Information processing method, information processing program, and information processing device

Abstract

To provide an information processing method, an information processing program, and an information processing device that enable a supplier to refer to non-financial information already stored in a system when the supplier desires to provide the information to a buyer other than the buyer who has requested the information to be provided. [Solution] The information processing program causes a computer that can access a memory unit to acquire non-financial information from a second business operator in response to a request from a first business operator, store the acquired non-financial information in the memory unit in association with the identification information of the second business operator, and, when a reference request is received from the second business operator, generate authority information including the authority to view the non-financial information associated with the identification information of the second business operator, store the generated authority information in the memory unit, and execute a process to update the user type stored in the memory unit in association with the identification information of the second business operator.

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a credit information disclosure and distribution support system that distributes credit information voluntarily disclosed by each company. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-199523 Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] In an information processing method according to one embodiment of the present invention, a computer that can access a storage unit acquires non-financial information from a second business operator in response to a request from a first business operator, associates the acquired non-financial information with the identification information of the second business operator and stores it in the storage unit, and when a disclosure intention is received from the second business operator, generates permission information including the authority to view the non-financial information associated with the identification information of the second business operator, stores the generated permission information in the storage unit, and performs a process of updating the user type stored in the storage unit in association with the identification information of the second business operator.

[0005] In the above information processing method, the non-financial information includes multiple data items, values ​​of the same data item at multiple points in time, or both, and when a request is received from the second business operator to input the data item not based on a request from the first business operator, or to input the data item at a point in time not based on a request from the first business operator, the user type may be updated and then a process to accept the input request may be performed.

[0006] In the above information processing method, when a request to view the non-financial information regarding the second business operator is received from a third business operator, the method determines whether the information is available for viewing based on the authority information, and if it is determined that the information is available for viewing, the method transmits the non-financial information regarding the second business operator to the third business operator, generates billing information for the third business operator, and outputs the generated billing information.

[0007] In the above information processing method, the authority information may include identification information of a business operator that is not allowed to access the information, and whether or not the third business operator is allowed to access the information may be determined based on the identification information.

[0008] In the above information processing method, the authority information may include confirmation conditions for confirming with the second business operator each time, and if the confirmation conditions are met, the second business operator may determine whether or not the third business operator is allowed to access the information.

[0009] In the information processing method, evaluation information of the second business operator based on the non-financial information may be acquired, and the acquired evaluation information may be stored in the storage unit in association with identification information of the second business operator.

[0010] An information processing program according to one embodiment of the present invention causes a computer that can access a storage unit to acquire non-financial information from a second business operator in response to a request from a first business operator, store the acquired non-financial information in the storage unit in association with the identification information of the second business operator, and, upon receiving a reference request from the second business operator, generate permission information including the authority to reference the non-financial information associated with the identification information of the second business operator, store the generated permission information in the storage unit, and execute a process of updating the user type stored in the storage unit in association with the identification information of the second business operator.

[0011] An information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention is an information processing device that includes a control unit and is capable of accessing a memory unit, wherein the control unit acquires non-financial information from a second business operator in response to a request from a first business operator, associates the acquired non-financial information with identification information of the second business operator and stores it in the memory unit, and when a reference request is received from the second business operator, generates authority information including access authority to the non-financial information associated with the identification information of the second business operator, stores the generated authority information in the memory unit, and performs a process of updating the user type stored in the memory unit in association with the identification information of the second business operator.

[0012] The above summary of the invention does not list all of the features of the present invention, and subcombinations of these features may also be inventions. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an information system. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a server. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a terminal. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a database configuration. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of an account DB. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a company DB. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a reference authority DB. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a check item DB. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for authority setting processing. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for a type change process. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for reference data acquisition processing. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an evaluation value DB. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for evaluation processing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] The present invention will be described below through embodiments of the invention, but the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention as claimed. Furthermore, not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention. In this specification, information that is easy for computers to handle but whose meaning and significance are difficult for humans to understand or interpret, such as simple numbers or symbols or combinations thereof, is specifically referred to as "data," but this is not limited to this.

