Information processing method, program, and information processing device

Abstract

To provide a novel mechanism which makes it possible to properly take care of shortage and excess of resources in an organization such as a design office.SOLUTION: The present invention is directed to an information processing method in which a processor executes the steps of: acquiring office-related information including employee information relating to one or a plurality of employees and office information including a handleable business; acquiring busy information relating to a busy state; acquiring request information relating to a business consignment for at least one of a plurality of processes included in a project and including information on a desired employee; extracting, based on the request information, the busy information and the office-related information, a second design office which can be trusted with the business consignment and to which an employee corresponding to the desired employee belongs; and outputting inquiry information relating to acceptance of or application for the business consignment to a second processing apparatus used by the second design office.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, a system has been known that allows a client to easily select an architect who meets the client's wishes from among a large number of architects (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-1346722 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, conventional technology only addresses the need to match clients with architects. In architectural design offices where architects work, architectural design and construction management typically involve many uncertainties (such as land selection, loan settlements, and project suspensions), and each project is heavy and long in duration. This makes it difficult for design offices to forecast their work schedules, making it difficult to adapt to sudden changes in busy and slow seasons. This issue can also apply to general organizations.

[0005] Therefore, the technology disclosed herein aims to provide a new mechanism that enables appropriate responses to resource shortages and surpluses in organizations such as design offices. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An information processing method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is an information processing method executed by an information processing device including a processor, wherein the processor executes the following operations: acquiring office-related information including employee information regarding one or more employees and office information including available work from the processing devices used by each design office; acquiring busyness information regarding busyness status from the processing devices used by each design office; acquiring request information regarding a work outsourcing for at least one process among a plurality of processes included in a project from a first processing device used by a first design office, the request information including information about a desired employee; extracting a second design office that can accept the work outsourcing and that has an employee corresponding to the desired employee based on the request information, the busyness information, and the office-related information; and outputting inquiry information regarding the acceptance or application for the work outsourcing to the second processing device used by the second design office. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, a new mechanism can be provided that enables appropriate responses to resource shortages and surpluses in organizations such as design offices. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an information processing device according to an embodiment of the disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an information processing device according to an embodiment of the disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of office-related information in the present disclosure. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of busy information in the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of request information in the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a process related to business outsourcing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of processing after an agreement is reached between a requesting party and a trustee according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a process related to a resource shortage on the entrusted side according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Preferred embodiments of the disclosed technology will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, components with the same reference numerals have the same or similar configurations.

[0010] [First embodiment] <System> Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an information processing system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Fig. 1, the information processing system 1 includes an information processing device (e.g., a server) 10 and information processing devices 20A, 20B, 20C, and 20D (hereinafter also referred to as "each information processing device 20"), and each of the information processing devices 10 and 20 can transmit and receive data to and from each other via a network N.

[0011] Here, we will explain the outline of a platform for sharing resources in design offices, which is realized by the information processing system 1 shown in Fig. 1. For example, an information processing device 10, which is mainly used by the provider of this platform, acquires and manages information about each design office and busy information about busy periods.

[0012] An information processing device 20, which is primarily used by a design office to which at least one architect belongs, transmits office-related information relating to information about the design office and busyness information relating to the busyness status to the information processing device 10. The information processing device 20 also transmits request information to the information processing device 10, which is request information relating to the outsourcing of work for at least one process among a plurality of processes included in a project (e.g., architectural design), and which includes information about a desired employee.

[0013] The information processing device 10 identifies an employee who can undertake the outsourcing work based on the acquired request information and the office-related information and busyness information that it manages, and makes an inquiry about the acceptance or application to the information processing device 20 used by the design office to which this employee belongs. Once the selected design office applies and an agreement is reached between the two parties (the outsourcing requesting party and the outsourcing accepting party), the outsourcing contract and payment processing are carried out.

[0014] This makes it possible to appropriately address resource shortages and surpluses in organizations such as design offices. For example, by sharing resources (employees) between design offices for any process in a project that includes multiple processes, it becomes possible to respond to sudden peak or slow periods. Also, by borrowing resources from other organizations when an organization lacks resources, it becomes possible to take on large projects that the organization would not be able to take on on its own.

[0015] The above-mentioned information processing devices 10 and 20 are, for example, personal computers, mobile terminals such as smartphones, tablet terminals, server devices, etc., and may be distinguished from one another by being represented as n-th information processing devices (1≦n≦2).

[0016] <Configuration> Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing device 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing device 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Below, the processing of each device will be described using a specific example of resource sharing in a design office.

[0017] The information processing device 10 includes one or more processors (CPU: Central Processing Unit) 110, one or more network communication interfaces 120, a memory 130, a user interface 150, and one or more communication buses 170 for interconnecting these components. The user interface 150 includes a display and an input device (such as a keyboard and / or a mouse, or some other pointing device), but does not necessarily have to be provided in the information processing device 10 and may be connected as an external device.

