Inventory management system and inventory management method

Abstract

To provide an order reception and warehouse management system configured to integrally manage order inventory management in each store and shipping inventory management in each warehouse, in one system.SOLUTION: An order reception and warehouse management system performs order inventory management which is generated when a customer orders a commodity and shipping inventory management to store commodities and deliver the ordered commodity ordered from the customer. The order reception and warehouse management system includes: an order reception processing step which determines, by a computer, an order reception slip for a commodity ordered from a customer and an allocation source warehouse for shipping a stored storage commodity to generate a shipping slip; an allocation processing step of allocating the storage commodity stored in the allocation source warehouse to the ordered commodity; and a shipping processing step of shipping the storage commodity allocated in the allocation processing step.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an order receiving and warehouse management system that performs order inventory management, which occurs when a customer places an order for a product, and shipping inventory management, which stores products in advance and delivers the products ordered by the customer. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 is a system for performing order management, and Patent Document 2 is a system for performing inventory management. As disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, order management systems and inventory management systems have been proposed in the past. Incidentally, while online shops have become widespread in recent years, many of them do not have their own warehouses and instead use external logistics warehouses. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-42487 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2020-126366 A DISCLOSURE OF THEINVENTION [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, when an online shop uses an external logistics warehouse, it is difficult to link the order management system with the inventory management system.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to provide an order receiving and warehouse management system that can integrate order inventory management at each store and shipping inventory management at each warehouse into a single system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The order receiving and warehouse management system of the present invention described in claim 1 is an order receiving and warehouse management system that performs order inventory management that occurs when a product is ordered by a customer, and shipping inventory management that stores the product in advance and delivers the ordered product ordered by the customer, and includes an order receiving processing step 10 in which a computer creates an order receipt for the ordered product ordered by the customer and a shipping receipt by determining an allocation source warehouse that will ship the stored stored product, an allocation processing step 20 in which the stored product stored at the allocation source warehouse is allocated to the ordered product, and and a shipping processing step 40 of shipping the stored goods allocated in the order processing step 40. In the order processing step 10, an order slip ID is assigned to each order slip, the status of the order slip to which the order slip ID is assigned is written in an order slip table 61, a detail line ID is assigned to each ordered item by product type, the order slip ID corresponding to the ordered item to which the detail line ID is assigned, the product ID corresponding to the ordered item, and the status are written in a detail line table 62, and an allocation source warehouse for shipping the ordered item of the detail line ID is determined for each detail line ID, and the determined warehouse is A shipping slip ID is assigned to each of the allocation source warehouses, the warehouse ID corresponding to the allocation source warehouse to which the shipping slip ID is assigned and the status are written in the shipping slip table 64, the shipping slip ID corresponding to the detail line ID is written in the detail line table 62, and in the allocation processing step 20, if the ordered product corresponding to the detail line ID exists in the logical inventory table 65 that manages the products stored in the allocation source warehouse, the status of the logical inventory ID for the corresponding product in the logical inventory table 65 is rewritten from in storage to allocated. When the logical inventory table 65 is rewritten to "allocated," the status of the corresponding detail line ID in the detail line table 62 is rewritten from "not allocated" to "allocated," and when the detail line table 62 is rewritten to "allocated," the status of the corresponding order slip ID in the order slip table 61 is rewritten from "not allocated" to "allocated," and when the detail line table 62 is rewritten to "allocated," the status of the corresponding shipping slip ID in the shipping slip table 64 is rewritten from "not allocated" to "waiting for shipping," and in the shipping processing step 40,The status of the physical inventory ID for the corresponding product in a physical inventory table 66 that manages the products stored by the allocation source warehouse is rewritten from In storage to Allocated, and when the status is rewritten to Allocated in the physical inventory table 66, the status of the corresponding shipping slip ID in the shipping slip table 64 is rewritten from Awaiting shipping to In shipping preparation, and by inputting data of the completion of shipping preparation at the allocation source warehouse, the status of the corresponding shipping slip ID in the shipping slip table 64 is rewritten from In shipping preparation to Shipped, the status of the corresponding order slip ID in the order slip table 61 is rewritten from Allocated to Shipped, the status of the corresponding detail line ID in the detail line table 62 is rewritten from Allocated to Shipped, the status of the logical inventory ID for the corresponding product in the logical inventory table 65 is rewritten from Allocated to Shipped, and the status of the physical inventory ID for the corresponding product in the physical inventory table 66 is rewritten from Allocated to Shipped. The present invention as described in claim 2 is characterized in that, in the order receiving and warehouse management system as described in claim 1, the logical inventory table 65 is assigned the logical inventory ID for each item in the smallest unit that can be ordered for the stored items, the item ID, the warehouse ID, and the status are written for each logical inventory ID, and when the item is rewritten from "In storage" to "Allocated" in the allocation processing step 20, the detail line ID corresponding to the ordered item is written. The present invention as described in claim 3 is characterized in that, in the order receiving and warehouse management system as described in claim 1 or claim 2, the physical inventory table 66 is assigned a physical inventory ID for each item in the smallest unit that can be ordered for the stored items, the item ID, the warehouse ID, and the status are written for each physical inventory ID, and when the item is rewritten from "In storage" to "Allocated" in the shipping processing step 40, the detail line ID corresponding to the ordered item is written. The present invention as described in claim 4 is characterized in that, in the order receiving and warehouse management system as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, the physical inventory table 66 manages the storage location, shipping deadline date, and lot of the stored goods. The present invention as set forth in claim 5 is characterized in that, in the order receiving and warehouse management system as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 4, an inventory operation log table 67 is provided for managing the product ID, the warehouse ID, and transaction information from the allocated state to the shipped state, and when the logical inventory table 65 is rewritten to the allocated state in the allocation processing step 20, the inventory operation log table 67 writes the product ID and the warehouse ID that have become allocated together with the transaction information indicating that the product has been allocated, and when the physical inventory table 66 is rewritten to the allocated state in the shipping processing step 40, the inventory operation log table 67 writes the product ID and the warehouse ID that have become allocated together with the transaction information indicating that physical allocation has been performed, and when data of completion of shipping work at the allocation source warehouse is input in the shipping processing step 40, the inventory operation log table 67 writes the product ID and the warehouse ID that have become shipped together with the transaction information indicating that shipping has been performed. