Information processing system, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To allow a user to freely select a product as an object of reform work, construction content, and a constructor and advance the reform work when the reform work is performed.SOLUTION: A server 1 comprises a construction content determination unit 61, a product determination unit 62, and a vendor candidate determination unit 63. The construction content determination unit 61 determines construction content of work of a building by operation of a user. The product determination unit 62 determines a product necessary for work according to operation of the user. The vendor candidate determination unit 63 determines one or more contractor candidates from among one or more contractors who can undertake at least part of work for the determined construction content and the product in accordance with operation of the user.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there have been systems that create estimates for building renovation work (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-016217 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the conventional technology, when a user selects a product for renovation, the details of the work to install the product and the builder are linked, and when the work details are selected, the product and the builder are linked, so the work is not what the user wants. In other words, the conventional technology including the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 cannot meet the needs of the user.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to enable users to freely select the products, work content, and contractor to be used for renovation work when carrying out renovation work. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, an information processing system according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: A construction content determination means for determining construction content of a building by a user's operation; A product determination means for determining a product required for the construction work by an operation of the user; a candidate contractor determination means for determining, by the user's operation, one or more candidate contractors from among one or more contractors capable of undertaking at least a part of the construction work for the determined construction content and the determined product; Equipped with.

[0007] An information processing method and a program according to one aspect of the present invention are each an information processing method and a program corresponding to the information processing device according to the aspect of the present invention described above. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, when carrying out remodeling work, a user can freely select the products to be remodeled, the work content, and the contractor, and proceed with the remodeling work. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an embodiment of an information processing system of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a server in the information processing system shown in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 3 is a functional block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the server in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the server of FIG. 2 and FIG. 3; [Diagram 5] 2 is a diagram showing an example of a home screen among various screens displayed on a display unit of the user terminal of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 6] 2 is a diagram showing a refined search screen among various screens displayed on the display unit of the user terminal of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 7] 2 is a diagram showing an example of a product selection screen among various screens displayed on a display unit of the user terminal of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 8] 2 is a diagram showing an example of a product pop-up screen among various screens displayed on a display unit of the user terminal of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 9]2 is a diagram showing an example of a construction cost / additional item screen among various screens displayed on a display unit of the user terminal of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 10] 2 is a diagram showing an example of a renovation company search screen among various screens displayed on a display unit of the user terminal of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 11] 2 is a diagram showing an example of an estimate screen among various screens displayed on a display unit of the user terminal of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 12] 2 is a diagram showing an example of a chat screen among various screens displayed on a display unit of the user terminal of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 13] 2 is a diagram showing an example of a progress management screen among various screens displayed on the display unit of each of the user terminal and the contractor terminal 3 in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a basic information registration screen of a contractor's personal page. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a project list screen on the contractor's My Page. [Figure 16] 2 is a diagram showing an example of a top screen among various screens displayed on the display units of the user terminal and the contractor terminal of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a material registration screen displayed by pressing the "on-site notice" field on the top screen of FIG. 16. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a registered material screen for confirming materials registered on the material registration screen of FIG. 17. [Figure 19] FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a document screen displayed by pressing the "Site Photo" button on the top screen of FIG. 16. [Figure 20] FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a shared chat screen displayed by pressing a “site comment” button on the top screen of FIG. 16. [Figure 21] FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a Q&A screen displayed by pressing a “Q&A” button on the top screen of FIG. 16. [Figure 22] FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a ToDo list screen displayed by pressing a "ToDo list" button on the top screen of FIG. 16. [Figure 23]FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a tally screen displayed by pressing an “tally” button on the top screen of FIG. 16. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an embodiment of an information processing system according to the present invention.

[0011] This service publishes a website (such as Reform.com) related to renovation work that can be accessed by users who wish to renovate their buildings, and supports a series of tasks from estimating the renovation work to receiving and placing an order based on the details of the renovation work selected by the user on the website (at least one of the following: product, work content, and contractor). An information processing system applied to this service is configured, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, by connecting a server 1, user terminals 2-1 to 2-n (n is an arbitrary integer value), and contractor terminals 3-1 to 3-m (m is an arbitrary integer value independent of n) to a network N such as the Internet.

[0012] The server 1 is managed by the provider of this service. The server 1 registers one or more builders who undertake building renovation work as at least members (affiliated stores) and discloses a website related to building renovation work. The server 1 then determines the details of the building renovation work (at least one of the following items: product, work content, and builder) through the user's selection on the website, and supports a series of operations from estimating the renovation work based on the determined details to placing an order and receiving an order, and managing the construction status thereafter.

[0013] The user terminal 2 is an information processing device that accepts operations by a user who wishes to carry out renovation work, and is, for example, a personal computer, a tablet, a smartphone, or the like. The user can access the website from the user terminal 2, determine the details of the renovation work by selecting the products to be renovated, the work content, and the contractor, and can complete not only the estimate for the renovation work but also the process of receiving and ordering the work on the website.

[0014] In the following, when there is no need to distinguish between the n users, the user terminals 2-1 to 2-n will be collectively referred to as the "user terminals 2." When there is no need to distinguish between the m builders, the builder terminals 3-1 to 3-m will be collectively referred to as the "builder terminals 3."

[0015] In other words, the user terminal 2, in cooperation with the server 1, can execute a series of processes, such as the following, to support a series of tasks for building renovation work, from selecting details of the renovation work (at least one of the products, work content, and contractor) to making an estimate, receiving an order, and placing an order. Here, the method of "collaboration" is not particularly limited. For example, the user terminal 2 can adopt a first method as the "collaboration" method in which the user terminal 2 appropriately communicates with the server 1 and has the server 1 execute main processing. Also, for example, the user terminal 2 can adopt a second method as the "collaboration" method in which the user terminal 2 downloads and installs a dedicated application program (hereinafter simply referred to as an "app") from the server 1 or a device under its management (not shown) in advance, and executes the processing with the app. Alternatively, a method that appropriately combines the first and second methods can also be adopted as the "collaboration" method. However, in the following example, for the sake of convenience, the first method will be described as being adopted as the "collaboration" method. That is, in the following example, the subject of processing is the "server 1" for illustrative purposes only, and it goes without saying that in implementation, the subject may be the "user terminal 2" as appropriate.

[0016] That is, in this example, the server 1 executes processes to support a series of tasks for building renovation work, from selecting the products, work content, and contractor, to making an estimate for the determined renovation work content, and accepting and ordering the work, while communicating appropriately with the user terminal 2 and the contractor terminal 3.

[0017] In addition, when a contract is made between a user and a builder, the information processing system also includes, for example, an electronic signature system as a predetermined authentication authority connected to the network N. The electronic signature system communicates with a server 1 via a network N. The electronic signature system performs electronic authentication in response to a request from the server 1. The electronic signature system authenticates the signatures of both the user and the contractor. By registering a signature in the electronic signature system in advance, the signature is automatically authenticated when transacting with another person. At least the contractor must register his / her signature in the electronic signature system in advance.

[0018] Here, in this example, the administrator (the provider of this service) who manages server 1 does not undertake the renovation work himself, but rather the user places an order for the work with a contractor, and the contractor receives the order, i.e., undertakes the work. However, this is merely an example, and the administrator may also act as an intermediary between the builder and the user in at least some of the work related to the renovation work.

[0019] In summary, the server 1 determines the construction contents of the building construction work through the user's operation. The server 1 determines the products (commercial materials) required for the construction work through the user's operation. The server 1 also determines one or more candidate builders through the user's operation from one or more contractors who can undertake at least a part of the construction work for the determined construction contents and products (separate ordering of the construction contents and products is also possible), and can proceed with a series of renovation work such as estimates, orders, and orders that meet the user's needs with the builders, construction contents, and products determined through the user's operation.

[0020] This can provide the following effects. In other words, when using the conventional system, when a user selected a product for renovation work, the work content and contractor of the product were linked and the work price was determined as a single option, so the user was unable to select the work content or contractor they wanted. As a result, the renovation work did not turn out as desired, and users were forced to compromise on the lower priorities of the product, work content, and contractor. In contrast, by using the information processing system of this embodiment, the user can freely select the products (commercial materials) to be remodeled, the work content, and the contractor to be carried out, and proceed with the remodeling work.

[0021] In this way, in this example, the server 1 executes the main processing (executes processing according to the above-mentioned first technique), so the following description will focus on the server 1 in the information processing system of FIG.

[0022] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a server in the information processing system shown in FIG.

[0023] The server 1 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, a bus 14, an input / output interface 15, an output unit 16, an input unit 17, a memory unit 18, a communication unit 19, and a drive 20.

