Information management system and information management method

Abstract

To provide an information management method that enables easy investigation of a failure cause of a product.SOLUTION: An information management method comprises a step of obtaining a component serial number identifying an individual object component used in each process and a unit serial number (or product serial number) identifying an individual intermediate product (or products) manufactured by the process according to the working order of the process. The information management method comprises steps of registering the component serial numbers in the object component hierarchy in a BOM database in the order in which they are acquired and registering the unit serial numbers (or product serial numbers) in the BOP database in the order in which they are acquired.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information management system and an information management method. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a bill of material (BOM), a bill of process (BOP), etc. have been used for product production management. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2018-36899 (Patent Document 1) discloses a system that supports editing of a BOM. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-36899 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Generally, data on the quality of each individual product or intermediate product is accumulated. The quality data is accumulated in a database separate from the BOM and BOP. The BOM, BOP, and quality data can be used, for example, to investigate the cause of a product defect. However, the BOM, BOP, and quality data are distributed and not linked. This makes it difficult to investigate the cause of a product defect.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above problems, and its purpose is to provide an information management system and an information management method that enable easy investigation of the cause of product defects. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to an example embodiment of the present disclosure, an information management system includes a BOM database, a BOP database, a quality database, an acquisition unit, and a registration unit. The BOM database indicates a hierarchical structure of one or more parts constituting a product. The BOP database indicates a hierarchical structure of one or more processes for producing the product. The quality database associates, for each of the one or more processes, first identification information identifying an individual intermediate product or product manufactured by the process with a quality data set related to the quality of the individual intermediate product or product. The acquisition unit acquires, from each of the one or more processes, second identification information identifying an individual target part among the one or more parts used by the process and first identification information corresponding to the intermediate product or product manufactured by the process, according to the work order of the process. In response to the acquisition of the second identification information from each of the one or more processes, the registration unit registers the second identification information in the hierarchy of the target part in the BOM database in the order acquired by the acquisition unit. In response to the acquisition of the first identification information from each of the one or more processes, the registration unit registers the first identification information in the hierarchy of the process in the BOP database in the order acquired by the acquisition unit.

[0007] According to this disclosure, first identification information and second identification information are acquired according to the work order of the process. Then, the first identification information and second identification information are registered in the BOP database and the BOM database, respectively, in the order in which they were acquired. Therefore, a user can easily identify the intermediate products and parts that constitute a target individual product by checking the registration order of the first identification information and second identification information in the BOP database and the BOM database. Furthermore, a user can identify a quality data set related to the quality of each individual product or intermediate product based on the quality database. Therefore, a user can use the first identification information of a defective individual product as a key to identify the quality of the individual product, the quality of the intermediate products that constitute the individual product, the individual parts that constitute the individual product, etc. This allows a user to easily investigate the cause of a product defect.

[0008] In the above disclosure, the information management system further includes a search unit that searches for second identification information of each of the one or more components that constitute the target individual product using the BOM database and the BOP database.

[0009] According to this disclosure, the user can easily identify the individual parts that make up the individual defective product by checking the search results by the search unit.

[0010] In the above disclosure, the BOM database includes supplier data that associates, for each individual item of one or more parts, second identification information of the individual item with third identification information that identifies a supplier of the individual item. The information management system further includes an inquiry unit that identifies, based on the BOM database, third identification information that corresponds to the second identification information searched for by the search unit, and sends an inquiry about the quality of the individual item identified by the second identification information searched for by the search unit to the supplier identified by the identified third identification information.

[0011] According to this disclosure, the user can easily check the quality of the individual parts that make up the defective product.

[0012] In the above disclosure, the quality dataset includes item data indicating each of a plurality of items. The information management system further includes a supply availability database indicating whether each of the plurality of items can be supplied to a supply destination of the product, and a response unit that generates response information in response to an inquiry from the supply destination about the quality of a target individual of the product and transmits the generated response information to the supply destination. The response unit reads the quality dataset of the target individual from the quality database and identifies one or more items that can be supplied based on the supply availability database. The response unit extracts item data corresponding to each of the identified one or more items from the read quality dataset and includes the extracted item data in the response information.

[0013] According to this disclosure, answer information including item data corresponding to items that can be provided can be immediately provided.

[0014] According to another example of the present disclosure, an information management method uses a BOM database, a BOP database, and a quality database. The BOM database indicates a hierarchical structure of one or more parts that constitute a product. The BOP database indicates a hierarchical structure of one or more processes for producing the product. The quality database associates, for each of the one or more processes, first identification information that identifies an individual intermediate product or product manufactured by the process with a quality data set related to the quality of the individual product. The information management method includes first to third steps. The first step is a step of acquiring, from each of the one or more processes, second identification information that identifies an individual target part among one or more parts used in the process, and first identification information corresponding to the intermediate product or product manufactured by the process, in accordance with the work order of the process. The second step is a step of registering the second identification information in the hierarchy of the target part in the BOM database in the order in which it was acquired, in response to the acquisition of the second identification information from each of the one or more processes. The third step is to register the first identification information in the BOP database in the order in which it was acquired, in response to the acquisition of the first identification information from each of the one or more processes. This disclosure also allows users to easily investigate the cause of product defects. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present disclosure, a user can easily investigate the cause of a defect in a product. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overview of an information management method according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a conventional system used to investigate the cause of a product defect. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a configuration of an information management system according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a server according to an embodiment. [Figure 5]FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a manufacturing controller according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of an information management system 1A. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of an information management system 1B. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a database included in a database group. [Figure 9] 7A and 7B are diagrams illustrating an example of a BOM database and a BOP database of the server illustrated in FIG. 6. [Figure 10] 7A and 7B are diagrams illustrating an example of a BOP database and a BOE database of the server illustrated in FIG. 6. [Figure 11] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing data items in a BOM database of the server shown in FIG. 6. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a quality database corresponding to a housing unit assembly process. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a quality database corresponding to a motor inspection process. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a quality database corresponding to a housing molding process. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a quality database corresponding to a housing inspection process. [Figure 16] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a provision availability database shown in FIG. 7. [Figure 17] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of pre-processing. [Figure 18] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of information management processing. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a BOM database in which part serial numbers of used parts are registered. [Figure 20] 19 is a flowchart showing the process flow of a subroutine of step S21 shown in FIG. 18. [Figure 21] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a method for investigating the cause of a motor defect. [Figure 22]10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a reply process. [Figure 23] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a modified example of a BOM database. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] The present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same or corresponding parts in the drawings are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will not be repeated. The following modifications may be combined as appropriate.

[0018] §1 Application Examples Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an overview of an information management method according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the information management method uses a BOM database 51, a BOP database 52, and a quality database 60 to manage information related to production at company 2.

[0019] The BOM database 51 shows a hierarchical structure (tree structure) of one or more parts that make up a product produced by the company 2. The BOP database 52 shows a hierarchical structure of one or more processes for producing a product.