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, in the allocation processing step in order management, data inventory management can be performed by using a logical inventory table, and in the shipping processing step in shipping inventory management, physical inventory management can be performed by using a physical inventory table. Therefore, even when a store operator selling products uses an external warehouse in addition to their own warehouse, or when multiple external warehouses owned by multiple different warehouse operators are used, order inventory management at each store and shipping inventory management at each warehouse can be integrated and managed in a single system. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] A conceptual diagram of an order and warehouse management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2]A flowchart showing order processing in an order receiving and warehouse management system according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 3] A flowchart showing the logical inventory allocation process in the order receiving and warehouse management system according to this embodiment. [Figure 4] A flowchart showing the order receipt and warehouse transfer processing in the warehouse management system according to this embodiment. [Diagram 5] A flowchart showing the shipping process performed after the order receiving and allocation process in the warehouse management system according to the present embodiment. [Figure 6] A flowchart showing the shipping process performed after the order receiving and allocation process in the warehouse management system according to the present embodiment. [Figure 7] A flowchart showing the shipping process performed after the order receipt and inventory transfer process in the warehouse management system according to this embodiment. [Figure 8] A flowchart showing the shipping process performed after the order receipt and inventory transfer process in the warehouse management system according to this embodiment. [Figure 9] A flowchart showing order processing in the case where a single order slip is shipped from a different warehouse as the allocation source warehouse in the order receiving and warehouse management system according to the present embodiment. [Figure 10] A flowchart showing the allocation process when shipping from different warehouses to one order slip in the order receipt and warehouse management system according to this embodiment. [Figure 11] A flowchart showing the shipping process performed at warehouse X when a single order slip is shipped from a different warehouse as the allocation source warehouse in the order receipt and warehouse management system according to this embodiment. [Figure 12] A flowchart showing the shipping process performed at warehouse Y when a single order slip is shipped from a different warehouse as the allocation source warehouse in the order receipt and warehouse management system according to this embodiment. [Figure 13] System configuration diagram of the order receiving and warehouse management system according to this embodiment DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] The order receiving and warehouse management system according to the first embodiment of the present invention has an order receiving processing step in which a computer creates an order receiving slip for an ordered item ordered by a customer and a shipping slip by determining an allocation source warehouse to ship the stored item, an allocation processing step in which stored items stored at the allocation source warehouse are allocated to the ordered item, and a shipping processing step in which the stored item allocated in the allocation processing step is shipped. In the order receiving processing step, an order receiving slip ID is assigned to each order receiving slip, the status of the order receiving slip to which the order receiving slip ID has been assigned is written into an order receiving slip table, and the ordered items are sorted by product type and the order receiving slip ID is stored in the order receiving slip table. A detail line ID is assigned at each detail line ID, the order slip ID corresponding to the order item assigned the detail line ID, the product ID corresponding to the order item, and the status are written to the detail line table, the allocation source warehouse that will ship the order item with the detail line ID is determined for each detail line ID, a shipping slip ID is assigned for each determined allocation source warehouse, the warehouse ID corresponding to the allocation source warehouse with the shipping slip ID assigned and the status are written to the shipping slip table, and the shipping slip ID corresponding to the detail line ID is written to the detail line table. In the allocation processing step, a logical inventory table that manages the products stored in the allocation source warehouse is created. If an ordered item corresponding to the detail line ID exists in the logical inventory table, the status of the logical inventory ID for the corresponding item in the logical inventory table is rewritten from In storage to Allocated. When the logical inventory table is rewritten to Allocated, the status of the corresponding detail line ID in the detail line table is rewritten from Not Allocated to Allocated. When the detail line table is rewritten to Allocated, the status of the corresponding order slip ID in the order receipt table is rewritten from Not Allocated to Allocated. When the detail line table is rewritten to Allocated, the status of the corresponding order slip ID in the order receipt table is rewritten from Not Allocated to Allocated. The status of the shipping slip ID is changed from waiting to be shipped, and in the shipping processing step, the status of the physical inventory ID for the corresponding product in the physical inventory table that manages the products stored at the allocation source warehouse is changed from in storage to allocated, and when the status is changed to allocated in the physical inventory table, the status of the corresponding shipping slip ID in the shipping slip table is changed from waiting to be shipped to in shipping preparation, and data indicating the completion of shipping work at the allocation source warehouse is entered, the status of the corresponding shipping slip ID in the shipping slip table is changed from in shipping preparation to shipped,The status of the corresponding order slip ID in the order slip table is rewritten from Allocated to Shipped, the status of the corresponding detail line ID in the detail line table is rewritten from Allocated to Shipped, the status of the logical inventory ID for the corresponding product in the logical inventory table is rewritten from Allocated to Shipped, and the status of the physical inventory ID for the corresponding product in the physical inventory table is rewritten from Allocated to Shipped. According to this embodiment, in the allocation processing step in order management, digital inventory management can be performed by using a logical inventory table, and in the shipping processing step in shipping inventory management, physical inventory management can be performed by using a physical inventory table. Therefore, even when a store operator selling products uses an external warehouse in addition to their own warehouse, or when multiple external warehouses owned by multiple different warehouse operators are used, order inventory management at each store and shipping inventory management at each warehouse can be integrated and managed in a single system.