[0024] The CPU 11 executes various processes according to a program recorded in the ROM 12 or a program loaded from the storage unit 18 into the RAM 13 . The RAM 13 also stores data and the like necessary for the CPU 11 to execute various processes.

[0025] The CPU 11, ROM 12, and RAM 13 are connected to one another via a bus 14. An input / output interface 15 is also connected to this bus 14. An output unit 16, an input unit 17, a storage unit 18, a communication unit 19, and a drive 20 are connected to the input / output interface 15.

[0026] The output unit 16 is configured with a display such as a liquid crystal display, a speaker, and the like, and outputs various information as images and sounds. The input unit 17 is configured with, for example, a keyboard, and outputs various information. The storage unit 18 is configured with a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) or the like, and stores various data. The communication unit 19 communicates with other devices (such as the user terminal 2 and the installer terminal 3 in FIG. 1) via a network N including the Internet.

[0027] Removable media 30, such as a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, or a semiconductor memory, is appropriately loaded into the drive 20. A program read from the removable media 30 by the drive 20 is installed in the storage unit 18 as necessary. Furthermore, the removable medium 30 can also store various data stored in the storage unit 18 in the same manner as the storage unit 18 .

[0028] Although not shown, the user terminal 2 and the installer terminal 3 in Fig. 1 can also have a configuration basically similar to the hardware configuration shown in Fig. 2. Therefore, a description of the hardware configuration of the user terminal 2 and the installer terminal 3 will be omitted.

[0029] By cooperating with the various hardware and software components of server 1 in FIG. 2, it becomes possible to execute processes that support a series of tasks related to building renovation work, from selecting products (commercial materials) to making estimates, receiving orders, and placing orders. An example of the functional configuration of the server 1 for executing such processing will be described below.

[0030] FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the server of FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the storage unit 18 of the server 1 stores a database 121 (hereinafter referred to as "DB 121"). DB121 stores information on contractors who are registered as members (member numbers, contractor names, addresses, contact information, etc.). DB121 stores information about the products handled by this website (product name, product number, product type (category), manufacturer, shape, catalog information such as accessories and options, standard price, dealer, etc.) corresponding to JAN codes. Standard price refers to the price agreed upon in advance with the installer. DB121 also stores information exchanged between the user and the contractor via chat (such as information on price negotiations or additional work) and bidding information (such as the bid amount for work specified by the user) submitted by a contractor at the user's request. DB121 stores the construction details for installing the product in a building (construction method (preparation, installation, removal, disposal, etc.), construction costs (construction price), etc.) and information on contractors who can carry out this construction details (membership number, etc.). In other words, DB 121 stores standard prices of labor charges handled on the website (unit prices of labor charges agreed upon in advance between the provider of this service and the contractor). DB121 stores the product selected by the user, the work content, the estimate information for the renovation work estimated by the contractor (PDF file of the estimate), order information for the renovation work, order information for the renovation work that was received, and contract information and its terms and conditions between the user and the contractor. DB121 stores schedule information related to construction (such as a schedule including product arrival date, start date, removal date, installation date, and expected completion date of construction). DB121 also stores information indicating the actual progress against the schedule.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 3, in the CPU 11 of the server 1, a site management section 50 functions when a website is made public.

[0032] The site management unit 50 controls the interactions between the user and the installer and the overall processing of the website. For example, the site management unit 50 appropriately processes information exchanged between the user and the contractor, and then controls the transmission of the information from one side to the other. For example, the site management unit 50 can hierarchically manage accounts for accessing the information processing system (restricting access according to the account's authority) and set and manage the need for access restriction for each specified unit at each level. Furthermore, the site management unit 50 can execute control to provide various types of support when a user checks the contents of an estimate or an order, for example. Checking the contents of an estimate or an order includes checking the schedule, the progress of the order, and process management. Although not shown in the figure, a functional block that executes such control is assumed to exist as a function of the site management unit 50.

[0033] The site management unit 50 includes a construction content determination unit 61, a product determination unit 62, a candidate contractor determination unit 63, an estimate issuance unit 64, a notification unit 65, a communication control unit 66, an order control unit 67, a progress management unit 68, and a contractor information registration unit 69.

[0034] The construction content determination unit 61 determines the construction content of the building construction work in response to a user operation. Specifically, the construction content determination unit 61 determines the construction content of the building construction by allowing the user to select the desired product from the group of products displayed by product type (category) on the home screen of the website, or by searching using a search box, and selecting the construction cost item (construction content) of the selected product.

[0035] The product determination unit 62 determines the products required for the construction work in response to a user operation. Specifically, the product determination unit 62 reads from DB121 information on the product narrowed down by the user's selection operation from the pull-down menu displayed on the refined search screen 210 (see FIG. 6) transitioned to from the home screen 200 (see FIG. 5), displays (presents) it on the product selection screen 220, and determines the product selected by the user from that screen 220 as the product required for the construction work.

[0036] The candidate contractor determination unit 63, in response to user operation, determines one or more candidate contractors from among one or more contractors who are capable of undertaking at least a portion of the construction work for the determined construction content and products (separate orders are also possible). The candidate contractor determination unit 63 presents to the user terminal 2 one or more contractors who can undertake the construction work, and selects one or more candidate contractors selected by a user operation from among the presented one or more contractors. In addition, the candidate contractor determination unit 63 determines, through user operation, one or more candidate contractors from among one or more contractors who have responded via the contractor terminal 3 to the notification from the notification unit 65 that they are available to undertake the construction work. Specifically, the candidate contractor determination unit 63 selects one or more contractors who can undertake at least a part of the work for the determined (including user selection) work content and product (separate ordering of the work content and product is also possible) based on the respective contractor information of the multiple contractors stored in DB 121, and determines one or more candidate contractors from the selected one or more contractors through user operation. The user operation here includes an operation to leave the automatic selection to the user, an operation to specify a contractor, etc. The candidate contractor determination unit 63 determines, through user operation, one or more candidate contractors from among one or more contractors who have responded via the contractor terminal 3 in response to the notification from the notification unit 65 that they are available to undertake the construction work.

[0037] The estimate issuing unit 64 issues an estimate for the construction work for the determined construction content and product. In addition, the estimate issuing unit 64 issues estimates submitted by each of the one or more candidate builders determined by the candidate builder determining unit 63. Specifically, the estimate issuing unit 64 refers to DB121 to create estimate data for the renovation work to be carried out using the confirmed products (data including information on the recipient and issuer of the estimate, the names of the products and work details and their respective prices, the total amount, and tax), converts it into an estimate in PDF format, sends it to the user terminal 2, and displays (presents) it on the screen of the user terminal 2.

[0038] The notification unit 65 notifies (inquires) the contractor terminals 3 of multiple contractors as to whether or not they are able to undertake at least a portion of the work for the determined work content and products (separate orders for the work content and products are also possible). Specifically, if the user selects to have the product manufactured by Company A and the construction by Company B, the notification unit 65 inquires of Company A as to whether it is possible to order only the product, and inquires of Company B as to whether it is possible to order only the construction of the product.

[0039] The communication control unit 66 controls communication between the user terminal 2 and a predetermined contractor terminal 3 in order to facilitate communication between the user terminal 2 and a predetermined one of the one or more determined contractor candidates. Specifically, the communication control unit 66 controls communication between the user terminal 2 and the contractor terminal 3 of a specified contractor, in order to enable communication between the user terminal 2 and a contractor selected by the user from one or more selected candidate contractors, or a contractor determined by the system to be suitable for the user's construction work.

[0040] The order control unit 67 performs order processing to undertake construction work based on a construction request from a user who has received a quotation.

[0041] Specifically, for example, if the quotation indicates that the product will be prepared at a home improvement store and therefore no order will be placed, but only the construction work will be ordered, the order / receive control unit 67 will process the order for only the construction work based on the user's request for construction work in the quotation, and will place an order for only the construction work to the contractor who will undertake the work. That is, the order / receive control unit 67 executes control over order processing for a contractor selected by user operation from one or more candidate contractors determined by the candidate contractor determination unit 63, and also executes control over order processing at the contractor. In addition, in the estimate, if the work content corresponding to one product is divided into separate items, A, removal of the old kitchen, and B, installation of the new kitchen, and each item is estimated by a different contractor, the order placement control unit 67 places orders with different contractors for the work content A and B. In other words, there may be cases where orders are placed with multiple contractors.

[0042] Furthermore, as part of the control relating to order processing, the order control unit 67 controls processing relating to an electronic contract concluded between the user and the supplier. Specifically, the order placement and receipt control unit 67 executes control to make an electronic contract for construction work between the user and a contractor (constructor). In making an electronic contract, the order placement and receipt control unit 67 executes control to have the signatures of the user and the contractor (constructor) authenticated by an external authentication organization (not shown), such as an electronic signature system.

