Business support method, information processing system, and computer program

Abstract

To provide a business support method that enables an efficient search for information on products provided by an entrusting party, while also enabling a consignee to avoid a situation in which the consignee proposes products that should not be handled to a customer. [Solution] The business support method includes the steps of receiving a registration request from a user terminal used by a trustee, the registration request including user-input information indicating that a product cannot be handled and the reason for the unhandled product, and accessing a handling control table 23 that has an item for registering that the product cannot be handled and an item for registering the reason for the unhandled product, and registering the user-input information in the handling control table 23.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to information processing technology for supporting the operations of businesses that have received outsourcing from businesses in regulated industries, such as insurance companies. [Background technology]

[0002] It is common for businesses in regulated industries, such as insurance companies (hereinafter referred to as "clients"), to outsource the sale and guidance of their products to businesses such as insurance agencies (hereinafter referred to as "trustees"). One of the main tasks of such trustees is to select the most suitable product that meets the customer's intentions and needs from the many products offered by the client and propose it to the customer. Because the products offered by client companies, such as insurance companies, are so diverse, it is not easy for trustees to keep an accurate grasp of all of them.

[0003] Therefore, there exists an information processing system that enables a trustee to efficiently search for information about products offered by a client. Such an information processing system is proposed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2025-042906 (Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 discloses a business support system that enables an insurance agent at an insurance agency to efficiently obtain information about insurance products. This business support system is configured to, upon receiving an inquiry about a target insurance company and type of insurance from a user terminal operated by the insurance agent, search for and extract documents related to the content of the inquiry using a learning model such as a search engine, and display information based on the extracted text on the user terminal (see, for example, Figures 4 to 8 and paragraphs

[0057] to

[0066] of the same document). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2025-042906 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] As mentioned above, trustees such as insurance agents can use information processing systems to search for information about products offered by their clients. However, conventional information processing systems allow for the search of information about products not only within the scope of the contract with the client, but also outside the scope of the contract. This can lead to situations where the trustee mistakenly offers products to customers that the trustee is not permitted to handle under the contract with the client or that the trustee does not intend to handle. Avoiding such situations places a significant burden on the trustee, particularly for those entrusted by businesses (clients) in regulated industries such as the insurance industry, which are strictly required to conduct business honestly and fairly with customers.

[0006] In view of the above, the object of the present disclosure is to provide a business support method, an information processing system, and a computer program that enable efficient searching of information regarding products provided by a client, while also enabling a client to avoid proposing products to a customer that the client should not handle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A business support method according to a first aspect of the present disclosure is a business support method executed in an information processing system configured to be capable of communicating with at least one user terminal configured to be used by a trustee who is authorized to handle a group of products provided by a client, via a communications network, and configured to be able to access a product database that stores a group of product data related to the group of products.The method includes the steps of receiving a registration from the user terminal used by the trustee, including user-input information indicating that a product selected from the group of products cannot be handled and the reason for the inability to handle it; accessing a handling control table that has items for registering inability to handle each product in the group of products and items for registering the reason for the inability to handle it, and registering the user-input information in the handling control table; receiving a display request for product data related to products in the group of products from the user terminal used by the trustee; accessing the product database and searching for product data related to products other than the unhandled products that are registered as unhandled in the handling control table from the product data that is the subject of the display request; and transmitting the found product data to the user terminal that issued the display request.

[0008] An information processing system according to a second aspect of the present disclosure includes at least one computer or multiple computers connected via a communication path, and is configured to execute the business support method according to the first aspect.

[0009] A computer program according to a third aspect of the present disclosure is a computer program including a series of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the business support method according to the first aspect. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the first to third aspects of the present disclosure, an information processing system can register in a handling control table the ineligibility and reasons for ineligibility for a product selected from a group of products provided by a consignor based on user-input information. The information processing system can efficiently search for product data related to products that meet a display request from a user terminal, other than the ineligible products registered as ineligible in the handling control table. This allows the consignee to avoid proposing products to customers that should not be handled, and can fulfill its accountability or obligation to the consignor through the reasons for ineligibility registered in the handling control table. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration example of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining the contents of a handling control table. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating another configuration example of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an example of a hardware configuration of a computer in an information processing system. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure for registering handling control information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the state of a handling control table updated in response to a registration request from a user terminal. FIG. [Figure 7] 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the state of a handling control table updated in response to a registration request from a management terminal. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Next, an embodiment and modifications of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that components with the same reference numerals throughout the drawings have the same configurations and functions.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an information processing system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. This information processing system 1 is a business support system configured to support the business of a contractor, such as an insurance agency, that has been entrusted with customer solicitation work by an insurance business operator, such as a life insurance company or a non-life insurance company. Hereinafter, the business operator that entrusts the work or an employee of the business operator will be simply referred to as the "contractor," and the contractor or an employee of the contractor, who is a user that receives the business support service provided by the information processing system 1, will be simply referred to as the "trustee."