[0010] In the second embodiment of the present invention, in the order entry and warehouse management system according to the first embodiment, a logical inventory ID is assigned to each stored item in the logical inventory table for each item that is the smallest unit in which an order can be placed, and an item ID, warehouse ID, and status are written for each logical inventory ID. When the item is rewritten from "In storage" to "Allocated" in the allocation processing step, a detail line ID corresponding to the ordered item is written. According to this embodiment, the logical inventory table contains the product ID, warehouse ID, and status, allowing the store manager to know how many of each product are in which warehouse and to automatically and smoothly carry out allocation processing.

[0011] In a third embodiment of the present invention, in the order entry and warehouse management system according to the first or second embodiment, a physical inventory ID is assigned to stored items in the physical inventory table for each item in the smallest unit that can be ordered, and an item ID, warehouse ID, and status are written for each physical inventory ID. When the item is rewritten from "in storage" to "allocated" in the shipping processing step, a detail line ID corresponding to the ordered item is written. According to this embodiment, the physical inventory table contains the product ID, warehouse ID, and status, allowing the warehouse operator to know whether a product is remaining in stock at each warehouse or has been physically allocated, and to carry out shipping processing smoothly.

[0012] A fourth embodiment of the present invention is an order and warehouse management system according to any one of the first to third embodiments, in which a physical inventory table manages the storage location, shipping deadline date, and lot of stored goods. According to this embodiment, a warehouse operator can use the system to manage storage locations, shipping deadline dates, and lots.

[0013] A fifth embodiment of the present invention is an order receiving and warehouse management system according to any one of the first to fourth embodiments, which is provided with an inventory operation log table for managing product IDs, warehouse IDs, and transaction information from allocated to shipped, and in which, when the logical inventory table is rewritten to allocated in the allocation processing step, the inventory operation log table writes the allocated product ID and warehouse ID together with transaction information indicating that the product has been allocated, and when the physical inventory table is rewritten to allocated in the shipping processing step, the allocated product ID and warehouse ID together with transaction information indicating that a physical allocation has been made, and in which, when data indicating the completion of shipping operations at the allocation source warehouse is entered in the shipping processing step, the inventory operation log table writes the shipped product ID and warehouse ID together with transaction information indicating that shipping has been made. According to this embodiment, the inventory operation log table is used to manage transaction information as the inventory change history from allocation to shipment, together with the products and storage warehouses, so that inventory changes can be managed using the inventory operation log table. EXAMPLES

[0014] An order receiving and warehouse management system according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described. FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of an order receiving and warehouse management system according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the order and warehouse management system according to this embodiment is an order and warehouse management system that performs order inventory management that occurs when a customer orders a product, and shipping inventory management that stores products in advance and delivers the products ordered by the customer, and the operator of store A that sells products can use external warehouse X or external warehouse Y in addition to its own warehouse Z, and even if the operator of store A does not have its own warehouse Z and uses external warehouse X or external warehouse Y, or if the operator of store A uses multiple external warehouses X and Y owned by multiple different warehouse companies, the order inventory management at store A and the shipping inventory management at each warehouse X, Y, and Z can be integrated and managed in one system. Also, if external warehouse X or external warehouse Y has store B (not shown) or store C (not shown) other than store A as a shipper, external warehouse X or external warehouse Y can manage multiple shippers collectively.

[0015] 2 to 8 are flow charts showing a standard processing flow in the order receiving and warehouse management system according to this embodiment. Figure 2 shows the order fulfillment process. The order processing step 10 performed by the computer includes an order slip creation step 11, an order slip detail line creation step 12, a product information allocation step 13, an allocation source warehouse determination processing step 14, a shipping slip creation step 15, and an order slip status update step 16.

[0016] In order slip creation step 11, an order slip is created for the ordered products ordered by the customer. When creating an order slip, an order slip ID is assigned to each order slip, and the status of the order slip with the assigned order slip ID is written as "in process" in order slip table 61.

[0017] In order slip detail line creation step 12, an order slip detail line corresponding to the order slip is created. When creating an order slip detail line, a detail line ID is assigned to each ordered item by product type, and the order slip ID corresponding to the ordered item with the detail line ID assigned, the quantity of the ordered item, and the status are written in the detail line table. In order slip detail line creation step 12, the status is "allocated." It is assumed that one bag and one pair of shoes are ordered as items. Since the bag and the shoes are different product types, the bag is assigned a detail line ID of "1" and the shoes is assigned a detail line ID of "2".

[0018] In product information allocation step 13, product information is allocated to the order slip detail line created in order slip detail line creation step 12. In allocating product information, the product ID corresponding to the ordered product is written into the product ID field of detail line table 62 by referencing product master table 78 (see FIG. 13). In this embodiment, this shows that the product ID corresponding to the bag is "1" and the product ID corresponding to the shoes is "2".

[0019] In allocation source warehouse determination process step 14, an allocation source warehouse that will ship the ordered items of each detail line ID is determined for each detail line ID. The allocation source warehouse is determined according to a preset allocation source warehouse rule. The allocation source warehouse rule is stored in the allocation source warehouse rule database 63.

[0020] In shipping slip creation step 15, a shipping slip is created. When creating the shipping slip, a shipping slip ID is assigned to each determined allocation source warehouse, and the warehouse ID corresponding to the allocation source warehouse to which the shipping slip ID was assigned and the status are written in shipping slip table 64. In shipping slip creation step 15, the status is "waiting for shipment." In FIG. 2, the warehouse with warehouse ID "X" is the allocation source warehouse for both bags and shoes. In the shipping slip creation step 15, the shipping slip is created and the shipping slip ID corresponding to the detail line ID is written in the detail line table 62.

[0021] The status of the order slip is updated in order slip status update step 16. The order slip status is updated by updating the status in order slip table 61 from "in process" to "allocated." After updating the status of the order slip to "allocated" in order slip status update step 16, if allocation is possible (Yes in allocation decision step 17), the computer performs logical inventory allocation processing step 20 shown in FIG. Here, in the allocation judgment step 17, whether allocation is possible or not is judged based on whether the ordered item corresponding to the detail line ID exists with a status of "in storage" in the logical inventory table 65 that manages the items stored in the allocation source warehouse. In the logical inventory table, a logical inventory ID is assigned to each stored product in the smallest unit that can be ordered, and the product ID, warehouse ID, and status are written for each logical inventory ID. When an item has not been allocated, the status is "In storage."

