Delivery district allocation device and delivery district allocation method

Abstract

To make it possible, for each district into which a distribution area is divided, to assign responsibility for the district to either of two distribution entities and to set which distribution entity is responsible for how many districts at the time of assignment.SOLUTION: A distribution district assignment apparatus comprises: setting information acquisition means for acquiring an assignment setting value, which is an index value of a ratio of assignment to two distribution entities, for distribution districts into which a distribution area is divided; and assignment means for assigning each district group, into which the distribution districts are grouped, to the responsible district of either of the two distribution entities based on the assignment setting value.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a delivery district allocation device. and Delivery area allocation method By law Regarding. [Background technology]

[0002] Several technologies have been proposed in relation to the creation of delivery plans within a given delivery area. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a method of dividing a delivery area into multiple block areas in advance, determining a delivery plan within each block, and then making adjustments between blocks based on the delivery plan within the block to determine deliveries within the delivery area. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-311702 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When two delivery entities, such as two companies, deliver within a given delivery area, it is possible to divide the delivery area into delivery districts and have one of the delivery entities take charge of delivery for each delivery district in order to deliver efficiently. When assigning responsibility for each delivery district, it is preferable to be able to set which delivery entity will be responsible for how many districts.

[0005] An example of the object of the present invention is to provide a delivery district allocation device that can solve the above-mentioned problems. and Delivery area allocation method The law The purpose is to provide. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present invention, the delivery district allocation device includes a setting information acquisition means for acquiring an allocation setting value, which is an index value of the allocation ratio of the delivery district into which the delivery area is divided to two delivery entities; Based on an evaluation index in which the evaluation is higher the more pairs of two adjacent delivery districts that are included in the same district group, The above delivery area of Grouping into districts did and allocation means for allocating each group of districts to the districts in charge of one of the two delivery entities based on the allocation setting value.

[0011] The present invention 2 According to the embodiment, the delivery district allocation method includes a computer acquiring an allocation setting value which is an index value of the allocation ratio of the delivery districts into which the delivery area is divided to the two delivery entities; Based on an evaluation index in which the evaluation is higher the more pairs of two adjacent delivery districts that are included in the same district group, The delivery districts are grouped into district groups, and each district group is assigned to a district in charge of one of the two delivery entities based on the assignment setting value.

[0012] The present invention 3 According to the embodiment, The delivery district allocation device comprises a setting information acquisition means for acquiring an allocation setting value, which is an index value of the allocation ratio of delivery districts into which a delivery area is divided to two delivery entities, and an allocation means for grouping the delivery districts into district groups and allocating each district group to the district responsible for one of the two delivery entities based on the allocation setting value, based on an evaluation index in which the evaluation is higher the fewer the number of district groups whose connection relationships of delivery districts included in the same district group are represented by a non-connected graph. According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a delivery district allocation device comprises a setting information acquisition means for acquiring an index value of the allocation ratio of delivery districts into which a delivery area is divided to two delivery entities, which is an allocation setting value that is an index value of the allocation ratio of delivery districts to the two delivery entities before the allocation of delivery personnel for each delivery district to the two delivery entities is changed, and an allocation means for allocating each district group into which the delivery districts are grouped to one of the districts under the responsibility of one of the two delivery entities based on an evaluation index that increases the evaluation the closer the allocation ratio of delivery districts to the two delivery entities is to the ratio before the allocation change. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, for each area into which a delivery region is divided, responsibility for that area can be assigned to one of two delivery entities, and when assigning, it is possible to set which delivery entity will be responsible for how many areas. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a delivery district allocation device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an image displayed on a display unit showing delivery personnel for each delivery district before reallocation in the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an image showing a district group displayed on a display unit in the first embodiment. [Figure 4]FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an image displayed on the display unit showing delivery personnel for each delivery district after reallocation in the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display on a display unit of an image showing delivery personnel for each delivery area superimposed before and after reallocation in the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of display on a display unit of an image showing delivery personnel for each delivery district before and after reallocation, superimposed for each district group, in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an image displayed on a display unit, showing an index value indicating a change in a responsible district due to reallocation in the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display on the display unit of a screen for changing a delivery person for each delivery area in the first embodiment. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure in which an allocation unit according to the first embodiment reallocates delivery personnel. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a delivery district allocation device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a delivery district allocation display device according to the third to seventh embodiments. [Figure 12] 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure in a delivery district allocation method according to the eighth embodiment. [Figure 13] 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure in a delivery district allocation display method according to the ninth to thirteenth embodiments. [Figure 14] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating the configuration of a computer according to at least one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] The following describes embodiments of the present invention, but the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention as claimed. Furthermore, not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention.

[0016] First Embodiment Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a delivery district allocation device according to the first embodiment. In the configuration shown in Fig. 1, the delivery district allocation device 100 includes a communication unit 110, a display unit 120, an operation input unit 130, a storage unit 180, and a processing unit 190. The processing unit 190 includes a setting information acquisition unit 191, an allocation unit 192, an image generation unit 193, and an editing unit 194.

[0017] When two delivery entities are performing deliveries within a certain area, the delivery district allocation device 100 allocates deliveries to these two delivery entities. Specifically, the delivery district allocation device 100 sets one of the two delivery entities as a delivery manager for each district into which the delivery target area is divided. In this case, the delivery district allocation device 100 groups the districts into district groups. Then, the delivery district allocation device 100 acquires an allocation setting value, which is an index value of the ratio at which delivery managers in the district group are allocated to the two delivery entities. The delivery district allocation device 100 allocates the delivery manager for each district group to one of the two delivery entities according to the acquired allocation setting value.

[0018] The area covered by delivery is also called a delivery area. The areas into which a delivery area is divided are also called delivery districts. Grouping delivery districts into district groups here means setting up district groups that combine multiple delivery districts. Deciding which of two delivery entities will be responsible for delivery in a certain district is also called assigning that district to that delivery entity.

[0019] It is expected that the delivery district allocation device 100 can plan an allocation that is easy for the delivery entity to accept by allocating district groups to the delivery entity according to the allocation installation value. For example, when the delivery district allocation device 100 reallocates delivery personnel for a delivery area where delivery personnel for each district have already been determined, the delivery district allocation device 100 may acquire the allocation ratio of the delivery districts to the two delivery entities before reallocation as an allocation setting value. Then, the delivery district allocation device 100 may determine the allocation of district groups based on the allocation setting value so that the ratio of the number of districts to be allocated to the two delivery entities is as close as possible to the ratio before reallocation.

[0020] Alternatively, when the delivery district allocation device 100 newly sets the allocation of delivery personnel in a delivery area, it may acquire the ratio agreed upon by the two delivery entities as an allocation setting value. Then, the delivery district allocation device 100 may determine the allocation of district groups based on the allocation setting value so that the ratio of the number of districts allocated to the two delivery entities is as close as possible to the ratio before reallocation.

[0021] In the following, we will use an example where the delivery entity is a company, and the two companies will be referred to as Company 0 and Company 1. Company 0 and Company 1 will be distinguished by the identification numbers 0 and 1. As will be described later, of the two companies, the company responsible for the fewer number of areas within the entire delivery area will have the identification number "1", and the company responsible for the larger number of areas will have the identification number "0". However, the delivery district allocation device 100 can also be applied when the delivery entity is not a company. For example, the two delivery entities may be a delivery person who uses a car and a delivery person who uses a motorcycle, all of which are part of the same company.

[0022] In the following, an example will be described in which a delivery person is assigned to either company 0 or company 1 for each delivery district, and the delivery district allocation device 100 reallocates delivery persons. The allocation before the delivery district allocation device 100 reallocates is also referred to as the current allocation. The allocation calculated by the delivery district allocation device 100 in the reallocation is also referred to as the allocation after reallocation. However, the delivery district allocation device 100 can also be used when a delivery person is assigned to each delivery district when the delivery person for each district has not yet been determined.

[0023] In the following, an example will be described in which there is no difference in merit or demerit depending on which delivery district is assigned to a delivery entity, such as when the delivery burden and profit are similar for all delivery districts. If there are advantages and disadvantages depending on the delivery district, the delivery entities may switch the delivery districts they are responsible for based on the allocation calculated by the delivery district allocation device 100 and upon agreement between them. Alternatively, the difference in merit or demerit depending on the delivery district may be compensated for in some way, such as by adjusting the distribution of delivery profits to the delivery entities.

[0024] The delivery district allocation device 100 also includes a display unit 120 for displaying various images, which will be described later. The delivery district allocation device 100 is an example of a delivery district allocation display device.

[0025] The communication unit 110 communicates with other devices. For example, when the delivery district allocation device 100 reallocates delivery personnel, the communication unit 110 may receive information indicating the current allocation of delivery personnel from the other device.

[0026] The display unit 120 has a display screen such as a liquid crystal panel or an LED (Light Emitting Diode) panel, and displays various images. In particular, it displays various images related to the allocation of delivery personnel by the delivery district allocation device 100, such as an image showing the allocation status of delivery personnel before and after reallocation by the delivery district allocation device 100. The display unit 120 corresponds to an example of display means.

[0027] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of an image displayed on the display unit 120 showing the delivery personnel for each delivery area before reallocation. In the example of FIG. 2, each delivery area is shown as a rectangle, and the delivery area is divided into 70 delivery areas (7 rows x 10 columns). The "0" or "1" in the delivery area indicates the identification number that identifies the company responsible for delivery. As mentioned above, the company identification number "0" indicates company 0. The company identification number "1" indicates company 1. The numbers 0 to 9 on the horizontal axis and the numbers 0 to 6 on the vertical axis represent coordinate values for identifying delivery areas.