[0020] The quality database 60 associates first identification information that identifies individual products or intermediate products produced by company 2 with a quality data set relating to the quality of the individual products. Intermediate products also include units that make up products. Hereinafter, the "unit serial number" will be used as the first identification information that identifies individual intermediate products, and the "product serial number" will be used as the first identification information that identifies individual products.

[0021] A quality dataset indicates information about the quality of an individual product or intermediate product, and includes data that directly indicates quality and data that indicates information indirectly related to the quality of the product or intermediate product. Data that directly indicates the quality of a product or intermediate product includes, for example, inspection data that indicates the quality of the processing, and data that indicates the characteristics of the product or intermediate product (dimensions, electrical properties, etc.). Data that indicates information indirectly related to the quality of a product or intermediate product includes, for example, equipment data within the factory, historical data on processing and assembly work, worker data indicating the names of workers, timestamps (work start timestamp, work end timestamp, etc.), processing method data, data indicating materials, and processing condition data.

[0022] The information management method includes the following steps (1) to (3) for linking the BOM database 51, the BOP database 52, and the quality database 60.

[0023] Step (1): From each of one or more processes of company 2, second identification information that identifies the individual target parts used in that process and unit serial numbers (or product serial numbers) that identify the individual intermediate products (or products) manufactured in that process are obtained in accordance with the work order of that process. Hereinafter, the "part serial number" will be used as the second identification information.

[0024] Step (2): In response to the part serial numbers being acquired from each of one or more processes of company 2, the part serial numbers are registered in the hierarchy of the target parts in the BOM database 51 in the order in which they were acquired.

[0025] Step (3): In response to the acquisition of unit serial numbers (or product serial numbers) from each of one or more processes of company 2, the unit serial numbers (or product serial numbers) are registered in the BOP database 52 in the order in which they were acquired at the hierarchy of the process.

[0026] In the example shown in FIG. 1, the part serial number "HA4354" of the target part "housing" used by the "housing unit assembly process" is obtained from the "housing unit assembly process." Accordingly, in step (2), the part serial number "HA4354" is registered in the "housing" level of the part in the BOM database 51. Furthermore, the unit serial number "000003" is obtained from the "housing unit assembly process." Accordingly, in step (3), the unit serial number "000003" is registered in the "housing unit assembly process" level in the BOP database 52.

[0027] 1, the product serial number "MA0003" is then acquired from the "motor assembly process." In response to this, in step (3), the product serial number "MA00003" is registered in the "motor assembly process" hierarchical level in the BOP database 52.

[0028] In step (1), unit serial numbers (or product serial numbers) and part serial numbers are acquired in accordance with the work order of the process. Furthermore, in steps (2) and (3), the unit serial numbers (or product serial numbers) and part serial numbers are registered in the BOP database 52 and the BOM database 51, respectively, in the order in which they were acquired. Therefore, by checking the registration order of the unit serial numbers, product serial numbers, and part serial numbers in the BOP database 52 and the BOM database 51, the intermediate products and parts that make up the target individual product can be easily identified.

[0029] For example, the user can easily identify that the product with product serial number "MA00003", which is registered third in the BOP database 52, is manufactured from an intermediate product with unit serial number "000003", which is registered third in the BOP database 52. Similarly, the user can easily identify that the intermediate product with unit serial number "000003" includes a part with part serial number "HA4354", which is registered third in the BOM database 51.

[0030] Furthermore, the user can specify a quality data set relating to the quality of each individual product or intermediate based on the quality database 60 .

[0031] Therefore, by using the product serial number of a defective individual product as a key, the user can identify the quality of that individual product, the quality of the intermediate products that make up that individual product, the individual parts that make up that individual product, etc. This allows the user to easily investigate the cause of the product defect.

[0032] §2 Specific examples <Conventional traceability system> Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a conventional system used to investigate the cause of product defects. As shown in Fig. 2, a company has, as product production management systems, an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system 3, a manufacturing execution system (MES) 4, and a manufacturing control system 5. In addition, the company has a group of databases 950 including a BOM database, a BOP database, and a Bill of Equipment (BOE) database, and a quality database 960 that indicates product quality.

[0033] The ERP system 3 monitors the management's production plan and the parts procurement in accordance with the production plan. Parts are identified from the BOM database. The ERP system 3 specifies the part number, delivery date, and quantity to the parts supplier and places an order for the parts.

[0034] The MES4 manages information necessary for factory production operations, such as production schedules, dispatching, quality, parts inventory, product inventory, maintenance, and equipment, based on the production plans managed by the ERP system 3, and generates production instructions based on this information. The MES4 manages this information using a BOP database and a BOE database.

[0035] The manufacturing control system 5 controls the processing assembly line, processes, and equipment using PLCs (programmable logic controllers), sensor devices, etc. based on production instructions from the MES 4. In addition, work instructions required for product manufacturing are created using the BOM database and BOP database and distributed to workers.

[0036] The quality database 960 indicates data on equipment within the factory, history of processing and assembly work, timestamps, processing data, inspection data such as whether the product is good or bad, serial numbers, lot numbers, etc. This information is acquired from the equipment, workers, and the PLC and sensor devices that make up the manufacturing management system 5.

[0037] 2, the database group 950 including the BOM database, BOP database, and BOE database is not linked to the quality database 960 that indicates product quality. In other words, information is disconnected. This makes it time-consuming to investigate the cause of defects.

[0038] <Overall configuration of information management system> FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information management system according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, an information providing system 8 includes an information management system for each company. The information providing system 8 shown in FIG. 3 includes information management systems 1A, 1B, etc. The information management systems 1A, 1B, etc. provide information to each other via the Internet. Hereinafter, when there is no particular distinction between the information management systems 1A, 1B, etc., each of the information management systems 1A, 1B, etc. will be referred to as an "information management system 1."

[0039] The information management system 1A is installed at a manufacturer that manufactures the product 6A. The information management system 1B is installed at a parts supplier that manufactures the product 6B. The product 6B is used as a part of the product 6A and is delivered to the manufacturer where the information management system 1A is installed. In addition to the information management systems 1A and 1B, the information providing system 8 may further include an information management system 1 that is installed at another parts supplier that supplies parts for the product 6A.

[0040] Each company's information management system 1 includes a server that manages information about products produced by the company and a manufacturing controller that controls the production of the products. Specifically, the information management system 1A includes a server 100A that manages information about product 6A and a manufacturing controller 200A that controls the production of product 6A. The information management system 1B includes a server 100B that manages information about product 6B and a manufacturing controller 200B that controls the production of product 6B. Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, the servers 100A, 100B, and so on will be referred to as "server 100." Unless otherwise specified, the manufacturing controllers 200A, 200B, and so on will be referred to as "manufacturing controller 200." The servers 100A, 100B, and so on can communicate with each other, for example, via the Internet. The manufacturing controller 200 is implemented, for example, by a PLC.