[0015] In recent years, companies and organizations (businesses) are being asked to practice sustainable management and operations. Sustainable management and operations refer to management and operations that aim for growth and progress from a long-term perspective, rather than simply pursuing short-term profits. Sustainable management and operations require cooperation with various stakeholders to grow and progress together, and to contribute to improving or maintaining the global environment. Note that the following explanation will focus on corporate management, but the same applies to the management of organizations.

[0016] To conduct sustainable management, companies need to collect data from many related organizations and groups. For example, timely data collection is necessary to improve operations by implementing the PDCA cycle. Attracting investment from investors is essential for sound management. For companies, whether or not they can receive investment from institutional investors is particularly important. Therefore, it is the responsibility of companies to collect and disclose data in a timely manner so that institutional investors can use it to make investment decisions. Furthermore, because institutional investors invest globally, global standards have been created for information disclosure. Hereinafter, standards related to information disclosure will be referred to as disclosure standards.

[0017] In addition to the financial data that companies have traditionally collected, the data that companies should collect also includes so-called non-financial data. Non-financial data is data related to sustainability. For example, non-financial data can be classified into governance, strategy, risk management, indicators, and targets. Indicators and targets include greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for each company. Non-financial data is associated with identification information that uniquely identifies a company, such as a company ID. Another way to classify non-financial data is to divide it into E (environment), S (society), and G (governance) categories.

[0018] Greenhouse gas emissions are calculated by multiplying the emissions of carbon dioxide and other gases, methane, nitrous oxide, organic fluorine compounds, chlorofluorocarbon alternatives, sulfur hexafluoride, and nitrogen trifluoride by their global warming potential and converting them into carbon dioxide equivalents. Hereinafter, carbon dioxide emissions and the values ​​obtained by converting emissions of greenhouse gases other than carbon dioxide into carbon dioxide equivalents will be collectively referred to as carbon dioxide emissions.

[0019] Carbon dioxide emissions include direct emissions, indirect emissions, and other indirect emissions. Carbon dioxide emissions may be calculated by multiplying the amount of use of at least one of electricity, water, oil, and gas by an emission factor (emission coefficient) that indicates the amount of emissions per unit of each use.

[0020] Non-financial data may include information on human rights and disaster risk management measures related to the products and services a company handles. Human rights measures may indicate, for example, whether a company takes measures to prevent child labor in product manufacturing (including all processes related to product manufacturing, including not only the assembly and processing of the product itself, but also the assembly and processing of the components that make up the product, and the processing of the materials (including raw materials) that make up each component). Disaster risk measures may indicate whether a company takes measures to prevent disasters from affecting product manufacturing. Financial or non-financial data may also include any other information that end-user companies want to request from their affiliated companies. Examples include various types of damage-calculating environmental impact assessments; environmental information on product carbon footprints related to climate change; natural resource information on biodiversity, land use, and raw material procurement; waste disposal information on hazardous substances, waste management, packaging materials, and home appliances; environmental information on chemical substances, air pollutants, water quality, and soil contamination; and other environmental information on technology, energy, noise, vibration, and odors. Regarding society, information may be included regarding human rights (child labor, forced labor, working hours, wages, labor rights, discrimination, etc.) related to human resources, labor management and health and safety, human capital, safety and quality related to product and service safety, safety of each substance, privacy and data security, relations with local communities, diversity, equity and inclusion, well-being and engagement, compliance and ethics, and other social information. Furthermore, regarding governance, information may be included regarding ethics and compliance with laws and regulations related to corporate behavior, anti-corruption, risk management, disaster prevention, tax transparency, and other governance information. Information regarding due diligence may also be included.