[0043] The progress management unit 68 presents to the user terminal 2 progress information indicating the progress of the construction work at the contractor. Specifically, after the contract is made, the progress management unit 68 generates a schedule (see FIG. 13) that describes the arrival date of the actual product (material) and the start date of the construction, etc., based on the contract information in the DB 121, and shares it with the user and the contractor by displaying it on the user's and the contractor's personal pages. This allows the user and the contractor to view the progress of the renovation work after the contract is made.

[0044] The contractor information registration unit 69 registers contractor information (contractor information) indicating at least one of available products and construction details, through the operation of each of a plurality of contractors. Specifically, the contractor information registration unit 69 registers contractor information (contractor information) in DB121 indicating at least one of the products that the contractor can handle and the construction details, based on operations (such as registering various information) performed by the contractor who accesses his / her personal page on the website from the contractor terminal 3. By providing the contractor information registration unit 69 in this way, the system (contractor candidate determination unit 63) automatically selects contractors who can undertake the work for the determined work content and product. In other words, by registering the products and work content that a contractor can handle in advance, the system picks up contractors who can undertake the work from among the many registered contractors, and the user can select a contractor from the picked contractors who can perform the work.

[0045] Hereinafter, the operation of the server having the above-mentioned functional configuration will be described in order with reference to FIG. 4 to FIG. In the embodiment, the server 1 discloses a website (for example, reform.com) to registered users and builders (affiliated stores) on a network N such as the Internet. The website provides a My Page for each user and contractor, and each can use the website by logging in to their My Page. The following describes operations mainly performed by the user, but contractors can also operate the system from their own My Page as parties undertaking construction work. When a user requests a renovation project, the user accesses the website and logs in, whereby a home screen 200 (see FIG. 5) is displayed on the user terminal 2 as the user's own personal page. On the home screen 200, the user selects the desired work content, product, and contractor, thereby determining the content of the building renovation work.

[0046] Hereinafter, the operation of the server will be specifically described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the server of FIG. 2 and FIG. Figures 5 to 15 are diagrams showing examples of screens that transition through user or contractor operations on the website, and Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of a home screen among the various screens displayed on the display unit of the user terminal of Figure 1. When the user selects the construction details of the building construction from the home screen 200 in FIG. 5, in step S101 in FIG. 4, the construction details determination unit 61 determines the construction details of the building construction by the user's operation. Specifically, the home screen 200 in FIG. 5 has tabs such as "HOME," "About Reform.com," "How to get an estimate," "Reviews," and "Frequently asked questions," as well as a product search box, a product number search box, a category selection field, and a selection box for product photo icons for each product category.

[0047] 5, names such as "package product", "kitchen", ..., "exterior", ... are displayed in each selection box, and a pressing operation is performed when the user selects the construction content. In other words, the message "package product", "kitchen", ..., "exterior", ... indicates the construction content.

[0048] On the home screen 200, when the user clicks on a selection box such as "Kitchen", the construction content determination unit 61 in FIG. 3 determines the "Kitchen" selection box clicked on by the user as the construction content.

[0049] Although the home screen 200 shown in FIG. 5 has been used to explain the user's My Page, the same screen is also displayed on the contractor's My Page. On the contractor's My Page, the contractor selects the corresponding product group, work group, and corresponding manufacturer, etc. The contractor can automatically approve a specific product group if the user specifies it. In addition, if the user requests in the form of an auction, automatic bidding can also be set. The contractor can set an original amount as the work price for the corresponding product group and work group. The standard price prepared by the website can also be used as the work price.

[0050] In this way, when the user clicks on the selection box and the construction content is determined in step S101 of FIG. 4, in step S102 the product determination unit 62 determines the products required for the construction work in response to the user's operation.

[0051] Specifically, the screen displayed on the display unit of the user terminal 2 is transitioned by the product determination unit 62 from the home screen 200 shown in FIG. 5 to a refined search screen 210 shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a screen for narrowed search among various screens displayed on the display unit of the user terminal of FIG. 6, one or more pull-down menus for narrowing down kitchenware (products) are displayed. The pull-down menus include, for example, manufacturer, series, kitchen layout, frontage / depth, cabinet type, dishwasher, door grade, etc. This is just one example, and other narrowing down forms may be used.

[0052] When the user makes a selection from the pull-down menu on this screen 210 and operates the “Next” button, the product decision unit 62 in FIG. 3 reads out information about the products narrowed down by the conditions in the pull-down menu from DB121, and displays information about the products that meet the user's requirements on the product selection screen 220 shown in the next FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a product selection screen among various screens displayed on the display unit of the user terminal of FIG.

[0053] That is, the product determination unit 62 in FIG. 3 presents one or more product candidates required for the renovation work of the determined construction content by causing the user terminal 2 to display the screen 220 shown in FIG. 7. In the case of this example, one product has been shortlisted. At the upper right end of this screen 220, a pull-down menu for sorting is arranged. By selecting the pull-down menu, the search results can be further sorted, for example, in ascending order of price or in descending order of evaluation. Note that the pull-down menu for sorting is just an example, and it may be in a form where keywords are directly input like in price order, etc., or it may be arranged at a location other than the upper right end.

[0054] On the screen 220 in FIG. 7, a selection box (one selection box in the example of FIG. 7) indicating candidates for products (commercial materials) required for the renovation work of the determined construction content is displayed. From among the candidates shown here, the products (commercial materials) required for the renovation work are selected by the user. That is, a pressing operation is performed on the "Select" button of the selection box in which the selected product (commercial material) is displayed.

[0055] In this case, the screen displayed on the display unit of the user terminal 2 transitions from the screen 220 shown in FIG. 7, for example, to the product blowout screen of the screen 230 shown in FIG. 8. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the product blowout screen among the various screens displayed on the display unit of the user terminal in FIG. 1.

[0056] On the screen 230 in FIG. 8, an image photo of the product (commercial material) selected on the screen 220 in FIG. 7 is displayed, and the details of each part of the product in the image photo are shown in a pop-up. In addition, on the right side of the screen, the list price, selling price, details of the product (commercial material), an area for providing explanations and help displays, and a catalog of the content of the product such as a plan image and dimensions of the product can be viewed.

[0057] In renovation work, one product (commercial material) may be composed of a plurality of small products (parts, etc.), and in many cases, customization such as changing small products is possible. In this embodiment, assuming such a case, the screen 230 in Fig. 8 is displayed. In this screen 230, information required for customization and explanations of the small products are displayed in balloons for each small product, so the user can refer to the balloons as appropriate to select customization. Therefore, it is very convenient to customize the layout of new products (commercial materials) while imagining the situation of remodeling the existing space of the home. In other words, the product determination unit 62 in FIG. 3 can present one or more candidate products required for the renovation work of the determined construction content, for example, by displaying not only the screen 220 in FIG. 7 but also the screen 230 in FIG. 8 on the user terminal 2.

[0058] On screen 220 in FIG. 7, a product (commercial material) is selected based on the user's operation on user terminal 2, and a customization operation for a small product (parts, etc.) is performed. Then, when the "Next" button at the bottom right of the bottom of screen 220 is clicked, the product determination unit 62 determines the product specifications, and displays a construction cost / additional items screen 240 on the display unit of user terminal 2 in the form of a pop-up on screen 220, as shown in FIG. 9.

[0059] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a construction cost / additional item screen among various screens displayed on the display unit of the user terminal of FIG. The construction cost / additional item screen 240 in FIG. 9 displays the labor cost (construction cost) and additional item columns for the products (commercial materials) selected as necessary for the remodeling construction. In other words, the product determination unit 62 in Figure 3 can present one or more candidate products required for the renovation work of the determined construction content, for example, by displaying not only the screens of Figures 7 and 8 but also the screen 240 of Figure 9 on the user terminal 2.

[0060] While viewing screen 240 in FIG. 9, the user can add the details of the remodeling work by selecting the details of the work and the work cost items for one or more products (commercial materials) required for the work. Then, when the user wishes to confirm the contents of the construction cost items displayed on screen 240, the contents of the construction cost items displayed on screen 240 are confirmed by performing a specified operation (operating the "OK" button on screen 240). By clicking on the name of each construction cost item, a help function will display a pop-up explaining the construction details.

[0061] Once the contents of the construction cost item have been confirmed, the product determination unit 62 then determines one or more products (goods) that are the subject of the construction of the construction cost item confirmed by a specified operation by the user as one or more products (goods) required for the renovation work.

