Collaboration support method

Abstract

This cooperation assistance device 100 comprises: a provision unit 121 for providing, to a first business operator, preregistered sales information expressing information pertaining to sales by a second business operator; an acquisition unit 122 for acquiring sales policy information from the first business operator that expresses a sales policy in cooperation with the second business operator, and sales information that is based on sales by the second business operator; and a calculation unit 123 for calculating token information having a monetary value and provided from the second business operator to the first business operator, on the basis of the sales policy information from the first business operator and the sales information from the second business operator.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a collaboration support method, a collaboration support device, and a storage medium. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes the collaboration of sales of products and the like between multiple businesses. For example, it describes a store introducing products from other stores to customers who purchase products from its own store. Specifically, Patent Document 1 describes that first, introduction information including product information of the other store to which the customer is referred is written on the membership card or receipt of a customer who purchases a product from its own store, which is the source of the introduction. The other store to which the customer is referred then acquires the introduction information provided by the customer, sells the product at the other store, and calculates a commission to be paid to the store from which the customer is referred. This allows the store to sell products to customers introduced by the source of the introduction, and the store from which the customer is referred receives a referral fee, resulting in a sales collaboration that is beneficial to both parties. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4101176 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the above-mentioned sales collaboration, the target store must wait for the customer introduction from the referral store, which causes the problem that it is unable to encourage further sales collaboration and therefore is unable to promote sales.Furthermore, it is unable to encourage collaboration between businesses, not only in the sale of products in stores, but in any business, and therefore is unable to promote sales.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problem of being unable to promote sales collaboration between businesses. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A collaboration support method according to one embodiment of the present invention includes: providing sales information representing information relating to sales by a pre-registered second business to the first business; Acquire sales promotion information representing a sales promotion implemented by the first business operator in cooperation with the second business operator and sales information from sales by the second business operator; Calculating token information having a monetary value to be provided by the second business operator to the first business operator based on the sales promotion information by the first business operator and the sales information by the second business operator; The structure is as follows.

[0007] Furthermore, the collaboration support device according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a providing unit that provides sales information representing information relating to sales by a pre-registered second business to the first business; an acquisition unit that acquires sales promotion information representing a sales promotion implemented by the first business operator in cooperation with the second business operator and sales information from sales by the second business operator; a calculation unit that calculates token information having a monetary value to be provided by the second business operator to the first business operator based on the sales promotion information by the first business operator and the sales information by the second business operator; Equipped with The structure is as follows.

[0008] Furthermore, a program according to one aspect of the present invention includes: providing sales information representing information relating to sales by a pre-registered second business to the first business; Acquire sales promotion information representing a sales promotion implemented by the first business operator in cooperation with the second business operator and sales information from sales by the second business operator; Calculating token information having a monetary value to be provided by the second business operator to the first business operator based on the sales promotion information by the first business operator and the sales information by the second business operator; Have the computer perform the process, The structure is as follows. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] With the above-described configuration, the present invention can promote sales collaboration between businesses. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the overall configuration of a collaboration support system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the collaboration support device disclosed in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] 2 is a sequence diagram showing the operation of the collaboration support device disclosed in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a data flow in the collaboration support system disclosed in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a data flow in the collaboration support system disclosed in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a data flow in the collaboration support system disclosed in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an outline of processing in the collaboration support system disclosed in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a collaboration support device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a collaboration support device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the collaboration support device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] <Embodiment 1> A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 7. Figures 1 and 2 are diagrams for explaining the configuration of a collaboration support system, and Figures 3 to 7 are diagrams for explaining the processing operations of the collaboration support system.

[0012] [composition] The collaboration support system of the present invention is used to support sales collaboration among multiple businesses. For example, the businesses may be businesses that sell products or provide services in stores, businesses that sell products wholesale to retail stores or vending machines, businesses that provide services without a store, etc. Note that sales in the present invention includes not only selling products but also providing services.

[0013] In the first example of this embodiment, a case will be described in which three different businesses sell different products at different stores A, B, and C. In this case, the three businesses agree that, in conjunction with the sale of products at each store A, B, and C, points will be issued to customers who purchase the products according to the purchase amount, and that these points can be used for payment at any of the three businesses' stores A, B, and C. In other words, the three businesses have previously collaborated on a common point system that can be used for payment for products. In addition to this situation, the collaboration support system in this embodiment supports further sales collaboration among the three businesses.

[0014] As shown in Figure 1, the collaboration support system is configured by connecting a collaboration support device 10 and business terminals At, Bt, and Ct that can be operated by employees of three business stores A, B, and C via a network N.

[0015] The business operator terminals At, Bt, Ct are configured with one or more information processing devices each equipped with a calculation device and a storage device, and can be connected to the collaboration support device 10 via the network N. The business operator terminals At, Bt, Ct can acquire information from the collaboration support device 10 or register information in the collaboration support device 10 in response to operations by employees of each business operator.

[0016] Specifically, the business operator terminals At, Bt, and Ct have a function of registering "sales information," which is information related to the sales of products at the business operator's store, in the collaboration support device 10. For example, an employee of the business operator operates the business operator terminal to input "sales information," which is then transmitted to the collaboration support device 10 for registration. "Sales information" is information that represents, for example, a sales method formulated by the business operator to promote sales of the business operator's products and information about the products to be sold. Examples of "sales information" include campaign information such as discount sales, the value of token information having monetary value as a reward to other businesses for sales collaboration, and information introducing the products to be sold. Note that, as will be described later, "sales information" is provided to other businesses for a fee. However, "sales information" may also be provided free of charge.