[0018] Memory 130 may be, for example, a high-speed random access memory (main memory) such as DRAM, SRAM, or other random access solid-state memory. Memory 130 may also be a non-volatile memory (auxiliary memory) such as one or more magnetic disk storage devices, optical disk storage devices, flash memory devices, or other non-volatile solid-state memory devices. Memory 130 may also be a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium that stores programs and the like. Memory 130 may also be either a main memory device (memory) or an auxiliary memory device (storage), or may include both.

[0019] The memory 130 stores data used by the information processing system 1. For example, the memory 130 stores office-related information including employee information on one or more employees and office information including available tasks, busyness information regarding busyness status, and request information regarding outsourcing of work for at least one process among multiple processes included in a project, the request information including information on a desired employee.

[0020] Another example of memory 130 may be one or more storage devices located remotely from processor 110. In one embodiment, memory 130 stores programs, modules, and data structures, or a subset thereof, that are executed by processor 110.

[0021] The processor 110 executes the programs stored in the memory 130 to configure a control unit 112, an acquisition unit 113, an extraction unit 114, an inquiry unit 115, an output unit 116, a contract management unit 117, and a cost management unit 118.

[0022] The control unit 112 controls resource sharing in the design office. The control unit 112 controls the processing of the acquisition unit 113, extraction unit 114, inquiry unit 115, output unit 116, contract management unit 117, and cost management unit 118.

[0023] The acquisition unit 113 acquires office-related information including employee information on one or more employees and office information including available work from each processing device (e.g., each information processing device 20) used by each design office. For example, the acquisition unit 113 acquires the office-related information transmitted from each processing device via the network communication interface 120 at a predetermined timing.

[0024] The office-related information will be described later using Figure 4, but for example, it includes information such as office information about the design office, employee information about the employees (including architects) affiliated with the design office, and outsourcing information about outsourced work, all associated with an office ID that identifies the design office.

[0025] Furthermore, the acquisition unit 113 acquires busy information relating to busy situations from each processing device (e.g., each information processing device 20) used by each design office. For example, the acquisition unit 113 acquires busy information transmitted from each processing device at a predetermined timing via the network communication interface 120.

[0026] The busyness information will be described later with reference to FIG. 5, and includes, for example, information such as busyness status, business status, whether or not work can be outsourced, and intention to request outsourcing, all associated with the office ID.

[0027] The acquisition unit 113 also acquires request information regarding outsourcing of at least one process among a plurality of processes included in the project from a first processing device (e.g., information processing device 20A) used by the first design office. The request information also includes information regarding desired employees. For example, the acquisition unit 113 acquires, via the network communication interface 120, the request information transmitted from the first processing device at the timing when the first design office wishes to request outsourcing.

[0028] The request information will be described later using Figure 6, but for example, it includes information such as project information, work information, deliverable information, timing information, desired personnel information, role information, amount information, request type information, request location information, and requester information, all associated with the office ID of the office requesting the work.

[0029] The extraction unit 114 extracts a second design office (e.g., information processing device 20B) that can accept the outsourcing and to which an employee corresponding to the desired employee belongs, based on the request information, busy information, and office-related information acquired by the acquisition unit 113. For example, the extraction unit 114 extracts one or more second design offices that satisfy the request conditions included in the request information. The request conditions are, for example, a design office that can handle business information (e.g., process), etc., and a design office to which the desired employee belongs, and further, based on the busy information, the extraction unit 114 extracts design offices that can currently accept the outsourcing.

[0030] The inquiry unit 115 generates inquiry information regarding the acceptance or application for the outsourcing included in the request information for the second processing device used by the second design office extracted by the extraction unit 114. For example, the inquiry unit 115 generates the outsourcing inquiry information including an outline of the outsourcing project, the work content, the remuneration content, the name of an employee matching the desired employee, and the like.

[0031] The output unit 116 outputs the acceptance inquiry information generated by the inquiry unit 115 to the second processing device via the network communication interface 120.

[0032] The above process allows matching between design offices requesting outsourcing of at least part of a project and design offices that can accommodate the content of the outsourcing and have the desired employees. As a result, the disclosed system 1 can appropriately address resource shortages and surpluses in organizations such as design offices. For example, by sharing resources between design offices, it becomes possible to respond to sudden peak and trough periods.

[0033] Furthermore, a design office that has accepted a contract and shared its employees with another office may suddenly become busy during the contract period. In this case, the second design office that accepted the contract may then become the party requesting the contract. In other words, the second processing device used by the second design office transmits a resource request to the information processing device 10. The resource request may be, for example, a request in the same format as the request information, or a request to return the shared employees.

[0034] The acquisition unit 113 of the information processing device 10 may acquire a resource request for employee replenishment from the second processing device via the network communication interface 120. For example, there are mainly two types of resource requests. One is a request for a new outsourcing job requested by the second design office, and the other is a request for the return of employees shared with the first design office.