[0022] Figure 3 shows the logical inventory allocation process. The logical inventory allocation process step 20 performed by the computer includes a logical inventory allocation step 21, an inventory operation log addition step 22, and a slip status update step 23.

[0023] In the logical inventory allocation step 21, the status of the logical inventory ID for the corresponding product in the logical inventory table 65 is changed from in storage to allocated for the quantity in the detail line. In the logical inventory allocation step 21, when the logical inventory table 65 is rewritten to "allocated," the status of the corresponding detail line ID in the detail line table 62 is rewritten from "awaiting allocation" to "allocated."

[0024] In the inventory operation log addition step 22, the inventory operation log is written to the inventory operation log table 67. The inventory operation log table 67 manages the product ID, warehouse ID, and transaction information from allocation to shipping. When the logical inventory table 65 is rewritten to "allocated" in the logical inventory allocation step 21, the "allocated" product ID and warehouse ID are written to the inventory operation log table 67 together with transaction information indicating that the product has been allocated. In the inventory operation log addition step 22, the transaction information becomes "allocated."

[0025] In slip status update step 23, the status in the order slip table 61 is updated from "Not Allocated" to "Allocated," and the status in the shipping slip table 64 is updated from "Not Allocated" to "Awaiting Shipping." That is, when the detail line table 62 is rewritten to "Allocated" in logical inventory allocation step 21, the status of the corresponding order slip ID in the order slip table 61 is rewritten from "Not Allocated" to "Allocated," and the status of the corresponding shipping slip ID in the shipping slip table 64 is rewritten from "Not Allocated" to "Awaiting Shipping."

[0026] After updating the status of the order slip to "Awaiting allocation" in order slip status update step 16 shown in Fig. 2, if there is no logical inventory in the status storage (No in step 17), the computer performs warehouse transfer processing step 30 shown in Fig. 4. When there is no logical inventory in the status storage, the computer writes the product ID and warehouse ID that have become "Awaiting allocation" and transaction information to inventory operation log table 67. In step 17, the transaction information becomes "Awaiting allocation."

[0027] Figure 4 illustrates a warehouse transfer transaction. The warehouse transfer processing step 30 performed by the computer includes a step 31 of searching for shipping slips waiting for allocation, a step 32 of searching for a warehouse available for shipment, a step 33 of determining whether a corresponding warehouse is available, a step 34 of selecting a shipping warehouse, a step 35 of rewriting the shipping slip, a step 36 of logical inventory allocation, a step 37 of adding an inventory operation log, and a step 38 of updating the slip status.

[0028] In the allocation pending shipping slip search step 31, a search operation by the user of store A is used as a trigger and the computer extracts from the shipping slip database 68 shipping slip IDs whose status in the shipping slip table 64 is "allocated."

[0029] In step 32 of searching for a warehouse that can ship, the computer extracts the ID and quantity of the product that is on allocation from the detail line table 62 in which the shipping slip ID extracted in step 31 of searching for shipping slips that are on allocation is written, and extracts warehouses from which the product that is on allocation can be shipped from the warehouse / logical inventory database 69. Here, a warehouse that can ship is a warehouse where logical inventory in storage status exists for the quantity in the detail line. The shipping warehouse search step 32 is performed by a computer periodically executing a search at a predetermined timing, but the search can also be executed by a user at any timing.

[0030] In step 33 for determining whether a corresponding warehouse is available, it is determined whether a shipping warehouse is available in step 32 for searching for a shipping warehouse, and if a shipping warehouse is extracted (Yes in step 33 for determining whether a corresponding warehouse is available), the shipping warehouse is automatically selected (step 34 for selecting a shipping warehouse).

[0031] When the user of store A selects a shipping warehouse in shipping warehouse selection step 34, the computer rewrites the shipping slip (shipping slip rewrite step 35).

[0032] In the shipping slip rewrite step 35, the warehouse ID and status of the shipping slip ID whose status is "waiting for allocation" are rewritten. In this embodiment, the case where warehouse Y is selected in the shipping warehouse selection step 34 is shown, and the warehouse ID is rewritten to Y and the status is rewritten to "waiting for shipping".

[0033] In the logical inventory allocation step 36, the status of the logical inventory ID for the corresponding product ID in the logical inventory table 65 is rewritten from in storage to allocated for the quantity in the detail line. In the logical inventory allocation step 36, when the logical inventory table 65 is rewritten to "allocated," the status of the corresponding detail line ID in the detail line table 62 is rewritten from "awaiting allocation" to "allocated."

[0034] In the inventory operation log addition step 37, the inventory operation log table 67 is entered with the inventory operation log ID as “1”, the product ID as “2”, the warehouse ID as “released” for X, and the new warehouse ID as “allocated” for Y.

[0035] In slip status update step 38, the status in the order slip table 61 is updated from "waiting for allocation" to "allocated." That is, when the status is rewritten to "allocated" in the detail line table 62 in logical inventory allocation step 36, the status of the corresponding order slip ID in the order slip table 61 is rewritten from "waiting for allocation" to "allocated." If no warehouse available for shipment is extracted in step 33 for determining whether or not there is a corresponding warehouse (No in step 33 for determining whether or not there is a corresponding warehouse), the user of store A replenishes the product with the scheduled shipping warehouse (product replenishment step 39).

[0036] 5 and 6 show the shipping process that is carried out after the allocation process. The shipping process step 40 performed by the computer includes a physical inventory allocation step 41 , an inventory operation log addition step 42 , a status update step 43 , a shipping operation completion step 44 , and an inventory operation log addition step 45 .