[0062] Next, in step S103 of FIG. 4, the candidate contractor determination unit 63, through user operation, determines one or more candidate contractors from among one or more contractors who are capable of undertaking at least part of the construction work for the determined construction content and product.

[0063] Specifically, the candidate contractor determination unit 63 selects from among multiple contractors one or more contractors who are capable of undertaking at least a portion of the construction work for the construction content and products selected by user operation or the system (separate orders for the construction content and products are also possible) based on the contractor information of each of the multiple contractors stored in DB121, and determines one or more candidate contractors from among the one or more selected contractors through user operation.

[0064] In addition, when the user further selects one or more candidate builders from the selected one or more builders, a renovation company search screen 250 (see FIG. 10) linked from the homepage of the website, for example, may be displayed to obtain information on the builders.

[0065] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a renovation company search screen among various screens displayed on the display unit of the user terminal of FIG. On the renovation company search screen 250 shown in Fig. 10, you can obtain information on renovation companies near the construction site by selecting, for example, prefectures, cities, towns, villages, etc. as "company search conditions" and checking the renovation location / location. Then, from the obtained information, you can select a contractor who can handle the construction of the construction site registered on this website and request an estimate. In addition, since the remodeling company search screen 250 displays reviews and past work records of remodeling companies, the user may select a contractor by checking the reviews, past work records, and sales prices.

[0066] In addition, on this remodeling company search screen 250, the builder designated by the user or the builder who has made a bid can increase or decrease the sales items, add or subtract the price for the sales price (price set by the builder). After that, the builder can check the user's desired construction date and select the construction date that the builder desires. If the user does not find the desired contractor even after entering the "company search conditions", the user can submit an order for the quotation on the website and have the website administrator request the affiliated store. In addition, if parts or additional work are required to renovate the estimate selected and created by the user, the contractor can propose a separate estimate. In this case, the contractor can increase or decrease the sales items or add items based on the user's quotation on his / her My Page and present them to the user, and can also increase or decrease the price. After that, the construction date, etc. can be adjusted again.

[0067] The renovation company search screen 250 in FIG. 10 can be used for an auction. Specifically, an auction for a certain renovation project is held on the renovation company search screen 250, and a list of contractors who have submitted bids is displayed on the user's My Page. On the user's My Page, the progress of bidding on estimated items can be confirmed. Specifically, on the My Page, the number of contractors who have submitted bids and the estimated items for which bids have been submitted can be confirmed. This allows the user to select a desired builder from one or more builders who have submitted bids and decide whether or not to hire the builder. When bidding, the contractor may bid at a standard price (uniform unit price) or at the contractor's own selling price. In that case, the user may present a desired price in advance. With regard to products, the builder may bid on all of the products or on only a desired portion of the products.

[0068] In step S104 of FIG. 4, the notification unit 65 notifies (inquires) the contractor terminals 3 of multiple contractors as to whether or not they are able to undertake at least a portion of the work for the determined construction content and products (separate ordering of the construction content and products is also possible).

[0069] The candidate contractor determination unit 63 determines, through user operation, one or more candidate contractors from among one or more contractors who have responded to the notification from the notification unit 65 via the contractor terminal 3 that they are available to undertake the construction work.

[0070] When the work content, product, and contractor candidates are determined by the selection operations on the above-mentioned screens 200 to 240, an estimate screen 260 (see FIG. 11) reflecting the contents of the selection operations is displayed on the user terminal 2. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of an estimate screen among various screens displayed on the display unit of the user terminal of FIG. Screen 260 shown in FIG. 11 includes a section for displaying quotation items, a section for the customer's signature, a section for entering special notes, a section for displaying customer information, a section for displaying home information, a section for inputting a reservation calendar, a section for displaying a quotation summary, and various buttons (such as buttons for "Add discount items," "Quotation," "Approve," and "Order").

[0071] The estimate item display field displays estimate information for the product and construction details reflecting the construction cost and additional items selected by the user on screen 240 of Figure 9, and a check field in which the contractor can check whether or not they have confirmed the product (product and construction details). The unit price displayed in the quotation item display column is merely the standard price (a standard price agreed upon between the website and the affiliated store (contractor)), and the actual transaction amount may be the unit price registered by each contractor on the website, or it may be negotiable without registration. By checking that the check box is checked, the user can ascertain whether the builder has confirmed the request details. The customer information display field displays user information read from the member information in DB 121. The unit price displayed in the quotation item display field is the standard price set on the website that has already been agreed upon with the contractor. In the reservation calendar, the user can input the desired date from the start date to the completion date. If there are multiple items, the desired date can be input for each item.

[0072] In screen 260 of FIG. 11, the system can automatically create an estimate using a combination of recommended contractors. The recommendations can be set according to the user's preferences (priority setting). For example, high ratings can be given priority, low prices can be given priority, or construction schedules can be given priority, and the estimate will be created based on the priority setting.

[0073] In the screen 260 of Fig. 11, separate orders can be made by item, and an item can be selected to request an estimate from a builder. The user can also check the response to the request for estimate from the builder for each item. In addition, the user can customize items for which there are multiple responses. For example, if a quote request for "Kitchen Product A" receives 700,000 yen from Builder B and 750,000 yen from Builder C, the user can customize either answer. Items that have not yet been answered can also be checked by displaying "Unanswered" or similar. You can also request quotes from one contractor at a time, or let the website choose the quote providers for you.

[0074] In addition, regarding the screen 260 in Fig. 11, the original estimate screen and the estimate screen with all the responses from the contractors can be opened side by side to compare the estimated amount, etc. of each estimate screen. Also, multiple estimate screens with responses from different contractors can be compared side by side.

[0075] Furthermore, you can request quotes for the same item from multiple contractors. For example, multiple contractors who can perform the work required for a single product (meeting the user's conditions) can be asked to submit estimates for each of the work alone, and an order can then be placed separately from the product with the contractor providing the best estimate from those who respond.

[0076] When the user clicks the “Quotation” button on screen 260 in FIG. 11, in step S105 in FIG. 4, the quotation issuing unit 64 issues a quotation including the product price, labor costs, etc. for one or more products determined by the product determination unit 62, and sends it to the user's My Page or user terminal 2. This makes it possible to display the quotation on the display unit of the user terminal 2, print the quotation as a paper medium, or transmit the data of the quotation to another terminal.

[0077] Here, the estimate issuing unit 64 can issue an estimate for the construction work based on the cost information previously agreed upon between the potential contractor for the construction work and the construction content and products decided for the construction work. As a result, as described above, the user will be able to freely select the products (commercial materials) to be used for the renovation work, the work content, and the contractor, and proceed with the renovation work. Before issuing the estimate, an estimate confirmation screen may be presented on the user terminal 2, which includes an area for the user to input an electronic signature and a "Confirm estimate" button for the user to confirm that the product (material) is necessary for the renovation work.

[0078] After the estimate is issued, the user confirms the contents of the estimate presented on the user terminal 2 and operates the "Accept Order" button on screen 260 in FIG. 11 (screen 260 in FIG. 11 shows the contractor's screen, but the user's estimate screen has an "Order" button), and in step S107, the order placement and receipt control unit 67 determines that the contents of the estimate have been accepted, confirms the products, work details, and contractor on the estimate, and places an order for the renovation work with the contractor. The order control unit 67 has an order processing function, and performs order processing to undertake construction work based on a construction request from a user who has received an estimate.

[0079] The order placement and receipt control unit 67 executes control to make an electronic contract for the undertaking of construction work between a user who has received an estimate and the user, based on a construction work request from the user. Specifically, when the designated builder confirms the contents of his / her company's terms and conditions regarding the content finally agreed upon by the user and the builder and then presses the "Accept Order" button on screen 260 in Fig. 11, the order placement and receipt control unit 67 sends an electronic signature request email to the user and the builder. If multiple builders are included in the order recipients, electronic signature request emails are sent to all of the builders. It is also possible to have the contractor be the main contracting party by using the "Accept Order" button on screen 260 in Fig. 11 as the user's consent button. The contractor can also press the "Accept Order" button to send an electronic signature request email, and the order can be confirmed when the user consents. The electronic signature request email contains a link to the electronic signature system (electronic signature URL), and by clicking on the link in the email, the electronic contract is controlled by the electronic signature system. The electronic signature system authenticates the signatures of both the user and the contractor.

[0080] Here, the electronic signature and contract procedures will be described. In the case of this embodiment, a mechanism is adopted in which an electronic signature request email with an electronic signature URL attached is sent to a user, and an electronic signature is issued when the user accesses the electronic signature URL. A typical electronic contract system requires creating a PDF of the contract and uploading it together with customer information to an electronic contract authentication system, but this is not necessary with this embodiment.