[0035] (Resource request corresponding to return request) In response to the resource request corresponding to the return request, the extraction unit 114 extracts a third design office that is capable of accepting the outsourcing included in the request information from the first design office and to which an employee corresponding to the desired employee belongs. For example, the extraction unit 114 may extract the third design office again based on the request information from the first design office. Furthermore, the extraction unit 114 may retain the result of the previous extraction process (extraction list) for a predetermined period of time, and use the current extraction list if the time of the resource request is within a predetermined period of time from the time of the previous extraction. As a specific example, the extraction unit 114 may extract a design office other than the second design office as the third design office from the previously extracted extraction list. Furthermore, the retention period of the extraction list may be discarded when a threshold period has elapsed.

[0036] By carrying out the above process, even if the second design office that has shared resources runs out of resources, it is possible to provide a system that allows the shared employees to be returned and proposes a third design office with alternative resources to the first design office, thereby preventing any disruption to the operations of the first and second design offices.

[0037] Furthermore, when the extraction unit 114 extracts a third design office, the inquiry unit 115 generates inquiry information regarding whether or not it is possible to newly outsource the work of the first design office to the third design office. For example, this inquiry information includes information about the third design office and includes content that inquires of the first design office about whether or not it is acceptable to switch to the third design office and outsource the work. The output unit 116 outputs the inquiry information to the first processing device via the network communication interface 120.

[0038] Through the above process, the system can inquire with the first design office that requested the work whether it is okay to change the outsourcing to the new third design office extracted by the system. The first design office that requested the work will be able to share the work with new employees of the same caliber as the employees that were currently sharing the work, allowing the work to continue smoothly.

[0039] (resource request corresponding to request information) The extraction unit 114 acquires a resource request corresponding to request information for outsourcing from the second design office, and extracts a third design office that can accept the outsourcing included in the resource request and has an employee corresponding to the desired employee included in the resource request. For example, the extraction unit 114 may extract the third design office based on new request information using busy information and office-related information.

[0040] By the above processing, a system can be provided that prevents disruption to the operations of the second design office by receiving a share of other resources even if the second design office that is sharing resources runs out of resources.

[0041] Furthermore, when the extraction unit 114 extracts a third design office, the inquiry unit 115 generates outsourcing inquiry information for the third design office regarding whether the outsourcing included in the resource request can be accepted. The output unit 116 outputs the outsourcing inquiry information to a third processing device (e.g., information processing device 20C) used by the third design office via the network communication interface 120.

[0042] Through the above process, the system can inquire with the newly extracted third design office whether it is able to undertake the work. The requesting second design office can then have the desired employees shared by another design office (e.g., the third design office), enabling the work to be carried out smoothly.

[0043] (Contract management) When the contract management unit 117 of the information processing device 10 receives an instruction to send template data for a business outsourcing contract, it retrieves the template data from the memory 130 and sends it to the first processing device via the network communication interface 120. The transmission instruction may be received from the first processing device or the second processing device, or may be instructed by an operation by an administrator of the information processing device 10.

[0044] The contract management unit 117 may acquire data on the outsourcing contract agreed upon between the first design office and the second design office, extract the corrections from the template, and reflect the corrections in the template as necessary.

[0045] (Cost management) The expense management unit 118 of the information processing device 10 receives a payment report of a predetermined amount from the first design office that has requested the outsourcing of the work. Upon receiving the payment report, the contract management unit 117 manages the predetermined amount based on the remuneration setting for the outsourcing of the work. The expense management unit 118 may perform an escrow management process for the remuneration for the outsourcing of the work, as will be described in detail later.

[0046] In this case, the output unit 116 outputs a receipt report of the predetermined amount to the second processing device of the second design office that has accepted the outsourcing. Upon receiving the receipt report, the second design office may start providing services (such as dispatching employees).

[0047] Through the above process, the second design firm can provide its services with peace of mind, knowing that the remuneration will be paid to and managed by a third party. The remuneration is not paid directly to the employee providing the services, but to the design firm, and the employee is paid indirectly.

[0048] The acquiring unit 113 may also sequentially acquire busyness information. For example, the control unit 112 may periodically inquire about the busy status of each information processing device 20, and the acquiring unit 113 may sequentially acquire busyness information including the response. Furthermore, each information processing device 20 may transmit busyness information to the information processing device 10 at the timing when the busy status changes.

[0049] In this case, the extraction unit 114 may extract a second design office that matches the request information based on the latest busy information.

[0050] Because the busy status can change suddenly through the above process, the extraction unit 114 can execute the extraction process using the latest busy status information of each design office. Note that, because employees and the like can change in the office-related information, the acquisition unit 113 may sequentially update the office-related information in the same way as the busy status information.

[0051] Furthermore, the inquiry unit 115 may generate inquiry information in which the first design office that is the client of the outsourcing is kept anonymous. For example, when generating the inquiry information, the inquiry unit 115 converts the client's design office into a preset location name (e.g., an office in Tokyo) or a fictitious office (e.g., AAA office). Furthermore, the inquiry unit 115 may determine whether or not to include the name of the client's office depending on whether or not the client's office wishes to remain anonymous. The output unit 116 outputs the inquiry information including the anonymous client via the network communication interface 120.