[0017] The business operator terminals At, Bt, and Ct also have a function for registering "sales promotion information" representing sales promotions implemented in collaboration with other businesses in the sales of products at the business operator's store in the collaboration support device 10. For example, a business operator's employee operates the business operator terminal to input "sales promotion information," which is then transmitted to the collaboration support device 10 and registered. The "sales promotion information" is, for example, a sales method formulated by an employee of the business operator after acquiring the "sales information" of the other businesses and taking into consideration the sales content of the other businesses. The "sales promotion information" represents the content of a sales promotion strategy for promoting the products of both businesses through sales collaboration between the business operator and the other businesses. Examples of "sales promotion information" include information indicating that the business operator will offer coupons to customers who visit the business operator's store in conjunction with the other businesses' sales campaigns, or information indicating that the business operator will set the sales price of its own products sold at the other businesses' stores in conjunction with the other businesses' campaigns. When formulated by the business operator, the "sales promotion information" may also be notified to the other businesses with which the business operator is collaborating.

[0018] The business operator terminals At, Bt, and Ct also have the function of registering "sales information" resulting from the sale of products at their own stores in the collaboration support device 10. For example, an employee of the business operator operates the business operator terminal to collect "sales information," which is then transmitted to and registered in the collaboration support device 10. "Sales information" mainly includes information such as the price of products sold to customers at the store, points awarded for customer payments, points used by customers for payments, and coupons presented by customers at the time of payment. Therefore, at the time of sale, the business operator terminals At, Bt, and Ct read the identification information of customer U from an application or membership card installed on the mobile terminal Ut held by customer U, and transmit the identification information of customer U and the identification information of stores A, B, and C, along with the price, points, and coupons, to the collaboration support device 10.

[0019] Furthermore, the business operator terminals At, Bt, and Ct have a function of issuing points to the customer U according to the amount of merchandise sold at the business operator's store. For example, the business operator terminals At, Bt, and Ct calculate points according to the amount of merchandise sold to the customer U and assign the points to the customer U's identification information read from the customer U's mobile terminal Ut. When selling merchandise to the customer U, the business operator terminals At, Bt, and Ct also read coupon information presented by the customer U and collect points used for payment. The business operator terminals At, Bt, and Ct transmit the customer U's identification information, points, coupon information, and the like processed when selling merchandise to the customer U, together with sales information, as described above, to the collaboration support device 10. However, the business operator terminals At, Bt, and Ct may perform processes such as point assignment by the business operator terminals At, Bt, and Ct in the collaboration support device 10. In this case, when the business terminals At, Bt, and Ct sell a product to customer U, they send the product price, points to be used for payment, presented coupon information, etc., along with customer U's identification information to the collaboration support device 10, so that the collaboration support device 10 can perform processes such as point allocation.

[0020] The points described above may be points awarded in an existing point system. In this embodiment, the business operator terminals At, Bt, and Ct award points to the customer U in accordance with sales. However, these points do not necessarily need to be clearly displayed to the customer U; the business operator terminals At, Bt, and Ct and the collaboration support device 10 may simply record information corresponding to the points. Furthermore, the business operator terminals At, Bt, and Ct do not necessarily need to award points; the business operator terminals At, Bt, and Ct and the collaboration support device 10 may simply record information representing the purchase status, such as the purchase amount, of each customer U. In this case, the business operator terminals At, Bt, and Ct and the collaboration support device 10 may analyze the relationship between sales collaborations between stores based on the recorded point-equivalent information and purchase status information of the customer U, as described below, and calculate token information.

[0021] Furthermore, the business operator terminals At, Bt, and Ct have a function of acquiring "sales information" of other businesses registered in the collaboration support device 10 from the collaboration support device 10 as described above. For example, an employee of a business operates the business operator terminal At to access the collaboration support device 10, browses a list of "sales information" of other businesses registered in the collaboration support device 10, and selects and requests one of the "sales information" to acquire the "sales information." At this time, the business operator that acquired the "sales information" of the other businesses pays a fee to the other business that provided the "sales information." For example, the business operator terminals At, Bt, and Ct pay the fee in accordance with a payment process performed by the collaboration support device 10.

[0022] Furthermore, the business operator terminals At, Bt, and Ct have a function of receiving payments from the collaboration support device 10. For example, the business operator receives payment from another business operator in return for providing the aforementioned "sales information" of the business operator to the other business operator, or a return payment from the other business operator in return for implementing a sales collaboration measure for the other business operator. Note that such a return payment will be based on token information having a monetary value calculated based on the sales of the business operator with which the sales collaboration is conducted, as will be described later.

[0023] Next, the configuration of the collaboration support device 10 will be described. The collaboration support device 10 is configured with one or more information processing devices each including a calculation device and a storage device. As shown in FIG. 2, the collaboration support device 10 includes a registration unit 11, a provision unit 12, an acquisition unit 13, and a calculation unit 14. The functions of the registration unit 11, the provision unit 12, the acquisition unit 13, and the calculation unit 14 can be realized by the calculation device executing a program for realizing each function stored in the storage device. The collaboration support device 10 also includes a business operator information storage unit 16 and a customer information storage unit 17. The business operator information storage unit 16 and the customer information storage unit 17 are configured with a storage device.

[0024] The registration unit 11 stores and registers "sales information," which is information about sales of products at each business's store, input and transmitted from the business terminals At, Bt, and Ct, in the business information storage unit 16. As described above, the "sales information" includes campaign information, return token information, and the like. As an example, it is assumed that campaign information for store B is registered as "sales information" from the business terminal Bt of store B.