[0037] In the physical inventory allocation step 41, the status of the physical inventory ID for the corresponding product in the physical inventory table 66 is rewritten from "in storage" to "allocated." In the physical inventory table 66, a physical inventory ID is assigned to each stored product in the smallest unit that can be ordered, and the product ID, warehouse ID, and status are written for each physical inventory ID. When an item is not allocated, the status is "In storage." The physical inventory table 66 is for managing the storage location, shipping deadline date, and lot of stored goods, and the warehouse operator can use the physical inventory table 66 to manage the storage location, shipping deadline date, and lot. When the physical inventory allocation step 41 changes the status from "in storage" to "allocated," the detail line ID corresponding to the ordered item is written.

[0038] In inventory operation log addition step 42, the transaction information for product ID "1" and product ID "2" is written in inventory operation log table 67 as inventory operation log IDs "3" and "4", indicating that the transaction information has become a physical allocation.

[0039] In status update step 43, the status in shipping slip table 64 is updated from "awaiting shipping" to "in shipping preparation." That is, when the status is rewritten to "allocated" in physical inventory table 66 in physical inventory allocation step 41, the status of the corresponding shipping slip ID in shipping slip table 64 is rewritten from "awaiting shipping" to "in shipping preparation."

[0040] In shipping completion step 44, data on the completion of shipping work at the allocation source warehouse is entered, whereby the status of the corresponding shipping slip ID in the shipping slip table 64 is rewritten from in process of shipping to shipped, the status of the corresponding order slip ID in the order slip table 61 is rewritten from allocated to shipped, the status of the corresponding detail line ID in the detail line table 62 is rewritten from allocated to shipped, the status of the logical inventory ID for the corresponding product in the logical inventory table 65 is rewritten from allocated to shipped, and the status of the physical inventory ID for the corresponding product in the physical inventory table 66 is rewritten from allocated to shipped.

[0041] In inventory operation log addition step 45, the transaction information for product ID "1" and product ID "2" is written in inventory operation log table 67 as inventory operation log IDs "5" and "6", indicating that the transaction information has been shipped.

[0042] 7 and 8 show the shipping process that is carried out after the inventory transfer process. The shipping process step 50 performed by the computer includes a physical inventory allocation step 51 , an inventory operation log addition step 52 , a status update step 53 , a shipping operation completion step 54 , and an inventory operation log addition step 55 .

[0043] In the physical inventory allocation step 51, the status of the physical inventory ID for the corresponding product in the physical inventory table 66 is rewritten from "in storage" to "allocated."

[0044] In inventory operation log addition step 52, the inventory operation log table 67 is written with inventory operation log IDs "5" and "6" to indicate that the transaction information has become a physical allocation for product ID "1" and product ID "2".

[0045] In status update step 53, the status in shipping slip table 64 is updated from "awaiting shipping" to "in shipping preparation." That is, when the status is rewritten to "allocated" in physical inventory table 66 in physical inventory allocation step 51, the status of the corresponding shipping slip ID in shipping slip table 64 is rewritten from "awaiting shipping" to "in shipping preparation."

[0046] In shipping completion step 54, data on the completion of shipping work at the allocation source warehouse is entered, whereby the status of the corresponding shipping slip ID in the shipping slip table 64 is rewritten from in process of shipping to shipped, the status of the corresponding order slip ID in the order slip table 61 is rewritten from allocated to shipped, the status of the corresponding detail line ID in the detail line table 62 is rewritten from allocated to shipped, the status of the logical inventory ID for the corresponding product in the logical inventory table 65 is rewritten from allocated to shipped, and the status of the physical inventory ID for the corresponding product in the physical inventory table 66 is rewritten from allocated to shipped.

[0047] In the inventory operation log addition step 55, the transaction information indicating that the product has been shipped is written to the inventory operation log table 67 as the inventory operation log ID for the product ID "1" and the product ID "2".

[0048] 9 to 12 are flow charts showing the process flow when shipping an order slip from different warehouses as allocation source warehouses in the order receiving and warehouse management system according to this embodiment. FIG. 9 illustrates the order process. The order processing step 10 performed by the computer includes an order slip creation step 11, an order slip detail line creation step 12, a product information allocation step 13, an allocation source warehouse determination processing step 14, a shipping slip creation step 15, and an order slip status update step 16.

[0049] In order slip creation step 11, an order slip is created for the ordered products ordered by the customer. When creating an order slip, an order slip ID is assigned to each order slip, and the status of the order slip with the assigned order slip ID is written as "in process" in order slip table 61.

[0050] In order slip detail line creation step 12, an order slip detail line corresponding to the order slip is created. When creating an order slip detail line, a detail line ID is assigned to each ordered item by item type, and the order slip ID corresponding to the ordered item with the detail line ID assigned, the quantity of the ordered item, and the status are written into detail line table 62. In order slip detail line creation step 12, the status is "allocated." Note that the following explanation will be given assuming that one bag and one pair of shoes are ordered as items. Since the bag and the shoes are different product types, the bag is assigned a detail line ID of "1" and the shoes is assigned a detail line ID of "2".

[0051] In product information allocation step 13, product information is allocated to the order slip detail line created in order slip detail line creation step 12. In allocating product information, the product ID corresponding to the ordered product is written into the product ID field of detail line table 62. In this embodiment, this shows that the product ID corresponding to the bag is "1" and the product ID corresponding to the shoes is "2".

[0052] In allocation source warehouse determination process step 14, an allocation source warehouse that will ship the ordered items of each detail line ID is determined for each detail line ID. The allocation source warehouse is determined according to a preset allocation source warehouse rule. The allocation source warehouse rule is stored in the allocation source warehouse rule database 63.