[0021] Location information may be included as one of the items of non-financial data. An example of location information is coordinate values ​​in a geographic coordinate system (such as the Japanese Geodetic System, the Japanese Geodetic System 2000, the Japanese Geodetic System 2011, or WSG84). Geographic coordinate values ​​are latitude and longitude. Location information may also include coordinate values ​​in various projected coordinate systems (such as the plane rectangular coordinate system, the UTM coordinate system, or the Web Mercator coordinate system). Location information may also include height information, such as elevation, altitude, and altitude. Location information is not limited to coordinate values ​​indicating a single point; it may also be country names, region names, administrative district names, telephone area codes, postal codes, or building names indicating a surface. Country code codes specified in ISO 3166-1 may be used instead of country names. Examples of region names in Japan include Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto, Chubu, Kinki, Chugoku, Shikoku, and Kyushu. Examples of administrative district names in Japan include prefecture names, county names, ordinance-designated cities, and city, ward, town, and village names. A prefecture code may be used instead of the prefecture name, and an administrative area code consisting of a prefecture code and a city / ward / town / village code may be used instead of the city / ward / town / village name.

[0022] The non-financial data may include the following information on environmental impacts: amounts of substances such as by-products, NOx, SOx, BOD, and COD from the amounts of each of the above-mentioned uses, air pollution, indoor air pollution, hazardous chemicals, ozone layer depletion, acidification, noise, global warming, photochemical oxidants, eutrophication, resource consumption, ecotoxicity, fuel consumption, land use, and other impact areas, as well as human health through damage assessments, social estimates, biodiversity, and protected targets such as primary production, derived from the amounts of each of the above-mentioned uses using a basic unit indicating the amount per unit of each use.

[0023] Direct emissions refer to carbon dioxide emissions (thousand t-CO2) that fall under Scope 1 of supply chain emissions. Indirect emissions refer to carbon dioxide emissions indirectly emitted by a company through energy purchases over a specified period (fiscal year, quarter, etc.). Indirect emissions refer to carbon dioxide emissions (thousand t-CO2) that fall under Scope 2 of supply chain emissions. Other indirect emissions refer to carbon dioxide emissions emitted by company activities that are not included in Scope 1 direct emissions or Scope 2 indirect emissions. Other indirect emissions refer to carbon dioxide emissions (thousand t-CO2) that fall under Scope 3 of supply chain emissions.

[0024] Carbon dioxide reductions refer to the amount of carbon dioxide emissions reduced from the carbon dioxide emissions in the comparison period. Reductions may be shown separately for direct emissions, indirect emissions, and other indirect emissions. Non-financial data may also include the percentage change in emissions (e.g., a 10% decrease from the previous year) rather than the amount of reduction from the comparison period. Furthermore, non-financial data may also include the amount of avoided emissions, which is the amount of carbon dioxide emissions reduced per unit of product or service compared to the carbon dioxide emissions of the current product or service, the results of a life cycle assessment (LCA) for each product or service, or the carbon dioxide emissions (carbon footprint) for each product or service.

[0025] As explained above, for a company to operate sustainably, it is necessary to collect financial and non-financial data and disclose and report it appropriately. The core system that supports sustainable management is the sustainability ERP (Enterprise Resources Planning) system. A sustainability ERP system allows a company to collect financial and non-financial data precisely and in a short period of time. As a result, it becomes possible to disclose non-financial data simultaneously with financial data. Furthermore, by managing financial and non-financial data in a sustainability ERP system, it becomes possible to ensure the reliability of data that can withstand audits. Below, we will explain the sustainability ERP system and the systems that link with it.

[0026] Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information system. The information system 100 is centered around a sustainability ERP system 10 and includes systems that link with that system. The information system 100 includes the sustainability ERP system 10, user companies 20, information providers 30, linking systems 40, formulation organizations 50, host organizations 60, cloud services 70, information sites 80, and stakeholders 90.