[0025] The providing unit 12 provides "sales information" of other businesses in response to requests from business terminals At, Bt, and Ct. As an example, when the business terminal At of store A requests "sales information" of store B, the providing unit 12 provides the "sales information" of store B to the business terminal At of store A. At this time, the providing unit 12 charges store A for the provision of the "sales information," collects the payment from store A, and pays it to store B, and stores the payment information in the business information storage unit 16.

[0026] The acquisition unit 13 acquires "sales promotion information" input and transmitted from the business operator terminals At, Bt, and Ct, and stores it in the business operator information storage unit 16. As described above, "sales promotion information" is information such as providing coupons introducing products from other businesses and setting sales prices for one's own products. Here, as an example, "sales promotion information" formulated by store A, which has received campaign information, which is "sales information" from store B, is acquired from the business operator terminal At and registered. In this case, the "sales promotion information" is assumed to be a sales promotion in which store A provides coupons introducing products from store B to customers who visit store A in order to promote sales at both store A and store B in conjunction with store B's campaign.

[0027] The acquisition unit 13 also acquires "sales information" input and transmitted from the business operator terminals At, Bt, and Ct, and stores it in the business operator information storage unit 16. As described above, "sales information" is information such as the price of goods sold to customers at a store, points awarded for customer payments, points used by customers for payments, and coupons presented by customers at the time of payment. Here, as an example, it is assumed that "sales information" of store B is acquired from the business operator terminal Bt. In this case, the "sales information" includes the price of goods sold to customers at store B, points awarded by store B for customer payments, points used by customers for payments at store B, and coupon information issued by store A introducing products from store B that the customer presented at the time of payment.

[0028] The calculation unit 14 performs a process of tallying up the common points linked to three stores A, B, and C based on the "sales information" input and transmitted from the business terminals At, Bt, and Ct. For example, the calculation unit 14 checks information such as the identification information of customer U, the identification information of stores A, B, and C, the amount, and points included in the sales information to determine which store awarded points to which customer and which customer used points for payment at which store, thereby tallying up the points held by each customer, and associates the points held by each customer with information such as which store awarded the points held by the customer, and stores the associated information in the customer information storage unit 17. Note that the customer information storage unit 17 has registered information about customers U who have become members of the common points system in advance, and associates the information with an application installed in the mobile terminal Ut owned by the customer U by an identification number or the like.

[0029] The calculation unit 14 may register the points transmitted from the business operator terminals At, Bt, and Ct for each customer U as described above, thereby granting points to the customer U, or may actually grant points based on information such as the amount transmitted from the business operator terminals At, Bt, and Ct. In other words, the calculation unit 14 performs tallying processes such as granting points in cooperation with the business operator terminals At, Bt, and Ct.

[0030] An example of point allocation and point tallying will now be described. When customer U purchases a 100 yen item at store A, store A allocates 10 points to customer U, and when customer U purchases a 50 yen item at store B, store B allocates 5 points to customer U. In this case, the calculation unit 14 stores the total of 15 points held by customer U, with 10 points associated with store A and 5 points associated with store B.

[0031] Furthermore, the calculation unit 14 calculates token information having a monetary value provided from one store to the other store based on the "sales promotion information" and the "sales information." Specifically, the calculation unit 14 first calculates the degree of contribution of the issuance of a coupon from one store to the sales of the other store based on information, included in the "sales promotion information," that one store will issue a coupon introducing the other store and information, included in the "sales information," on the coupon and points used at the time of sale. For example, the calculation unit 14 calculates the degree of contribution of one store to the other store based on the proportion of points associated with one store to all points held by the customer U. Furthermore, the calculation unit 14 calculates token information having a monetary value provided from the other store to the one store based on the calculated degree of contribution. In other words, the token information has a monetary value that is given to one store in return for the introduction of the coupon based on the sales of the other store.

[0032] As an example, a case will be described in which customer U purchases a product at store B using a coupon from store A introducing store B and uses points for payment. At this time, as described above, customer U has a total of 15 points, and uses all 15 points for payment. As described above, of the 15 points held by customer U, 10 points are associated with store A and 5 points are associated with store B. In this case, the calculation unit 14 calculates the contribution degree of store A's issuance of the coupon to store B from the points (10 points) associated with store A out of the total points (15 points) held by customer U, as 10 / 15 = 2 / 3. Then, the calculation unit 14 calculates token information with a value equivalent to 15 × (2 / 3) = 10 points from the points (15 points) used by customer U for payment at store B and the above contribution degree (2 / 3). In other words, in this case, store A introduces store B with a coupon, and out of the points (15 points) used for payment at store B, token information (equivalent to 10 points) with monetary value that will be given back to store A by store B is calculated.

[0033] Then, the calculation unit 14 transmits the token information calculated as described above to each business operator terminal and provides it to each store. In the above example, for example, monetary data of store B is registered in advance in the collaboration support device 10, and monetary data equivalent to the value of the calculated token information is paid to store A from such monetary data. At this time, when store B provides "sales information" to store A, the calculation unit 14 determines that a consideration will be paid from store A to store B, but the monetary data associated with the payment of such consideration may be offset against the monetary data equivalent to the value of the token information.

[0034] In the above, the calculation unit 14 calculates the value of the token information based on the points held by customer U, but the above-mentioned degree of contribution and value of the token information may also be calculated based on the amount paid by customer U at each store.