[0052] The above process protects the privacy of the requester and allows the decision on whether to accept the outsourcing of work to be made fairly.

[0053] 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of an information processing device 20 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The information processing device 20 includes one or more processors (e.g., CPUs) 210, one or more network communication interfaces 220, a memory 230, a user interface 250, and one or more communication buses 270 for interconnecting these components. The user interface 250 includes a display and an input device (such as a keyboard and / or a mouse, or some other pointing device).

[0054] Memory 230 may be, for example, a high-speed random access memory (main memory) such as DRAM, SRAM, or other random access solid-state memory. Memory 230 may also be a non-volatile memory (auxiliary memory) such as one or more magnetic disk storage devices, optical disk storage devices, flash memory devices, or other non-volatile solid-state memory devices. Memory 230 may also be a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium that stores programs and the like. Memory 230 may also be either a main memory device (memory) or an auxiliary memory device (storage), or may include both.

[0055] The memory 230 stores data and programs used by the information processing system 1. For example, the memory 230 stores application programs for mobile terminals in the information processing system 1.

[0056] The processor 210 executes a program stored in the memory 230 to configure a control unit 212 that controls resource sharing in the design office on the client side. For example, the control unit 212 includes a web browser or a resource sharing application.

[0057] The web browser enables browsing of web pages of the resource sharing platform provided by the information processing device 10. The web browser appropriately displays and transitions between web pages, provides information, and transmits and receives data. For example, the web browser uses the web pages to send information about resource sharing set or input by the user to the information processing device 10. The information sent includes, for example, design office-related information, busy information, and request information.

[0058] The control unit 212 may also enable execution of functions provided by the resource sharing platform by executing an installed resource sharing application for the client. The control unit 212 has an output unit 213, a consignment control unit 214, and an acquisition unit 215 to execute the resource sharing of the present disclosure on the client side.

[0059] The output unit 213 outputs office-related information, busy information, request information, etc. based on data set or input by the user using the user interface 250 to the information processing device 10 via the network communication interface 220. Furthermore, when inquiry information is acquired from the information processing device 10, the output unit 213 outputs response information to the inquiry information to the information processing device 10.

[0060] The outsourcing control unit 214 controls processes related to outsourcing. For example, the outsourcing control unit 214 controls registration processes to the resource sharing platform, setting processes for office-related information, busy information, and request information, contract-related processes, and cost-related processes.

[0061] The registration process for the resource sharing platform includes processes related to the acquisition and transmission of registration information for participating in the platform. The setting process includes processes related to the acquisition and transmission of each item included in the office-related information, each item included in the busy information, or each item included in the request information. The setting process for the office-related information may be included in the registration process. The contract-related process includes processes related to the receipt, modification, and transmission of template data for the outsourcing contract. The expense-related process includes processes related to the payment or receipt of fees for outsourcing.

[0062] The acquisition unit 215 acquires, from the information processing device 10 via the network communication interface 220, inquiry information regarding contracting, inquiry information regarding resource requests, contract template data, report information regarding remuneration, and the like.

[0063] <Data example> 4 is a diagram showing an example of office-related information in this disclosure. The office-related information shown in FIG. 4 includes office information, employee information, and outsourcing information associated with the office ID of a registered design office. The office information includes, for example, information such as the principal architect, date of establishment, location, capital, architectural firm, registration information, available services, contact information, number of employees, number of affiliated architects, and past projects.

[0064] Employee information is, for example, information about employees (e.g., architects) and includes information such as skills (e.g., qualifications), educational background, career history, architectural experience and achievements, personality and character, etc. Outsourcing information includes, for example, information on whether or not to accept outsourcing from other offices, acceptable wage structures, available time frames, and available projects or tasks.

[0065] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of busyness information in the present disclosure. The busyness information illustrated in FIG. 5 includes information such as busyness status, business status, whether or not to outsource work, and willingness to request outsourcing, associated with the office ID of the office that sent the busyness information. The busyness status information may be, for example, a multi-stage scale indicating the busyness status, or a binary indicator such as busy or not busy. The business status information may include, for example, an overview of current projects, the number of active projects, volume, expected revenue, the number and overview of suspended projects, the number and overview of proposed projects, the number and overview of projects being consulted on, and stalled projects.

[0066] The outsourcing availability information includes, for example, whether or not outsourcing is currently possible, how many people / months of resources are available, the expected period for resource availability, etc. The outsourcing request intention information includes information such as whether or not you want to request outsourcing now, whether or not you are likely to want to request outsourcing in the near future, what kind of outsourcing is possible, and whether you would like to receive a proposal on what kind of resources are available.

[0067] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of request information in the present disclosure. The request information shown in Fig. 6 includes project information, business information, deliverable information, timing information, desired personnel information, role information, amount information, request form information, request location information, requester information, etc., associated with the office ID of the office that has requested the outsourcing.

[0068] Project information includes, for example, information about the target client, the purpose of the building or project, the budget / project amount, site information, site location information, site area, legal restrictions on the site, the surrounding environment, and ground conditions.