[0041] <Server hardware configuration> Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a server according to an embodiment. As shown in Fig. 4, server 100 typically has a structure conforming to a general-purpose computer architecture. Specifically, server 100 includes processor 101 such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit), memory 102, storage 103, display controller 104, input interface 105, and communication interface 106. These components are connected to each other via a bus so as to be able to communicate data with each other.

[0042] The processor 101 loads various programs stored in the storage 103 into the memory 102 and executes them to realize various processes according to this embodiment.

[0043] The memory 102 is typically a volatile storage device such as a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), and stores programs read from the storage 103 and the like.

[0044] The storage 103 is typically a non-volatile magnetic storage device such as a hard disk drive. The storage 103 stores a management program 130 that is executed by the processor 101. The management program 130 installed in the storage 103 is distributed in a state stored on a memory card or the like.

[0045] The display controller 104 is connected to the display device 140 and outputs signals for displaying various types of information to the display device 140 in accordance with internal commands from the processor 101 .

[0046] The input interface 105 mediates data transmission between the processor 101 and an input device 150 such as a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, or a dedicated console. In other words, the input interface 105 accepts operation commands given by a user operating the input device 150.

[0047] The communication interface 106 mediates data transmission between the processor 101 and external devices (e.g., the manufacturing controller 200, another server 100). The management program 130 stored in the storage 103 may be downloaded from a distribution server or the like via the communication interface 106.

[0048] When using a computer having a structure conforming to the above-described general-purpose computer architecture, an OS (Operating System) for providing basic computer functions may be installed in addition to an application for providing the functions according to the present embodiment. In this case, the program according to the present embodiment may execute processing by calling necessary modules from among program modules provided as part of the OS in a predetermined order and at a predetermined timing. In other words, the program according to the present embodiment itself may not include the above-described modules, and may execute processing in cooperation with the OS.

[0049] Alternatively, some or all of the functions provided by the execution of the management program 130 may be implemented as a dedicated hardware circuit.

[0050] <Hardware configuration of manufacturing controller> 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a manufacturing controller according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the manufacturing controller 200 includes a processor 201 such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit), a chipset 202, a main memory 203, storage 204, a control network controller 205, an information network controller 206, and a memory card interface 208.

[0051] The processor 201 reads out various programs stored in the storage 204, expands them in the main memory 203, and executes them to perform control calculations for controlling the control target. The chipset 202 controls data transmission between the processor 201 and each component.

[0052] The storage 204 stores a system program 210 for implementing basic processing and a user program 211 for implementing control calculations.

[0053] The control network controller 205 controls the exchange of data with the controlled object via the control network.

[0054] The information network controller 206 controls data exchange with external devices (including the server 100) via the information network.

[0055] The memory card interface 208 is configured to allow a memory card 220 to be attached and detached, and is capable of writing data to the memory card 220 and reading various data (such as user programs) from the memory card 220.

[0056] 5 shows an example of a configuration in which the processor 201 executes a program to provide the necessary processing, but some or all of the provided processing may be implemented using dedicated hardware circuits (e.g., ASIC or FPGA). Alternatively, the main part of the manufacturing controller 200 may be realized using hardware that conforms to a general-purpose architecture (e.g., an industrial PC based on a general-purpose PC). In this case, virtualization technology may be used to run multiple operating systems with different purposes in parallel, and necessary applications may be executed on each operating system.

[0057] <Functional configuration of information management system> Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the information management system 1A, and Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the information management system 1B.

[0058] The control targets of the manufacturing controller 200A shown in Fig. 6 include multiple processes for manufacturing a motor as a product 6A (see Fig. 3). The motor is manufactured by combining a housing unit, an end cap unit, and a rotor unit. Therefore, the control targets of the manufacturing controller 200A include a housing unit assembly process 301, an end cap unit assembly process 302, a rotor unit assembly process 303, a motor assembly process 304, and a motor inspection process 305.

[0059] The housing unit assembly process 301 is provided with a code reader 401 and a laser marker 411. The end cap unit assembly process 302 is provided with a code reader 402 and a laser marker 412. The rotor unit assembly process 303 is provided with a code reader 403 and a laser marker 413. The motor assembly process 304 is provided with a code reader 404 and a laser marker 414. The motor inspection process 305 is provided with a code reader 405.

[0060] Each of the code readers 401 to 405 reads a QR code (registered trademark) on a part, intermediate product, or product transported to the corresponding process. The QR code indicates a serial number that identifies the part, intermediate product, or product. For example, the code reader 401 reads a QR code marked on a housing transported to the housing unit assembly process 301 and outputs the part serial number indicated by the read QR code. The code reader 405 reads a QR code marked on a motor transported to the motor inspection process 305 and outputs the product serial number indicated by the read QR code.

[0061] Laser markers 411-414 mark QR codes (registered trademark) on intermediate products or products output from the corresponding processes. The QR codes indicate serial numbers that identify the intermediate products or products. The QR codes marked by laser markers 411-414 are uniquely designated by manufacturing controller 200A or equipment installed in the corresponding processes. For example, laser marker 414 marks a product serial number on a motor manufactured in motor assembly process 304.

[0062] The manufacturing controller 200A includes an IO processing unit 21A that performs input / output processing of data between the manufacturing controller 200A and equipment installed in the process. The IO processing unit 21A is realized by a processor 201 (see FIG. 5) included in the manufacturing controller 200A executing a user program 211.

[0063] The IO processing unit 21A outputs, for example, data indicating operation commands to equipment installed in each process, data indicating QR codes to be marked on intermediate products or products, and the like.

[0064] The IO processing unit 21A acquires, from each process, one or more item data related to the quality of the intermediate product or product manufactured by that process. The item data indicates the value, content, etc. of an item related to quality. The one or more item data are added with the serial number of the corresponding individual (unit serial number or product serial number). For example, the IO processing unit 21A receives, as item data, data (timestamp) indicating the time when the code readers 401 to 405 read the QR code, data indicating processing conditions, data indicating the processing method, data indicating whether the quality is good or bad, etc.

[0065] Furthermore, the IO processing unit 21A operates as an acquisition unit that acquires, from each process, a part serial number that identifies an individual part used in that process and a unit serial number (or product serial number) that identifies an individual intermediate product or product manufactured in that process, according to the work order of that process. Specifically, every time a code reader installed in each process reads a QR code of a part, the IO processing unit 21A acquires the part serial number indicated by the QR code. Every time a laser marker installed in each process marks a QR code on an intermediate product or product, the IO processing unit 21A acquires the unit serial number or product serial number indicated by the QR code.

[0066] For example, the IO processing unit 21A acquires, from the housing unit assembly process 301, a part serial number that identifies an individual part used in the individual housing unit and a unit serial number that identifies the individual housing unit, each time an individual housing unit is manufactured by the housing unit assembly process 301. Also, from the motor assembly process 304, the IO processing unit 21A acquires, each time an individual motor is manufactured, a product serial number marked on the individual motor.

[0067] 7 includes a plurality of processes for manufacturing a housing as product 6B (see FIG. 3). The housing is used as a component of the motor, which is product 6A. Specifically, the control targets of manufacturing controller 200B include a sheet metal press die-cutting process 306, a housing molding process 307, and a housing inspection process 308.