[0028] However, the shape and layout of the delivery districts handled by the delivery district allocation device 100 are not limited to the shape and layout in which rectangles of the same shape and size are aligned vertically and horizontally as shown in the example of Fig. 2. The shape and layout of the delivery districts can be various shapes and layouts that allow the connection relationships between delivery districts to be expressed in some form, such as an adjacency matrix.

[0029] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an image showing a district group displayed by the display unit 120. Fig. 3 shows an example in which the delivery district allocation device 100 has grouped the delivery districts in the example of Fig. 2 into a district group including five delivery districts. In the example of Fig. 3, the division of the district group is indicated by thick lines. The numbers in the area indicate the identification numbers that identify the area groups. In the example of Figure 3, 70 delivery areas are grouped into area groups of 5, resulting in 14 area groups. These 14 area groups are identified by identification numbers 0 to 13.

[0030] In the example of Figure 3, each district group is configured as an integrated area. When a district group is configured as an integrated area, it means that the district group is not a combination of multiple areas that are not geometrically connected to each other. When a district group is configured as a unified area, it is also referred to as having no outlying areas. When a district group is a combination of multiple areas that are not connected to each other, it is also referred to as having outlying areas. When a district group is a combination of multiple areas that are not connected to each other, it can also be said that the connectivity of delivery districts included in the same district group is represented by a disconnected graph.

[0031] The delivery area allocation device 100 configures area groups as a unified area and assigns one company to each area group as a delivery manager, which is expected to enable the company that is the delivery entity to carry out deliveries efficiently, such as by having the travel distance within the area group be relatively short. The delivery district allocation device 100 can use a combination of two methods for configuring district groups as a unified area, such as a method described below, which uses an evaluation index that increases the evaluation the more combinations of two delivery districts that share an edge are included in the same district group, and a method using an evaluation index that increases the evaluation the fewer district groups in which the connection relationships of delivery districts included in the same district group are represented by a disconnected graph.

[0032] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an image displayed on the display unit 120 showing the delivery personnel for each delivery district after reallocation. FIG. 4 shows an example in which the delivery district allocation device 100 has assigned either company 0 or company 1 as the delivery personnel for each district group in FIG. 3. As in FIG. 2, the "0" or "1" in the delivery district indicates an identification number that identifies the company in charge of delivery. Also, in FIG. 4, as in FIG. 3, the division of district groups is indicated by thick lines.

[0033] The image shown in FIG. 4 corresponds to an example of an image including a map of a delivery area, a display of delivery districts, a display of district groups, and a display of delivery entities assigned to delivery personnel for each district group. By displaying the reallocated delivery representatives for each district group along with the delivery districts on the map, the user can visually grasp the allocation status of the delivery representatives to the delivery districts after reallocation. This allows the user to relatively easily grasp the connection status of delivery districts assigned to the same company. In this case, the user may be, but is not limited to, a person in charge of the company that is the delivery entity.

[0034] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of an image showing delivery personnel for each delivery district before and after reallocation superimposed on the display unit 120. Fig. 5 shows an example of an image showing delivery personnel for each delivery district before reallocation shown in Fig. 2 superimposed on delivery personnel for each delivery district before reallocation shown in Fig. 4. As in Figures 2 and 4, a "0" or "1" in a delivery area indicates the identification number that identifies the company responsible for delivery. A "0 → 1" in a delivery area indicates that the delivery person will change from company 0 to company 1. A "1 → 0" in a delivery area indicates that the delivery person will change from company 1 to company 0.

[0035] The image shown in Figure 5 is an example of an image that includes a map of a delivery area, a display of delivery districts, a display of delivery entities assigned to delivery personnel in each delivery district, and a display of changes to delivery personnel assignments.

[0036] By displaying the change in delivery person assignment on a map of the delivery area by the display unit 120, the user can visually grasp the location of the area where the delivery person assignment has been changed, and in this respect, the impact of the change in delivery person assignment can be grasped relatively easily.

[0037] Furthermore, the image shown in Figure 5 is an example of an image that includes a map of a delivery area, a display of delivery districts, a display of delivery personnel for each delivery district before reallocation, and a display of delivery personnel for each delivery district after reallocation. By displaying the delivery personnel for each delivery area before and after the reallocation on the same map, the display unit 120 allows the user to visually grasp the relative positions of the delivery personnel's areas before and after the reallocation and the areas where the delivery personnel assignment has been changed, and in this respect, the impact of the change in delivery personnel assignment can be grasped relatively easily.

[0038] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of an image displayed by the display unit 120, in which delivery personnel for each delivery area are superimposed before and after reallocation for each area group. In the example of Fig. 6, the display unit 120 displays the map in the example of Fig. 5 for each area group. By displaying the delivery representatives for each delivery area by area group, overlaid before and after the reallocation, the display unit 120 allows the user to visually grasp the status of changes in delivery representatives within each area group, and makes it relatively easy to grasp the impact of changes in delivery representative assignment, such as whether area groups with many areas in charge of deliveries before the reallocation are assigned to delivery representatives after the reallocation.

[0039] Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of an image showing index values indicating changes in the areas of responsibility due to reallocation, displayed by the display unit 120. Fig. 7 shows an example of index values indicating changes in the areas of responsibility before and after reallocation shown in Figs. 2 and 4. In the example of Figure 7, display unit 120 shows, for Company 1, the value before reallocation ("current"), the value after reallocation, and the increase or decrease for the number of districts, number of district groups, and the percentage of the number of districts or number of district groups to the total.

[0040] In addition, the display unit 120 displays the number of district groups that were responsible for delivery of more than half of the districts before the reassignment and are now responsible for delivery after the reassignment, the number of district groups that were responsible for delivery of half of the districts before the reassignment and are now responsible for delivery after the reassignment, and the number of district groups that were responsible for delivery of less than half of the districts before the reassignment and are now responsible for delivery after the reassignment.

[0041] In addition, the display unit 120 displays the number of district groups that were responsible for delivery of more than half of the districts before the reassignment but are no longer responsible for delivery after the reassignment, the number of district groups that were responsible for delivery of half of the districts before the reassignment but are no longer responsible for delivery after the reassignment, and the number of district groups that were responsible for delivery of less than half of the districts before the reassignment but are no longer responsible for delivery after the reassignment.

[0042] 7, since the number of delivery districts included in the district group is odd (5), one company will not be responsible for half of the delivery districts included in one district group. For this reason, the display unit 120 displays "-" in the corresponding field to indicate that the numerical value is not displayed. 7, the display unit 120 displays either the numerical value related to company 0 or the numerical value related to company 1 in accordance with the user's selection operation. Alternatively, the display unit 120 may display the numerical value related to company 0 and the numerical value related to company 1 on the same screen.

[0043] The image shown in FIG. 7 corresponds to an example of an image showing numerical values indicating the difference in allocation of delivery personnel before and after reallocation to delivery entities. By displaying numerical values indicating the difference in delivery person assignment before and after the reallocation on the display unit 120, the user can statistically grasp the changes in the area of responsibility, and in this respect, can relatively easily grasp the impact of the change in delivery person assignment.

[0044] 8 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for changing delivery personnel for each delivery district, displayed on the display unit 120. FIG. 8 shows an example of changing delivery personnel from the delivery personnel for each delivery district after reallocation shown in FIG. First, the display unit 120 displays the reallocated delivery personnel for each delivery area on a map. As in the case of Figure 4, "0" or "1" in the delivery area indicates the identification number that identifies the company in charge of delivery.

[0045] "0 → 1" within a delivery area indicates that the delivery person in that delivery area will be changed from company 0 to company 1. "1 → 0" within a delivery area indicates that the delivery person in that delivery area will be changed from company 1 to company 0. The user specifies the delivery area for which the delivery person will be changed by, for example, clicking the mouse on the delivery area on the map. If the delivery person before the change is company 0, the display unit 120 updates the display within the delivery area from "0" to "0 → 1." If the delivery person before the change is company 1, the display unit 120 updates the display within the delivery area from "1" to "1 → 0."

[0046] "Save" at the bottom left of the screen is an area that accepts user operations such as mouse clicks to instruct the user to save the change to the delivery person. When an instruction to save the change to the delivery person is given, the delivery district allocation device 100 saves the data indicating the delivery person. Furthermore, the display unit 120 may update the display of the change to the delivery person to display the delivery person, such as updating "0 → 1" in the delivery district to "1" and "1 → 0" to "0."

[0047] "Read" is an area that accepts user operations such as mouse clicks to instruct the reading of saved changes to delivery personnel. When instructed to read changes to delivery personnel, the delivery district allocation device 100 reads the saved data. Then, the display unit 120 updates the display within each delivery district to a display that corresponds to the saved data.

[0048] "Undo" is an area that accepts user operation, such as a mouse click, to reset all changes to delivery personnel and return to the state after reallocation. The delivery district allocation device 100 stores data indicating the delivery personnel for each delivery district after reallocation, and when a user operation using "Undo" is performed, it reads out the delivery personnel for each delivery district after reallocation. The display unit 120 then updates the display within each delivery district to display the delivery personnel for each delivery district after reallocation.

[0049] "Register" is an area that accepts a user operation such as a mouse click to instruct the delivery person shown on the map to be registered as a delivery person to be employed. For example, the delivery district allocation device 100 may register a delivery person shown on the map only if both delivery entities agree, such as by successfully authenticating the delivery person for both Company 0 and Company 1.