[0035] Furthermore, the calculation unit 14 may calculate and update information regarding tokens having monetary value provided by another store, which is included in the "sales information" of the other store, based on the "sales policy information" and the "sales information." For example, when the "sales policy information" of store A includes information that store A will issue a coupon introducing store B, and the calculation unit 14 determines, based on the information on coupons and points used at the time of sale included in the "sales information" of store B, that the issuance of the coupon by store A has contributed greatly to the sales of store B, the calculation unit 14 may calculate to increase the value of the token information to be given in return, and update the sales information of store B.

[0036] Furthermore, the calculation unit 14 may generate new "sales measure information" based on the "sales measure information" and the "sales information." For example, when the "sales measure information" of store A includes information that store A will issue a coupon introducing store B, and the calculation unit 14 determines that the issuance of the coupon by store A will contribute significantly to the sales of store B based on information on coupons and points used at the time of sale included in the "sales information" of store B, the calculation unit 14 may generate new sales measure information that will issue a coupon introducing another store (for example, store C). Then, the calculation unit 14 may send the generated new sales measure information to the business terminal At of store A to propose it to store A, or, if store A agrees, may register it as the sales measure information of store A.

[0037] [Operation] Next, the operation of the above-mentioned collaboration support system will be explained with reference to the sequence diagram of Fig. 3 and the data flow diagrams of Fig. 4 to Fig. 7. Note that the sequence diagram of Fig. 3 shows the operations of stores A and B, and omits the operation of store C.

[0038] First, as described above, three different stores A, B, and C cooperate in issuing common points. In addition, customer U is registered as a common point user and has installed an application for using the common points on his / her mobile terminal Ut.

[0039] It is assumed that each of stores A, B, and C has registered "sales information," which is information about the sales of products at its own store, in the collaboration support device 10 in order to further promote sales collaboration. The "sales information" is, for example, information indicating the sales method and sales content formulated by each of stores A, B, and C to promote sales of its own store's products. Examples of the "sales information" include campaign information such as discount sales, and the value of token information having monetary value that is offered to other businesses in return for sales collaboration. In this example, it is assumed that store B has registered "sales information" including campaign information such as discount sales and the value of token information in return in the collaboration support device 10 (step S1 in FIG. 3). It is also assumed that store C has registered "sales information" including campaign information such as discount sales in the collaboration support device 10.

[0040] In the above situation, it is assumed that store A is considering further sales collaboration with store B. In this case, store A requests and acquires "sales information" of store B from the collaboration support device 10 (step S2 in FIG. 3, arrow Y1 in FIG. 4). At this time, store A will pay a fee to store B for receiving the "sales information." The payment of the fee is made, for example, electronically via the collaboration support device 10.

[0041] Next, store A considers a sales measure for store A based on the campaign information included in store B's "sales information" and the value of the token information to be given in return, and registers "sales measure information" indicating the content of the decided sales measure in the collaboration support device 10 (step S3 in FIG. 3, arrow Y2 in FIG. 4). For example, store A registers a sales measure such as providing a coupon introducing products from store B to customers U who visit its store in conjunction with store B's campaign. The sales measure by store A is also notified to store B, which is its partner.

[0042] Similarly, store B is considering further sales collaboration with store C. In this case, store B requests and acquires "sales information" of store C from the collaboration support device 10 (arrow Y3 in FIG. 4). Then, store B considers a sales strategy for store B based on the campaign information included in the "sales information" of store C, and registers "sales strategy information" indicating the content of the decided sales strategy in the collaboration support device 10 (arrow Y4 in FIG. 4).

[0043] Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 5, assume that customer U purchases a product at store A (step S4 in FIG. 3). At this time, customer U presents customer U's identification information on mobile terminal Ut, and store A reads customer U's identification information on its business operator terminal At, enters the product price, and performs payment processing. As a result, points P corresponding to the payment amount and a coupon Q from store A to introduce store B are issued to customer U from store A's business operator terminal At, and these are stored in mobile terminal Ut (arrow Y11 in FIG. 5). In addition, store A's business operator terminal At transmits "sales information" relating to the sale, such as customer U's identification information, store A's identification information, the sales price, and points, to the collaboration support device 10 (step S5 in FIG. 3, arrow Y12 in FIG. 5).

[0044] The collaboration support device 10 performs a process of tallying up common points based on the "sales information" transmitted from the business terminal At of store A (step S6 in FIG. 3). As an example, if customer U purchases a 100-yen item at store A and store A awards customer U with 10 points, customer U will have a total of 10 points, of which 10 points will be tallied and stored in association with store A.

[0045] Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 6, assume that customer U purchases a product at store B (step S7 in FIG. 3). At this time, customer U presents customer U's identification information and a coupon promoting store B issued by store A for the previous purchase on his / her mobile terminal Ut. Store B reads customer U's identification information and the coupon on its business operator terminal Bt, enters the product price, and performs payment processing. As a result, points P corresponding to the payment amount and a coupon Q promoting store C from store B are issued to customer U from the business operator terminal Bt of store B, and these are stored in the mobile terminal Ut (arrow Y13 in FIG. 6). At this time, customer U uses his / her points to pay for the purchase with store B (arrow Y14 in FIG. 6). At the same time, the business operator terminal Bt of store B transmits "sales information" relating to the sale, such as customer U's identification information, store B's identification information, the sales amount, points, and coupon, to the collaboration support device 10 (step S8 in FIG. 3, arrow Y15 in FIG. 6).