[0081] After accessing the electronic signature URL, the user may press, for example, a button to confirm the signature. The electronic signature system then determines that the contract contents have been approved, applies the selected electronic signature to the order form with terms and conditions, stores the order form in the electronic signature system's storage device, and displays a screen on the user terminal 2 indicating that the electronic contract procedure has been completed. The user will also receive a separate email from the electronic signature system informing him or her that the electronic signature has been completed. In addition, when the user approves the order contents by completing the electronic contract procedure, the electronic signature system transmits to the server 1 a URL indicating the storage location of the electronically signed order form with the terms and conditions.

[0082] After the user electronically signs, the order placement and receipt control unit 67 in the server 1 accesses the URL received from the electronic signature system and generates a PDF-format order confirmation from the electronically signed order form. At this time, the electronic signature of the builder is automatically entered into the order confirmation.

[0083] The construction and product prices of products registered in DB121 have been agreed upon in advance by the company, so one of the features of this information processing system is that the electronic signature normally required from the company is automatically applied. This eliminates the need for the user to request an electronic signature from the company. Electronic signatures can also be omitted when canceling or replacing contracts, which are common in renovation work.

[0084] After generating the order acknowledgment, the order placement and receipt control unit 67 issues an instruction to request that the builder's electronic signature be added to the order acknowledgment. Upon receiving this instruction, the order placement and receipt control unit 67 transmits the order acknowledgment in PDF format to the electronic signature system and requests an electronic signature.

[0085] The electronic signature system, which receives a request for an electronic signature from server 1, processes the builder's electronic signature on the order confirmation, stores the electronically signed order confirmation in the system, and sends a URL indicating the storage location of the order confirmation to the requester. The electronic signature system also sends the user an email notifying the completion of the contract when both the user and the builder have signed the electronic signature.

[0086] In the server 1, the order control unit 67 accesses the URL received from the electronic signature system and receives the electronically signed order confirmation. In this manner, the server 1 receives a PDF file of the electronically signed order confirmation and a PDF file of the electronically signed order form with terms and conditions from the electronic signature system.

[0087] Server 1 receives the above two files and displays a selection dialog box on top of the screen. The selection dialog box has buttons for prompting the user to select one of the options, such as print, e-mail, or complete, and the order control unit 67 performs a process in response to pressing any of the buttons.

[0088] When the email button is pressed, the order placement and receipt control unit 67 sends the received PDF file of the electronically signed order confirmation and the PDF file of the electronically signed order form with terms and conditions via email to the registered destination terminal (user terminal 2) and displays them on the screen of that terminal. When the print button is pressed, the order control unit 67 can print the document on paper using the printer set as the default. When the completion button is pressed, the order control unit 67 ends the order processing.

[0089] Here, the communication function will be described. After issuing the quotation in step S105 of FIG. 4, by clicking on the “Inquire” button (not shown) displayed on screen 260 of FIG. 11, the communication control unit 66 will display chat screen 270 (see FIG. 12), allowing the user to exchange information with the contractor.

[0090] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a chat screen among various screens displayed on the display unit of the user terminal of FIG. In the chat screen 270 shown in Fig. 12, the user and the contractor designated by the user can communicate on the website. Specifically, it is possible to send on-site photos to coordinate construction dates and contract terms. In addition, contact information can be easily shared between the user and the contractor based on customer information and company information.

[0091] While communicating via chat screen 270, it is also possible to negotiate discounts, as well as additions or changes to construction costs that may be necessary based on the on-site situation. Specifically, on the chat screen 270, a process (discount process) can be performed to discount the estimated amount by negotiating the price reduction on the estimate based on the estimate on the website during the chat regarding the work content or product. The method of discount processing is not particularly limited, and may be a method of removing a decimal point from the amount, a method of discounting a certain percentage, or the like.

[0092] In this example, if it is determined that the order can be accepted, the order control unit 67 notifies the user terminal 2 or the user's personal page on the website to that effect, and executes various processes related to the acceptance of the order from the user for the renovation work.

[0093] For renovation work after the contract is signed, the progress management unit 68 can share information with the user and the contractor regarding the construction schedule based on the construction content determined by the construction content determination unit 61, the product determined by the product determination unit 62, and the contractor selected by the user from the candidate contractors determined by the candidate contractor determination unit 63. That is, as described above, when multiple products (which may be multiple goods or multiple parts of one goods) are determined by the product determination unit 62, there may be cases where there are products (building materials) that can be constructed at the same time, products that should be constructed, products that cannot be constructed, etc. In such cases, the progress management unit 68 can schedule an efficient construction schedule and payment date (the date of payment from the contractor's perspective) according to the relationships between these products (installation order, etc.).

[0094] The construction progress management of the remodeling construction is managed by the progress management unit 68 using a progress management screen 280 (see FIG. 13), and is displayed on the display units of the user terminal 2 and the contractor terminal 3, respectively. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a progress management screen among various screens displayed on the display units of the user terminal and the contractor terminal 3 in FIG. The progress management screen 280 shown in FIG. 13 has a calendar (date, day of the week, six days of the week, etc.) on the horizontal axis and items for each process name on the vertical axis, and a schedule corresponding to the calendar dates is displayed appropriately in the form of a Gantt chart, allowing the user to see not only the schedule for renovation work, but also good and bad days to start work at a glance. In the above description, the schedule on the progress management screen 280 is merely a proposal, and can be changed as appropriate by a predetermined operation (such as a schedule change operation) on the contractor terminal 3 by the contractor.

[0095] Here, the function of the contractor's My Page on the website will be described with reference to Figs. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a basic information registration screen of the contractor's MyPage. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a case list screen of the contractor's My Page. When the person in charge of the builder clicks on a "Register basic information" button (not shown) arranged on the builder's My Page on the website, a basic information registration screen 290 shown in FIG. 14 is displayed. The basic information registration screen 290 in Figure 14 has information input fields for registering and editing the name of the renovation company, contact information (telephone number, fax number, email address, URL of the company's website, etc.), and company overview information (overview, after-sales support, insurance, qualifications, other, regular holidays, etc.). On this basic information registration screen 290, the contractor can register and edit basic information about the contractor, the contractor's selling points, construction examples, and the like.

[0096] When the person in charge of the contractor clicks on a "display project" button (not shown) arranged on the contractor's personal page on the website, a project list screen 300 shown in FIG. 15 is displayed. The case list screen 300 of FIG. 15 has a search area and a request case display area. The search area includes a free word search input field for searching for information for which a user has requested a quote, as well as pull-down menus for selecting the person in charge, status, prefecture, and accuracy, and a field for specifying the date of the quote request. In the request display area, the results of the search or information on new requests for quotation from users are displayed in the order of the request date. On this project list screen 300, the contractor can search for projects for which estimates have been requested, projects available for bidding, and projects that have already been contracted, using various conditions including free words, and display them in a list for confirmation. In addition, the process schedule can be shared and changed with users for each project. Order items can be confirmed for each project, and orders can be placed with the contractor (including payment management). In addition, a person in charge, such as a sales representative or construction representative, can be set for each project. In this way, the case list screen 300 makes it possible to manage cases that arise irregularly at various times.

[0097] As described above, according to the information processing system of this embodiment, the construction content of the building construction, the products required for the construction, and one or more candidate contractors are each determined by the user's operation, so that when carrying out renovation work, the user can freely select the products, construction content, and contractor to be targeted for the renovation work. This information processing system allows users to select the product, work content, and contractor, and can consistently manage the entire process from issuing estimates to ordering, receiving orders, signing contracts, and creating documents at each stage, to managing the progress of the work thereafter, thereby providing users with a total renovation work service on the website. When moving from estimate to contract, it is necessary to prepare contract documents in a different format from the estimate, and to coordinate construction dates between contractors before deciding on a construction schedule.

[0098] When carrying out the actual renovation work after receiving an order, time is spent on preparing documents and communication between contractors is often delayed, which can lead to construction delays. However, by introducing the information processing system of this embodiment, these steps can be eliminated, making it possible to streamline the work of the contractor who undertakes the renovation work. In addition, this website can display payment information from the user on the user's personal page, automatically issue and show to the user invoices for the user's bank transfers, and also enable the user to pay for the renovation work by electronic payment using their credit card.