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, the information processing system 1 has a configuration capable of communicating with a management terminal MT configured for use by an entruster U0 via a communication network NW, and entrustees U1 to U N user terminals T1 to T2 configured to be used by N Both are configured to be able to communicate with each other via a communication network NW.

[0015] The communication network NW may be, for example, a communication network including one or more of a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet, a mobile communication network, and a fixed communication network (e.g., an optical fiber network or a CATV network).

[0016] The management terminal MT has a configuration that can be operated by the entrusting source U0, and the user terminals T1 to T N are users U1,...,U N The user terminals T1 to T N Each of the user terminals T1 to T2 and the management terminal MT is, for example, a PC (Personal Computer) having a display and a communication function, or a mobile communication device such as a mobile phone terminal or a smartphone. NEach of the user terminals T1 to T2 comprises a computer having one or more processors capable of executing a computer program containing a series of instructions. N and the management terminal MT are each installed with software (a set of programs constituting an application) for using the business support services provided by the information processing system 1. N The number of the management terminals MT is 2 or more, but is not limited to this, and the number of the user terminals may be 1. Also, the number of the management terminals MT in this embodiment is 1, but is not limited to this, and the number of the management terminals may be 2 or more.

[0017] 1, information processing system 1 includes a front system 10, a data management unit 11, a control information registration unit 12, a product information display processing unit 13, a content browsing processing unit 14, a design document generation unit 15, an electronic application acceptance unit 16, and a sales promotion processing system 17 as processing units that perform various processes, and further includes a handling control table 23, a product database (product DB) 21, and a content database (content DB) 24. The handling control table 23, the product DB 21, and the content DB 24 are provided in a data storage unit 20, and processing units 11 to 17 in information processing system 1 are configured to be able to access the handling control table 23, the product DB 21, and the content DB 24.

[0018] The product DB21 is configured to store a product data group PD relating to multiple types of insurance products (hereinafter, sometimes simply referred to as "products") offered by the client U0. The product data group PD includes insurance data relating to insurance products that is necessary to create an insurance plan (contract summary) for each customer when the customer's personal information is provided. The content DB24 is configured to store a training digital content group DC, such as video images relating to the product group offered by the client U0. Trustees U1 to U N By viewing the training digital contents, the trainees can acquire the knowledge necessary for their work. The handling control table 23 will be described later.

[0019] In this embodiment, the information processing system 1 is configured to include the product DB 21 and the content DB 24 in the data storage unit 20, but is not limited to this configuration. The configuration of the information processing system 1 can also be changed so that it does not include the product DB 21 and the content DB 24, and so that the product DB 21 and the content DB 24 can be accessed via a communication path.

[0020] The front system 10 includes user terminals T1 to T N and a network interface unit configured to be able to communicate with each of the management terminal MT via a communication network NW. The data management unit 11, the control information registration unit 12, the product information display processing unit 13, the content browsing processing unit 14, the design document generation unit 15, the electronic application acceptance unit 16, and the sales promotion processing system 17 are each connected to the user terminals T1 to T2 via the front system 10. N and the management terminal MT.

[0021] The data management unit 11 has a function that enables the entrusting party U0 to add, delete, and edit product data and digital training content in the product DB 21 and content DB 24 via the management terminal MT.

[0022] The control information registration unit 12 registers the user terminals T1 to T NThe transaction control table 23 has a function of registering transaction control information for restricting the handling of products by trustees in response to a registration request from the management terminal MT or the transaction control information for restricting the handling of products by trustees in the transaction control table 23. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining the contents of the transaction control table 23 for a certain trustee. As shown in FIG. 2, the transaction control table 23 has the following fields: "Insurance product provider," "Insurance product classification," "Insurance product," "Whether or not to handle," "Reason for whether or not to handle," and "Whether or not consent is obtained." In the example of FIG. 2, Company A is registered in the "Insurance product provider" field, cancer insurance, medical insurance, nursing care insurance, savings-type death and nursing care insurance, whole life insurance, term insurance, education insurance, and specified disease insurance are registered in the "Insurance product" field, and insurance product names or information identifying the insurance products, such as "AAAA," "BBBB," etc., are registered in the "Insurance product" field. Furthermore, in the "Can be handled or not" field, either "Can be handled" or "Not handled" is registered for each insurance product, and in the "Reason for whether it can be handled or not" field, the reason for whether it can be handled or not can be registered for each insurance product. As will be described later, the trustee can register the details in the "Can be handled or not" and "Reason for whether it can be handled or not" fields. Then, in the "Consent or not" field, whether or not the registered can be handled or not (approval or not) is registered for each insurance product. As will be described later, the entrustor can register the details in the "Consent or not" field.