[0046] The collaboration support device 10 performs a process of tallying up the common points based on the "sales information" transmitted from the business terminal Bt of store B (step S9 in FIG. 3). As an example, if customer U purchases a 50-yen item at store B and store B awards customer U with 5 points, customer U will have a total of 15 points, of which 10 points are associated with store A and 5 points are associated with store B, and these points are tallied and stored.

[0047] In this case, customer U uses a coupon from store A introducing store B and also uses points to make a payment to store B. Therefore, the collaboration support device 10 calculates the value of token information to be given back from store A based on the "sales collaboration information." As an example, assume that customer U has 15 points and has used all 15 points to make a payment to store B. Of the 15 points held by customer U, 10 points are associated with store A and 5 points are associated with store B. In this case, the collaboration support device 10 calculates the contribution level of store A's issuance of the coupon to store B as 10 / 15 = 2 / 3 based on the points (15 points) held by customer U and the points (10 points) associated with store A. Then, the collaboration support device 10 calculates token information with a value equivalent to 15 × (2 / 3) = 10 points based on the points (15 points) used by customer U to make a payment at store B and the contribution level (2 / 3).

[0048] The collaboration support device 10 then stores the calculated token information so as to provide it to store A (step S10 in FIG. 3). As a result, store B will return money or tokens having monetary value equivalent to the value of the calculated token information to store A (arrow Y16 in FIG. 6).

[0049] Here, as another example different from the above, a case will be described in which customer U purchases a product of a different price and uses points of a different value. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 5, if customer U purchases a product for 200 yen at store A and store A awards customer U 20 points, customer U will have a total of 20 points, of which 20 points are associated with store A. Then, in the example shown in FIG. 6, if customer U purchases a product for 100 yen at store B and store B awards customer U 10 points, customer U will have a total of 30 points, of which 10 points are associated with store B. In this situation, assume that customer U uses a coupon introduced by store A to promote store B and uses 15 points to pay at store B. In this case, of the 30 points that customer U has, 20 points are associated with store A and 10 points are associated with store B. In this case, the collaboration support device 10 calculates the degree of contribution to store B by store A's issuance of a coupon as 20 / 30 = 2 / 3, based on the points (20 points) associated with store A out of the total points (30 points) held by customer U. Then, the collaboration support device 10 calculates token information with a value equivalent to 15 × (2 / 3) = 10 points, based on the points (15 points) used by customer U to pay at store B and the degree of contribution (2 / 3). In this way, token information having a monetary value equivalent to the calculated 10 points is given back to store A by store B. Note that customer U will have 15 points remaining, but of the 20 points associated with store A, 10 points minus the 10 points corresponding to the degree of contribution remain associated with store A, leaving 10 points associated with store A and 5 points associated with store B.

[0050] In the above-described situation, as shown in FIG. 7, if customer U purchases a 400-yen product at store C and receives 40 points from store C (arrow Y17 in FIG. 7), customer U will have a total of 55 points, with 10 points associated with store A, 5 points associated with store B, and 40 points associated with store C. At this time, customer U uses a coupon offered by store B to promote store C, and uses 30 points to pay at store C (arrow Y18 in FIG. 7). When store C transmits the sales information to the collaboration support device 10 (arrow Y19 in FIG. 7), the collaboration support device 10 calculates token information to be given by store C to stores A and B as follows: First, for store A, token information equivalent to 5.5 points is calculated as (10 / 55)×30 points (arrow Y20 in FIG. 7). For store B, token information equivalent to 2.7 points is calculated as (5 / 55)×30 points (arrow Y21 in FIG. 7).

[0051] As described above, in this embodiment, by providing the sales information of the second business to the first business, the first business encourages collaboration with the second business, and a sales measure is set by the first business in collaboration with the second business. Then, token information to be given by the second business to the first business is calculated according to the sales measure of the first business and the sales of the second business. This increases the willingness to collaborate between businesses and promotes sales collaboration.

[0052] [Other examples] Next, we will explain a case where the businesses in the above-mentioned collaboration support system are different from those mentioned above. In this example, businesses D, E, and F will be used instead of the stores A, B, and C mentioned above. For example, business D is a business that provides "electricity" for charging electric vehicles, and business E is a "retail store" business that has installed chargers for electric vehicles. Furthermore, business F is a "distribution business" that performs delivery work using electric vehicles.

[0053] Business operator D, which provides electric vehicles with electricity via chargers, acquires sales campaign information, which is "sales information," from business operator E, a retail store that has installed chargers for charging the electricity provided by business operator D, via the collaboration support device 10. Then, based on business operator E's sales campaign information, business operator D considers a sales strategy for selling electricity using the chargers installed by business operator D at business operator E's store and registers the "sales strategy information" in the collaboration support device 10. For example, business operator D takes advantage of business operator E's ability to attract customers through a sales campaign to develop a sales strategy such as lowering the charging fees for the chargers installed at business operator E's store. Business operator D anticipates an increase in sales of electricity sold by business operator D and a further increase in the number of visitors to business operator E's store due to the lower charging fees. Business operator D may also advertise the lower charging fees at business operator E's store to its customers who charge their electric vehicles.

[0054] Thereafter, business operator E, which has been linked by business operator D and has set a sales measure, registers the "sales information" of the store in the collaboration support device 10. Then, if the collaboration support device 10 determines that there is a correlation between the reduction in charging fees by business operator D, which is the "sales measure information," and an increase in sales at business operator E's store, the collaboration support device 10 calculates token information having monetary value to be given back to business operator E from business operator E based on the amount of sales of business operator E. For example, if business operator E's sales increase more than in other periods during a period when business operator D reduces the charging fees for chargers installed at business operator E's store, or if customers who use chargers installed at business operator E's store purchase products related to business operator E's store, the collaboration support device 10 determines that there is a correlation and calculates token information to be given back to business operator E from business operator D.