[0099] In summary, the website (reform.com) of this embodiment can provide the following effects. (1) The website is a matching site between users and contractors, and in principle, we have no involvement in the content. (2) Members can check the projects of all registered contractors and can check the progress of projects for which they have been nominated for estimates, projects for which they have bid in an auction-style estimate, projects for which they have signed contracts, etc. (3) If requested by the user, the user can designate a company to which the user wishes to order the products (materials) selected by the user. (4) It is possible to respond to inquiries from both users and contractors. (5) By disclosing the matching site to member users, the number of affiliated stores (constructors) and users can be increased. In terms of the business plan, revenue sources will include the initial fees for corporate membership, monthly maintenance fees, etc., as well as XX% of the contract amount or estimated amount, and YY yen for each project that occurs, and expenses will include labor costs, development costs, advertising costs, etc. for operating the website. The website of this embodiment has been described as functioning as a matching site between contractors and users, but it is also possible for the website to act as an intermediary site by taking the lead in entering into contracts and placing orders with contractors.

[0100] Also, for example, although not shown, functions provided in the user terminal 2 etc. can be transferred to the terminal of the user (customer). This allows the user (customer) to request or order a renovation directly (a web app, not an application downloaded from the web (so-called native app)) without being limited to the form of an app that is downloaded and used.

[0101] A second embodiment of the server will be described below with reference to FIGS. First, the site notification function among the construction management functions of the server will be described with reference to Figs. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of a top screen among various screens displayed on the display units of the user terminal and the installer terminal 3 in FIG. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a material registration screen displayed by pressing the "on-site notice" field on the top screen of FIG. FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a registered material screen for confirming the materials registered on the material registration screen of FIG. FIG. 19 is a diagram showing a document screen displayed by pressing the "Site Photo" button on the top screen of FIG. FIG. 20 is a diagram showing a shared chat screen that is displayed by pressing the "on-site comments" button on the top screen of FIG.

[0102] The server 1 of the second embodiment is provided with a construction management section (not shown) that realizes a construction management function. The construction management section displays a top screen 310 shown in Fig. 16. The top screen 310 has a basic information section, a customer information section, and a site notice section.

[0103] The basic information column displays information on each of the following items: site name, site status, site disclosure, contract date, scheduled start date for construction, weather forecast area, etc.

[0104] In the customer information column, information about the client is entered in each of the following categories: client name, site address, map, email address, telephone number, fax number, mobile phone number, photo of the site exterior, client requests, etc.

[0105] The on-site announcements section displays announcements from others in real time.

[0106] An "Edit" button is provided at the left end of the menu bar for each of these fields, and by pressing the respective button, the settings for each field can be edited.

[0107] A construction management menu 311 is arranged on the left side of the top screen 310. The construction management menu 311 has a plurality of buttons arranged therein. The multiple buttons include, for example, a "Site information" button, a "Site comments" button, a "Site documents" button, a "Site photos" button, a "Site schedule" button, an "Internal message board" button, a "Home record" button, a "Q&A" button, a "ToDo list" button, and a "Summary" button. By operating any one of these buttons, a process according to the corresponding function is executed. By pressing the "on-site comment" button, processing is performed using the shared chat function, and the shared chat screen 350 in FIG. 20 is displayed. By pressing the "Site Document" button, processing is performed using the site document viewing function, and a site document viewing screen (not shown) is displayed. By pressing the "Site Photo" button, processing is performed using the site photo viewing function, and a site photo viewing screen (not shown) is displayed. By pressing the "site schedule" button, the process is executed by the progress management unit 68, and the progress management screen 280 on which the schedule of FIG. 13 is arranged is displayed. By pressing the "Q&A" button, processing is performed using the Q&A function, and a Q&A screen 360 in FIG. 21 is displayed. By pressing the "ToDo List" button, processing is performed using the ToDo list management function, and a ToDo list display screen 370 in FIG. 22 is displayed. By pressing the "tally" button, processing is performed using the tally function, and a tally screen 380 in FIG. 23 is displayed.

[0108] Here, a method for registering "site materials" will be described. When the "Site Documents" button in the construction management menu 311 is pressed, a site document viewing screen (not shown) is displayed, and when the registration button on that viewing screen is pressed, a document registration screen 320 as shown in FIG. 17 is displayed. The document registration screen 320 includes a pull-down menu for selecting the type of file to be registered, radio buttons for specifying users who can view or download the file, a file selection box, an "Edit" button for editing, etc. This screen 320 also allows you to register documents and edit settings. By setting users on this screen 320, only people within the range specified by the uploader can view the photos, documents, and comments.

[0109] Specifically, after a file to be registered as a material is designated on screen 320, the "Edit" button is pressed, and a registration result screen 330 as shown in FIG. 18 is displayed. Screen 330 has basic information such as the file name, registration date, updater, update date, file description, etc., as well as fields for people who have viewed and people who have not viewed, allowing the number of people who have viewed and people who have not viewed each file to be confirmed. In addition, by pressing each number section, details of people who have viewed and people who have not viewed are displayed, allowing the uploader to check the viewing status of the uploaded file by the viewing target unit.

[0110] When registering a site photo, the "site photo" button in the construction management menu 311 is pressed, and a photo registration screen 340 as shown in FIG. 19 is displayed. Screen 340 displays thumbnails of the uploaded photos for each construction stage, such as before construction, during construction, and after construction. In this screen 340, photos can be uploaded with attributes of the construction stage, such as before construction, during construction, and after construction. The construction photo can be edited on this screen 340. The edited photo can be saved under a different name from the original photo and used as an instruction photo.

[0111] Next, the shared chat function will be described. By pressing the "Site Comment" button in the construction management menu 311 on the top screen 310, processing is executed using the shared chat function, and the shared chat screen 350 in FIG. 20 is displayed. The shared chat screen 350 provides a screen for carrying out shared chat for each group. On this shared chat screen 350, a plurality of people who have been registered in advance as a shared group, such as contractors (general contractors, plumbers, remodelers, etc.) and owners, can exchange chat messages.

[0112] In this way, with this shared chat function, in addition to typical two-way chats, it is possible to have multiple parties, such as between a user and a construction company, or between a contractor and a construction company, post on-site photos, and even exchange documents such as schedules, and this information can be kept as a record. As a result, it is possible to disseminate information about important matters regarding construction work at the site. In addition, while normal chat functions require individual communication between the customer and the supplier, with shared chat communication all suppliers can see the message exchange, enabling true information sharing.

[0113] Next, we will explain the Q&A function. FIG. 21 is a diagram showing a Q&A screen that is displayed by pressing the "Q&A" button on the top screen of FIG. By pressing the "Q&A" button in the construction management menu 311 on the top screen 310, processing is performed using the Q&A function, and the Q&A screen 360 in FIG. 21 is displayed. On the Q&A screen 360, the Q&A function can automatically respond to questions about estimates, contracts, construction methods, past complaint cases, etc., using AI that has been trained using big data or teacher data accumulated in the past. It can also answer questions from customers and construction companies. The Q&A function will answer by quoting images such as photos if necessary. The Q&A function is equipped with an AI function. For example, the AI ​​function will identify defects in the image of the house uploaded to the Q&A screen 360 and answer how to deal with the defects. The Q&A function allows you to answer questions in a way that sounds just like an experienced salesperson or carpenter would.

[0114] Next, we will explain the ToDo list function. FIG. 22 is a diagram showing a ToDo list screen displayed by pressing the "ToDo list" button on the top screen of FIG. By pressing the "ToDo List" button in the construction management menu 311 on the top screen 310, processing is executed using the ToDo list management function, and the ToDo list display screen 370 in FIG. 22 is displayed. The ToDo list display screen 370 displays the ToDo list. On the ToDo list display screen 370, a workflow can be implemented in which a contractor checks off the ToDo list and the client approves the contents checked by the contractor. The ToDo list changes depending on the contents of the renovation work. A ToDo list exists for each work as a checklist for each work. For example, if one contract includes wallpapering, toilet work, and floor work, there will be a checklist for each work. The ToDo list management function allows customers to keep track of the actual progress of construction work, rather than just the scheduled work. In addition, new ToDos can be created by checking checkboxes that are separate from the workflow determined by both the contractor and the customer. The ToDo list management function is equipped with AI functionality, and can automatically generate ToDos in conjunction with chat content and construction information.

[0115] Next, the tallying function will be described. FIG. 23 is a diagram showing a tally screen displayed by pressing the "tally" button on the top screen of FIG. By pressing the "tally" button in the construction management menu 311 on the top screen 310, processing using the tally function is executed, and the tally screen 380 in FIG. 23 is displayed. This example of a tally screen 380 is an example of searching for the aggregated contents of the feedback contents among the data stored in the DB 121. The tally screen 380 has columns for response type, response date, desired construction budget, desired construction location, reason for construction, type of lost order, date of lost order, reason for lost order, and reason for lost order (remarks), and the tally conditions can be narrowed down by entering information in each column. By filtering and aggregating information based on aggregation conditions, the data output will show trends regarding construction companies, such as a certain construction company's tendency to be late in reporting or starting construction late. Furthermore, by using the aggregated results, it is possible to predict how many construction projects will be delayed if a construction company carries out, for example, 100 construction projects.