[0069] The business information includes, for example, the contents of the initial interview with the client (interview with the client, formulation of the concept, on-site survey / legal research, creation of floor plans, creation of three-dimensional drawings, creation of visual images, presentation to the client), basic design (what is necessary from the following: plan description, layout drawing, floor plan, elevation, section, rectangular drawing, development drawing of the exterior and main parts, fixture and fittings schedule, architectural (structure) or structural plan description, specification outline, structural design outline, electrical equipment design outline, water supply and drainage sanitary equipment design outline, air conditioning and ventilation equipment design outline, elevator equipment design outline, perspective drawings, models, construction cost estimate, etc.), implementation design (what is necessary from the following scope of work: architectural design, structural design, equipment design), construction management, and other necessary business content.

[0070] The deliverable information is, for example, information indicating what specific deliverables must be delivered by the outsourced office. The timing information is, for example, information regarding the deadline for what deliverables are required and when. The desired talent information is, for example, information indicating the type of talent the client is looking for, including skills, educational background, career history, architectural experience and achievements, personality and character information, etc.

[0071] The role information is, for example, information indicating what role the client is looking for in the work, and includes information on clerical work, middle management, communication with the client, etc. The amount information includes information on the order amount, expected design supervision fee (office income), expected amount for the work outsourcing, etc.

[0072] The request type information includes, for example, whether the request is based on a work scope or a time period. The request location information includes, for example, the location and content of the stay required for the work or output, and whether remote work is possible. The client information includes, for example, information about the requesting design firm (e.g., firm overview, track record, architectural philosophy, working style, office atmosphere, average working hours, etc.), information about the architect in charge and team members (e.g., an overview of the members expected to be involved in the project, and their respective roles), etc.

[0073] <Operation description> Next, each operation related to business outsourcing of the information processing system 1 will be described. FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram showing an example of processing related to business outsourcing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The processing shown in FIG. 7 includes a process for registering office-related information, a process for registering busy information, and a process for matching business outsourcing. In the example shown in FIG. 7, information processing device 20A is a first processing device used by design office A requesting business outsourcing, and information processing device 20B is a second processing device used by design office B that has been matched for business outsourcing.

[0074] (Registration and update of office-related information) In step S102, the output unit 213 of the information processing device 20A outputs to the information processing device 10 the office-related information set or input by the user.

[0075] In step S104, the acquisition unit 113 of the information processing device 10 acquires the office-related information of design office A, associates it with the office ID that identifies design office A, and registers the office-related information in the memory 130. Note that when office-related information for design office A is stored in the memory 130 for the second time or later, the processing becomes an update processing.

[0076] In step S106, the output unit 213 of the information processing device 20B outputs to the information processing device 10 the office-related information set or input by the user.

[0077] In step S108, the acquisition unit 113 of the information processing device 10 acquires the office-related information of design office B, associates it with the office ID that identifies design office B, and registers the office-related information in the memory 130. Note that when office-related information for design office B is stored in the memory 130 for the second time or later, the processing becomes an update processing. Note that when office-related information is transmitted from each of the other information processing devices 20, the processing is the same as the processing of steps S102 and S104. This makes it possible to register information related to each design office in the resource sharing platform.

[0078] (Registering and updating busy information) In step S202, the output unit 213 of the information processing device 20A outputs to the information processing device 10 the busy information set or input by the user.

[0079] In step S204, the acquisition unit 113 of the information processing device 10 acquires busy information for design office A, associates it with the office ID that identifies design office A, and registers the busy information in the memory 130. Note that when busy information for design office A is stored in the memory 130 for the second time or later, the processing becomes an update processing.

[0080] In step S206, the output unit 213 of the information processing device 20B outputs to the information processing device 10 the busy information set or input by the user.

[0081] In step S208, the acquisition unit 113 of the information processing device 10 acquires busy information for design office B, associates it with the office ID that identifies design office B, and registers the busy information in the memory 130. When busy information for design office B is stored in the memory 130 for the second time or later, the processing becomes an update processing. When busy information is sent from each of the other information processing devices 20, the processing is the same as the processing of steps S202 and S204. This makes it possible to register the busy status of each design office in the resource sharing platform.

[0082] (Matching processing for outsourcing) In step S302, the output unit 213 of the information processing device 20A outputs to the information processing device 10 the outsourcing request information set or input by the user.

[0083] In step S304, the acquisition unit 113 of the information processing device 10 acquires request information from design office A. Based on the request information, busy information, and office-related information, the extraction unit 114 of the information processing device 10 extracts design offices that can accept the outsourcing included in the request information and that have employees corresponding to the desired employee included in the request information.

[0084] For example, the extraction unit 114 identifies a delivery date from timing information included in the request information, and extracts design offices that are likely to be able to allocate resources up to the delivery date by referring to busy information. The extraction unit 114 also narrows down the design offices that can meet the contract price for the outsourcing based on the amount information included in the request information and the wage system included in the outsourcing information of the office-related information. The extraction unit 114 also further narrows down the employees (e.g., architects) and offices that meet the conditions of the request information based on the desired personnel information, project information, task information, deliverable information, role information, request type information, and request location information included in the request information, and the office information and employee information included in the office-related information. Here, the one or more design offices finally narrowed down are referred to as design office B. The extraction unit 114 may narrow down the design offices in any order.

