unconfirmed state where it has not been confirmed, the construction date is not displayed in the "Construction Calendar" column. In this case, as shown by the arrow P in FIG. 8, the display column that displays the "Construction details" in the process schedule column 91 displays "Construction date being adjusted." Then, when the actual delivery date of the product purchased by the customer is confirmed, the construction date is displayed in the "Construction Calendar" column, as shown by the arrow Q in FIG. 8.

[0066] When the "customer ledger" button 42 in the menu section 40 (see FIG. 3) is operated on the transaction information page, the external terminal 13 displays a customer ledger page (not shown). The customer ledger page displays information about the customer. The display contents displayed on the customer ledger page are specifically the "customer" who is the person in charge of construction of the property, the "customer name" which is the name of the property, the "control number", the "address" of the property, the "vehicle type that can be delivered (3t short, 4t short, 4t long, etc.)", and the "construction period". Other display contents include the "sales representative, contact information" of the customer, the "site representative, contact information", the "site map", and "drawings" related to the construction on site. Each display field on the customer ledger page can be used to input and register corresponding information through the operation of the external terminal 13. The customer ledger page also includes a site map registration field for registering the "site map", a drawing registration field for registering the "drawings", and a search field for searching for customer information based on the "customer" and "address". In the transaction management system 10 of this embodiment, it is possible to register and display customer information on the customer ledger page.

[0067] When the "Catalog" button 46 in the menu section 40 (see FIG. 3) on the transaction information page is operated, a catalog page (not shown) is displayed on the external terminal 13. The catalog page makes it possible to search and view various catalogs stored in the memory unit 14. By using this catalog page, customers can easily check information on products that interest them at any time. Furthermore, by using the catalog page, sales staff can quickly obtain product information in various situations and present it to customers.

[0068] When the "Inquiry" button 47 in the menu section 40 (see FIG. 3) on the transaction information page is operated, an inquiry page (not shown) is displayed on the external terminal 13. In the transaction management system 10 of this embodiment, the customer can make an inquiry to the seller using the inquiry page.

[0069] (Action and effect) According to this embodiment, the following advantageous effects can be obtained. (1) The memory unit 14 of the transaction management system 10 stores databases 16A and 16B in which a customer ID determined for each customer is associated with data on the transaction information of the customer corresponding to the customer ID. In the transaction management system 10, a customer ID is input through the operation of an external terminal 13 connected via a communication network 12, and the usage permission unit 18 permits the external terminal 13 to use the databases 16A and 16B. When the usage permission unit 18 permits the use of the databases 16A and 16B, the data processing unit 19 acquires data on the transaction information associated with the customer ID from the databases 16A and 16B. The data processing unit 19 transmits data on the transaction information page to the external terminal 13 via the communication network 12 so that the external terminal 13 can display a transaction information page including the transaction information indicated by the acquired data.

[0070] According to such a transaction management system 10, a customer with a predefined customer ID can use the customer ID to access the management server 11 managed by the seller and grasp the customer's own transaction information (current status) stored in the management server 11. This eliminates the need for the customer to have a direct meeting with the seller or to communicate by telephone or fax in order to grasp the customer's own transaction information. Therefore, the customer can quickly grasp the customer's own transaction information at any time. Therefore, a product transaction can be carried out while smoothly sharing information on the transaction content between the seller and the customer.

[0071] (2) The data stored in the databases 16A and 16B includes data on the customer's price setting variables. In the transaction management system 10 of this embodiment, the "discount rate" displayed in the input field 71 of the additional order page 51 uses a value corresponding to the "price setting variable," and the "unit sales price" uses a price that reflects the "price setting variable" in the "list price."

[0072] Here, when trading goods, it is common to set product prices for each customer, taking into consideration past trading records, etc. According to the trading management system 10, it is possible to display information about goods on the additional order page 51, reflecting price setting variables (e.g., discount rates) for each customer. Therefore, even though product sales prices differ for each customer, the seller can easily present the product sales price corresponding to each customer by using the external terminal 13.

[0073] (3) The data stored in the databases 16A and 16B includes data on the delivery location of the product purchased by the customer. The transaction information page displayed on the external terminal 13 (specifically, the property management page 50 and the scheduled delivery time confirmation page 53) has a delivery location field 63 that displays information on the delivery location.

[0074] In the exterior industry, it is difficult to store products (exterior-related materials) used in construction at a construction site, which is a customer's property, for a long period of time. Therefore, when a customer purchases a product, there are various requirements for the delivery location of the product, such as just-in-time delivery of the product to the construction site, delivery of the product to the customer (such as a construction company), and delivery of the product by the customer picking it up from the seller. According to the transaction management system 10 of this embodiment, the customer can know the delivery location of the product he or she purchased at any time by operating the external terminal 13. Therefore, the customer can smoothly carry out work at the construction site where the purchased product is used while checking the delivery location of the purchased product.