[0050] "End Edit" is an area that accepts a user operation such as a mouse click to end the operation to change the delivery person and close the screen. If "End Edit" is selected without saving the data while changing the delivery person, the delivery district allocation device 100 may ask the user whether or not to save the data.

[0051] The image shown in Figure 8 is an example of an image that includes a map of a delivery area, a display of delivery districts, a display of delivery entities assigned to delivery personnel in each delivery district, and a display of districts where changes to delivery personnel assignments have been performed. The user can instruct a change in delivery person by simply specifying a delivery area on a map.

[0052] The operation input unit 130 includes input devices such as a keyboard and a mouse, and accepts user operations. For example, the operation input unit 130 accepts user operations such as switching between display screens illustrated in Fig. 2 to Fig. 8, selecting a company for which index values are to be displayed on the index value display screen illustrated in Fig. 7, and various operations for changing the delivery person described with reference to Fig. 8.

[0053] The storage unit 180 stores various data. For example, the storage unit 180 stores map information showing the layout of delivery districts in a delivery area, data showing the delivery person for each delivery district before reallocation, data showing the correspondence between delivery districts and district groups, data showing the delivery person for each delivery district after reallocation, data showing the delivery person for each delivery district that is saved when the delivery person is changed at the user's instruction, algorithms, formulas, and hyperparameter values for the reallocation process, etc. The storage unit 180 is configured using a storage device provided in the delivery district allocation device 100.

[0054] The processing unit 190 controls each unit of the delivery district allocation device 100 to execute various processes. The functions of the processing unit 190 are executed, for example, by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) included in the delivery district allocation device 100 reading and executing a program from the storage unit 180. In addition, some or all of the functions of the processing unit 190 may be executed using a quantum device such as a quantum computer or a quantum chip.

[0055] The setting information acquisition unit 191 acquires setting information including allocation setting values. The setting information here is information whose contents are set as static information during the reallocation process. The setting information acquisition unit 191 corresponds to an example of setting information acquisition means. The content of a value being fixed means that the value is treated as a constant that does not change during the reallocation process. The content of a function being fixed means that the correspondence between the input value to the function and the output value of the function is treated as not changing during the reallocation process. The setting information acquisition unit 191 may acquire the following values and functions, or some of these, as setting information, but is not limited to these.

[0056] Allocation setting value: Index value of the allocation ratio of the delivery area to the two delivery entities. The setting information acquisition unit 191 sets the number of delivery districts allocated to company 0 before reallocation (49 in the example of FIGS. 2 to 8) as the allocation setting value, and calculates the total number of delivery districts (N s Alternatively, the setting information acquisition unit 191 may divide the number of delivery districts allocated to company 1 before reallocation (21 in the examples of FIGS. 2 to 8) by the total number of delivery districts (N sThe setting information acquisition unit 191 may acquire the quotient obtained by dividing the ratio of the allocation of delivery districts by the ratio of the allocation of delivery districts to the two delivery entities (=70). Alternatively, the setting information acquisition unit 191 may acquire the number of delivery districts allocated to company 0 before reallocation (49 in the examples of FIGS. 2 to 8) as the allocation setting value. Alternatively, the setting information acquisition unit 191 may acquire the number of delivery districts allocated to company 1 before reallocation (21 in the examples of FIGS. 2 to 8) as the allocation setting value. These values respectively correspond to examples of index values of the ratio of the allocation of delivery districts to the two delivery entities before the allocation decision is made by the allocation unit 192.

[0057] Alternatively, the setting information acquisition unit 191 may set the number of district groups to be allocated to company 0 after reallocation (10 in the examples of FIGS. 2 to 8) as the allocation setting value, in relation to the total number of district groups (N g Alternatively, the setting information acquisition unit 191 may divide the number of district groups to be allocated to company 1 after reallocation (4 in the examples of FIGS. 2 to 8) by the total number of district groups (N g Alternatively, the setting information acquisition unit 191 may acquire, as the allocation setting value, the number of district groups to be allocated to company 0 after reallocation (10 in the examples of FIGS. 2 to 8). Alternatively, the setting information acquisition unit 191 may acquire, as the allocation setting value, the number of district groups to be allocated to company 1 after reallocation (4 in the examples of FIGS. 2 to 8).

[0058] N c : The number of delivery districts included in one district group. In the examples of Figures 2 to 8, N c =5. N g : The number of district groups included in the delivery area. In the examples of Figures 2 to 8, N g =14. N s : The number of delivery areas included in the delivery area. In the examples of Figures 2 to 8, N s =70. f(s): A function that indicates the delivery person for each delivery area before reallocation. f(s) receives the identification number of the delivery area as input and outputs the identification number of the delivery person for that delivery area. S rook : The set of pairs of two districts that share an edge.

[0059] The setting information acquisition unit 191 c , N g and N s For example, the setting information acquisition unit 191 may acquire any two of the values N by a user operation or by communication with another device, and calculate the remaining value. c =5 and N s Based on N = 70 g =70 / 5=14. The setting information acquisition unit 191 acquires S rook The value of (the set of combinations of two districts that share an edge) may be calculated.

[0060] The allocation unit 192 allocates each district group to the districts of one of the two delivery entities based on the allocation setting value. The allocation unit 192 corresponds to an example of allocation means. Here, a case will be described in which the allocation unit 192 executes reallocation by formulation using the Ising model and calculation using Bayesian optimization.

[0061] However, the method of reallocation by the allocation unit 192 is not limited to this, and various methods can be used that can calculate so that the evaluation value indicated by the set evaluation index becomes higher under the set constraint conditions. Furthermore, hardware that performs calculations using quantum computing, such as a quantum computer or a quantum accelerator, may be used as hardware that performs optimization calculations, but is not limited to this. Here, the Hamiltonian H of the Ising model used by the assignment unit 192 is Ising is defined as in equation (1).

[0062]

number

[0063] A, B, C, and D are hyperparameters for adjusting the strength of constraints or the influence of the objective function. As will be described later, the allocation unit 192 calculates the values of A, B, C, and D by Bayesian optimization. H cst 1 , H cst 2 , H gerr , H rook are both partial Hamiltonians.

[0064] H cst 1 is expressed as equation (2).

[0065]

number

[0066] g is a variable that represents an identification number that identifies a district group. Here, the identification numbers that identify district groups are 0, 1, ..., N. g As mentioned above, N g represents the number of district groups. A district group with identification number g is also called district group g. s is a variable that represents the identification number for identifying a district. Here, the identification numbers for identifying a district are 0, 1, ..., N. s As mentioned above, N s represents the number of districts. A district with identification number s is also called district s.

[0067] x s g is a binary variable that takes on the value 0 or 1. s g The value "1" of x indicates that district s is included in district group g. s g A value of "0" indicates that district s is not included in district group g. As mentioned above, N crepresents the number of delivery districts included in one district group.

[0068] The first term on the right side of equation (2) is "Σ g=0 Ng-1 (Σ s=0 Ns-1 x s g -N c ) 2 " is N for each district group. c This represents the constraint that the number of districts must be included. s=0 Ns-1 (Σ g=0 Ng-1 x s g -1) 2 " represents the constraint that a district can only be included in one district group.

[0069] "H" in Equation (1) cst 2 " is expressed as equation (3).

[0070]

number

[0071] j is a variable that counts the number of districts and is 0, 1, . . . , N c It takes one of the following values. y j g is a binary variable that takes on the value 0 or 1. j g The value "1" of y indicates that among the districts included in district group g, the number of districts that company 1 is responsible for before reallocation is j. j g The value "0" indicates that among the districts included in district group g, the number of districts that Company 1 is responsible for before reallocation is not j. y j g is a one-hot vector [y0 g ,y1 g ,···,y Nc g] may be configured as an element of

[0072] As shown above, f(s) is a function that indicates the delivery personnel for each delivery area before reallocation. f(s) outputs the identification number of the company in charge of area s before reallocation. If company 1 was in charge of area s before reallocation, f(s) = 1. If company 0 was in charge of area s before reallocation, f(s) = 0. f(s) can be said to be a function that represents the distribution of delivery destinations for each company before reallocation.

[0073] Alternatively, f(s) can be considered as information indicating the region that company 1 was in charge of before the reallocation. Specifically, if company 1 was in charge of region s before the reallocation, f(s) = 1. If company 1 was not in charge of region s before the reallocation, f(s) = 0.

[0074] The first term on the right side of equation (3) is "Σ g=0 Ng-1 (Σ j=0 Nc y j g -1) 2 " is the variable y0 g , y1 g , , y Nc g This represents a constraint that only one of the variables has a value of 1, and the other variables have a value of 0. The first term on the right-hand side of equation (3) can be said to represent a constraint that ensures that, among the districts included in district group g, the number of districts that Company 1 is responsible for before reallocation is not double-defined.

[0075] The second term on the right side of equation (3) "Σ g=0 Ng-1 (Σ j=0 Nc j×y j g -Σ s=0 Ns-1 f(s)×x s g ) 2 " Among them, "Σ j=0 Nc j×y jg " and "Σ s=0 Ns-1 f(s)×x s g " represents the number of districts that company 1 is in charge of before reallocation among the districts included in district group g. The second term on the right side of equation (3) is the variable y j g The value of the function f(s) and the variable x s g It can be said that this term represents a constraint to ensure that the values of are set consistently. In this way, the second term on the right side of equation (3) is the variable y j g The value of the function f(s) and the variable x s g If all of the values are set correctly, the value will be 0. On the other hand, if there is an error in the setting of any variable value or function, a penalty will be incurred.

[0076] "H" in Equation (1) gerr " is expressed as equation (4).

[0077]

number

[0078] p(j) is expressed as in equation (5).