[0027] The sustainability ERP system 10 is a computer system that supports sustainable management by user companies. The sustainability ERP system 10 collects financial and non-financial data related to the user companies, and discloses or submits the collected data either directly or after processing.

[0028] User company 20 is a company that uses sustainability ERP system 10. The user company 20 shown in Figure 1 properly refers to the computer or computer system used by user company 20. However, in this specification, the scope of user company 20 is taken to be broad, and in addition to referring to the company as an organization, it also refers to the company's employees, the computers and computer systems used by the company, etc. Furthermore, user company 20 does not refer to a single company, but also to a corporate group including a holding company that has many companies under its umbrella and the companies under its umbrella.

[0029] The information provider 30 is an organization that provides information required to operate the sustainability ERP system 10. For example, the Ministry of the Environment, which provides the emission coefficients required to calculate GHG emissions, is an example of an information provider 30. Similarly, the IDEA Lab of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, which creates the LCI (Life Cycle Inventory) database IDEA (Inventory Database for Environmental Analysis) and provides it through an agent, is an example of an information provider 30. For convenience, the agent that provides IDEA will also be included in the information provider 30.

[0030] Information providers 30 also include organizations that collect information on user companies 20 and provide it upon request, primarily for a fee. It is assumed that information providers 30 have no vested interest in user companies 20. This is because the information they collect and provide must be fair and accurate. Examples of information providers 30 include credit investigation companies and think tanks. Information providers 30 also include public institutions, nonprofit organizations (NPOs), and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), which provide fair and accurate information free of charge or at low cost. The Electric Power Data Management Association (EWA) is an example of an information provider 30. Like user companies 20, information providers 30 refer not only to organizations themselves, but also to their employees, computers, and computer systems. The Financial Services Agency (FSA) and EDINET, operated by the FSA, are examples of information providers 30.

[0031] The linkage system 40 communicates with the sustainability ERP system 10 and provides the sustainability ERP system 10 with data it holds about the user companies 20. The linkage system 40 also receives data about the user companies 20 from the sustainability ERP system 10. Data exchange between the sustainability ERP system 10 and the linkage system 40 may be performed at any time using an API (Application Programmable Interface) or periodically using batch processing. Data exchange between the sustainability ERP system 10 and the linkage system 40 may also be performed without using a network, by writing data to a recording medium, transporting the recording medium, and reading the data from the recording medium. Note that a system provided by the information provider 30 can be the linkage system 40. For example, a system that executes the electricity data provision service provided by the Electric Power Data Management Association, a general incorporated association that is an information provider 30, corresponds to the linkage system 40.

[0032] Formulation bodies50 are organizations that develop disclosure standards. Disclosure includes not only statutory and timely disclosure, but also disclosure required by non-profit organizations. Examples of formulation bodies50 include the Sustainability Standards Board of Japan (SSBJ), the European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG), the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and international organizations and groups such as the GHG Protocol Initiative, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), CDP, the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), and the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), established by the IFRS Foundation.

[0033] For example, disclosure standards include the SSBJ Standards established by SSBJ, the ESRS (European Sustainability Reporting Standards) established by EFRAG, the Climate-Related Disclosure Rules established by the SEC, the GHG Protocol established by the GHG Protocol Initiative, the GRI Standards established by GRI, the TCFD Guidance established by TCFD, the SASB Standards established by SASB, and the ISSB Standards established by ISSB. Additionally, the questionnaire prepared by CDP can also be considered a type of disclosure standard.

[0034] The receiving institution 60 is an institution that receives financial data and non-financial data that comply with the disclosure standards from the user company 20. The receiving institution 60 refers not only to the institution as an organization, but also to the institution's employees, computers and computer systems used by the institution. The receiving institution 60 may also serve as the information provider institution 30. For example, the receiving institution 60 is CDP or EDINET. For convenience, the receiving institution 60 also includes auditors and auditing firms that confirm the validity of the data before disclosing the financial and non-financial data of the user company 20.