[0068] The sheet metal press die-cutting process 306 is provided with a code reader 406 and a laser marker 416. The housing molding process 307 is provided with a code reader 407 and a laser marker 417. The housing inspection process 308 is provided with a code reader 408.

[0069] Each of the code readers 406 to 408 reads a QR code on a part, intermediate product, or product transported to the corresponding process. The QR code indicates a serial number that identifies the part, intermediate product, or product. For example, the code reader 406 reads a QR code marked on a metal plate transported to the sheet metal press die-cutting process 306, and outputs the part serial number indicated by the read QR code. The code reader 408 reads a QR code marked on a manufactured housing, and outputs the product serial number indicated by the read QR code.

[0070] Laser markers 416 and 417 mark QR codes on intermediate products or products output from the corresponding processes. The QR codes indicate serial numbers that identify the intermediate products or products. The QR codes marked by laser markers 416 and 417 are uniquely designated by manufacturing controller 200B or equipment installed in the corresponding processes.

[0071] The manufacturing controller 200B includes an IO processing unit 21B that performs data input / output processing between the manufacturing controller 200B and the equipment installed in each process. The IO processing unit 21B is realized by the processor 201 (see FIG. 5) included in the manufacturing controller 200B executing a user program 211.

[0072] The IO processing unit 21B outputs, for example, data indicating an operation command to equipment installed in a process, data indicating a QR code to be marked on an intermediate product or a finished product, and the like.

[0073] The IO processing unit 21B acquires, from each process, one or more item data related to the quality of each individual intermediate product or product manufactured by that process. The item data indicates the value, content, etc. of an item related to quality. The one or more item data are added with the serial number of the corresponding individual (unit serial number or product serial number). For example, the IO processing unit 21B receives, as item data, data indicating the time when the code readers 406 to 408 read the QR code (work start timestamp), data indicating processing conditions, data indicating the processing method, data indicating the value of a parameter (dimensions, etc.) that represents quality, etc.

[0074] Furthermore, the IO processing unit 21B operates as an acquisition unit that acquires, from each process, a part serial number that identifies an individual part among one or more parts used in that process, and a unit serial number (or product serial number) that identifies an individual intermediate product or product manufactured in that process, according to the work order of that process. Specifically, every time a code reader installed in each process reads a QR code of a part, the IO processing unit 21B acquires the part serial number indicated by the QR code. Every time a laser marker installed in each process marks a QR code on an intermediate product or product, the IO processing unit 21B acquires the unit serial number or product serial number indicated by the QR code.

[0075] For example, the IO processing unit 21B acquires a part serial number that identifies an individual metal plate and a unit serial number that identifies an individual metal piece each time a metal piece is punched out of a metal plate in the sheet metal press punching process 306. Also, the IO processing unit 21B acquires a product serial number marked on an individual housing each time an individual housing is manufactured in the housing molding process 307.

[0076] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, servers 100A and 100B have similar functional configurations. Specifically, server 100A shown in Figure 6 includes registration unit 10A, data analysis unit 11A, query / answer unit 12A, database group 50A, quality database 60A, and supply availability database 70A. Server 100B shown in Figure 7 includes registration unit 10B, data analysis unit 11B, query / answer unit 12B, database group 50B, quality database 60B, and supply availability database 70B. Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, database groups 50A and 50B will each be referred to as "database group 50." Unless otherwise specified, supply availability databases 70A and 70B will each be referred to as "supply availability database 70."

[0077] Registration unit 10A, data analysis unit 11A, and query / answer unit 12A are realized by processor 101 (see FIG. 4) of server 100A executing management program 130. Database group 50A, quality database 60A, and supply feasibility database 70A are realized by memory 102 and storage 103 of server 100A. Registration unit 10B, data analysis unit 11B, and query / answer unit 12B are realized by processor 101 of server 100B executing management program 130. Database group 50B, quality database 60B, and supply feasibility database 70B are realized by memory 102 and storage 103 of server 100B.

[0078] 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of databases included in the database group 50. As shown in FIG. 8, the database group 50 includes a BOM database 51, a BOP database 52, a BOE database 53, a first association database 54, and a second association database 55.

[0079] The BOM database 51 indicates a hierarchical structure of one or more parts that constitute a product. For example, the BOM database 51 of the server 100A indicates a hierarchical structure of one or more parts that constitute a motor. On the other hand, the BOM database 51 of the server 100B indicates a hierarchical structure of one or more parts that constitute a housing.

[0080] The BOP database 52 indicates a hierarchical structure of one or more processes for producing a product, and the BOE database 53 indicates a hierarchical structure of one or more facilities for producing a product.

[0081] The first correspondence database 54 indicates the correspondence between each of one or more processes for producing a product and the parts used in that process. The second correspondence database 55 indicates the correspondence between each of one or more processes and the equipment used in that process.

[0082] Fig. 9 shows an example of the BOM database and BOP database of the server shown in Fig. 6. As shown in Fig. 9, BOM database 51A of server 100A shows a hierarchical structure of the parts that make up a motor, which is a product: "housing unit," "end cap unit," "rotor unit," "housing," "magnet," "end bell," "brush," "coil," "core," and "shaft." BOP database 52A of server 100A shows a hierarchical structure of the processes for manufacturing a motor: "housing unit assembly," "end cap unit assembly," "rotor unit assembly," "motor assembly," "fixing the housing," "attaching the magnet," "fixing the end bell," "attaching the brush," "fixing the shaft," "inserting the core," and "winding the electric wire around the core."

[0083] The first association database 54A associates the parts indicated by the BOM database 51A with the processes indicated by the BOP database 52A. For example, the first association database 54A associates the part "housing" with the process "fix the housing" that uses the part "housing." In this way, the first association database 54A associates the BOM database 51A with the BOP database 52A.

[0084] Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the BOP database and the BOE database of the server shown in Fig. 6. As shown in Fig. 10, the BOE database 53A of the server 100A shows a hierarchical structure of equipment for manufacturing a motor, which is a product, including "Station 1," "Station 2," "Station 3," "Station 4," "Fixed Jig 1," "Work Table 1," "Fixed Jig 2," "Work Table 2," "Fixed Jig 3," "Press Fitting Machine," and "Winding Machine."

[0085] The second association database 55A associates the processes indicated by the BOP database 52A with the equipment indicated by the BOE database 53A. For example, the second association database 55A associates the process "fixing the housing" with the equipment "fixing jig 1" and "workbench 1" used in the process. In this way, the second association database 55A associates the BOP database 52A with the BOE database 53A.

[0086] The BOM database 51 includes supplier data that associates, for each individual part, the part serial number of that individual part with third identification information that identifies the supplier of that individual part. Hereinafter, the "supplier number" will be used as the third identification information.