[0079]

number

[0080] ciel() represents the ceiling function. ciel(x) represents the smallest integer greater than or equal to x. "Σ" in equation (4) j=0 Nc p(j)×y j g " is the value of the number of districts (j) that company 1 is responsible for in district group g before reallocation, and the number of districts included in district group g (N c If the number is less than half of the total number of items, it will be ``+1'', and if it is more than half, it will be ``-1''.

[0081] Here, of the two companies, the company that is responsible for the fewer number of districts in the entire districts that are subject to reallocation is Company 1. The more district groups in which Company 1 is responsible for more than half of the districts included in the district group before reallocation, the greater the H gerr The value of becomes smaller. The allocation of companies to be in charge of district groups is done so that the group is more likely to be assigned to the company that is in charge of the greater number of districts included in the group before the reallocation.

[0082] Therefore, the larger the number of districts that Company 1, which is the company that is responsible for the smaller number of districts in the total districts that are subject to reallocation, is, the smaller the H gerr The value of "C × H" in equation (1) becomes smaller. gerr " can be said to be a term that makes it easier for reassignments to be made in a way that favors the company that is responsible for fewer districts among all the districts that are subject to reassignment. In this case, the degree of advantage can be adjusted by the value of coefficient C. Term “C×H gerr " is based on the findings of an experiment that shows that reassignments tend to favor companies that are responsible for a larger number of districts across the entire districts being reassigned.

[0083] "H" in Equation (1) rook " is expressed as equation (6).

[0084]

number

[0085] As mentioned above, S rook is the set of pairs of two districts that share an edge. rook indicates that district s and district s' share an edge. In this case, sharing an edge means that they share at least a portion of one edge. Therefore, it is sufficient that district s and district s' are in a positional relationship where they are adjacent to each other on at least a portion of their respective edges. As described above, the shape and layout of each district to be reallocated is not limited to a shape and layout in which rectangles of the same shape and size are aligned vertically and horizontally. The shape and layout of each district can be various shapes and layouts that allow the connection relationships between districts to be expressed in some form, such as an adjacency matrix.

[0086] "Σ s,s’∈Srook x s g x s’ g The value of " is 1 if the two districts s and s' that share an edge are in the same district group g, and 0 if they are in different district groups. Therefore, the right-hand side of equation (6) "-Σ g=0 Ng-1 Σ s,s’∈Srook x s g x s’ g The value of " is the number of combinations of two districts s and s' that share an edge among the combinations of two districts in the same district group g, calculated by dividing all the district groups (g = 0, 1, ...N g -1) and make the sign negative.

[0087] Partial Hamiltonian H rook is an example of an evaluation index in which the evaluation increases as the number of combinations of two delivery districts that share an edge are included in the same district group. In other words, the partial Hamiltonian H rook is an example of an evaluation index in which the evaluation becomes higher the more pairs of two adjacent delivery districts that are included in the same district group. The allocation unit 192 groups the delivery districts (sets district groups) based on the evaluation index in which the evaluation becomes higher the more pairs of two adjacent delivery districts that are included in the same district group.

[0088] Partial Hamiltonian H rookfunctions as an indicator that is evaluated higher when individual district groups are formed as a unified area. A district group is formed as a unified area when it is not a combination of multiple areas that are not geometrically connected to each other. When a district group is formed as a unified area, it is also referred to as having no enclaves. When a district group is a combination of multiple areas that are not connected to each other, it is also referred to as having enclaves. Since a district group does not have any outlying areas, the travel distance between two points within the district group is relatively short, and in this respect, it is expected that deliveries within the district can be carried out efficiently.

[0089] Hamiltonian H Ising into the partial Hamiltonian H rook Therefore, the objective function for Bayesian optimization, which will be described next, may include the number of district groups whose district connections are represented by a disconnected graph, which is obtained by using a graph theory algorithm to determine whether the district connections in each district group are represented by a connected graph.

[0090] In order for the allocation unit 192 to perform appropriate reallocation, it is necessary to adjust the values of the hyperparameters (A, B, C, D) included in formula (1). The allocation unit 192 adjusts the hyperparameter values using a Bayesian optimization method as follows. First, the allocation unit 192 provisionally sets values for each of the hyperparameters A, B, C, and D. For example, the allocation unit 192 may randomly set a value for each hyperparameter. Alternatively, the allocation unit 192 may set a predetermined initial value for each hyperparameter.

[0091] Then, the allocation unit 192 calculates the Hamiltonian H Ising Here, the optimal solution obtained is x opt It is written as follows. The allocation unit 192 allocates this optimal solution x optUnder this condition, H shown in Eq. (7) BOP Calculate the value of

[0092]

number

[0093] N cst 1 is expressed as in equation (8), and the obtained x opt Under the partial Hamiltonian H cst 1 represents the expected value of

[0094]

number

[0095] N cst 2 is expressed as in equation (9), and the obtained x opt Under the partial Hamiltonian H cst 2 represents the expected value of

[0096]

number

[0097] N cst 1 The value of , and N cst 2 The values of are all 0 if the above-mentioned constraints are met.

[0098] N dis indicates the number of district groups whose district connections are expressed in a disconnected graph. opt is a feasible floor, and this x opt If the connectivity of districts calculated under dis The value of N will also be 0. disis an example of an evaluation index in which the evaluation becomes higher as the number of district groups in which the connection relationships of delivery districts included in the same district group are represented by unconnected graphs is smaller. The allocation unit 192 performs grouping of delivery districts (setting of district groups) based on the evaluation index in which the evaluation becomes higher as the number of district groups in which the connection relationships of delivery districts included in the same district group are represented by unconnected graphs is smaller.

[0099] N calc 1 is the obtained x opt represents the number of districts assigned to company 1, calculated under share 1 represents the number of districts that should be assigned to Company 1 based on the number of districts it is responsible for before reallocation. N share 1 is expressed as in equation (10).

[0100]

number

[0101] round() represents rounding. The right side of equation (10) "round(N g ×(Σ s=0 Ns-1 f(s))×(1 / N s ) is the total number of districts (N s ) of the areas covered by Company 1 before reallocation (Σ s=0 Ns-1 f(s)) by the number of district groups (N g ) and rounded off. In the examples of Figures 2 to 8, the proportion of Company 1's areas before reallocation is 21 / 70 = 30%. Also, if the number of delivery areas included in one area group is 5 (N c =5), the number of items in the delivery area is 70 (N s =70), the number of district groups is 70 / 5 = 14 (N g =14). The integer closest to 14 × 0.3 = 4.2 is 4, and N share 1 = 4. N calc 1If we can determine the allocation of delivery areas so that |N calc 1 -N share 1 |=0.

[0102] N share 1 This corresponds to the principle of allocation setting value. For example, before the allocation unit 192 starts reallocation processing, the setting information acquisition unit 191 sets N share 1 The value of may be calculated. |N calc 1 -N share 1 | corresponds to an example of an evaluation index in which the evaluation becomes higher the closer the ratio of allocation of delivery districts to two delivery entities is to the ratio before the assignment of delivery persons (before reallocation) by the assignment unit 192. The assignment unit 192 determines delivery persons for each district group based on an evaluation index in which the evaluation becomes higher the closer the ratio of allocation of delivery districts to two delivery entities is to the ratio before the assignment of delivery persons by the assignment unit 192.

[0103] In this way, H BOP All terms in are non-negative, and H BOP The optimal value of is 0. To obtain this optimal value, the values of the hyperparameters A, B, C, and D are adjusted using methods such as Bayesian optimization. Although the hyperparameters A, B, C, and D are not explicitly stated in equations (7) to (9), when the values of the hyperparameters A, B, C, and D are changed, x s g The value of y j g By changing the value of H BOP In this way, the values of hyperparameters A, B, C, and D and H BOP There is a correlation between the value of H BOP By performing optimization calculations using the above as the objective function, the values of the hyperparameters A, B, C, and D can be adjusted.

[0104] In the above, an example was explained in which one company delivers to all delivery destinations in one delivery district before reallocation, such as when there is only one delivery destination in each district. However, the delivery district allocation device 100 can also be applied to cases in which one delivery district includes delivery destinations that are delivered by different companies. If there are K delivery destinations in one district, then there are N c × K delivery destinations. Let the number of delivery destinations in one district group be N t It is also written as "pieces". t =N c ×K.

[0105] In the above example, before reallocation, a responsible company was determined for each region, but here, a responsible company is determined for each delivery destination. There may be delivery destinations handled by Company 0 and delivery destinations handled by Company 1 within the same region. Delivery destinations handled by a certain company are also referred to as the delivery destinations handled by that company. The number of delivery destinations (quantity) is also referred to as the number of delivery destinations, and the number of responsible delivery destinations (quantity) is also referred to as the number of responsible delivery destinations. In addition, here, the identification number of the company that is responsible for the fewer delivery destinations in the entire area that is the subject of reallocation will be set to "1," and the identification number of the company that is responsible for the larger number of delivery destinations will be set to "0."

[0106] In this case, the calculation for the districts within the district group in the above example is replaced with a calculation for the delivery destination within the district group. Specifically, the allocation unit 192 uses equation (11) instead of equation (3).

[0107]

number

[0108] l is a variable that counts the number of delivery destinations, and is 0, 1, . . ., N t It takes one of the following values. z l g is a binary variable that takes on values of 0 or 1. l gThe value "1" indicates that among the delivery destinations in the district group g, the number of delivery destinations that Company 1 is responsible for before the reallocation is l. l g The value "0" indicates that the number of delivery destinations included in the district group g that Company 1 is responsible for before the reallocation is not l. z l g is a one-hot vector [z0 g ,z1 g ,···,z Nt g ] may be configured as an element of

[0109] f * (s) is a function that outputs the number of delivery destinations that Company 1 is responsible for in district s before reallocation. f * (s) takes on the value 0, 1, ..., or K depending on the value of s.