[0055] Furthermore, business operator D, which provides charging power for electric vehicles, acquires, via the collaboration support device 10, information on the delivery area, delivery routes, and charging locations as "sales information" from business operator F, which is a delivery business. Then, business operator D considers measures for selling the electricity provided by business operator D based on the information on the delivery area, routes, and charging locations of business operator F, and registers such "sales policy information" in the collaboration support device 10. For example, business operator D formulates a sales policy such as lowering the charging fees for the chargers installed in business operator E's stores, and anticipates an increase in sales of electricity sold by business operator D and an increase in delivery requests from business operator F from business operator E's stores due to the lower charging fees.

[0056] Thereafter, business operator F, which has been linked by business operator D and for which a sales measure has been set, registers "sales information" accompanying the delivery request in the collaboration support device 10. If the collaboration support device 10 determines that there is a correlation between the reduction in charging fees by business operator D, which is the "sales measure information," and an increase in delivery sales by business operator F, the collaboration support device 10 calculates token information having monetary value to be given in return from business operator F to business operator D, based on the sales amount of business operator F. For example, if business operator F uses a charger at business operator E's store during a period in which business operator D reduces the charging fees for a charger installed at business operator E's store, and business operator F receives a delivery request from business operator E and sales increase, the collaboration support device 10 determines that there is a correlation and calculates token information to be given in return from business operator F to business operator D.

[0057] In addition, business operator F can obtain store delivery fee information as business operator E's "sales information" and register "sales promotion information" that proposes a reduction in delivery fees. This could lead to an increase in online shopping sales at business operator E's store if business operator F reduces delivery fees. Therefore, if there is a correlation between these two, the token information to be given in return by business operator E to business operator F is calculated.

[0058] As described above, in the other example described above, the first business operator is encouraged to collaborate with the second business operator by providing the second business operator with sales information, and the first business operator sets up a sales strategy in collaboration with the second business operator. Then, token information to be given to the first business operator by the second business operator is calculated based on the sales strategy of the first business operator and the sales of the second business operator. This increases the willingness to collaborate between businesses and promotes sales collaboration.

[0059] <Embodiment 2> Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 8 to Fig. 10. Fig. 8 to Fig. 9 are block diagrams showing the configuration of a collaboration support device in the second embodiment, and Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the collaboration support device. Note that this embodiment shows an outline of the configuration of the collaboration support device described in the above-mentioned embodiment.

[0060] First, the hardware configuration of the collaboration support device 100 in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 8. The collaboration support device 100 is configured as a general information processing device, and is equipped with the following hardware configuration, for example. ·CPU(Central Processing Unit)101(Arithmetic unit) ROM (Read Only Memory) 102 (storage device) RAM (Random Access Memory) 103 (storage device) Programs 104 loaded into RAM 103 A storage device 105 for storing a group of programs 104 A drive device 106 that reads and writes from a storage medium 110 external to the information processing device A communication interface 107 that connects to a communication network 111 outside the information processing device Input / output interface 108 for inputting and outputting data Bus 109 connecting each component

[0061] The collaboration support device 100 can be equipped with a providing unit 121, an acquiring unit 122, and a calculating unit 123 shown in FIG. 9 by having the CPU 101 acquire and execute the program group 104. The program group 104 is stored in advance in the storage device 105 or the ROM 102, for example, and is loaded into the RAM 103 and executed by the CPU 101 as needed. The program group 104 may be supplied to the CPU 101 via the communication network 111, or may be stored in advance in the storage medium 110, and the drive device 106 may read out the programs and supply them to the CPU 101. However, the providing unit 121, acquiring unit 122, and calculating unit 123 described above may be constructed using dedicated electronic circuits for realizing such means.

[0062] 8 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device that is the collaboration support device 100, and the hardware configuration of the information processing device is not limited to the above-described case. For example, the information processing device may be configured with only a part of the above-described configuration, such as not including the drive device 106.

[0063] The collaboration support device 100 then executes the service construction support method shown in the flowchart of FIG. 10 using the functions of the providing unit 121, the acquiring unit 122, and the calculating unit 123, which are constructed by the program as described above.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 10, the collaboration support device Provide pre-registered sales information representing information related to sales by a second business to an information processing device of a first business (step S101); Acquire sales promotion information representing a sales promotion implemented by the first business in cooperation with the second business and sales information from the second business (step S102); Calculating token information having a monetary value to be provided by the second business operator to the first business operator based on the sales promotion information by the first business operator and the sales information by the second business operator (step S103); The following process is executed.

[0065] Here, the sales information is, for example, sales campaign information by the second business operator, token information to be given as a reward in cooperation with the second business operator, etc. The sales measure information is a sales measure by the first business operator that is provided with the sales information from the second business operator and that is advantageous to both the first business operator and the second business operator.

[0066] With the above configuration, the present invention provides the sales information of the second business to the first business, encouraging the first business to collaborate with the second business, and sets up a sales strategy for collaboration between the first business and the second business. Then, token information to be given by the second business to the first business is calculated according to the sales strategy of the first business and the sales of the second business. This increases the willingness to collaborate between businesses and promotes sales collaboration.