[0087] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing data items in the BOM database of the server shown in FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 11, BOM database 51A includes supplier data 56A configured with the data items "supplier number" and "delivered part serial number." Specifically, supplier data 56A associates a supplier number "D0001A" of a supplier supplying the part "housing" having part number "S6500" with part serial numbers "HA4300"-"HA4600" that identify individual parts of the part. Furthermore, supplier data 56A associates a supplier number "D0023B" of a supplier supplying the part "housing" having part number "S6501" with part serial numbers "HB5000"-"HB5100" that identify individual parts of the part.

[0088] 6 associates, for each process controlled by the manufacturing controller 200A, a unit serial number (or product serial number) that identifies an individual intermediate product (or product) manufactured by the process with a quality data set related to the quality of the individual product. The quality data set includes item data indicating each of a plurality of items.

[0089] Fig. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a quality database corresponding to a housing unit assembly process. Quality database 60A_1 shown in Fig. 12 associates, for each individual housing unit, the unit serial number with item data indicating each of the items "process number," "worker name," and "work start timestamp." The item "process number" identifies the process in which the individual with the corresponding unit serial number was manufactured. The item "worker name" identifies the worker who manufactured the individual with the corresponding unit serial number. The item "work start timestamp" indicates the start time of work on the individual with the corresponding unit serial number.

[0090] Fig. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a quality database corresponding to a motor inspection process. Quality database 60A_2 shown in Fig. 13 associates, for each individual motor, the product serial number with item data indicating each of the items "process number," "worker name," "work start timestamp," and "pass / fail judgment result." The item "pass / fail judgment result" indicates the pass / fail status of the individual with the corresponding product serial number.

[0091] 6 associates, for each process controlled by the manufacturing controller 200B, a unit serial number (or product serial number) that identifies an individual intermediate product or product manufactured by the process with a quality data set related to the quality of the individual product. The quality data set includes item data indicating each of a plurality of items.

[0092] Fig. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a quality database corresponding to a housing molding process. Quality database 60B_1 shown in Fig. 14 associates, for each individual housing, the unit serial number with item data indicating each of the items "process number," "worker name," "work start timestamp," "processing conditions," and "processing method." The item "processing conditions" indicates the processing conditions used to manufacture an individual with the corresponding unit serial number. The item "processing method" indicates the processing method used to manufacture an individual with the corresponding unit serial number.

[0093] Fig. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a quality database corresponding to a housing inspection process. Quality database 60B_2 shown in Fig. 15 associates the product serial number with each of the following data items for each housing: "process number," "worker name," "work start timestamp," "measured dimensions," and "distortion." The "measured dimensions" item indicates the dimensions of the housing with the corresponding product serial number. The "distortion" item indicates the amount of distortion of the housing with the corresponding product serial number.

[0094] The supply availability database 70A shown in Fig. 6 indicates whether or not a plurality of items indicated by the quality database 60A can be supplied to a supply destination for a motor product. Similarly, the supply availability database 70B shown in Fig. 7 indicates whether or not a plurality of items indicated by the quality database 60B can be supplied to a supply destination for a housing product.

[0095] Fig. 16 is a diagram showing an example of the provision possibility database shown in Fig. 7. Provision possibility database 70B shown in Fig. 16 shows items "measured dimension", "distortion", etc. as provisionable items, and shows items "processing conditions", "processing method", etc. as non-provisionable items.

[0096] Registration unit 10A shown in Fig. 6 registers data in BOM database 51A and BOP database 52A included in database group 50A, and quality database 60A. Registration unit 10B shown in Fig. 7 registers data in BOM database 51 and BOP database 52 included in database group 50B, and quality database 60B. Since the processing contents of registration units 10A and 10B are similar, only the processing of registration unit 10A will be described below.

[0097] When manufacturing controller 200A acquires one or more item data from each process, registration unit 10A registers the one or more item data in quality database 60A corresponding to the process.

[0098] Furthermore, when the manufacturing controller 200A acquires the part serial numbers of the target parts from each process, the registration unit 10A registers the part serial numbers in the hierarchical level of the target parts in the BOM database 51A. Specifically, when the manufacturing controller 200A acquires the part serial numbers from each process, the registration unit 10A uses the first association database 54A to identify the target parts used in that process. Then, the registration unit 10A registers the part serial numbers in the hierarchical level of the target parts in the BOM database 51A in the order acquired by the manufacturing controller 200A.

[0099] Furthermore, when the manufacturing controller 200A acquires the serial numbers of the intermediate products or products manufactured by each process from that process, the registration unit 10A registers the serial numbers in the BOP database 52A in the hierarchy of that process in the order in which they were acquired.

[0100] A data analysis unit 11A shown in Fig. 6 performs data analysis using a database group 50A and a quality database 60A. A data analysis unit 11B shown in Fig. 7 performs data analysis using a database group 50B and a quality database 60B.

[0101] For example, data analysis unit 11A operates as a search unit that searches for the part serial number of each of one or more parts that make up a target individual of a product, using BOM database 51A, BOP database 52A, and first association database 54A. Data analysis unit 11A also searches for the equipment used to manufacture the target individual, using BOE database 53A and second association database 55A. Data analysis unit 11B also performs a similar search process.

[0102] The inquiry / answer unit 12A shown in Fig. 6 sends an inquiry to another server 100 and transmits response information to the inquiry to the other server 100. The inquiry / answer unit 12B shown in Fig. 7 also sends an inquiry to another server 100 and transmits response information to the inquiry to the other server 100.

[0103] For example, query / answer unit 12A identifies the supplier number corresponding to the part serial number searched for by data analysis unit 11A based on BOM database 51A. Then, query / answer unit 12A transmits an inquiry about the quality of the individual part indicated by the part serial number searched for by data analysis unit 11A to server 100 (e.g., server 100B) of the part supplier indicated by the identified supplier number.

[0104] For example, in response to receiving an inquiry about the quality of a target individual from a supplier of a housing product, the query / answer unit 12B generates response information and transmits the generated response information to the supplier. Specifically, the query / answer unit 12B reads out a quality data set of the target individual from the quality database 60B. The query / answer unit 12B identifies one or more items that can be provided to the supplier based on the supply availability database 70B. The query / answer unit 12B extracts item data corresponding to each of the identified one or more items from the read quality data set and includes the extracted item data in the response information.

[0105] <Pre-processing flow> 17 is a flowchart showing the flow of the pre-processing. The pre-processing is executed before the start of product production. The flowchart shown in FIG. 17 is executed in each information management system 1.

[0106] First, a product designer creates a drawing of the product and creates a BOM database 51 based on the part numbers that identify each of the one or more parts that make up the product and the structure of the product (step S1).

[0107] Next, the process designer creates a BOP database 52 (step S2) and a BOE database 53 (step S3) based on the design content.

[0108] Furthermore, the process designer creates a first association database 54 (step S4) and a second association database 55 (step S5) based on the design contents.

[0109] The product delivery person creates a supply availability database 70 that indicates whether or not each of a plurality of quality-related items of the product can be supplied to the supply destination based on the contents of the contract with the supply destination of the product (step S6). This completes the pre-processing.