[0075] (4) The data stored in the databases 16A, 16B includes data on desired delivery dates for products purchased by customers and data on actual delivery dates for the same products. The transaction information page displayed on the external terminal 13 has an actual delivery date field 66 that displays information on actual delivery dates. In the actual delivery date field 66, when the actual delivery date satisfies the desired delivery date, the actual delivery date is displayed in "black text," whereas when the actual delivery date does not satisfy the desired delivery date, the actual delivery date is displayed in "red text."

[0076] Usually, the construction work plan (work process) using the purchased product is decided based on the delivery date of the product. Therefore, whether the actual delivery date of the purchased product satisfies the desired delivery date assumed at the time of ordering is an important factor for the purchaser and the construction company.

[0077] In the transaction management system 10 of this embodiment, the color of the displayed text in the actual delivery date field 66 on the transaction information page is set to a different color depending on whether the actual delivery date satisfies the desired delivery date or not. Therefore, by simply glancing at the actual delivery date field 66, it is possible to ascertain from the text color whether the actual delivery date of the product is in a good condition and satisfies the desired delivery date, or whether the actual delivery date is in an inappropriate condition and does not satisfy the desired delivery date. This improves the convenience of the transaction management system 10.

[0078] (5) The process schedule page 54 displays a process schedule for the work using the product purchased by the customer. This allows the customer to check the transaction details (e.g., delivery date, delivery location, etc.) of the purchased product while matching them with the process of using the product.

[0079] (6) When the actual delivery date of a product purchased by a customer is not yet determined, the "Construction Calendar" on the schedule page 54 does not display the construction date for the work using the product. When the actual delivery date of a product purchased by a customer is not yet determined, the construction date for the work using the product is displayed on the "Construction Calendar" on the schedule page 54.

[0080] If a schedule is created that includes work that uses a product when the delivery date of the product has not yet been determined, there is a risk of confusion at the construction site where work is being carried out based on that schedule if the delivery date of the product turns out to be later than expected.

[0081] According to the transaction management system 10 of this embodiment, during the period from ordering a product to determining the delivery date, in other words, when the date by which the product will arrive has not been determined, the construction date for the work using the product is not displayed on the schedule page 54 of the external terminal 13. This prevents confusion at the construction site in the above-mentioned manner. Then, only when the delivery date of the product has been determined, i.e., when the date by which the product will arrive has been determined, is the construction date for the work using the product displayed on the external terminal 13, so that the construction date can be accurately grasped.

[0082] (7) The transaction information page has a purchased product information field 60 that displays product price information (specifically, list price, sales price, and sales amount) as a display field. In the transaction management system 10, the customer (or salesperson) can switch between a display state in which product price information is displayed in the purchased product information field 60 and a hidden state in which product price information is not displayed, through the operation of the switching unit 68 by the customer (or salesperson). This allows the external terminal 13 to be in a display state in which product price information is displayed when checking the product price using the external terminal 13 or when showing the external terminal 13 to someone in a state in which the product price is displayed. In addition, when showing the external terminal 13 on which the transaction information page is displayed to a specific person (such as a client who has ordered construction work on a building or a supervisor at a construction site) who does not need to see the product price, the external terminal 13 can be in a hidden state in which product price information is not displayed. According to the transaction management system 10 of this embodiment, the transaction information page displayed on the external terminal 13 can be made easy to use.

[0083] (8) The databases 16A and 16B contain data in which a salesperson ID assigned to each salesperson who sells a product is associated with data on transaction information of a customer corresponding to the salesperson ID. This allows not only customers who purchase products but also salespersons at the store who sell the products to conveniently use the transaction management system 10 when making product transactions.

[0084] (9) The databases 16A and 16B contain data relating to products purchased by customers in association with data relating to the names of properties corresponding to the products. The transaction information page has a property name field 61 that displays the property names. This allows customers and sales staff to easily grasp the transaction information for each property.

[0085] In the transaction management system 10 of this embodiment, the information on the transaction details of the products displayed on the property management page 50 is sorted based on the data on the property name, and is organized for each property that the customer is constructing. Therefore, by looking at this property management page 50, the customer and the salesperson can easily grasp the whole picture of the transaction information of the products for each property. This makes it possible to easily grasp the total amount of the products purchased for the same property at any time without relying on an invoice issued by a sales trading company. The salesperson can then convey the total amount of the products thus grasped to the customer in response to an inquiry, which can be useful for the customer to understand the amount of money required for construction and the amount to be paid. In addition, the delivery dates of the products used for construction on the same property can be confirmed in a collectively displayed state, so that the delivery date management of those products can be easily performed while imagining the work process on the same property.

[0086] (Other embodiments) The above embodiment can be modified as follows: The above embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that no technical contradiction occurs.