[0023] The product information display processing unit 13 displays the product information on the user terminals T1 to T NWhen a display request for product data for a product is received from any of the user terminals, the product information display processing unit 13 has a function of accessing the handling control table 23 and the product DB 21 to search for product data related to the product that is the subject of the display request, excluding unhandled products registered as unhandled in the handling control table 23. The product information display processing unit 13 transmits the found product data to the user terminal that issued the display request. This allows the user terminal to display the product data to the trustee. Here, the product information display processing unit 13 may also have a function of transmitting product data related to a product that is registered as unhandled in the handling control table 23 to the user terminal, provided that no acknowledgement of the unhandled product has been registered.

[0024] The content browsing processing unit 14 is connected to the user terminals T1 to T N When a request to view digital training content for a specific product is received from one of the user terminals, the content viewing processing unit 14 has a function of accessing the handling control table 23 and searching the content DB 24 for digital training content corresponding to the viewing request, except for unhandled products registered as unhandled in the handling control table 23. The content viewing processing unit 14 transmits the found digital content to the user terminal that issued the viewing request. This allows the trustee operating the user terminal to view the digital content. Here, the content viewing processing unit 14 may also have a function of transmitting digital training content for a product registered as unhandled in the handling control table 23 to the user terminal, even if the product is unhandled, as long as no acknowledgement of the unhandled product is registered.

[0025] The design document generation unit 15 is connected to the user terminals T1 to T NWhen the design document generation unit 15 receives a request to generate a design document for an insurance plan (an insurance design document showing an outline of the contract) for a specific product from any of the user terminals, it accesses the handling control table 23, and if the specific product is not an unhandled product registered as unhandled in the handling control table 23, it generates a design document based on the generation request. The design document generation unit 15 transmits data of the generated design document to the user terminal that issued the generation request. This allows the trustee operating the user terminal to present the design document to the customer. Here, the design document generation unit 15 may also have a function to generate a design document for the product and transmit it to the user terminal, even if the product is registered as unhandled in the handling control table 23, if an approval of the unhandled product has not been registered.

[0026] The electronic application receiving unit 16 receives user terminals T1 to T N When an application request for a specific product is received from any of the user terminals, the electronic application receiving unit 16 has a function of accessing the handling control table 23 and accepting the application if the specific product is not an unhandled product registered as unhandled in the handling control table 23. Here, the electronic application receiving unit 16 may have a function of accepting an application for a product even if the product is registered as unhandled in the handling control table 23, as long as an acknowledgement of the unhandled product is not registered.

[0027] The sales promotion processing system 17 includes user terminals T1 to T N When a request for ordering (receiving an order or placing an order) of promotional materials for a specific product (for example, promotional items such as pamphlets or novelties) is received from any of the user terminals, the sales promotion processing system 17 has a function of accessing the handling control table 23, and processing the ordering of the promotional materials based on the request if the specific product is not an unhandled product registered as unhandled in the handling control table 23. Here, the sales promotion processing system 17 may have a function of processing the ordering of promotional materials for a product even if the product is registered as unhandled in the handling control table 23, as long as an acknowledgement of the unhandling has not been registered.

[0028] 1, the handling control table 23 is provided as a separate configuration from the product DB 21, but this is not limited to this. The configuration of the information processing system 1 may be changed so that the product DB 21 and the handling control table 23 are integrated. FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of an information processing system 2 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The functions of the information processing system 2 are the same as those of the information processing system 1, except that a product DB 22 having a handling control table CT is provided instead of the product DB 21 and handling control table 23 of FIG. 1.

[0029] Each of the information processing systems 1 and 2 described above is configured with at least one computer or multiple computers interconnected via a communication path. The computer in each information processing system has one or more processors capable of executing a computer program containing a series of instructions. The processor in the computer includes one or more arithmetic units that execute a series of instructions in application software (a collection of computer programs for a specific purpose) read from a non-volatile memory (a computer-readable recording medium). For example, the arithmetic unit may be a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or a neural network processing unit (NPU). All or part of the functions of each information processing system may be implemented on-premise, where the business support service provider manages the hardware themselves, or in the cloud, where the business provider does not need to manage the hardware themselves.