[0085] In step S306, the inquiry unit 115 of the information processing device 10 generates inquiry information regarding the acceptance of the outsourcing contract. The inquiry information includes at least the project information and business information included in the request information, which are qualitative information to enable a decision to accept or apply for the contract. At this time, the requester's information may be kept anonymous.

[0086] In step S308, the output unit 116 of the information processing device 10 transmits the inquiry information to the information processing device 20B used by one or more design offices B extracted by the extraction unit 114.

[0087] In step S310, the outsourcing control unit 214 of the information processing device 20B controls to display the inquiry information on the screen and accepts an operation as to whether to accept or apply for the business outsourcing. The output unit 213 of the information processing device 20B transmits response information including the accepted response to the outsourcing or application to the information processing device 10.

[0088] As described above, the system 1 disclosed herein makes it possible to share resources for any of the multiple processes in a project, thereby resolving issues specific to design offices, such as difficulty in predicting busy periods and difficulty in hiring personnel. Furthermore, the provider of the resource sharing platform may participate in negotiations between design office B, which has accepted or applied for a business outsourcing contract, and design office A, which has requested the business outsourcing contract, to facilitate smooth negotiations.

[0089] 8 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of processing after an agreement is reached between the requesting party and the entrusted party according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The processing illustrated in FIG. 8 includes processing related to the conclusion of a contract and processing related to payment of consideration.

[0090] (Contract conclusion processing) In step S402, the contract management unit 117 of the information processing device 10 transmits data related to the contract documents of the outsourcing contract to the information processing device A used by the client, design office A. The data related to the contract documents includes, for example, template data of the contract.

[0091] In step S404, the acquisition unit 215 of the information processing device 20A acquires data related to the contract document, and the outsourcing control unit 214 controls to display the acquired data on the screen. At this time, the outsourcing control unit 214 displays the data related to the contract document on the screen in a display form that allows confirmation and modification. For example, it is assumed that the user requesting the outsourcing has confirmed and modified the template data of the contract.

[0092] In step S406, the output unit 213 of the information processing device 20A transmits the data relating to the contract document including the corrected template data to the information processing device 20B.

[0093] In step S408, the acquisition unit 215 of the information processing device 20B acquires data related to the contract document, and the consignment control unit 214 controls to display the acquired data on the screen. The consignment control unit 214 displays the data related to the contract document on the screen in a display form that allows the data to be confirmed and modified. For example, it is assumed that a user who has accepted a business consignment has confirmed and modified the template data of the contract.

[0094] In step S410, the output unit 213 of the information processing device 20B transmits data related to the contract documents including the revised template data to the information processing device 20A. Here, it is assumed that a contract is concluded between design office A and design office B based on the revised contract type. Note that confirmation and revision of the contract documents are repeated until the contract is concluded.

[0095] In step S412, the output unit 213 of the information processing device 20A transmits a contract conclusion notification to the information processing device 10. For example, the contract conclusion notification is transmitted by operating a contract conclusion button in a resource sharing application or a contract conclusion button on a resource sharing platform provided on a web page.

[0096] In step S414, the output unit 213 of the information processing device 20B transmits a contract conclusion notification to the information processing device 10. Note that the contract conclusion notification may be a notification from only one of the information processing device 20A and the information processing device 20B.

[0097] (Payment processing) When the contract is concluded, the outsourcing requester pays a predetermined amount corresponding to the consideration to a predetermined account designated by the provider of the resource sharing platform. In step S502, the output unit 213 of the information processing device 20A transmits a payment report to the information processing device 10 indicating that the payment of the predetermined amount has been completed.

[0098] In step S504, the expense management unit 118 of the information processing device 10 manages the predetermined amount paid for the outsourcing. This allows the provider of the resource sharing platform to play an escrow-like role, giving the outsourcing party a sense of security.

[0099] In step S506, the output unit 116 of the information processing device 10 transmits a payment receipt report indicating that the predetermined amount has been paid to the information processing device 20B. As a result, the outsourced party starts providing the services under the outsourcing.

[0100] If the provision of the outsourced service is completed successfully, the output unit 213 of the requesting information processing device 20A transmits a business completion report to the information processing device 10 in step S508.

[0101] In step S510, the expense management unit 118 of the information processing device 10 executes a payment process for the consideration based on the remuneration setting in the outsourcing contract. For example, the expense management unit 118 executes a process for paying the consideration to a predetermined account designated by the design office B.

[0102] In step S512, the output unit 116 of the information processing device 10 transmits a fee payment report indicating that payment of the fee has been completed to the information processing device 20B. This completes the process related to the outsourcing when the provision of the service is completed.

[0103] Furthermore, if the provision of the outsourced service is not completed or if there is a defect, the output unit 213 of the requesting information processing device 20A transmits an interruption or defect report to the information processing device 10 in step S514.