[0053] A shipping slip is created in shipping slip creation step 15. When creating a shipping slip, a shipping slip ID is assigned to each determined allocation source warehouse, and the warehouse ID corresponding to the allocation source warehouse to which the shipping slip ID was assigned and the status are written in shipping slip table 64. In shipping slip creation step 15, the status is "waiting for shipment." In Fig. 9, the warehouse with warehouse ID "X" is the allocation source warehouse for bags, and the warehouse with warehouse ID "Y" is the allocation source warehouse for shoes. Therefore, two shipping slips are created corresponding to the warehouse with warehouse ID "X" and the warehouse with warehouse ID "Y". In shipping slip table 64, a shipping slip with shipping slip ID "1" for the warehouse with warehouse ID "X" as the allocation source warehouse, and a shipping slip with shipping slip ID "2" for the warehouse with warehouse ID "Y" are created. In the shipping slip creation step 15, the shipping slip is created and the shipping slip ID corresponding to the detail line ID is written in the detail line table 62.

[0054] The status of the order slip is updated in order slip status update step 16. The order slip status is updated by updating the status in order slip table 61 from "in process" to "allocated."

[0055] FIG. 10 shows the allocation process. The allocation process step 20 performed by the computer includes a logical inventory allocation step 21, an inventory operation log addition step 22, and a slip status update step 23.

[0056] In the logical inventory allocation step 21, the status of the logical inventory ID for the corresponding product in the logical inventory table 65 is rewritten from in storage to allocated. In the logical inventory allocation step 21, when the logical inventory table 65 is rewritten to "allocated," the status of the corresponding detail line ID in the detail line table 62 is rewritten from "awaiting allocation" to "allocated."

[0057] In the inventory operation log addition step 22, the inventory operation log is written to the inventory operation log table 67. The inventory operation log table 67 manages the product ID, warehouse ID, and status from allocated to shipped. When the logical inventory table 65 is rewritten to "allocated" in the logical inventory allocation step 21, the "allocated" product ID and warehouse ID are written to the inventory operation log table 67 together with transaction information indicating that the product has been allocated. In the inventory operation log addition step 22, the transaction information becomes "allocated."

[0058] In slip status update step 23, the status in the order slip table 61 is updated from "Not Allocated" to "Allocated," and the status in the shipping slip table 64 is updated from "Not Allocated" to "Awaiting Shipping." That is, when the detail line table 62 is rewritten to "Allocated" in logical inventory allocation step 21, the status of the corresponding order slip ID in the order slip table 61 is rewritten from "Not Allocated" to "Allocated," and the status of the corresponding shipping slip ID in the shipping slip table 64 is rewritten from "Not Allocated" to "Awaiting Shipping."

[0059] FIG. 11 illustrates the shipping process taking place at warehouse X. The shipping process step 40 performed by the computer includes a physical inventory allocation step 41 , an inventory operation log addition step 42 , a status update step 43 , a shipping operation completion step 44 , and an inventory operation log addition step 45 .

[0060] In the physical inventory allocation step 41, the status of the physical inventory ID for the corresponding product in the physical inventory table 66 is rewritten from "in storage" to "allocated." In the physical inventory table 66 in warehouse X, a physical inventory ID is assigned to each stored product in the smallest unit that can be ordered, and the product ID, warehouse ID, and status are written for each physical inventory ID. When no allocation has been made, the status is "In storage." When the physical inventory allocation step 41 changes the status from "in storage" to "allocated," the detail line ID corresponding to the ordered item is written.

[0061] In the inventory operation log addition step 42, the transaction information indicating that the transaction has been physically allocated is written to the inventory operation log table 67 as the inventory operation log ID for the product ID "1".

[0062] In status update step 43, the status in shipping slip table 64 is updated from "awaiting shipping" to "in shipping preparation." That is, when the status is rewritten to "allocated" in physical inventory table 66 in physical inventory allocation step 41, the status of the corresponding shipping slip ID in shipping slip table 64 is rewritten from "awaiting shipping" to "in shipping preparation."

[0063] In shipping completion step 44, data on the completion of shipping work at warehouse X is entered, whereby the status of the corresponding shipping slip ID in the shipping slip table 64 is rewritten from "in process of shipping" to "shipped," the status of the corresponding order slip ID in the order slip table 61 is rewritten from "allocated" to "shipped," the status of the corresponding detail line ID in the detail line table 62 is rewritten from "allocated" to "shipped," the status of the logical inventory ID for the corresponding product in the logical inventory table 65 is rewritten from "allocated" to "shipped," and the status of the physical inventory ID for the corresponding product in the physical inventory table 66 is rewritten from "allocated" to "shipped."

[0064] In the inventory operation log addition step 45, the transaction information indicating that the product ID of "1" has been shipped is written into the inventory operation log table 67.

[0065] FIG. 12 shows the shipping process carried out at warehouse Y after the shipping process has been carried out at warehouse X. The shipping process step 40 performed by the computer includes a physical inventory allocation step 41 , an inventory operation log addition step 42 , a status update step 43 , a shipping operation completion step 44 , and an inventory operation log addition step 45 .

[0066] In the physical inventory allocation step 41, the status of the physical inventory ID for the corresponding product in the physical inventory table 66 is rewritten from "in storage" to "allocated." In the physical inventory table 66 in warehouse Y, a physical inventory ID is assigned to each stored product in the smallest unit that can be ordered, and the product ID, warehouse ID, and status are written for each physical inventory ID. When no allocation has been made, the status is "In storage." When the physical inventory allocation step 41 changes the status from "in storage" to "allocated," the detail line ID corresponding to the ordered item is written.

[0067] In the inventory operation log addition step 42, the transaction information for the product ID "2" is written to the inventory operation log table 67 to indicate that the transaction information has been physically allocated.

[0068] In status update step 43, the status in shipping slip table 64 is updated from "awaiting shipping" to "in shipping preparation." That is, when the status is rewritten to "allocated" in physical inventory table 66 in physical inventory allocation step 41, the status of the corresponding shipping slip ID in shipping slip table 64 is rewritten from "awaiting shipping" to "in shipping preparation."