[0030] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an information processing device 100, which is an example of a basic hardware configuration of a computer in the information processing systems 1 and 2. The information processing device 100 includes a processor 101, a random access memory (RAM) 102, a nonvolatile memory 103, a mass storage device 104 such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD), an input / output interface circuit 105, a communication interface circuit 106, and a signal path 107. The signal path 107 is a bus for interconnecting the processor 101, the RAM 102, the nonvolatile memory 103, the mass storage device 104, the input / output interface circuit 105, and the communication interface circuit 106. The RAM 102 is a data storage area used by the processor 101 when performing digital signal processing. The processor 101 includes an arithmetic unit such as a CPU, a GPU, an NPU, or a combination thereof. The nonvolatile memory 103 has a data storage area for storing data of application software executed by the processor 101. The input / output interface circuit 105 has a configuration that allows communication with external input / output devices (not shown), and the communication interface circuit 106 has a configuration that allows communication with external communication devices (not shown) via a communication network.

[0031] Next, a description will be given of an example of a processing procedure performed by the information processing system 1. Fig. 5 is a flowchart schematically showing an example of a processing procedure performed by the control information registration unit 12 of the information processing system 1 to register handling control information.

[0032] Referring to FIG. 5, the information processing system 1 includes user terminals T1 to T N Any user terminal T n Alternatively, the information processing system 1 waits until it receives a registration request from the management terminal MT (NO in step S11 and NO in step S12). nWhen a registration request including user-input information is received from the customer (YES in step S11), the control information registration unit 12 determines whether the user-input information includes information on whether the product can be handled (handled or not) (step S13). If there is information on whether the product can be handled (YES in step S13), the control information registration unit 12 accesses the handling control table 23 and registers whether the product can be handled or not in the handling control table 23 (step S14). On the other hand, if there is no information on whether the product can be handled (NO in step S13), the control information registration unit 12 proceeds to step S15.

[0033] In step S15, the control information registration unit 12 determines whether the user-input information contains a reason for whether the product can be handled (whether it can be handled or not) (step S15). If there is a reason for whether the product can be handled (YES in step S15), the control information registration unit 12 accesses the handling control table 23 and registers the reason for whether the product can be handled or not in the handling control table 23 (step S16). On the other hand, if there is no reason for whether the product can be handled (NO in step S15), the control information registration unit 12 proceeds to step S17.

[0034] In step S17, the control information registration unit 12 sends response information indicating the processing result to the user terminal T n Next, the control information registration unit 12 notifies the management terminal MT used by the entruster U0 of update information indicating that the handling control table 23 has been updated (including the registered information on the "reason for handling"). This allows the entruster U0 to decide whether to approve the entrustee's handling of the product in question or not, based on the update information.

[0035] On the other hand, when the information processing system 1 receives from the management terminal MT a registration request including management information indicating whether or not a product is approved for handling, and the reason for the handling is registered in the handling control table 23 (YES in step S12), the control information registration unit 12 accesses the handling control table 23 and registers the management information in the handling control table 23 (step S20). Thereafter, the control information registration unit 12 transmits response information indicating the processing result to the management terminal MT (step S21). This completes the processing.

[0036] FIG. 6 shows the user terminal T n 6 is a diagram showing a state in which the contents of the items "Whether to handle," "Reason for whether to handle," and "Whether consent is given" have been updated in response to a registration request from the management terminal MT. The state in FIG. 6 is a state updated from the state in FIG. 2, and the hatched areas in FIG. 6 indicate the updated parts. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a state in which the contents of the item "Whether consent is given" have been updated in response to a registration request from the management terminal MT. The state in FIG. 7 is a state updated from the state in FIG. 6, and the hatched areas in FIG. 7 indicate the updated parts.

[0037] As explained above, the information processing systems 1 and 2 of the above embodiment can register in the handling control table the refusal and the reason for the refusal for handling a product selected from the product group provided by the entrusting source based on the user input information. n The information processing system 1, 2 can efficiently search for product data related to products that are automatically selected according to the registered contents of the handling control table, such as whether or not the product is available for handling, the reason for the same, and whether or not it is approved, among products that meet the display request from the user terminal T or the browsing request for the training digital content. n Among the products specified in the request for generating a design document from the user terminal T, a design document based on the request is generated for only the products that are automatically selected according to the registered contents of whether or not the product can be handled in the handling control table, the reason for the handling, and whether or not it has been approved. nAmong the products specified in the application request from the user terminal T, only the products automatically selected according to the registered contents of the handling control table regarding whether or not the product can be handled, the reason for the handling, and whether or not the product has been approved are accepted. n Among the products specified in a request for ordering promotional materials from a customer, the system can process orders for and deliveries of promotional materials based on the request for only those products that have been automatically selected based on the registered contents of the handling control table regarding whether or not they can be handled, the reasons for such handling, and whether or not they have been approved. This allows the contractor to avoid proposing products to customers that they should not handle, and allows the contractor to fulfill its accountability or obligation to explain to the client through the reasons for whether or not they can be handled registered in the handling control table.