[0104] In step S516, the expense management unit 118 of the information processing device 10 executes a process for paying a portion of the consideration in the event of an interruption or defect, based on the remuneration setting in the outsourcing contract. For example, the expense management unit 118 executes a process for paying the portion of the consideration to a predetermined account designated by design office B, and executes a process for paying the difference between the predetermined amount and the portion of the consideration to a predetermined account designated by design office A.

[0105] In step S518, the output unit 116 of the information processing device 10 transmits a partial payment report indicating that the partial payment has been completed to the information processing device 20B.

[0106] In step S520, the output unit 116 of the information processing device 10 transmits a difference refund report indicating that payment of the difference has been completed to the information processing device 20A. This completes the process related to outsourcing when service provision is interrupted or defective.

[0107] 9 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a process for a resource shortage on the contractor's side according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The process illustrated in FIG. 9 is executed, for example, when the contractor receives an unexpected order during the contract period and finds itself short of resources. In this case, the contractor may either terminate the outsourcing contract and request the return of employees working for the client, or ask another office to share resources.

[0108] In step S602, the output unit 213 of the information processing device 20B on the outsourcing side transmits a resource request to the information processing device 10. The resource request includes, for example, a request to return employees who are being shared with another design office, or a request corresponding to request information for sharing resources.

[0109] In step S604, the extraction unit 114 of the information processing device 10 executes extraction processing according to the resource request. For example, if the resource request is a return request, the extraction unit 114 extracts design offices to which employees who are currently available to respond belong, based on the request information of design office A. Also, if the resource request is a request for requisition, the extraction unit 114 extracts design offices that satisfy the conditions included in the request information, based on the request information of the request for requisition from design office B. For example, it is assumed that design office C is extracted by the extraction unit 114.

[0110] In step S606, the inquiry unit 115 of the information processing device 10 generates inquiry information according to the resource request. For example, if the resource request is a return request, the inquiry unit 115 generates inquiry information for design office A regarding whether it is possible to switch the outsourcing to design office C. Also, if the resource request is a request request, the inquiry unit 115 generates inquiry information for design office C regarding whether it is possible to accept the outsourcing included in the request information of the request request.

[0111] If the resource request is a return request, in step S608, the output unit 116 of the information processing device 10 transmits the inquiry information generated by the inquiry unit 115 to the information processing device 20A used by the design office A.

[0112] In step S610, the outsourcing control unit 214 of the information processing device 20A controls to display the inquiry information on the screen, and accepts an operation as to whether or not to change the outsourcing to design firm C midway through the outsourcing. The output unit 213 of the information processing device 20A transmits response information including the accepted response to the change to the information processing device 10.

[0113] If the response information indicates that the change is possible, the information processing device 10 executes a process to switch the outsourcing from design office B to design office C. For example, a process to conclude a contract for the outsourcing and a process to pay a portion of the fee to design office B are executed. Furthermore, when the work is completed, the difference is paid to design office C.

[0114] If the resource request is a request, in step S612, the output unit 116 of the information processing device 10 transmits the inquiry information generated by the inquiry unit 115 to the information processing device 20C used by the design office C.

[0115] In step S614, the outsourcing control unit 214 of the information processing device 20C controls to display the inquiry information on the screen, and accepts an operation as to whether to accept or apply for the business outsourcing from design office B. The output unit 213 of the information processing device 20A transmits response information including the accepted response to the outsourcing or application to the information processing device 10.

[0116] If the response information indicates acceptance or application, the information processing device 10 executes a process for concluding the business contract and a process for paying the consideration. For example, in the processes of S402 to S412 and S502 to S520 shown in Fig. 8, the requesting party is design office B and the entrusted party is design office C, and similar processes are executed.

[0117] Second Embodiment In the first embodiment, an example of a design office to which an architect belongs is used, but in the second embodiment, the technology disclosed herein can be applied not only to design offices but also to organizations to which one or more employees belong.

[0118] In this case, there are no particular restrictions on the work to be outsourced, but it is preferable to outsource part of a long-term project that is divided into multiple steps (such as system development).The technology of the present disclosure can also be suitably applied to organizations that find it difficult to forecast busy periods and to easily hire employees (such as organizations with qualified personnel).

[0119] Although one embodiment of the present disclosure has been described above in detail, it is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the claims. For example, in the present disclosure, some of the processes executed by each of the information processing devices 10 and 20 may be transferred to another information processing device, or multiple information processing devices may be integrated as appropriate. Furthermore, the following reward settings are also possible.

[0120] (Remuneration based on a common destiny) For example, fee setting A is a fee setting in which if the outsourcing party does not make any sales (if the project falls through), the outsourcing fee for the outsourcing party will also be zero. In this case, it is also possible to set a minimum guaranteed amount separately. For example, if the project falls through, the outsourcing party will not be able to receive the full amount of the outsourcing fee, but will be able to receive a minimum guaranteed amount of 100,000 yen.