[0110] The first term on the right side of equation (11) is "Σ g=0 Ng-1 (Σ l=0 Nt z j g -1) 2 " is the variable z0 g , z1 g , , z Nt g This represents a constraint that only one of the variables has a value of 1, and the other variables have a value of 0. The first term on the right-hand side of equation (11) can be said to represent a constraint that ensures that the number of delivery destinations included in district group g that Company 1 is responsible for before reallocation is not double-defined.

[0111] The second term on the right side of equation (11) "Σ g=0 Ng-1 (Σ l=0 Nt j×z l g -Σ s=0 Ns-1 f * (s)×x s g ) 2" Among them, "Σ l=0 Nt j×z l g " and "Σ s=0 Ns-1 f * (s)×x s g " represents the number of destinations in the district group g that are handled by company 1 before the reallocation. The second term on the right side of equation (11) is the variable z l g The value of the function f * (s), and variable x s g It can be said that this term represents a constraint to ensure that the values of are set consistently. In this way, the second term on the right side of equation (11) is the variable z l g The value of the function f * (s), and variable x s g If all of the values are set correctly, the value will be 0. On the other hand, if there is an error in the setting of any variable value or function, a penalty will be incurred.

[0112] Moreover, allocation section 192 uses equation (12) instead of equation (4).

[0113]

number

[0114] p(l) is expressed as in equation (13).

[0115]

number

[0116] "Σ" in equation (12) l=0 Nt p * (l)×z l g The value of " is the difference between the number of delivery destinations (l) that company 1 is responsible for in district group g before the reallocation and the number of delivery destinations (N tIf the number is less than half of the total number of items, it will be ``+1'', and if it is more than half, it will be ``-1''.

[0117] As mentioned above, of the two companies, the company that is responsible for the fewest delivery destinations in the entire region subject to reallocation is Company 1. The more district groups in which Company 1 is responsible for delivery destinations before reallocation that are more than half of the delivery destinations in the district group, the greater the H gerr The value of becomes smaller. The company in charge of a group of districts is then assigned to the company that has the largest number of delivery destinations in that group of districts before the reallocation.

[0118] Therefore, the larger the number of district groups that Company 1, which is the company with the fewer delivery destinations in the entire districts that are subject to reallocation, is responsible for, the smaller the H gerr The value of "C × H" in equation (1) becomes smaller. gerr " can be said to be a term that makes it easier for reallocation to be carried out in a way that favors the company that is responsible for the fewer delivery destinations in the entire region that is the target of reallocation. In this case, the degree of advantage can be adjusted by the value of coefficient C.

[0119] In the above, we have explained an example in which reallocation is performed to maintain the share before reallocation (the ratio of the area in charge or the ratio of the delivery destination in charge), but the number of areas to be allocated is not limited to a specific number. calc 1 -N share 1 "N" in | share 1 " corresponds to the target value for reallocation. If this value is within a mathematically feasible range, reallocation based on other target values can also be set. Specifically, N share 1 As the value of , a target value for the number of district groups that company 1 is responsible for can be set.

[0120] In addition, although the above example explains the case where a group of districts is reallocated between two companies, the recipient of the group of districts reallocated is not limited to a specific one. For example, it can also be applied to adjusting the allocation between truck transport and motorcycle transport within the same company. In that case, if you want to increase the allocation to one of the transport means, you can use the above-mentioned N share 1 This can be addressed by adjusting the setting value.

[0121] The image generating unit 193 generates images to be displayed on the display unit 120. For example, the image generating unit 193 generates various images exemplified in FIGS. The editing unit 194 changes the settings of the delivery person after reallocation in accordance with the user operation. For example, the editing unit 194 performs the process in accordance with the user operation described with reference to FIG.

[0122] Furthermore, for example, the editing unit 194 changes the delivery person for a specified delivery area in response to a user operation of specifying the delivery area in the map, for example, by clicking the mouse, on the screen for changing the delivery person for each delivery area shown in FIG. 8. The editing unit 194 treats the change as temporary until a user operation, such as clicking the mouse in the "Save" area, instructs the saving of the change of delivery person. In response to this, the display unit 120 updates the display within the delivery area to "0 → 1" or "1 → 0" as described above.

[0123] When a user operation is performed to instruct saving the change to the delivery person, the editing unit 194 confirms the provisional change to the delivery person. In response, the display unit 120 updates the display within the delivery district to show "1" or "0." Here, "temporarily" indicates that the delivery person can be restored to the previous state by a user operation to re-specify the delivery district where the delivery person has been changed, a user operation to instruct saving, or a user operation such as clicking the mouse in the "Undo" area.

[0124] Furthermore, the editing unit 194 saves the change in the delivery person in the storage unit 180 in response to a user operation such as a mouse click on the "save" area. Furthermore, the editing unit 194 reads out the saved change of delivery person from the storage unit 180 in response to a user operation such as a mouse click on the "Read" area. In addition, in response to a user operation such as a mouse click on the "Undo" area, the editing unit 194 resets all changes to the delivery person and returns them to the state after reallocation (delivery person after reallocation). Furthermore, the editing unit 194 registers the delivery person shown on the map as the delivery person to be employed in response to a user operation such as a mouse click on the "Register" area. As described above for the delivery district allocation device 100, the editing unit 194 may register the delivery person shown on the map only when both delivery entities agree, such as when user authentication is successful for both Company 0 and Company 1.

[0125] Furthermore, the editing unit 194 ends the operation to change the delivery person and closes the change screen in response to a user operation such as a mouse click on the "End Edit" area. As described above for the delivery district allocation device 100, if the user selects to end editing without saving the data while changing the delivery person, the editing unit 194 may inquire of the user as to whether or not to save the data.

[0126] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure performed by the allocation unit 192 to reallocate delivery personnel. In the process of Fig. 9, the setting information acquisition unit 191 acquires setting information including allocation setting values (step S11). For example, the setting information acquisition unit 191 acquires the number N of delivery districts included in one district group in addition to the allocation setting values. c , the number of district groups included in the delivery area N g , the number of delivery districts included in the delivery area N s , and a function f(s) indicating the delivery person for each delivery area before reallocation, or a part of these may be acquired, but the invention is not limited to these.

[0127] Next, the allocation unit 192 provisionally sets the values of the hyperparameters A, B, C, and D used in the Hamiltonian of the Ising model (step S12). Next, the allocation unit 192 calculates x s g The value of , and y j g For example, the allocation unit 192 initializes the value of x s g (s=0,1,...,N s -1, g=0,1,···,N g -1), and y j g (j=0,1,...,N c -1, g=0,1,···,N g -1) are assigned one-to-one correspondence with the Ising variables in the Ising model, and the value of each Ising variable is set to a value that indicates a superposition state of "0" and "1."

[0128] Next, the allocation unit 192 calculates the Hamiltonian H Ising Quantum annealing is performed using (step S14). Then, the allocation unit 192 measures the quantum state in the Ising model (step S15). s g and y j g Get the value of .

[0129] Next, the allocation unit 192 determines whether a preset termination condition is satisfied (step S16). The termination condition in this case is not limited to a specific one. For example, the termination condition may be a Hamiltonian H Ising , and the objective function H shown in Eq. (7) BOP The condition may be set such that each value is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value, or the end condition may be set such that the loop from steps S13 to S16 has been executed a predetermined number of times or more.

[0130] If it is determined that the termination condition is not satisfied (step S16: NO), the allocation unit 192 calculates the objective function H BOPThe values of the hyperparameters A, B, C, and D are updated so that the value of decreases (step S21). After step S21, the process returns to step S13.

[0131] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S16 that the termination condition is met (step S16: YES), the allocation unit 192 outputs the result of reallocation (step S31). opt The settings of the district groups shown in Fig. 2 and the delivery person for each district group may be stored in the storage unit 180. Furthermore, the image generation unit 193 may generate each of the images exemplified in Fig. 2 to Fig. 8 and display them on the display unit 120 in accordance with a user operation. After step S31, the delivery district allocation device 100 ends the processing of FIG.

[0132] As described above, the setting information acquisition unit 191 acquires an allocation setting value, which is an index value of the allocation ratio of the delivery districts into which the delivery area is divided to the two delivery entities. The allocation unit 192 allocates each district group into which the delivery districts are grouped to the district responsible for one of the two delivery entities based on the allocation setting value.

[0133] According to the delivery district allocation device 100, the allocation unit 192 allocates each district group to one of the two delivery entities in charge of the district, thereby allowing the person in charge of each delivery district to be allocated to one of the two delivery entities. At this time, the setting information acquisition unit 191 acquires setting information, and the allocation unit 192 allocates each delivery district based on the setting information, so that the delivery district allocation device 100 can set which delivery entity will be responsible for how many districts at the time of allocation.

[0134] The allocation unit 192 also groups the delivery districts into district groups based on an evaluation index that increases the evaluation the more pairs of two adjacent delivery districts that are included in the same district group. As a result, in the delivery district allocation device 100, delivery districts included in the same district group are adjacent to each other, shortening the distance traveled across delivery districts, and it is expected that delivery can be carried out efficiently.