[0069] In shipping completion step 44, data on the completion of shipping work at warehouse Y is entered, whereby the status of the corresponding shipping slip ID in the shipping slip table 64 is rewritten from "in process of shipping" to "shipped," the status of the corresponding order slip ID in the order slip table 61 is rewritten from "allocated" to "shipped," the status of the corresponding detail line ID in the detail line table 62 is rewritten from "allocated" to "shipped," the status of the logical inventory ID for the corresponding product in the logical inventory table 65 is rewritten from "allocated" to "shipped," and the status of the physical inventory ID for the corresponding product in the physical inventory table 66 is rewritten from "allocated" to "shipped."

[0070] In the inventory operation log addition step 45, the transaction information indicating that the product ID of "2" has been shipped is written into the inventory operation log table 67.

[0071] FIG. 13 is a system configuration diagram of the order entry and warehouse management system according to this embodiment. The order receiving and warehouse management system according to this embodiment comprises a user management system 1, an order inventory management system 2, and a shipping inventory management system 3.

[0072] In the user management system 1, a user table 71, a merchant user table 72, an operator user table 73, a merchant table 74, an operator table 75, and a warehouse table 76 are used to manage the authority of system users. The user table 71 has authentication information for system users, and manages the ID, email, and password for each user. In the merchant user table 72, users who have been authenticated by a merchant (retailer) are registered as merchant users, and a relationship is established between the "merchant id" and the "user id". In the operator user table 73, users who have been authenticated by an operator (warehouse company) are registered as operator users, and an association is made between the "operator id" and the "user id". The merchant table 74 manages registered retailers (id, name), and the operator table 75 manages registered warehouse operators. When a system user logs in to the user management system 1 using an email address and password (authentication by the user table), a list of available merchants and operators is displayed based on the data in the merchant user table 72 and the data in the operator user table 73.

[0073] In this way, by managing the data using a merchant side table and an operator side table, a system user in the case of in-house shipping has access to not only merchant information but also operator information, and a list of available merchants and operators is displayed. On the other hand, in the case of outsourced shipping, a system user has access rights only to merchant information, so a list of available merchants is displayed. Furthermore, since the system user at the warehouse company only has access rights to operator information, a list of available operators is displayed. In the case of fulfillment services (automated shipping without operator), merchants have access to merchant information only. If an operator has multiple bases (warehouses), he / she has access to information for all warehouses.

[0074] Information on merchants and operators related to shipping bases is registered in the warehouse table 76. For example, shipping base b owned by merchant a registers a relationship in which operator c is on consignment. There is a 1:n relationship between operators and shipping bases, and an operator has the right to access information on all shipping bases that he or she manages. There is also a 1:n relationship between a merchant and a shipping base, and a merchant has access to information on all shipping bases owned by the merchant. The user as a merchant and the user as an operator have access to all warehouses owned and can handle inventory operations and shipping.

[0075] In the order inventory management system 2, order inventory management is performed using an order receipt table 61, a detail line table 62, a logical inventory table 65, a store table 77, a product master table 78, a shipping slip table 64, and an inventory operation log table 67. Note that the shipping slip table 64 can be viewed in the order inventory management system 2, but cannot be written to. The store table 77 manages the relationship between a merchant and a store when the merchant has multiple stores. The product master table 78 manages the relationship between products and product IDs. The order slip table 61 is created when an order is placed, and manages the customer, store, order code, status, payment method, and delivery address. The detail line table 62 manages how many of what products are to be shipped, as well as the product code, quantity, price, and order code. The logical inventory table 65 manages the type and quantity of products stored by warehouse. The inventory operation log table 67 manages the status from allocated to shipped together with the product and the storage warehouse.

[0076] In the shipping inventory management system 3, a physical inventory table 66, a transaction table 79, a shipping slip table 64, and an inventory operation log table 67 are used to perform shipping inventory management. The shipping slip table 64 manages the status from order receipt to shipping, and the shipping warehouse. The physical inventory table 66 manages the lot number, expiration date, and storage location of the product for the product in storage. The transaction table 79 manages where, how many, and how each product was placed, moved, or discarded within the warehouse, and is rewritten by inputting data, which is entered manually by an operator within the warehouse or by using a handheld terminal.

[0077] In this way, the order receiving and warehouse management system of this embodiment can perform digital inventory management by using the logical inventory table 65 in allocation processing step 20 in order receiving management, and can perform physical inventory management by using the physical inventory table 66 in shipping processing step 40 in shipping inventory management. Therefore, even when a store operator selling products uses an external warehouse in addition to his or her own warehouse, or when multiple external warehouses owned by multiple different warehouse operators are used, order receiving inventory management at each store and shipping inventory management at each warehouse can be integrated and managed in a single system. Furthermore, in the order receiving and warehouse management system according to this embodiment, the product ID, warehouse ID and status are written in the logical inventory table 65, and when the status is changed from "in storage" to "allocated" in the allocation processing step 20, the detail line ID corresponding to the ordered product is written, so that the store operator can know how many of what product are in which warehouse and can automatically perform the allocation processing smoothly. Furthermore, in the order receiving and warehouse management system according to this embodiment, the physical inventory table 66 has the product ID, warehouse ID, and status written in it, and when the status is changed from "in storage" to "allocated" in the shipping processing step 40, the detail line ID corresponding to the ordered product is written in, so that the warehouse operator can know whether the product is remaining in stock at each warehouse or has been physically allocated, and can carry out the shipping processing smoothly. In addition, in the order receipt and warehouse management system of this embodiment, when the logical inventory table 65 is rewritten to "allocated" in allocation processing step 20, the inventory operation log table writes the allocated product ID and warehouse ID together with transaction information indicating that the product has been allocated, and when the physical inventory table is rewritten to "allocated" in shipping processing step 40, the allocated product ID and warehouse ID are written together with transaction information indicating that physical allocation has been made, and when data indicating that shipping work has been completed at the allocation source warehouse is entered in shipping processing step 40, the shipped product ID and warehouse ID are written together with transaction information indicating that shipping has been made, so that the inventory operation log table 67 can be used to manage the status from "allocated" to "shipped" along with the product and storage warehouse, thereby enabling inventory changes to be made using the inventory operation log table 67. [Industrial Applicability]