[0121] (Mechanism by which commissioned work fees fluctuate) For example, in remuneration setting B, the commissioning fee for the outsourcing party is set to be linked to the sales of the requesting party (for example, 20%). Benefit 1: The hurdle for the client to request outsourcing is significantly lowered. Benefit 2: The contractor will feel more responsible, and the incentive structure will improve the accuracy of their work. The contractor is not simply paid for completing the work, but is also paid based on the success or failure of the entire project, which increases the contractor's sense of accomplishment and motivation. Even in this case, using an escrow system can be of some value. Even if the final payment amount is undecided, the client can deposit a specified amount into the escrow system in advance to prevent non-payment of the payment.

[0122] (A system in which the administrator bears the minimum guarantee) In reward setting C, the minimum guaranteed amount in reward setting A is paid by the administrator of the resource sharing platform, not the requester. Benefits: The burden on the requesting party is eliminated, making it easier to solicit and request outsourced work. Any of the above remuneration settings A to C is selected or set and managed by the expense management unit 118. Furthermore, when one remuneration setting is set from multiple remuneration settings, the expense management unit 118 may store remuneration identification information that identifies the remuneration setting in association with the request information. This allows the requesting party to select a remuneration setting that suits their organization from multiple remuneration settings.

[0123] Furthermore, when an outsourced project is completed, the control unit 112 may register and make public information about the project (for example, the building name) in the past projects included in the office-related information of the client's office. If a prior agreement is reached between the client and the contractor, the control unit 112 may register and make public information about the project in the past projects included in the office-related information of both the client and the contractor. [Explanation of symbols]

[0124] 1...information processing system, 10, 20...information processing device, 110...processor, 112...control unit, 113...acquisition unit, 114...extraction unit, 115...query unit, 116...output unit, 117...contract management unit, 118...expense management unit, 130...memory, 210...processor, 230...memory, 212...control unit, 213...output unit, 214...entrustment control unit, 215...acquisition unit

Claims

1. An information processing method executed by an information processing device including a processor, the processor: acquiring, from a processing device used by each design office, office-related information including employee information regarding one or more employees and office information including available tasks; Obtaining busy information regarding busy situations from a processing device used by each design office; acquiring, from a first processing device used by the first design office, request information regarding outsourcing of work for at least one process among a plurality of processes included in the project, the request information including attribute information regarding a desired employee; extracting a second design office that can accept the outsourcing and has an employee corresponding to the desired employee based on the request information, the busy information, and the office-related information; and outputting inquiry information regarding the acceptance or application for the business outsourcing to a second processing device used by the second design office.

2. The processor is further configured to obtain a resource request for employee recruitment from the second processing device; The information processing method of claim 1, wherein the extracting step includes extracting a third design office that can accept the business outsourcing included in the request information in accordance with the resource request and that has an employee corresponding to the desired employee.

3. The information processing method according to claim 2, wherein when the third design office is extracted, the outputting includes outputting to the first processing device inquiry information regarding whether the business outsourcing can be newly outsourced to the third design office.

4. The processor is further configured to obtain a resource request for employee recruitment from the second processing device; The information processing method according to claim 1, wherein the extracting step includes extracting a third design office that is capable of accepting the outsourcing work included in the resource request and that has employees corresponding to the desired employees included in the resource request.

5. The information processing method of claim 4, wherein when the third design office is extracted, the outputting includes outputting inquiry information regarding whether the business contract included in the resource request can be accepted to a third processing device used by the third design office.

6. The processor further executes receiving a payment report of a predetermined amount from the first design office and managing the predetermined amount based on a remuneration setting for the outsourcing; The information processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the outputting includes outputting a receipt report of the predetermined amount to the second processing device.

7. acquiring the busy information includes sequentially acquiring the busy information; The information processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the extracting step includes extracting the second design office based on the latest busy information.

8. The information processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the outputting step includes outputting the inquiry information with the first design office kept anonymous.

9. For information processing devices acquiring, from a processing device used by each design office, office-related information including employee information regarding one or more employees and office information including available tasks; Obtaining busy information regarding busy situations from a processing device used by each design office; acquiring, from a first processing device used by the first design office, request information regarding outsourcing of work for at least one process among a plurality of processes included in the project, the request information including attribute information regarding a desired employee; extracting a second design office that can accept the outsourcing and has an employee corresponding to the desired employee based on the request information, the busy information, and the office-related information; A program that causes a second processing device used by the second design office to output inquiry information regarding the acceptance or application for the business outsourcing.

10. An information processing device including a processor, the processor: acquiring, from a processing device used by each design office, office-related information including employee information regarding one or more employees and office information including available tasks; Obtaining busy information regarding busy situations from a processing device used by each design office; acquiring, from a first processing device used by the first design office, request information regarding outsourcing of work for at least one process among a plurality of processes included in the project, the request information including attribute information regarding a desired employee; extracting a second design office that can accept the outsourcing and has an employee corresponding to the desired employee based on the request information, the busy information, and the office-related information; and outputting inquiry information regarding the acceptance or application for the business outsourcing to a second processing device used by the second design office.

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