[0035] Cloud services 70 are software and applications provided via the internet. Cloud services 70 can take the form of SaaS (Software as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service), or IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service). For example, cloud services 70 include cloud storage for data storage, customer management systems, sales management systems, attendance management systems, accounting systems, and generation AI.

[0036] The information site 80 is a website that collects information on the user company 20 and widely publishes that information. The information site 80 also includes websites, message board sites, blogs, etc. operated by news organizations and public relations (PR) companies. The difference between the information site 80 and the information provider 30 is that the information published by the information site 80 is a mixture of good and bad information.

[0037] Stakeholders 90 are assumed to be those interested in the information to be disclosed among the stakeholders of user company 20. For example, they include shareholders of user company 20 and institutional investors who have invested or plan to invest in user company 20. Local communities that have various influences on user company 20 as it carries out its business activities are also stakeholders 90. Furthermore, employees of user company 20 and companies that have business relationships with user company 20 are also stakeholders.

[0038] Next, we will discuss the involvement of the supply chain in the collection of non-financial data. As mentioned above, Scope 3 GHG emissions indicate carbon dioxide emissions from corporate activities that are not included in Scope 1 direct emissions or Scope 2 indirect emissions. Therefore, user company 20, which is a member of the supply chain, must receive non-financial data from upstream companies in the supply chain and pass it on to downstream companies. If the upstream and downstream companies do not pay a usage fee but make limited use of the sustainability ERP system 10 at the request of user company 20, then the upstream and downstream companies will be included in user company 20.

[0039] First, we will explain the server 1 and terminal 2, which are components of the sustainability ERP system 10. The server 1 performs information processing to realize the functions provided by the sustainability ERP system 10. The server 1 is composed of a server computer, a workstation, a PC (Personal Computer), etc. The server 1 may also be composed of a multi-computer consisting of multiple computers, a virtual machine virtually constructed by software, or a quantum computer. The functions performed by the server 1 may also be distributed among multiple computers. Furthermore, the functions of the server 1 may be realized by a cloud service.

[0040] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the server 1. The server 1 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a communication unit 13, and a reading unit 14. Each component is connected by a bus B.

[0041] The control unit 11 has one or more arithmetic processing devices such as a central processing unit (CPU), a micro-processing unit (MPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), etc. The control unit 11 reads and executes a program 1P (program product) stored in the storage unit 12, thereby performing various information processing, control processing, etc. related to the server 1 and realizing various functional units.

[0042] The memory unit 12 is configured with SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), flash memory, etc., or a hard disk or SSD (Solid State Drive), etc. The memory unit 12 stores a basic DB, a financial information DB, and a non-financial information DB. The basic DB may be a database group consisting of multiple databases. Similarly, the financial information DB and the non-financial information DB may each be a database group consisting of multiple databases. The memory unit 12 also stores a program 1P required for the control unit 11 to execute processing. Furthermore, the memory unit 12 temporarily stores data required for the control unit 11 to execute arithmetic processing.

[0043] The communication unit 13 communicates with the terminal 2 via the network N. In addition, the control unit 11 may use the communication unit 13 to download the program 1P from another computer via the network N or the like and store it in the storage unit 12.

[0044] The reading unit 14 reads portable storage medium 1a including CD (Compact Disc)-ROM and DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)-ROM. The control unit 11 may read the program 1P from the portable storage medium 1a via the reading unit 14 and store it in the storage unit 12. Alternatively, the control unit 11 may download the program 1P from another computer via a network N or the like and store it in the storage unit 12. Furthermore, the control unit 11 may read the program 1P from a semiconductor memory (not shown).

[0045] Terminal 2 is a terminal used by an end user. End users are employees or staff of a corporation or organization. Depending on their role and authority, end users are called input personnel, approvers, checkers, etc.

[0046] 3 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a terminal. Terminal 2 is composed of a notebook computer, a panel computer, a tablet computer, a smartphone, etc. Terminal 2 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, a communication unit 23, an input unit 24, and a display unit 25. Each component is connected by a bus B.