[0116] The aggregation function compiles information (including statistics up to the point of contract) about each and all construction companies through all interactions between construction companies and between construction companies and clients via server 1, such as the media response, number of visitors, number of estimates, number of contracts, order amount, gross profit, trigger for construction, reasons for losing contracts, construction budget, order trends, and how the information compares with the market (including statistics up to the point of contract), stores the information in DB121, and outputs the compiled results. For example, the speed of response to customers from each construction company or all construction companies, whether the scheduled start and completion dates are being kept, whether photos are being uploaded properly, whether the ToDo list is being updated properly, customer feedback, etc. can be collected (including construction statistics) and fed back to the construction companies, and customers can also check the construction quality of the construction companies. In addition, the collected data can be automatically sent and searched at a specified time every month.

[0117] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and modifications, improvements, etc. within the scope that can achieve the object of the present invention are included in the present invention.

[0118] In the above embodiment, the contractor is described as a person who undertakes the renovation work, but it is sufficient for the contractor to be a contractor that can undertake at least one of the works, such as the installation of a product or the dismantling and disposal of an existing product.

[0119] In the above embodiment, in the example of screen 240 in FIG. 9, all of the construction costs and additional items are filled in, and the user is to select (specify) all of the construction details, but the example of screen 240 is only one example, and the user does not have to specify all of the construction details and products for the renovation work.

[0120] 4 is merely an example, and other flowcharts may be used. For example, the estimate issuing step of step S105 may be replaced by the candidate vendor determination step of step S103. In this case, for example, the service provider and the builder decide in advance the price to be presented in the estimate for each construction content unit or each product unit.

[0121] In the above embodiment, several examples were given of separate orders for the product, the work content, and the contractor. However, when making an estimate, the user can enter detailed information about the product and work content in one or more items, inquire with the contractor as to whether or not they will undertake the work, and obtain approval from the contractor, making it possible to place a wide range of separate orders.

[0122] For example, in the above embodiment, the information processing system executes the process of supporting a series of operations from estimates to receiving and placing orders for building renovation work, but the present invention is not limited to renovations.

[0123] Furthermore, for example, the system configuration shown in FIG. 1 and the hardware configuration of the server 1 shown in FIG. 2 are merely examples for achieving the object of the present invention, and are not particularly limited.

[0124] In addition, the functional block diagrams and databases shown in Fig. 3 above are merely examples and are not particularly limited. In other words, it is sufficient that the information processing system is provided with a function capable of executing the above-mentioned series of processes as a whole, and the functional blocks and databases used to realize this function are not particularly limited to the above examples.

[0125] Furthermore, the locations of the functional blocks and databases are not limited to the example shown in FIG. 3, and may be arbitrary. 3, all the functional blocks and databases are provided in the server 1, but this is merely an example. For example, as described above, the functional blocks and databases may be executed by an application installed in the user terminal 2, or at least some of the functional blocks and databases provided on the server 1 side may be provided on the user terminal 2 side. Furthermore, one functional block and database may be configured as a single piece of hardware, a single piece of software, or a combination thereof.

[0126] Furthermore, for example, the functional blocks and databases shown in FIG. 3 described above are merely examples, and other functional blocks not shown may be provided in the information processing system.

[0127] When the processing of each functional block is executed by software, the program constituting the software is installed into a computer or the like from a network or a recording medium. The computer may be a computer built into dedicated hardware, or may be a computer capable of executing various functions by installing various programs, such as a server, a general-purpose smartphone, or a personal computer.

[0128] A recording medium containing such a program is not only composed of removable media that is distributed separately from the device body in order to provide each user with the program, but also composed of a recording medium that is provided to each user in a state in which it is pre-installed in the device body.

[0129] In this specification, the steps of describing a program to be recorded on a recording medium include not only processes that are performed chronologically according to the order, but also processes that are not necessarily performed chronologically but are executed in parallel or individually.

[0130] In addition, in this specification, the term "system" refers to an overall device that is composed of a plurality of devices, a plurality of means, etc.

[0131] In summary, the information processing system to which the present invention is applied may have the following configuration, and may take a variety of different embodiments. That is, the information processing system to which the present invention is applied is A construction content determination means (e.g., the construction content determination unit 61 in FIG. 3 ) that determines construction content of a building by a user operation; A product determination unit (e.g., a product determination unit 62 in FIG. 3 ) that determines a product (material) required for the construction work by the user's operation; A candidate contractor determination means (e.g., the candidate contractor determination unit 63 in FIG. 3 ) that determines one or more candidate contractors from among one or more contractors who can undertake at least a part of the work for the determined work content and product (the work content and the product can be ordered separately) by the user's operation (which may be an operation in which the user explicitly designates the candidate contractors, or an operation in which the user leaves the decision of the candidate contractors to the service provider (system)); Equipped with. In this way, the user selects the construction work content of the building and the products (materials) required for the work, and determines the candidate contractors who can undertake the work, allowing the user to choose the renovation work that suits them best. As a result, when carrying out renovation work, the user will be able to freely select the products to be renovated, the work content, and the contractor, and then proceed with the renovation work.

[0132] In the information processing system, an estimate issuing means (e.g., the estimate issuing unit 64 in FIG. 3 ) for issuing an estimate for the construction work for the determined construction content and the product; It further comprises: In this way, an estimate for construction work regarding the work content and products is issued, and the user can view the estimate to get an idea of ​​the specific costs involved in the construction work.

[0133] In the above information processing system, standard estimates for standard construction content and standard products are presented in advance by the one or more contractors, The quotation issuing means (e.g., the quotation issuing unit 64 in FIG. 3, etc.) issues the quotation for each of the one or more traders based on the standard quotation, The vendor candidate determination means (for example, the vendor candidate determination unit 63 in FIG. 3, etc.) determines the one or more vendor candidates from among the one or more vendors to which the estimates have been submitted, in response to an operation by the user. In this way, by estimating the standard price presented in advance by the contractor before deciding on the contractor candidate, the user can know the approximate standard construction price, and can check the contractor's word-of-mouth reviews, etc., and select a contractor to order the construction from while taking into consideration the actual sales price and the contents of the construction. After that, the candidate deciding means (e.g., the contractor candidate deciding unit 63 in FIG. 3, etc.) decides one or more contractor (constructor) candidates from one or more contractors by the user's operation (e.g., an operation to designate a contractor on the user terminal 2, etc.), so that the user can decide on a contractor (constructor) with the most advantageous price. The candidate trader may be selected from the list of standard prices registered in advance by each trader, or only the standard price may be displayed, or the price may be negotiable.

[0134] In the above information processing system, the quotation issuing means (eg, quotation issuing unit 64 in FIG. 3) issues the quotations presented by each of the one or more determined trader candidates. In this way, by issuing estimates submitted by one or more potential contractors, the user can select the desired estimate from one or more, and can request the renovation work to be carried out by a contractor (contractor) that best suits the user's needs.

[0135] In the above information processing system, the vendor candidate determination means (e.g., the vendor candidate determination unit 63 in FIG. 3) selects the one or more vendor candidates selected by the user's operation from the one or more vendors presented to the user. In this way, by the user selecting a contractor (contractor) candidate from the multiple contractor (contractor) candidates presented, the user can narrow down the contractors (contractors) to those that best suit the user's needs.

[0136] In the above information processing system, a notification means (e.g., a notification unit 65 in FIG. 3) is further provided for notifying terminals (e.g., a contractor terminal 3, etc.) of whether or not it is possible to undertake the construction of at least a part of the determined construction content and the product (separate ordering of the construction content and the product is also possible), The candidate contractor determination means (e.g., the candidate contractor determination unit 63 in FIG. 3) determines, through the user's operation, one or more candidate contractors (contractors) from among the one or more contractors (contractors) who have responded to the notification via the terminal that they are able to undertake the construction work. In this way, the terminals of multiple contractors (e.g., contractor terminal 3, etc.) are notified of whether or not they are able to undertake the construction work, and the user can select one or more candidate contractors (contractors) from among the contractors that respond, in a manner similar to an auction, for example.

[0137] In the above information processing system, a communication control means (e.g., the communication control unit 66 in FIG. 3, etc.) for controlling communication between the user's terminal and a terminal of a predetermined person in order to communicate with the predetermined person among the one or more determined trader candidates; It further comprises: In this way, by controlling communication between the user and a specific candidate among contractors (contractors), the user can communicate with the contractor (contractor) regarding the details of the estimate for the work and subsequent contract agreements (e.g., negotiating discounts, etc.).