[0038] The information processing systems 1 and 2 of the above embodiments are configured to support the operations of insurance business operators, i.e., contractors such as insurance agencies that have been entrusted with customer recruitment work for insurance companies, but are not limited to this. The configurations of the information processing systems 1 and 2 of the above embodiments can also be applied to information processing systems that support the operations of contractors that have been entrusted with work in regulated industries other than insurance companies, such as banking.

[0039] Various embodiments and modifications thereof according to the present disclosure have been described above, but the above embodiments and modifications thereof are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the present invention. It should be understood that modifications, additions, and improvements to the above embodiments can be made as appropriate without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The scope of the present invention should be interpreted based on the description of the claims, and should be understood to include equivalents thereof. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1, 2: Information processing system, 10: Front system (network interface section), 11: Data management section, 12: Control information registration section, 13: Product information display processing section, 14: Content browsing processing section, 15: Design document generation section, 16: Electronic application reception section, 17: Sales promotion processing system, 20: Data storage section, 21: Product database (product DB), 22: Product database (product DB), 23: Handling control table, 24: Content database (content DB).

Claims

1. A business support method executed in an information processing system configured to be capable of mutual communication via a communication network with at least one user terminal configured to be used by a consignee who is authorized to handle a group of products provided by an entrustor, and configured to be capable of accessing a product database that stores a group of product data related to the group of products, comprising: receiving, from a user terminal used by the trustee, a registration request including user input information indicating whether a product selected from the group of products can be handled and the reason for the unhandled product; accessing a handling control table having an item for registering that each product among the product group is unavailable and an item for registering the reason for the unavailable product, and registering the user input information in the handling control table; receiving a request to display product data related to the products in the product group from a user terminal used by the trustee; accessing the product database to search for product data relating to products other than those registered as unhandled in the handling control table among the product data that are the subject of the display request; transmitting the found product data to the user terminal that issued the display request; A business support method comprising:

2. 2. A business support method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of notifying a management terminal used by the outsourcing party of the reason for impossibility of handling registered in the handling control table.

3. The business support method according to claim 2, The handling control table has an item for registering an approval of non-handling registered for each product of the product group, The business support method is as follows: receiving, from the management terminal used by the consignor, management information indicating approval of the inability to handle a product for which the inability to handle and the reason for the inability to handle the product are registered in the handling control table; registering the management information in the handling control table; A business support method that further includes the above.

4. 4. A business support method as described in claim 3, wherein the step of searching for the product data is a step of searching for product data related to products other than unhandled products for which the handling control table has registered an ineligible product and an approval of the ineligible product, among the product data that is the subject of the display request.

5. The business support method according to claim 1, the information processing system is configured to be able to access a content database that stores a group of digital training contents related to the group of products; The business support method is as follows: receiving a request to view training digital content related to at least one product among the product group from a user terminal used by the trustee; transmitting, to the user terminal that issued the viewing request, digital training content related to a product other than an unhandled product registered as unhandled in the handling control table, among the digital training content corresponding to the viewing request; A business support method that further includes the above.

6. The business support method according to claim 1, The entrustor is an insurance business operator that provides a group of insurance products as the group of products, The business support method is as follows: receiving, from a user terminal used by the trustee, a request for generating a design document for an insurance plan for a specific product selected from the group of products; If the specific product does not fall under the category of unhandled products registered as unhandled in the handling control table, generating a design document for the insurance plan based on the generation request; transmitting the generated design document data to the user terminal that issued the generation request; A business support method that further includes the above.

7. The business support method according to claim 1, receiving a request for application for a specific product selected from the group of products from a user terminal used by the trustee; a step of accepting the application if the specific product does not fall under the category of unhandled products registered as unhandled in the handling control table; A business support method that further includes the above.

8. The business support method according to claim 1, receiving, from a user terminal used by the trustee, a request for receiving or placing an order for promotional materials for a specific product selected from the product group; If the specific product does not fall under the category of unhandled products registered as unhandled in the handling control table, processing the order or purchase of the sales promotion material based on the request. A business support method that further includes the above.

9. An information processing system having at least one computer or a plurality of computers connected via a communication path, wherein the at least one computer or the plurality of computers are configured to execute the business support method described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. 9. A computer program comprising a series of instructions, which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the business support method of any one of claims 1 to 8.

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