[0135] In addition, the allocation unit 192 groups the delivery districts into district groups based on an evaluation index that increases the evaluation as the number of district groups in which the connection relationships of delivery districts included in the same district group are expressed as unconnected graphs decreases. As a result, in the delivery district allocation device 100, delivery districts included in the same district group are adjacent to each other, shortening the distance traveled across delivery districts, and it is expected that delivery can be carried out efficiently.

[0136] Furthermore, the setting information acquisition unit 191 acquires, as an allocation setting value, an index value of the ratio of allocation of delivery districts to two delivery entities before the allocation determination by the allocation unit 192. The allocation unit 192 determines the person in charge for each of the district groups based on an evaluation index that increases the evaluation the closer the ratio of allocation of delivery districts to two delivery entities is to the ratio before the person in charge is determined by the allocation means. According to the delivery area allocation device 100, the allocation unit 192 can propose an allocation in which the ratio of allocation of delivery areas to two delivery entities becomes close to the ratio before reallocation, and in this respect, the delivery entities are likely to adopt it.

[0137] In addition, the display unit 120 displays an image on a map of the delivery area that includes a display of delivery districts into which the delivery area is divided, a display of district groups into which the delivery districts are grouped, and a display of the delivery entity, of the two delivery entities for each district group, that is assigned to be the delivery manager for that delivery district group. This allows the user to visually grasp the layout of delivery districts and district groups, and in this respect, it is relatively easy to grasp the efficiency of delivery, such as the adjacency relationships between delivery districts.

[0138] In addition, the display unit 120 displays an image on the map of the delivery area that includes a display of the delivery districts into which the delivery area is divided, a display of the delivery entity assigned to the delivery person in that delivery district out of two delivery entities for each delivery district, and a display of changes in the assignment of delivery persons. By displaying the change in delivery person assignment on a map of the delivery area by the display unit 120, the user can visually grasp the location of the area where the delivery person assignment has been changed, and in this respect, the impact of the change in delivery person assignment can be grasped relatively easily.

[0139] In addition, the display unit 120 displays an image on the map of the delivery area that includes a display of the delivery districts into which the delivery area has been divided, a display of the delivery personnel for each delivery district before the reallocation to the two delivery entities, and a display of the delivery personnel for each delivery district after the reallocation. By displaying the delivery personnel for each delivery area before and after the reallocation on the same map, the display unit 120 allows the user to visually grasp the relative positions of the delivery personnel's areas before and after the reallocation and the areas where the delivery personnel assignment has been changed, and in this respect, the impact of the change in delivery personnel assignment can be grasped relatively easily.

[0140] In addition, the display unit 120 displays an image on the map of the delivery area that includes a display of the delivery districts into which the delivery area is divided, a display of the delivery entity assigned to the delivery person in that delivery district out of two delivery entities for each delivery district, and a display of the district in which an operation to change the delivery person assignment has been performed. The user can instruct a change in delivery person by simply specifying a delivery area on a map.

[0141] The display unit 120 also displays a numerical value indicating the difference in allocation of delivery personnel for each delivery district into which the delivery area is divided, before and after the reallocation to the two delivery entities. By displaying numerical values indicating the difference in delivery person assignment before and after the reallocation on the display unit 120, the user can statistically grasp the changes in the area of responsibility, and in this respect, can relatively easily grasp the impact of the change in delivery person assignment.

[0142] Second Embodiment 10 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a delivery district allocation device according to the second embodiment. In the configuration shown in FIG. 10, a delivery district allocation device 610 includes a setting information acquisition unit 611 and an allocation unit 612. With this configuration, the setting information acquisition unit 611 acquires an allocation setting value, which is an index value of the allocation ratio to two delivery entities of delivery districts into which a delivery area is divided. The allocation unit 612 allocates each district group into which the delivery districts are grouped to the district responsible for one of the two delivery entities based on the allocation setting value. The setting information acquisition unit 611 is an example of a setting information acquisition means, and the allocation unit 612 is an example of an allocation means.

[0143] According to the delivery district allocation device 610, the allocation unit 612 allocates each district group to one of the two delivery entities in charge of the district, thereby allowing the person in charge of each delivery district to be allocated to one of the two delivery entities. At this time, the setting information acquisition unit 611 acquires setting information, and the allocation unit 612 allocates each delivery district based on the setting information, so that the delivery district allocation device 610 can set which delivery entity will be responsible for how many districts at the time of allocation. The setting information acquisition unit 611 can be realized, for example, by using the function of the setting information acquisition unit 191 shown in Fig. 1. The allocation unit 612 can be realized, for example, by using the function of the allocation unit 192 shown in Fig. 1.

[0144] Third Embodiment 11 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a delivery district allocation display device according to the third embodiment. In the configuration shown in FIG. With this configuration, the display unit 621 displays an image on a map of the delivery area that includes a display of the delivery districts into which the delivery area is divided, a display of the district groups into which the delivery districts are grouped, and a display of the delivery entity, of the two delivery entities for each district group, that is assigned to be the delivery person for that delivery district group. The display unit 621 corresponds to an example of a display means.

[0145] According to the delivery area allocation display device 620 of the third embodiment, the user can visually grasp the layout of delivery areas and area groups, and in this respect, can relatively easily grasp the efficiency of delivery, such as the adjacent relationships between delivery areas. Display unit 621 can be realized using the functions of display unit 120 shown in FIG. 1, for example.

[0146] <Fourth embodiment> A delivery district allocation display device according to the fourth embodiment will also be described with reference to Fig. 11. In the configuration shown in Fig. 11, a delivery district allocation display device 620 includes a display unit 621. With this configuration, the display unit 621 displays an image on a map of the delivery area that includes a display of the delivery districts into which the delivery area is divided, a display of the delivery entity assigned to the delivery person in that delivery district out of two delivery entities for each delivery district, and a display of changes to the assignment of delivery persons. The display unit 621 corresponds to an example of a display means.

[0147] According to the delivery area allocation display device 620 of the fourth embodiment, the display unit 621 displays the change in delivery person allocation on a map of the delivery area, allowing the user to visually grasp the location of the area where the delivery person allocation has been changed, and in this respect, the impact of the change in delivery person allocation can be grasped relatively easily. Display unit 621 can be realized using the functions of display unit 120 shown in FIG. 1, for example.

[0148] Fifth Embodiment The delivery district allocation display device according to the third embodiment will also be described with reference to Fig. 11. In the configuration shown in Fig. 11, the delivery district allocation display device 620 includes a display unit 621. With this configuration, the display unit 621 displays an image on a map of the delivery area that includes a display of the delivery districts into which the delivery area has been divided, a display of the delivery representatives for each delivery district before the delivery representatives for each delivery district are reallocated to the two delivery entities, and a display of the delivery representatives for each delivery district after the reallocation. The display unit 621 corresponds to an example of a display means.

[0149] According to the delivery area allocation display device 620 of the fifth embodiment, the display unit 621 displays the delivery personnel for each delivery area before and after the reallocation on the same map, allowing the user to visually grasp the relative positions of the delivery personnel's areas before and after the reallocation and the areas where the delivery personnel's allocation has been changed. In this respect, the impact of the change in delivery personnel allocation can be grasped relatively easily. Display unit 621 can be realized using the functions of display unit 120 shown in FIG. 1, for example.

[0150] Sixth Embodiment A delivery district allocation display device according to the sixth embodiment will also be described with reference to Fig. 11. In the configuration shown in Fig. 11, a delivery district allocation display device 620 includes a display unit 621. With this configuration, the display unit 621 displays an image on a map of the delivery area that includes a display of the delivery districts into which the delivery area is divided, a display of the delivery entity assigned to the delivery person in that delivery district out of two delivery entities for each delivery district, and a display of the district in which an operation to change the delivery person assignment was performed. The display unit 621 corresponds to an example of a display means.

[0151] According to the delivery area allocation display device 620 of the sixth embodiment, the display unit 621 displays a numerical value indicating the difference in the allocation of delivery personnel before and after the reallocation, allowing the user to statistically grasp the changes in the areas of responsibility, and in this respect, the impact of the change in the allocation of delivery personnel can be grasped relatively easily. Display unit 621 can be realized using the functions of display unit 120 shown in FIG. 1, for example.

[0152] Seventh Embodiment A delivery district allocation display device according to the seventh embodiment will also be described with reference to Fig. 11. In the configuration shown in Fig. 11, a delivery district allocation display device 620 includes a display unit 621. With this configuration, the display unit 621 displays a numerical value indicating the difference in allocation of delivery personnel for each delivery district into which the delivery area is divided, before and after the reallocation to the two delivery entities. The display unit 621 corresponds to an example of a display means.

[0153] According to the delivery district allocation display device 620 according to the seventh embodiment, the user can instruct a change of delivery person by a simple operation such as specifying a delivery district on a map. Display unit 621 can be realized using the functions of display unit 120 shown in FIG. 1, for example.

[0154] Eighth Embodiment Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure in a delivery district allocation method according to the eighth embodiment. The delivery district allocation method shown in Fig. 12 includes acquiring setting information (step S611) and performing allocation (step S612). In acquiring setting information (step S611), the computer acquires an allocation setting value, which is an index value of the ratio of allocation to two delivery entities of the delivery district into which the delivery area is divided. In making the allocation (step S612), the computer divides the delivery districts into district groups, and allocates each district group to the district in charge of one of the two delivery entities based on the allocation setting value.

[0155] The computer here is not limited to a specific type, and for example, part or all of the computer here may be configured as a quantum computer. According to the delivery district allocation method shown in Fig. 12, each district group is assigned to one of the two delivery entities in charge of the district, so that the person in charge of each delivery district can be assigned to one of the two delivery entities. At this time, by acquiring setting information and allocating each delivery district based on the setting information, it is possible to set which delivery entity will be responsible for how many districts during the allocation. The process in step S611 (obtaining setting information) can be performed using, for example, the function of setting information acquisition unit 191 shown in Fig. 1. The process in step S612 (performing allocation) can be performed using, for example, the function of allocation unit 192 shown in Fig. 1.