[0138] In the above information processing system, an order control means (e.g., the order control unit 67 in FIG. 3, etc.) controls the order processing for the supplier (selected contractor) selected by the user's operation from the one or more determined candidates for contractors (constructors), and controls the order processing at the supplier; It further comprises: In this way, the construction work is ordered from a contractor (selected contractor) selected by the user from among candidate contractors (contractors), and the contractor (contractor) to which the order is placed receives the order, so that the construction work desired by the user can be ordered from the contractor (selected contractor) selected by the user.

[0139] In the above information processing system, the order control means (such as the order control unit 67 in FIG. 3) controls processing related to an electronic contract concluded between the user and the supplier as part of the control related to the order processing. In this way, by having the signatures of the user and the contractor authenticated by a predetermined external authentication organization (such as an electronic signature system), a reliable contract can be established.

[0140] In the above information processing system, a progress management means (e.g., the progress management unit 68 in FIG. 3 ) that presents progress information indicating the progress of the construction work at the contractor to a terminal of the user; It further comprises: In this way, by presenting progress information indicating the progress of the construction work at the contractor to the user's terminal (for example, the user terminal 2, etc.), the user can view the progress status after the construction work contract is concluded.

[0141] The system further includes a trader information registration means (such as the trader information registration unit 69 in FIG. 3) for registering trader information indicating at least one of available products and construction details by the respective operations of a plurality of traders, The candidate contractor determination means (e.g., the candidate contractor determination unit 63 in FIG. 3, etc.) selects one or more contractors who can undertake at least a part of the selected construction work and product (separate orders for the construction work and the product are also possible) from among the multiple contractors based on the contractor information of each of the multiple contractors, The one or more candidate traders are determined from the one or more selected traders through an operation by the user. In this way, by registering in advance the products and construction details that a contractor (contractor, etc.) can handle, the system will pick out contractors (contractors, etc.) who can undertake the construction work from the many registered contractors (contractors, etc.), and the user can select a contractor (contractor, etc.) from among the picked contractors (contractors, etc.) who can perform the construction work.

[0142] The information processing method to which the present invention is applied is an information processing method executed by an information processing system, A construction content determination step (e.g., step S101 in FIG. 4) in which the construction content of the building is determined by a user operation; A product determination step (e.g., step S102 in FIG. 4) for determining a product required for the construction work by the user's operation; A candidate contractor determination step (e.g., step S103 in FIG. 4) for determining, by the user's operation, one or more candidate contractors from among one or more contractors who can undertake at least a part of the construction work for the determined construction content and the product; Includes includes. In this way, the user selects the construction work content of the building and the products (materials) required for the work, and determines the candidate contractors who can undertake the work, allowing the user to choose the renovation work that suits them best. As a result, when carrying out renovation work, the user will be able to freely select the products to be renovated, the work content, and the contractor, and then proceed with the renovation work.

[0143] The program to which the present invention is applied is On the computer, A construction content determination step (e.g., step S101 in FIG. 4) in which the construction content of the building is determined by a user operation; A product determination step (e.g., step S102 in FIG. 4) for determining a product required for the construction work by the user's operation; A candidate contractor determination step (e.g., step S102 in FIG. 4) for determining, by the user's operation, one or more candidate contractors from among one or more contractors who can undertake at least a part of the construction work for the determined construction content and the product; The control process includes: In this way, the user selects the construction work content of the building and the products (materials) required for the work, and determines the candidate contractors who can undertake the work, allowing the user to choose the renovation work that suits them best. As a result, when carrying out renovation work, the user will be able to freely select the products to be renovated, the work content, and the contractor, and then proceed with the renovation work. [Explanation of symbols]

[0144] 1...server, 2, 2-1 to 2-n...user terminal, 3, 3-1 to 3-m...constructor terminal, 11...CPU, 18...storage unit, 50...site management unit, 61...construction content determination unit, 62...product determination unit, 63...contractor candidate determination unit, 64...quotation issuing unit, 65...notification unit, 66...communication control unit, 67...order control unit, 68...progress management unit, 69...contractor information registration unit

Claims

1. An information processing device comprising: a presentation means for presenting, by a user's operation, options and base prices of construction contents for the building construction, and options and base prices of products required for the construction, for each item; a construction content determination means for determining, when one or more items related to predetermined candidates of the construction content are designated by the user's operation, the candidates of the designated one or more items as the construction content; a product determination means for, when one or more items related to a predetermined candidate product are designated by an operation of the user, determining the candidate product having the designated one or more items as the product; an estimate destination designation receiving means for receiving a designation method selected by the user from among a separate designation method for designating one or more contractors for each item, a collective designation method for designating one predetermined contractor for all items, and a delegation designation method for entrusting the designation of all items to the information processing device; and an estimate issuing means for issuing an estimate for each item of the determined construction content and the product in accordance with the designation method accepted by the estimate recipient designation accepting means; a candidate contractor determination means for determining, by the user's operation, one or more candidate contractors for each item from among one or more contractors included in the estimate among one or more contractors who can undertake at least a part of the work for the determined construction content and the product; An information processing device comprising:

2. The method further includes a notification means for notifying terminals of a plurality of contractors of the determined construction content and whether or not the contractor can undertake at least a part of the construction work for the product; The candidate contractor determination means determines, in response to the notification via the terminal, the one or more candidate contractors from among the one or more contractors included in the estimate, by an operation of the user. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. an order control means for controlling an order process for one or more suppliers selected from the one or more candidate traders determined by the user's operation, and for controlling an order process for the one or more suppliers; a communication control means for controlling communication between each of the one or more supplier terminals and the user terminal for the purpose of communicating between each of the one or more supplier terminals and the user; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

4. A progress management means for presenting progress information indicating the progress of the construction work at a contractor to a terminal of the user; The information processing device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

5. a question and answering means for accepting any question from a user during a series of steps from the determination of the construction content and the product, the determination of the one or more candidate contractors, the order processing to the contractor, and the ongoing construction, and for responding to the question by a predetermined algorithm; The information processing device according to claim 4 , further comprising:

6. a compilation means for compiling information on past construction work of a plurality of contractors who may be determined as the contractor candidates by the contractor candidate determination means, the information including feedback; The information processing device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

7. The progress management means further presents a list of the contents to be implemented by the contractor in the ongoing construction work on the user's terminal together with or instead of the progress information. The information processing device according to claim 4.

8. An information processing method executed by an information processing device, A presentation step of presenting, by a user's operation, candidates and base prices of construction contents of the building construction, and candidates and base prices of products required for the construction, for each item; a construction content determination step of, when one or more items related to predetermined candidates of the construction content are designated by the user's operation, determining the candidates of the one or more designated items as the construction content; a product determination step of, when one or more items related to a predetermined candidate product are designated by an operation of the user, determining the candidate product having the designated one or more items as the product; an estimate destination designation receiving step for receiving a designation method selected by the user from among a separate designation method for designating one or more contractors for each item, a collective designation method for designating one predetermined contractor for all items, and a delegation designation method for entrusting the designation of all items to the information processing device; an estimate issuing step of issuing an estimate for each item of the determined construction content and the product according to the designation method accepted by the processing of the estimate recipient designation accepting step; A candidate contractor determination step of determining, by the user's operation, one or more candidate contractors for each item from among one or more contractors included in the estimate among one or more contractors who can undertake at least a part of the work for the determined construction content and the product; An information processing method comprising:

9. On the computer, A presentation step of presenting, by a user's operation, candidates and base prices of construction contents of the building construction, and candidates and base prices of products required for the construction, for each item; a construction content determination step of, when one or more items related to predetermined candidates of the construction content are designated by the user's operation, determining the candidates of the one or more designated items as the construction content; a product determination step of, when one or more items related to a predetermined candidate product are designated by an operation of the user, determining the candidate product having the designated one or more items as the product; a step of accepting an estimate designation method selected by the user from among a separate designation method for designating one or more contractors for each item, a collective designation method for designating one predetermined contractor for all items, and a delegation designation method for entrusting the computer with the designation of all items, as a designation method for the determined construction content and product; and an estimate issuing step of issuing an estimate for each item of the determined construction content and the product according to the designation method accepted by the processing of the estimate recipient designation accepting step; A candidate contractor determination step of determining, by the user's operation, one or more candidate contractors for each item from among one or more contractors included in the estimate among one or more contractors who can undertake at least a part of the work for the determined construction content and the product; A program that executes control processing including:

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