[0087] Instead of using different text colors in the actual delivery date field 66 on the transaction information page depending on whether the actual delivery date satisfies the desired delivery date or not, the background color of the actual delivery date field 66 may be different. In short, it is sufficient if the display color of the actual delivery date field 66 can be different depending on whether the actual delivery date satisfies the desired delivery date or not.

[0088] The display color of the actual delivery date field 66 on the transaction information page can be set to the same color whether the actual delivery date satisfies the desired delivery date or not. The display fields on the estimated delivery time confirmation page 53 can be changed as desired, for example, by omitting the order slip number field 62 or the sender field 64.

[0089] The "construction calendar" in the construction schedule column 91 on the construction schedule page 54 may be set to display the construction date for the product, regardless of whether the actual delivery date for the product has been confirmed or not. Instead of using information input through the operation of the data management device 20 as the "information related to product construction" to be displayed in the process schedule column 91 of the process schedule page 54, information input by the customer may be used. As a method for the customer to input information, a method can be adopted in which a process information input page is newly set as a page to be displayed on the external terminal 13 and the customer inputs the "information related to product construction" on that page. In addition, a method can be adopted in which a new page for uploading is set and the customer uploads the process schedule using that page.

[0090] The information displayed on the schedule page 54 can be changed at will. The "Schedule" button 45 and the schedule page 54 may be omitted. The "Customer Register" button 42 and the customer register page can be omitted.

[0091] The "catalog" button 46 and the catalog page can be omitted, and the "contact us" button 47 and the contact us page can be omitted. · The Order History button 43 and the "Order History" page can be omitted.

[0092] In addition to making the operation buttons displayed in the menu section 40 the same when logging in to the transaction management system 10 using a sales representative ID and when logging in using a customer ID, the operation buttons displayed in the menu section 40 may be made non-identical.

[0093] The configuration for setting the sales representative ID can be omitted. The display switching unit 19A may be omitted, and the product price information may be always displayed in the purchased product information field 60 on the transaction information page.

[0094] The delivery location field 63, the sender field 64, the delivery method field 67, etc. on the transaction information page may be omitted. Pricing variables may be omitted from the data stored in the databases 16A and 16B.

[0095] The management server 11 can be constructed not only by a self-developed system, but also by using an external service such as an ASP (Application Service Provider) service. [Explanation of symbols]

[0096] 10. Trade management system 11…Administration server 12…Communications Network 13…External terminal 14...Storage section 15... Processing section 16A, 16B...Database 17...Data receiving section 18…Usage permission department 19...Data processing section 19A…Display switching section 50…Property Management Page 51…Additional Order Page 53…Delivery time confirmation page 54...Schedule page 60…Purchase information section 61...Property name column 63...Delivery location field 65…Desired delivery date 66…Actual delivery date 67…Delivery method column 68…Switching section 69…Estimated delivery time column 91…Process table column

Claims

1. A transaction management system for managing transaction details of products related to exteriors, a database for storing data on identification information assigned to each customer and data on transaction information of the customer corresponding to the identification information in an associated state; A storage unit that stores the database; a usage permission unit that permits the external terminal to use the database by inputting the identification information through an operation of the external terminal connected via a communication network; a data processing unit that, when use of the database is permitted by the usage permission unit, obtains data on the transaction information associated with the input identification information from the database, and transmits data on a transaction information page including the transaction information indicated by the data to the external terminal via the communication network so as to cause the external terminal to display the transaction information page; The data regarding the transaction information includes data regarding actual delivery dates for products purchased by the customer; the transaction information page has, as a display field, a schedule field for displaying a schedule of work for using the product purchased by the customer; In the process schedule section, When the customer purchases a product, information about the product purchased by the customer is input and stored in the transaction management system, the information including the construction date and information about the construction of the product purchased by the customer is displayed based on the information, and The construction date is displayed on the condition that the data indicating the actual delivery date is stored in the database, and the actual delivery date of the product purchased by the customer is determined, and When the data indicating the actual delivery date is not stored in the database, the actual delivery date of the product purchased by the customer is not determined, and the construction date is not displayed. Transaction management system.

2. The data regarding the transaction information includes data regarding pricing variables of the customer. The transaction management system according to claim 1.

3. The data on the transaction information includes data on the delivery location of the product purchased by the customer. Including, The transaction information page may include a delivery information field that displays information about the delivery location. Has a location field The transaction management system according to claim 1.

4. The data on the transaction information is related to a desired delivery date for the product purchased by the customer. data regarding actual delivery dates for the same product, The transaction information page may include a delivery information field that displays information regarding the actual delivery date. It has a period column, The delivery date column is displayed in a different color when the actual delivery date satisfies the desired delivery date. Different colors are assigned when the number is not added. The transaction management system according to claim 1.

Images