[0156] Ninth Embodiment 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure in a delivery district allocation display method according to the ninth embodiment. The delivery district allocation display method according to the ninth embodiment includes performing display (step S621). When displaying (step S621), an image is displayed on a map of the delivery area, including a display of the delivery districts into which the delivery area is divided, a display of the district groups into which the delivery district is grouped, and a display of the delivery entity, of the two delivery entities for each district group, that is assigned to be the delivery manager for that delivery district group. According to the delivery area allocation display method of the ninth embodiment, the user can visually grasp the layout of delivery areas and area groups, and in this respect, can relatively easily grasp the efficiency of delivery, such as the adjacent relationships between delivery areas. The process in step S621 (performing display) can be performed using the function of the display unit 120 shown in FIG. 1, for example.

[0157] Tenth Embodiment A delivery district allocation display method according to the tenth embodiment will also be described with reference to Fig. 13. The delivery district allocation display method according to the tenth embodiment includes performing display (step S621). When displaying (step S621), an image is displayed on the map of the delivery area, including a display of the delivery districts into which the delivery area is divided, a display of the delivery entity assigned to the delivery manager of that delivery district out of two delivery entities for each delivery district, and a display of any changes to the assignment of delivery managers.

[0158] According to the delivery area allocation display method of the tenth embodiment, by displaying changes in delivery person allocation on a map of the delivery area, the user can visually grasp the location of the area where the delivery person allocation has been changed, and in this respect, the impact of changes in delivery person allocation can be grasped relatively easily. The process in step S621 (performing display) can be performed using the function of the display unit 120 shown in FIG. 1, for example.

[0159] Eleventh Embodiment The delivery district allocation display method according to the eleventh embodiment will also be described with reference to Fig. 13. The delivery district allocation display method according to the eleventh embodiment includes performing display (step S621). When displaying (step S621), an image is displayed on the map of the delivery area, including a display of the delivery districts into which the delivery area has been divided, a display of the delivery representatives for each delivery district before the reallocation to the two delivery entities, and a display of the delivery representatives for each delivery district after the reallocation.

[0160] According to the delivery area allocation display method of the eleventh embodiment, by displaying the delivery personnel for each delivery area before and after reallocation on the same map, the user can visually grasp the relative positions of the delivery personnel's areas before and after reallocation and the areas where the delivery personnel's allocation has been changed, and in this respect, the impact of changing the delivery personnel allocation can be grasped relatively easily. The process in step S621 (performing display) can be performed using the function of the display unit 120 shown in FIG. 1, for example.

[0161] Twelfth Embodiment A delivery district allocation display method according to the twelfth embodiment will also be described with reference to Fig. 13. The delivery district allocation display method according to the twelfth embodiment includes performing display (step S621). When displaying (step S621), an image is displayed on the map of the delivery area, including a display of the delivery districts into which the delivery area has been divided, a display of the delivery entity assigned to the delivery person in that delivery district out of the two delivery entities for each delivery district, and a display of the district in which a change in delivery person assignment has been performed.

[0162] According to the delivery area allocation display method of the twelfth embodiment, by displaying numerical values showing the difference in delivery person allocation before and after reallocation, the user can statistically grasp the changes in the areas of responsibility, and in this respect, can relatively easily grasp the impact of changes in delivery person allocation. The process in step S621 (performing display) can be performed using the function of the display unit 120 shown in FIG. 1, for example.

[0163] <Thirteenth embodiment> A delivery district allocation display method according to the thirteenth embodiment will also be described with reference to Fig. 13. The delivery district allocation display method according to the thirteenth embodiment includes performing display (step S621). In the display (step S621), a numerical value indicating the difference in allocation of delivery agents for each delivery district into which the delivery area is divided, before and after the reallocation to the two delivery entities, is displayed. According to the delivery district assignment display method of the thirteenth embodiment, the user can instruct a change in delivery person by a simple operation such as specifying a delivery district on a map. The process in step S621 (performing display) can be performed using the function of the display unit 120 shown in FIG. 1, for example.

[0164] FIG. 14 is a schematic block diagram illustrating the configuration of a computer according to at least one embodiment. In the configuration shown in FIG. 14, a computer 700 includes a CPU 710 , a main memory device 720 , an auxiliary memory device 730 , an interface 740 , a non-volatile recording medium 750 , and a quantum device 760 .

[0165] One or more of the delivery district allocation device 100, delivery district allocation device 610, and delivery district allocation display device 620, or a part thereof, may be implemented in the computer 700. In this case, the operation of each of the above-mentioned processing units is stored in the auxiliary storage device 730 in the form of a program. The CPU 710 reads the program from the auxiliary storage device 730, loads it into the main storage device 720, and executes the above-mentioned processing in accordance with the program. Some or all of the above-mentioned processing may be executed by the quantum device 760 in addition to or instead of the CPU 710. Furthermore, the CPU 710, in accordance with the program, allocates storage areas corresponding to the above-mentioned storage units in the main storage device 720. Communication between each device and other devices is performed by the interface 740, which has a communication function, and performs communication under the control of the CPU 710.

[0166] When the delivery district allocation device 100 is implemented in a computer 700, the operation of the processing unit 190 and each of its units is stored in the form of a program in the auxiliary storage device 730. The CPU 710 reads the program from the auxiliary storage device 730, loads it into the main storage device 720, and executes the above-described processing in accordance with the program. Some or all of the above-described processing may be executed by the quantum device 760 in addition to or instead of the CPU 710.

[0167] Furthermore, the CPU 710 allocates a storage area for the storage unit 180 in the main storage device 720 in accordance with the program. Communication with other devices by the communication unit 110 is performed by the interface 740 having a communication function and operating under the control of the CPU 710. Display of images by the display unit 120 is performed by the interface 740 having a display device and displaying various images under the control of the CPU 710. Reception of user operations by the operation input unit 130 is performed by the interface 740 having an input device and receiving the user operations under the control of the CPU 710.

[0168] When the delivery district allocation device 610 is implemented in the computer 700, the operations of the setting information acquisition unit 611 and the allocation unit 612 are stored in the auxiliary storage device 730 in the form of a program. The CPU 710 reads the program from the auxiliary storage device 730, loads it into the main storage device 720, and executes the above-mentioned processing in accordance with the program. Some or all of the above-mentioned processing may be executed by the quantum device 760 in addition to or instead of the CPU 710.

[0169] Furthermore, the CPU 710, in accordance with the program, allocates a memory area in the main memory device 720 for processing by the delivery district allocation device 610. Communication between the delivery district allocation device 610 and other devices is performed by the interface 740, which has a communication function and operates under the control of the CPU 710. Interaction between the delivery district allocation device 610 and a user is performed by the interface 740, which has a display device and an input device, displaying various images under the control of the CPU 710 and accepting user operations.

[0170] When the delivery district allocation display device 620 is implemented in the computer 700, the operation of the delivery district allocation display device 620 is stored in the form of a program in the auxiliary storage device 730. The CPU 710 reads the program from the auxiliary storage device 730, loads it into the main storage device 720, and executes the above-mentioned processing in accordance with the program. Some or all of the above-mentioned processing may be executed by the quantum device 760 in addition to or instead of the CPU 710.

[0171] Furthermore, the CPU 710, in accordance with the program, allocates a memory area in the main memory device 720 for processing the delivery district allocation display device 620. Communication between the delivery district allocation display device 620 and other devices is performed by the interface 740, which has a communication function and operates under the control of the CPU 710. Interaction between the delivery district allocation display device 620 and the user, such as displaying images on the display unit 621, is performed by the interface 740, which has a display device and an input device, displaying various images under the control of the CPU 710, and accepting user operations.

[0172] One or more of the above-described programs may be recorded on nonvolatile recording medium 750. In this case, interface 740 may read the programs from nonvolatile recording medium 750. CPU 710 may then directly execute the programs read by interface 740, or may temporarily store the programs in main storage device 720 or auxiliary storage device 730 and then execute them.

[0173] It should be noted that the processing of each part may be performed by recording a program for executing all or part of the processing performed by the delivery district allocation device 100, the delivery district allocation device 610, and the delivery district allocation display device 620 on a computer-readable recording medium, and loading and executing the program recorded on this recording medium into a computer system. Note that the term "computer system" here includes hardware such as an OS and peripheral devices. Furthermore, "computer-readable recording media" refers to portable media such as flexible disks, optical magnetic disks, ROMs (Read Only Memory), and CD-ROMs (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), as well as storage devices such as hard disks built into computer systems. The program may be one that realizes part of the aforementioned functions, or may be one that can realize the aforementioned functions in combination with a program already stored in the computer system.

[0174] Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described above in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and includes designs within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

[0175] Some or all of the above embodiments can be described as, but are not limited to, the following supplementary notes.

[0176] (Appendix 1) A setting information acquisition means for acquiring an allocation setting value which is an index value of the ratio of allocation to two delivery entities of a delivery area into which the delivery region is divided; an allocation means for allocating each of the grouped delivery districts to a district in charge of one of the two delivery entities based on the allocation setting value; A delivery district allocation device comprising:

[0177] (Appendix 2) The allocation means performs the grouping based on an evaluation index that increases the evaluation as the number of pairs of two adjacent delivery districts included in the same district group increases. 2. A delivery district assignment device as described in appendix 1.