[0110] <Information management process flow after production starts> Fig. 18 is a flowchart showing the flow of information management processing. The flowchart shown in Fig. 18 is executed for each lot, for example. Hereinafter, it is assumed that the flowchart shown in Fig. 18 is executed for each lot.

[0111] 18, processor 101 of server 100 registers supplier data in BOM database 51 in response to delivery of parts used in products of a target lot (step S11). The supplier data associates, for each individual delivered part, the part serial number of that individual part with a supplier number that identifies the supplier of that individual part. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, supplier data 56A is registered in BOM database 51A.

[0112] Next, the processor 201 of the manufacturing controller 200 controls the operation of the equipment installed in each process to start the production of the target lot (step S12).

[0113] Next, the processor 201 acquires, from each process, a part serial number that identifies an individual part used in that process (step S13).

[0114] Next, in step S14, in response to the part serial numbers being acquired from each process, the processor 101 of the server 100 identifies the target parts to be used in that process using the first association database 54. Then, the processor 101 registers the part serial numbers in the hierarchy of the target parts in the BOM database 51 in the order in which they were acquired by the manufacturing controller 200.

[0115] FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of a BOM database in which the part serial numbers of used parts are registered. FIG. 19 shows a BOM database 51A represented in a table format. As shown in FIG. 19, BOM database 51A includes a data item 57A for registering part serial numbers obtained from each process. The part serial numbers are registered in BOM database 51A in the order in which they are obtained. Therefore, in the example shown in FIG. 19, it can be understood that the part serial numbers "HA4353", "HA4354", "HB5018", ... were obtained from the processes in this order.

[0116] The processor 201 of the production controller 200 acquires a serial number (unit serial number or product serial number) that identifies an individual intermediate product or product each time the intermediate product or product is manufactured in each process (step S15). The processor 201 outputs the serial number acquired from each process to the server 100.

[0117] In response to obtaining a serial number identifying an individual in-process item or product from each process, the processor 101 of the server 100 registers the serial number in the hierarchy of the process in the BOP database 52 in the order in which it was obtained (step S16).

[0118] The processor 201 of the production controller 200 acquires one or more item data related to the quality of the intermediate product or the finished product manufactured in each process (step S17). The processor 201 outputs the item data acquired from each process to the server 100.

[0119] In response to obtaining one or more item data corresponding to each individual intermediate product or product from each process, the processor 101 of the server 100 registers the one or more item data in the quality database 60 corresponding to the process (step S18).

[0120] The processor 101 determines whether or not the production of the target lot has been completed (step S19). The processor 101 may determine whether or not the production of the target lot has been completed based on, for example, a production plan from the MES.

[0121] If the production of the target lot is not completed (NO in step S19), the information management process returns to step S13.

[0122] When the production of the target lot is completed (YES in step S19), processor 101 determines whether or not there are any defective products based on quality database 60 (step S20). For example, based on quality database 60A_2 shown in FIG. 13, processor 101 determines that the individual with product serial number "MA0002" is a defective product. When there are no defective products (NO in step S20), the information management process ends.

[0123] If there are any defective products (YES in step S20), processor 101 executes data analysis (step S21). After step S21, the information management process ends.

[0124] <Subroutine of Step S21> FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing the flow of the subroutine processing of step S21 shown in FIG.

[0125] First, the processor 101 of the server 100 extracts data related to the defective product from various databases using the product serial number of the defective product as a key (step S31). Specifically, the processor 101 extracts the unit serial number of the intermediate product that constitutes the defective product, the quality data set corresponding to the defective product or the intermediate product that constitutes the defective product, the part serial number of the part that constitutes the defective product, the supplier number that identifies the supplier of the part that constitutes the defective product, the process number that identifies the process used to manufacture the defective product, the equipment number that identifies the equipment used to manufacture the defective product, etc.

[0126] For example, in the example shown in FIG. 1, the defective product serial number "MA00002" is registered second in the "Motor Assembly Process" hierarchy in the BOP database 52. Therefore, the processor 101 determines that the defective product was manufactured second. As a result, the processor 101 identifies the housing unit with unit serial number "00002" registered second in the "Housing Unit Assembly Process" hierarchy as an intermediate product that constitutes the defective product. Furthermore, the processor identifies the housing with part serial number "HB5018" registered second in the "Housing" hierarchy in the BOM database 51 as a part that constitutes the defective product.

[0127] Furthermore, the processor 101 identifies the quality data set corresponding to the unit serial number "000002" in the quality database 60A_1 shown in Fig. 12 as the quality data set related to the quality of the intermediate product that constitutes the defective product. That is, the processor 101 identifies the worker who was in charge of manufacturing the intermediate product that constitutes the defective product and the start time of the work.

[0128] Furthermore, processor 101 identifies the quality data set corresponding to product serial number "MA00002" in quality database 60A_2 shown in Fig. 13 as the quality data set related to the quality of the defective product. That is, processor 101 identifies the worker in charge of manufacturing the defective product and the start time of the work.

[0129] Furthermore, the processor 101 identifies "D0023B" corresponding to the part serial number "HB5018" in the supplier data 56A included in the BOM database 51A shown in FIG. 19 as the supplier number identifying the supplier of the part that constitutes the defective product.

[0130] Next, processor 101 provides the information extracted in step S31 (step S32). Specifically, processor 101 generates a screen showing the identified information and causes display device 140 (see FIG. 4) to display the generated screen.

[0131] The production manager investigates the cause of the defect based on the provided information. As described above, the provided information includes information about the defective product and the intermediate products and parts that make up the defective product. This allows the production manager to easily investigate the cause of the defect.

[0132] Fig. 21 is a diagram explaining a method for investigating the cause of a motor defect. Fig. 21 shows a tree structure of multiple possible causes that may occur in a motor. The tree structure shown in Fig. 21 is constructed in advance based on the motor structure, the results of past investigations into the causes of defects, etc.

[0133] As shown in Figure 21, possible causes of the "decrease in motor performance torque" include "electrical disconnection in the coil," "increased gap between the core and magnet," "occurrence of bearing seizure," and "bearing wear." Possible causes of the "increased gap between the core and magnet" include "distortion of the housing shape" and "eccentricity of the shaft due to misalignment of the bearing." Possible causes of the "distortion of the housing shape" include "mistake in housing processing." Possible causes of the "eccentricity of the shaft due to misalignment of the bearing" include "application of impact load to the shaft." Possible causes of the "application of impact load to the shaft" include "mistake in rotor unit assembly" and "mistake in the inspection process."

[0134] The production manager can investigate the candidate causes located at the ends of the tree structure shown in Figure 21. The production manager can confirm whether or not the candidate causes at the ends, surrounded by dashed lines, "electrical break in the coil," "occurrence of bearing seizure," and "bearing wear," are the cause of the defect by investigating the motor itself, which is the product.