[0067] The above-described program can be stored and supplied to a computer using various types of non-transitory computer-readable media. Non-transitory computer-readable media include various types of tangible storage media. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include magnetic recording media (e.g., flexible disks, magnetic tapes, hard disk drives), magneto-optical recording media (e.g., magneto-optical disks), CD-ROMs (Read Only Memory), CD-Rs, CD-R / Ws, and semiconductor memories (e.g., mask ROMs, PROMs (Programmable ROMs), EPROMs (Erasable PROMs), flash ROMs, and RAMs (Random Access Memory)). The program may also be supplied to a computer by various types of transitory computer-readable media. Examples of transitory computer-readable media include electrical signals, optical signals, and electromagnetic waves. The transitory computer-readable media can supply the program to a computer via a wired communication path such as an electric wire or optical fiber, or via a wireless communication path.

[0068] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the above-described embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Various modifications that can be understood by those skilled in the art can be made to the configuration and details of the present invention within the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, at least one or more of the functions of the providing unit 121, the acquiring unit 122, and the calculating unit 123 described above may be executed by an information processing device installed and connected anywhere on a network, that is, may be executed by so-called cloud computing.

[0069] <Additional Notes> A part or all of the above-described embodiments can be described as follows: The following provides an overview of the configurations of the collaboration support method, collaboration support device, and program according to the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to the following configurations. (Appendix 1) providing sales information representing information relating to sales by a pre-registered second business to the first business; Acquire sales promotion information representing a sales promotion implemented by the first business operator in cooperation with the second business operator and sales information from sales by the second business operator; Calculating token information having a monetary value to be provided by the second business operator to the first business operator based on the sales promotion information by the first business operator and the sales information by the second business operator; Collaboration support methods. (Appendix 2) 10. The collaboration support method according to claim 1, providing the sales information to the first business operator, the sales information including information regarding the value of the token information having monetary value provided by the second business operator; Collaboration support methods. (Appendix 3) 10. The collaboration support method according to claim 1, acquiring the sales promotion information indicating that the first business will provide introduction information introducing the second business to a customer of the first business; Collaboration support methods. (Appendix 4) 10. The collaboration support method according to claim 1, acquiring the sales promotion information indicating that the first business will set a sales price at the location where the second business will sell the product; Collaboration support methods. (Appendix 5) 10. The collaboration support method according to claim 1, Calculating the degree of contribution of the sales measures of the first business operator to the sales of the second business operator based on the sales measures information of the first business operator and the sales information of the second business operator, and calculating the value of the token information provided by the second business operator to the first business operator based on the degree of contribution; Collaboration support methods. (Appendix 6) 10. The collaboration support method according to claim 1, issuing points to customers in accordance with the sales by the first business operator and the sales by the second business operator, respectively, and storing point information corresponding to the points in association with the customer to whom the points have been issued and the first business operator or the second business operator that issued the points; Furthermore, when the points are used to pay for the sale at the second business, the value of the token information provided by the second business to the first business is calculated based on the ratio of the points associated with the first business to all the points held by the customer who used the points, and the value of the points used by the customer to pay for the sale at the second business. Collaboration support methods. (Appendix 7) 3. The collaboration support method according to claim 2, Calculating information regarding the value of the token information provided by the second business operator, which is to be included in the sales information of the second business operator, based on the sales promotion information of the first business operator and the sales information of the second business operator; Collaboration support methods. (Appendix 8) 10. The collaboration support method according to claim 1, generating new sales promotion information based on the sales promotion information by the first business operator and the sales information by the second business operator; Collaboration support methods. (Appendix 9) a providing unit that provides sales information representing information relating to sales by a pre-registered second business to the first business; an acquisition unit that acquires sales promotion information representing a sales promotion implemented by the first business operator in cooperation with the second business operator and sales information from sales by the second business operator; a calculation unit that calculates token information having a monetary value to be provided by the second business operator to the first business operator based on the sales promotion information by the first business operator and the sales information by the second business operator; A collaboration support device equipped with the above. (Appendix 10) providing sales information representing information relating to sales by a pre-registered second business to the first business; Acquire sales promotion information representing a sales promotion implemented by the first business operator in cooperation with the second business operator and sales information from sales by the second business operator; Calculating token information having a monetary value to be provided by the second business operator to the first business operator based on the sales promotion information by the first business operator and the sales information by the second business operator; A program that causes a computer to execute a process. (Appendix 11) 10. The collaboration support device according to claim 9, The providing unit provides the sales information, which includes information regarding the value of the token information having monetary value provided by the second business operator, to the first business operator. Collaboration support device. (Appendix 12) 10. The collaboration support device according to claim 9, the acquisition unit acquires the sales promotion information indicating that introduction information introducing the second business will be provided from the first business to a customer of the first business; Collaboration support device. (Appendix 13) 10. The collaboration support device according to claim 9, the acquisition unit acquires the sales promotion information indicating that the first business operator will set a sales price at a location where the second business operator will sell the product; Collaboration support device. (Appendix 14) 10. The collaboration support device according to claim 9, The calculation unit calculates a degree of contribution of the sales measures of the first business operator to the sales of the second business operator based on the sales measures information of the first business operator and the sales information of the second business operator, and calculates a value of the token information provided by the second business operator to the first business operator based on the degree of contribution. Collaboration support device. (Appendix 15) 10. The collaboration support device according to claim 9, the calculation unit issues points to the customer in accordance with the sales by the first business operator and the sales by the second business operator, respectively, and stores point information corresponding to the points in association with the customer to whom the points have been issued and the first business operator or the second business operator that issued the points; Furthermore, when the points are used to pay for the sale at the second business, the value of the token information provided by the second business to the first business is calculated based on the ratio of the points associated with the first business to all the points held by the customer who used the points, and the value of the points used by the customer to pay for the sale at the second business. Collaboration support device. (Appendix 16) 12. The collaboration support device according to claim 11, The calculation unit calculates information regarding the value of the token information provided by the second business operator and included in the sales information of the second business operator based on the sales promotion information of the first business operator and the sales information of the second business operator. Collaboration support device. (Appendix 17) 10. The collaboration support device according to claim 9, the calculation unit generates new sales promotion information based on the sales promotion information by the first business operator and the sales information by the second business operator. Collaboration support device.