[0178] (Appendix 3) The allocation means performs the grouping based on an evaluation index that increases the evaluation as the number of district groups in which the connection relationships of delivery districts included in the same district group are expressed by a disconnected graph decreases. 10. The delivery district allocation device according to claim 1 or 2.

[0179] (Appendix 4) The setting information acquisition means acquires, as the allocation setting value, an index value of the ratio of the allocation of delivery areas to the two delivery entities before the allocation determination by the allocation means, The allocation means determines the person in charge for each of the district groups based on an evaluation index that gives a higher evaluation the closer the ratio of delivery district allocation to the two delivery entities is to the ratio before the allocation means determines the person in charge. 4. A delivery district allocation device according to any one of appendices 1 to 3.

[0180] (Appendix 5) A display means for displaying an image including, on a map of a delivery area, a display of delivery districts into which the delivery area is divided, a display of district groups into which the delivery area is grouped, and a display of a delivery entity, of two delivery entities for each district group, that is assigned to be in charge of delivery for the delivery district group. A delivery area allocation display device comprising:

[0181] (Appendix 6) A display means for displaying an image on a map of a delivery area, including a display of delivery zones into which the delivery area is divided, a display of a delivery entity assigned to a delivery person for each delivery zone out of two delivery entities, and a display of a change in the assignment of the delivery person. A delivery area allocation display device comprising:

[0182] (Appendix 7) A display means for displaying an image on a map of a delivery area including a display of delivery zones into which the delivery area is divided, a display of delivery personnel for each delivery zone before reallocation to two delivery entities, and a display of delivery personnel for each delivery zone after reallocation. A delivery area allocation display device comprising:

[0183] (Appendix 8) A display means for displaying an image on a map of a delivery area, including a display of delivery districts into which the delivery area is divided, a display of a delivery entity assigned to a delivery person for each delivery district out of two delivery entities, and a display of a district in which a change operation for the assignment of a delivery person has been performed. A delivery area allocation display device comprising:

[0184] (Appendix 9) A display means for displaying a numerical value indicating the difference in the allocation of delivery personnel for each delivery area into which the delivery region has been divided, before and after the reallocation to two delivery entities. A delivery area allocation display device comprising:

[0185] (Appendix 10) The computer Obtain an allocation setting value, which is an index value of the allocation ratio to the two delivery entities in the delivery area into which the delivery area is divided, The delivery districts are grouped into district groups, and each district group is assigned to a district in charge of one of the two delivery entities based on the assignment setting value. A method for allocating delivery areas, including:

[0186] (Appendix 11) On the map of the delivery area, an image including a display of delivery districts into which the delivery area is divided, a display of district groups into which the delivery area is grouped, and a display of a delivery entity, out of two delivery entities, assigned to be in charge of delivery for the delivery district group is displayed. A method for displaying delivery area allocation, including:

[0187] (Appendix 12) On the map of the delivery area, an image including a display of delivery districts into which the delivery area is divided, a display of a delivery entity assigned to a delivery person in charge of the delivery district out of two delivery entities for each delivery district, and a display of a change in the assignment of the delivery person is displayed. A method for displaying delivery area allocation, including:

[0188] (Appendix 13) Displaying an image on a map of a delivery area including a display of delivery districts into which the delivery area is divided, a display of delivery personnel for each delivery district before reallocation to two delivery entities, and a display of delivery personnel for each delivery district after reallocation. A method for displaying delivery area allocation, including:

[0189] (Appendix 14) On the map of the delivery area, an image including a display of the delivery districts into which the delivery area is divided, a display of a delivery entity assigned to a delivery person in the delivery district out of two delivery entities for each delivery district, and a display of a district in which a change operation for the assignment of the delivery person has been performed is displayed. A method for displaying delivery area allocation, including:

[0190] (Appendix 15) Display the numerical value showing the difference in the allocation of delivery personnel for each delivery area into which the delivery territory has been divided, before and after the reallocation to two delivery entities. District allocation display method including.

[0191] (Appendix 16) On the computer, Acquiring an allocation setting value which is an index value of the ratio of allocation to the two delivery entities of the delivery area into which the delivery region is divided; The delivery districts are grouped into district groups, and each district group is assigned to a district in charge of one of the two delivery entities based on the assignment setting value; A program to execute.

[0192] (Appendix 17) On the computer, On the map of the delivery area, an image including a display of delivery districts into which the delivery area is divided, a display of district groups into which the delivery area is grouped, and a display of a delivery entity, out of two delivery entities, assigned to be in charge of delivery for the delivery district group is displayed. A program to execute.

[0193] (Appendix 18) On the map of the delivery area, an image including a display of delivery districts into which the delivery area is divided, a display of a delivery entity assigned to a delivery person in charge of the delivery district out of two delivery entities for each delivery district, and a display of a change in the assignment of the delivery person is displayed. A program to execute.

[0194] (Appendix 19) On the computer, Displaying an image on a map of a delivery area including a display of delivery districts into which the delivery area is divided, a display of delivery personnel for each delivery district before reallocation to two delivery entities, and a display of delivery personnel for each delivery district after reallocation. A program to execute.

[0195] (Appendix 20) On the computer, On the map of the delivery area, an image including a display of the delivery districts into which the delivery area is divided, a display of a delivery entity assigned to a delivery person in the delivery district out of two delivery entities for each delivery district, and a display of a district in which a change operation for the assignment of the delivery person has been performed is displayed. A program to execute.

[0196] (Appendix 21) On the computer, Display the numerical value showing the difference in the allocation of delivery personnel for each delivery area into which the delivery territory has been divided, before and after the reallocation to two delivery entities. A program to execute. [Explanation of symbols]

[0197] 100, 610 Delivery area allocation device 110 Communications Department 120, 621 Display section 130 Operation input section 180 Storage section 190 Processing section 191, 611 Setting information acquisition unit 192, 612 Allocation Section 193 Image Generation Unit 194 Editorial Department 620 Delivery area allocation display device

Claims

1. A setting information acquisition means for acquiring an allocation setting value which is an index value of the ratio of allocation to two delivery entities of a delivery area into which a delivery region is divided; an allocation means for grouping the delivery districts into district groups based on an evaluation index in which the evaluation increases as the number of pairs of two adjacent delivery districts included in the same district group increases, and for allocating each district group to a district in charge of one of the two delivery entities based on the allocation setting value; A delivery district allocation device comprising:

2. The allocation means performs the grouping based on an evaluation index that increases the evaluation as the number of district groups in which the connection relationships of delivery districts included in the same district group are expressed by a disconnected graph decreases. The delivery district allocation device according to claim 1.

3. The setting information acquisition means acquires, as the allocation setting value, an index value of the ratio of the allocation of the delivery area to the two delivery entities before the allocation determination by the allocation means, The allocation means determines the person in charge for each of the district groups based on an evaluation index that gives a higher evaluation the closer the ratio of delivery district allocation to the two delivery entities is to the ratio before the allocation means determines the person in charge.

3. The delivery district allocation device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A display means for displaying an image on a map of a delivery area, including a display of delivery zones into which the delivery area is divided, a display of a delivery entity assigned to a delivery person of the delivery zone out of two delivery entities for each delivery zone, and a display of a change in the allocation of the delivery person. The delivery district allocation device according to claim 3 , comprising:

5. A display means for displaying an image on a map of a delivery area, including a display of delivery zones into which the delivery area is divided, a display of delivery personnel for each delivery zone before the allocation of delivery personnel to two delivery entities is changed, and a display of delivery personnel for each delivery zone after the allocation is changed. The delivery district allocation device according to claim 3 , comprising:

6. 4. The delivery area allocation device according to claim 3, further comprising a display means for displaying an image on a map of the delivery area, including a display of the delivery areas into which the delivery area is divided, a display of the delivery entity assigned to the delivery person of the delivery area out of two delivery entities for each delivery area, and a display of the area in which a change operation for the delivery person assignment has been performed.

7. A display means for displaying a numerical value indicating the difference in allocation of delivery personnel for each delivery area into which the delivery region is divided, before and after the change in allocation to the two delivery entities. The delivery district allocation device according to claim 3 , comprising:

8. The computer An allocation setting value is obtained, which is an index value of the allocation ratio between the two delivery entities in the delivery area into which the delivery region is divided; The delivery districts are grouped into district groups based on an evaluation index in which the evaluation increases as the number of pairs of two adjacent delivery districts included in the same district group increases, and each district group is assigned to a district in charge of one of the two delivery entities based on the assignment setting value. A method for allocating delivery areas, including:

9. A setting information acquisition means for acquiring an allocation setting value which is an index value of the allocation ratio to two delivery entities of a delivery area into which a delivery region is divided; an allocation means for grouping the delivery districts into district groups based on an evaluation index in which the evaluation is higher as the number of district groups in which the connection relationships of delivery districts included in the same district group are expressed as a disconnected graph is smaller, and allocating each district group to a district in charge of one of the two delivery entities based on the allocation setting value; A delivery district allocation device comprising:

10. A setting information acquisition means for acquiring an index value of the allocation ratio of a delivery area into which a delivery region is divided to two delivery entities, the index value being an allocation setting value being an index value of the allocation ratio of the delivery area to the two delivery entities of the delivery person in charge for each delivery area before the allocation to the two delivery entities is changed; an allocation means for allocating each of the grouped delivery districts to a district in charge of one of the two delivery entities based on an evaluation index that increases the evaluation as the ratio of delivery district allocation to the two delivery entities approaches the ratio before the allocation change; A delivery district allocation device comprising:

Images