[0135] The production manager uses the quality data sets corresponding to the "rotor unit assembly process" and the "inspection process" to confirm whether the candidate causes "error in rotor unit assembly work" and "error in inspection process" are the cause of the defect, among the candidate causes located at the end. Specifically, the production manager can confirm whether the candidate causes "error in rotor unit assembly work" and "error in inspection process" are the cause of the defect by inquiring with the workers indicated by the quality data sets.

[0136] The production manager cannot immediately confirm whether the "error in the housing processing work" is the cause of the defect among the candidate causes at the end of the manufacturing process. Therefore, the production manager inputs an inquiry instruction to the server 100 to the parts supplier.

[0137] Next, processor 101 determines whether an instruction to inquire about a parts supplier has been input to input device 150 (step S33). If an instruction to inquire about a parts supplier has not been input (NO in step S33), step S21 ends.

[0138] If an instruction to inquire about a parts supplier is input (YES in step S33), processor 101 accepts input of the part to be inquired about (step S34). For example, if the production manager thinks that the possible cause "error in processing the housing part" is the cause of the defect, he or she inputs "housing" as the part to be inquired about.

[0139] In response to the input, processor 101 identifies the parts supplier to which the inquiry should be directed (step S35). Specifically, processor 101 identifies the part serial number of the part that constitutes the defective product and that is the subject of the inquiry.

[0140] For example, if the part being inquired about is a "housing" and the product serial number of the defective part is "MA00002," the processor 101 identifies the part serial number "HB5018" based on the BOM database 51 and the BOP database 52 shown in FIG. 1. Then, the processor 101 identifies the part supplier identified by the supplier number "DB0023B" corresponding to the part serial number "HB5018" as the part to be inquired about, based on the supplier data 56A of the BOM database 51A shown in FIG. 11. In the example of the BOM database 51A shown in FIG. 11, the part "housing" includes a genuine part with the part number "S6500" and a substitute part with the part number "S6501." The supplier number "DB0023B" corresponds to the part supplier that supplies the substitute. Therefore, the part supplier that supplies the substitute is identified as the part to be inquired about.

[0141] Next, processor 101 generates a query statement and transmits the generated query statement to the inquiry destination (step S36). Processor 101 may generate the query statement in response to an input to input device 150, or may generate the query statement by incorporating the serial number of the part being inquired about into a pre-created fixed phrase.

[0142] Thereafter, processor 101 receives response information from the inquiry destination (step S37). The received response information is displayed on display device 140. After step S37, step S21 ends.

[0143] <Response processing flow> 22 is a flowchart showing the flow of the reply process. As shown in Fig. 22, processor 101 of server 100 determines whether or not a query has been received from another server 100 (step S41). If no query has been received (NO in step S41), the reply process returns to step S41.

[0144] When an inquiry is received (YES in step S41), the processor 101 reads out from the quality database 60 the quality data set corresponding to the individual having the serial number specified in the inquiry (step S42). In step S42, the processor 101 reads out not only the quality data set corresponding to the product serial number that is the same as the specified serial number, but also the quality data set corresponding to the intermediate product that constitutes the product having that product serial number. The method for searching for the unit serial number of the intermediate product that constitutes the product having the product serial number is as described above.

[0145] Next, the processor 101 identifies items that can be provided to the supply destination based on the provision availability database 70 (step S43).

[0146] Processor 101 extracts only the item data that can be provided from the quality database read in step S42 (step S44).

[0147] Processor 101 creates answer information including the information indicated by the extracted item data, and transmits the answer information to the source of the inquiry (step S45). After step S45, the answering process ends.

[0148] <Modification> In the above description, the server 100 is assumed to include the BOM database 51, the BOP database 52, the BOE database 53, the quality database 60, and the supply availability database 70. However, these databases may be distributed and located in different devices.

[0149] In the above description, as shown in Fig. 19, BOM database 51A includes data item 57A in which the part serial number of the used part is registered, in addition to supplier data 56A. In this case, the part serial number is registered in both data item 57A and supplier data 56A. Therefore, supplier data 56A and data item 57A may be combined.

[0150] Fig. 23 is a diagram showing a modified example of a BOM database. BOM database 51A shown in Fig. 23 includes data item 57A in which the part serial number of a used part is registered, and data item 58A in which a supplier number identifying the part supplier who supplied the used part is registered. In this case, the data registered in data items 57A and 58A constitute supplier data 59A that associates, for each individual part, the part serial number of that individual part with the supplier number identifying the supplier of that individual part.

[0151] When registering the part serial numbers of the used parts in the BOM database 51A, the processor 101 of the server 100 also registers the supplier numbers that identify the part suppliers that supplied the parts in the BOM database 51A. The processor 101 can identify the supplier numbers that correspond to the used parts by accessing a database that associates a list of part serial numbers of parts delivered by part suppliers with supplier numbers that identify the part suppliers.

[0152] The above explanation assumes that the BOP database 52 and the quality database 60 correspond one-to-one. However, a company may have multiple lines for a single product. In this case, multiple quality databases 60 may be provided, one for each line. In contrast, one BOP database 52 is provided for a company or factory. In such a case, the BOP database 52 is created to indicate a hierarchical structure of processes for each line. That is, in the BOP database 52, the process number identifying each process identifies the process and the line on which it is installed. When a unit serial number (or product serial number) is obtained from a process on a line, the unit serial number (or product serial number) is registered in the BOP database 52 at the hierarchical level corresponding to the process on the line.

[0153] The BOM database 51 is also created to show the hierarchical structure of parts for each line. That is, in the BOM database 51, the part number that identifies each part identifies the line in which the part is used and the part itself. When a part serial number is acquired from a certain process on a certain line, the part serial number is registered in the BOM database 51 at the hierarchical level that corresponds to the part on that line.

[0154] As a result, even when the BOM database 51 and the BOP database 52 are associated with the quality database 60 in a one-to-many manner, it is possible to identify the parts that make up the target individual product manufactured on each line.

[0155] §3 Supplementary Note As described above, the present embodiment includes the following disclosures.

[0156] (Configuration 1) A BOM database (51, 51A) showing a hierarchical structure of one or more parts that make up a product; a BOP database (52, 52A) showing a hierarchical structure of one or more processes for producing the product; a quality database (60, 60A, 60B) that associates, for each of the one or more processes, first identification information that identifies an individual intermediate product or product manufactured by the process with a quality data set related to the quality of the individual product; an acquisition unit (21A, 21B, 201) that acquires, from each of the one or more processes, second identification information that identifies an individual target part among the one or more parts used in the process, and the first identification information corresponding to the intermediate product or the product manufactured in the process, according to a work order of the process; A registration unit (10A, 10B, 101), The registration unit (10A, 10B, 101) In response to the second identification information being acquired from each of the one or more processes, registering the second identification information in a hierarchy of the target part in the BOM database (51, 51A) in the order acquired by the acquisition unit; an information management system (1, 1A, 1B) that, in response to the first identification information being acquired from each of the one or more processes, registers the first identification information in the hierarchy of the process in the BOP database (52, 52A) in the order in which it was acquired by the acquisition unit.