[0070] In addition, the present invention claims the benefit of priority based on patent application No. 2022-071414, filed in Japan on April 25, 2022, and all contents described in that patent application are incorporated herein by reference. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 10 Collaboration support device 11 Registration Department 12 Providing Department 13 Acquisition Department 14 Calculation section 16 Business information storage section 17 Customer information storage section Stores A, B, and C At, Bt, Ct operator terminal N Network 100 Collaboration support device 101 CPU 102 ROM 103 RAM 104 Programs 105 Storage device 106 Drive device 107 Communication Interface 108 Input / Output Interface 109 Bus 110 Storage medium 111 Communication Network 121 Provision Department 122 Acquisition Department 123 Calculation Unit

Claims

1. An information processing device, providing sales information representing information relating to sales by a pre-registered second business to the first business; Acquire sales promotion information indicating a sales promotion by the first business operator in cooperation with the second business operator and sales information from sales by the second business operator, and also acquire the sales promotion information indicating that the first business operator sets the sales price at which the second business operator sells the product at a location where the first business operator sells the product; Calculating token information having a monetary value to be provided by the second business operator to the first business operator based on the sales promotion information by the first business operator and the sales information by the second business operator; Collaboration support methods.

2. The collaboration support method according to claim 1, The information processing device, providing the sales information to the first business operator, the sales information including information regarding the value of the token information having monetary value provided by the second business operator; Collaboration support methods.

3. The collaboration support method according to claim 1, The information processing device, acquiring the sales promotion information indicating that the first business will provide introduction information introducing the second business to a customer of the first business; Collaboration support methods.

4. The collaboration support method according to claim 1, The information processing device, Calculating the degree of contribution of the sales measures of the first business operator to the sales of the second business operator based on the sales measures information of the first business operator and the sales information of the second business operator, and calculating the value of the token information provided by the second business operator to the first business operator based on the degree of contribution; Collaboration support methods.

5. The collaboration support method according to claim 2, The information processing device, Calculating information regarding the value of the token information provided by the second business operator, which is to be included in the sales information of the second business operator, based on the sales promotion information of the first business operator and the sales information of the second business operator; Collaboration support methods.

6. The collaboration support method according to claim 1, The information processing device, generating new sales promotion information based on the sales promotion information by the first business operator and the sales information by the second business operator; Collaboration support methods.

7. An information processing device, providing sales information representing information relating to sales by a pre-registered second business to the first business; Acquire sales promotion information representing a sales promotion implemented by the first business operator in cooperation with the second business operator and sales information from sales by the second business operator; Calculating token information having a monetary value to be provided by the second business operator to the first business operator based on the sales promotion information by the first business operator and the sales information by the second business operator; issuing points to customers in accordance with the sales by the first business operator and the sales by the second business operator, respectively, and storing point information corresponding to the points in association with the customer to whom the points have been issued and the first business operator or the second business operator that issued the points; Furthermore, when the points are used to pay for the sale at the second business, the value of the token information provided by the second business to the first business is calculated based on the ratio of the points associated with the first business to all the points held by the customer who used the points, and the value of the points used by the customer to pay for the sale at the second business. Collaboration support methods.

8. a providing unit that provides sales information representing information relating to sales by a pre-registered second business to the first business; an acquisition unit that acquires sales promotion information that indicates a sales promotion by the first business operator in cooperation with the second business operator and sales information from sales by the second business operator, and also acquires the sales promotion information that indicates that the first business operator sets a sales price at a location where the second business operator sells; a calculation unit that calculates token information having a monetary value to be provided by the second business operator to the first business operator based on the sales promotion information by the first business operator and the sales information by the second business operator; A collaboration support device equipped with the above.

9. a providing unit that provides sales information representing information relating to sales by a pre-registered second business to the first business; an acquisition unit that acquires sales promotion information representing a sales promotion implemented by the first business operator in cooperation with the second business operator and sales information from sales by the second business operator; a calculation unit that calculates token information having a monetary value to be provided by the second business operator to the first business operator based on the sales promotion information by the first business operator and the sales information by the second business operator; Equipped with The calculation unit issuing points to customers in accordance with the sales by the first business operator and the sales by the second business operator, respectively, and storing point information corresponding to the points in association with the customer to whom the points have been issued and the first business operator or the second business operator that issued the points; Furthermore, when the points are used to pay for the sale at the second business, the value of the token information provided by the second business to the first business is calculated based on the ratio of the points associated with the first business to all the points held by the customer who used the points, and the value of the points used by the customer to pay for the sale at the second business. Collaboration support device.

10. providing sales information representing information relating to sales by a pre-registered second business to the first business; Acquire sales promotion information indicating a sales promotion by the first business operator in cooperation with the second business operator and sales information from sales by the second business operator, and also acquire the sales promotion information indicating that the first business operator sets the sales price at which the second business operator sells the product at a location where the first business operator sells the product; Calculating token information having a monetary value to be provided by the second business operator to the first business operator based on the sales promotion information by the first business operator and the sales information by the second business operator; A program that causes a computer to execute a process.

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