[0078] The present invention is particularly suitable for cases where a store manager who sells products uses an external warehouse in addition to his own warehouse, or where he uses multiple external warehouses owned by multiple different warehouse operators. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 1 User Management System 2. Order and inventory management system 3. Shipping and inventory management system 10 Order Processing Steps 11 Order creation steps 12 Steps for creating order details 13 Product information allocation step 14. Warehouse allocation process step 15 Shipping slip creation steps 16 Order status update step 17 Allocation decision step 20 Allocation Processing Steps 21 Logical inventory allocation steps 22 Inventory operation log additional steps 23 Document Status Update Steps 30 Warehouse Transfer Processing Steps 31 Search for delivery slips in arrears 32 Shippable Warehouse Search Steps 33 Step to determine whether the warehouse exists 34 Shipping Warehouse Selection Step 35 Shipping document rewrite step 36 Logical inventory allocation steps 37 Inventory operation log addition step 38 Document Status Update Steps 40 Shipping Process Steps 41 Physical inventory allocation step 42 Inventory operation log addition step 43 Status Update Step 44 Shipping Completion Steps 45 Inventory operation log additional step 50 Shipping Process Steps 51 Physical inventory allocation step 52 Inventory operation log additional step 53 Status Update Step 54 Shipping Completion Steps 55 Inventory operation log additional step 61 Order slip table 62 Detail Line Table 63 Allocation warehouse rule database 64 Shipping slip table 65 Logical Inventory Table 66 Physical Inventory Table 67 Inventory Operation Log Table 68 Shipping slip database 69 Warehouse / Logical Inventory Database 71 User Table 72 Merchant User Table 73 Operator User Table 74 Merchant Table 75 Operator Table 76 Warehouse Table 77 Store Table 78 Product Master Table 79 Transaction Table

Claims

1. An inventory management system that performs an order inventory management generated when a product is ordered by a customer, and a shipping inventory management that stores the product in advance and delivers the ordered product ordered by the customer, The inventory management system includes an order inventory management system accessible by a retailer who receives the ordered items, and a shipping inventory management system accessible by a warehouse operator who ships the ordered items, The order inventory management system includes: a detail line creation process for creating a detail line table in which a product ID corresponding to the ordered product, a shipping slip ID item, and a quantity of the ordered product are associated with each other; a logical inventory allocation process for determining an allocation source warehouse from which the ordered items in the quantity indicated in the detail line table are to be shipped by referring to a logical inventory table indicating the inventory status of the items stored in the warehouse; a shipping slip creation process for writing the warehouse ID of the allocation source warehouse and a shipping slip ID corresponding to the ordered item to be shipped in a shipping slip table accessible by the shipping inventory management system, changing the status corresponding to the shipping slip ID in the shipping slip table to a waiting for shipping state, and writing the shipping slip ID in the shipping slip ID item corresponding to the ordered item in the detail line table; Run The shipping inventory management system includes: a physical inventory allocation process for changing a status corresponding to the warehouse ID associated with the shipping slip ID whose status is "waiting for shipping" in the shipping slip table and the product ID associated with the shipping slip ID in the detail line table to "allocated" in a physical inventory table that indicates the inventory status and storage location of products stored in a warehouse; a status update process for changing the status corresponding to the shipping slip ID in the shipping slip table to "shipping in progress" after the physical inventory allocation process; Execute Inventory management system.

2. In the logical inventory allocation process, the order inventory management system writes the product ID of the allocated ordered product, the warehouse ID of the allocation source warehouse, and transaction information indicating that the product has been allocated, into an inventory operation log table including a log of an operation for updating the inventory status; After the physical inventory allocation process, the shipping inventory management system updates the transaction information in the inventory operation log table, which corresponds to the product ID associated with the shipping slip ID, to a state indicating that the product has been shipped. The inventory management system according to claim 1 .

3. The shipping and inventory management system updates the status corresponding to the shipping slip ID from "in process of shipping" to "shipped" in response to input of data indicating completion of shipping work for the ordered product corresponding to the shipping slip ID.

3. The inventory management system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the order inventory management system updates the status corresponding to the ordered item in the logical inventory table to "shipped" in response to input of data indicating completion of shipping work for the ordered item corresponding to the shipping slip ID; The inventory management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The order inventory management system does not refer to the physical inventory table, The shipping inventory management system does not refer to the logical inventory table. The inventory management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. the order inventory management system creates the detail line table by adding the shipping slip ID to an initial detail line table that includes the product ID and does not include the shipping slip ID after executing the logical inventory allocation process; The inventory management system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. Inventory management for orders generated when products are ordered by customers and storing said products in advance and shipping inventory management for delivering ordered products ordered by the customer to the customer. The computer includes: creating a detail line table in which a product ID corresponding to the ordered product, a shipping slip ID item, and a quantity of the ordered product are associated with each other; determining an allocation source warehouse from which the ordered product in the quantity indicated in the detail line table is to be shipped by referring to a logical inventory table indicating the inventory status of the product stored in the warehouse; writing a warehouse ID of the allocation source warehouse and a shipping slip ID corresponding to the ordered product to be shipped in a shipping slip table, and changing the status corresponding to the shipping slip ID in the shipping slip table to a shipping waiting state; writing the shipping slip ID into the shipping slip ID field corresponding to the ordered item in the detail line table; In a physical inventory table indicating the inventory status and storage location of products stored in a warehouse, changing the status corresponding to the warehouse ID associated with the shipping slip ID whose status is "Waiting for Shipping" in the shipping slip table and the product ID associated with the shipping slip ID in the detail line table to "Allocated"; after changing the status to "allocated", changing the status corresponding to the shipping slip ID in the shipping slip table to "in shipping process"; Execute Inventory management methods.

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