[0157] (Configuration 2) The information management system (1, 1A, 1B) according to configuration 1 further comprises a search unit (11A, 11B, 101) that searches for the second identification information of each of the one or more parts that constitute the target individual of the product using the BOM database (51, 51A) and the BOP database (52, 52A).

[0158] (Configuration 3) the BOM database (51, 51A) includes, for each individual item of the one or more parts, supplier data (56A, 59A) that associates the second identification information of the individual item with third identification information that identifies a supplier of the individual item, The information management system (1, 1A, 1B) The information management system (1, 1A, 1B) according to configuration 2 further comprises an inquiry unit (12A, 12B, 101) that identifies the third identification information corresponding to the second identification information searched for by the search unit (11A, 11B, 101) based on the BOM database (51, 51A), and sends an inquiry about the quality of the individual identified by the second identification information searched for by the search unit to the supplier indicated by the identified third identification information.

[0159] (Configuration 4) the quality dataset includes item data indicative of each of a plurality of items; The information management system (1, 1A, 1B) a supply availability database (70A, 70B) indicating whether the product can be supplied to the supply destination for each of the plurality of items; a reply unit (12A, 12B, 101) that generates reply information in response to an inquiry about the quality of the target individual of the product from the supply destination and transmits the generated reply information to the supply destination, The answering section (12A, 12B, 101) Retrieving the quality data set for the subject individual from the quality database; Identifying one or more items that can be provided based on the provision availability database (70A, 70B); extracting the item data corresponding to each of the one or more identified items from the read quality dataset; 4. The information management system (1, 1A, 1B) according to any one of configurations 1 to 3, wherein the extracted item data is included in the answer information.

[0160] (Configuration 5) A BOM database (51, 51A) showing a hierarchical structure of one or more parts that make up a product; a BOP database (52, 52A) showing a hierarchical structure of one or more processes for producing the product; An information management method using a quality database (60, 60A, 60B) that associates, for each of the one or more processes, first identification information that identifies an individual intermediate product or product manufactured by the process with a quality data set related to the quality of the individual product, Steps (S13, S15) of acquiring, from each of the one or more processes, second identification information that identifies an individual target part among the one or more parts used in the process, and the first identification information corresponding to the intermediate product or the product manufactured in the process, according to the work order of the process; a step (S14) of registering the second identification information in the hierarchy of the target part in the BOM database (51, 51A) in the order in which the second identification information is acquired in response to the second identification information being acquired from each of the one or more processes; and a step (S16) of registering the first identification information in the hierarchy of the process in the BOP database (52, 52A) in the order in which it was acquired in response to the acquisition of the first identification information from each of the one or more processes.

[0161] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described, the embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, and it is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0162] 1,1A,1B Information management system, 2 Company, 3 ERP system, 4 MES, 5 Manufacturing management system, 6A,6B Product, 8 Information provision system, 10A,10B Registration unit, 11A,11B Data analysis unit, 12A,12B Query / answer unit, 21A,21B IO processing unit, 50,50A,50B,950 Database group, 51,51A BOM database, 52,52A BOP database, 53,53A BOE database, 54,54A First association database, 55,55A Second association database, 56A,59A Supplier data, 57A,58A Data item, 60,60A,60B,960 Quality database, 70,70A,70B Availability database, 100,100A,100B Server, 101,201 Processor, 102 Memory, 103, 204 Storage, 104 Display controller, 105 Input interface, 106 Communication interface, 130 Management program, 140 Display device, 150 Input device, 200, 200A, 200B Manufacturing controller, 202 Chip set, 203 Main memory, 205 Control system network controller, 206 Information system network controller, 208 Memory card interface, 210 System program, 211 User program, 220 Memory card, 301 Housing unit assembly process, 302 End cap unit assembly process, 303 Rotor unit assembly process, 304 Motor assembly process, 305 Motor inspection process, 306 Sheet metal press die cutting process, 307 Housing molding process, 308 Housing inspection process, 401-408 Code reader, 411-414, 416, 417 Laser marker.

Claims

1. a BOM database showing a hierarchical structure of one or more parts that constitute a product; a BOP database showing a hierarchical structure of one or more processes for producing the product; a quality database that associates, for each of the one or more processes, first identification information that identifies an individual intermediate product or product manufactured by the process with a quality data set related to the quality of the individual product; an acquisition unit that acquires, from each of the one or more processes, second identification information that identifies an individual target part among the one or more parts used in the process, and the first identification information that corresponds to the intermediate product or the product manufactured in the process, in accordance with a work order of the process; a registration unit; The registration unit registering the second identification information in a hierarchy of the target part in the BOM database in the order acquired by the acquisition unit in response to the second identification information being acquired from each of the one or more processes; an information management system that, in response to the first identification information being acquired from each of the one or more processes, registers the first identification information in the hierarchy of the process in the BOP database in the order in which it was acquired by the acquisition unit.

2. 2. The information management system according to claim 1, further comprising a search unit that searches for the second identification information of each of the one or more parts that constitute the target individual of the product using the BOM database and the BOP database.

3. the BOM database includes, for each individual item of the one or more parts, supplier data that associates the second identification information of the individual item with third identification information that identifies a supplier of the individual item; The information management system includes:

3. The information management system according to claim 2, further comprising an inquiry unit that identifies the third identification information corresponding to the second identification information searched for by the search unit based on the BOM database, and sends an inquiry about the quality of the individual identified by the second identification information searched for by the search unit to the supplier indicated by the identified third identification information.

4. the quality dataset includes item data indicative of each of a plurality of items; The information management system includes: a supply availability database indicating whether the product can be supplied to the supply destination for each of the plurality of items; a reply unit that generates reply information in response to an inquiry about the quality of the target individual of the product from the supplier and transmits the generated reply information to the supplier, The answering section Retrieving the quality data set for the subject individual from the quality database; Identifying one or more items that can be provided based on the provision availability database; extracting the item data corresponding to each of the one or more identified items from the read quality dataset; The information management system according to claim 1 , wherein the extracted item data is included in the answer information.

5. a BOM database showing a hierarchical structure of one or more parts that constitute a product; a BOP database showing a hierarchical structure of one or more processes for producing the product; an information management method using a quality database that associates, for each of the one or more processes, first identification information that identifies an individual intermediate product or product manufactured by the process with a quality data set related to the quality of the individual product, acquiring, from each of the one or more processes, second identification information that identifies an individual target part among the one or more parts used in the process, and the first identification information that corresponds to the intermediate product or the product manufactured in the process, in accordance with a work order of the process; registering the second identification information in the hierarchy of the target part in the BOM database in the order in which the second identification information is acquired in response to the second identification information being acquired from each of the one or more processes; and registering the first identification information in the hierarchy of the process in the BOP database in the order in which it was acquired in response to the first identification information being acquired from each of the one or more processes.

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