[0047] The control unit 21 has one or more arithmetic processing units such as a CPU, an MPU, a GPU, etc. The control unit 21 provides various functions by reading and executing a program 2P (program product) stored in the storage unit 22.

[0048] The storage unit 22 is configured with an SRAM, a DRAM, a flash memory, etc., or a hard disk, an SSD, etc. The storage unit 22 temporarily stores data necessary for the control unit 21 to execute arithmetic processing. The storage unit 22 also stores a program 2P and various DBs necessary for the control unit 21 to execute processing. The various DBs, etc. stored in the storage unit 22 may be stored in a database server or cloud storage.

[0049] The communication unit 23 communicates with the server 1 via the network N. The control unit 21 may also use the communication unit 23 to download the program 2P from another computer via the network N or the like and store it in the storage unit 22.

[0050] The input unit 24 is a keyboard and a mouse. The display unit 25 includes a liquid crystal display panel or an organic EL display panel. The display unit 25 displays reports output by the server 1. The input unit 24 and the display unit 25 may be integrated to form a touch panel display. The terminal 2 may display on an external display device.

[0051] In traditional supply chains, buyers and suppliers exchange purchasing and selling information about the components that make up final products. In recent years, companies have been required to practice sustainable management. Sustainable management refers to a form of management that aims to continuously improve corporate value while taking into consideration non-financial factors such as environmental conservation, social responsibility, and corporate governance. In order to achieve this type of sustainable management, there is an increasing need in the supply chain to collect non-financial information, such as environmental impact, working conditions, and the compliance status of business partners, in addition to traditional financial and purchasing information.

[0052] Systems for collecting non-financial information are being developed in the supply chain. For example, a buyer (first business entity) that manufactures a final product requests a supplier (second business entity) to collect data on GHG emissions related to the parts it procures in order to calculate the product carbon footprint (PCF) of its own products. When data is collected using a computer system, an account is issued for the supplier at the buyer's expense. In this case, the data provided by the supplier is generally only accessible to the buyer that made the request and paid for it.

[0053] However, if a supplier does business with multiple buyers, a buyer other than the one that originally made the request may request the same data. In this case, the supplier's workload can be reduced if the other buyer can refer to data already stored in the computer system, rather than having to prepare the data anew.

[0054] The information system in this specification provides a function that allows a supplier to access non-financial information already stored in the system when the supplier wishes to provide the information to a buyer other than the buyer who made the request. This function is described below.

[0055] First, we will explain the account types. For example, account types include buyer, supplier, paid 1, paid 2, and reference buyer. Available functions for each account type are shown in Table 1.

[0056] [Table 1]

[0057] In Table 1, Type indicates the type of account. The Issue column indicates whether an account can be issued to others. The Permission Setting column indicates whether permission to access the company's data can be set. The Data Input column indicates the conditions for inputting the company's data. Company data is data owned by each company, and the content and format are not important as long as it is acceptable to the sustainability ERP system 10.

[0058] Companies classified as buyers (hereinafter referred to as "buyers") have the authority to issue accounts to suppliers. They can view data entered by suppliers. Buyers can also enter their own company data. However, buyers cannot set access permissions for their own company data. If a buyer wants to make their company data available to other companies, they must obtain a paid account (described below).

[0059] Supplier companies (hereinafter referred to as "suppliers") can use accounts issued by buyers to input their own company data and make it available to buyers who request it. The system usage fee is borne by the buyer, and is free for suppliers. The data input by suppliers is assumed to be specified by the buyer. Suppliers cannot set access permissions to make their own data available to other buyers. Furthermore, if a supplier wishes to input data from multiple points in time, a request from the buyer is required. For example, if a buyer requests data input for the current fiscal year, the supplier can input data for this fiscal year, but for next fiscal year, even if it is the same data item, the supplier cannot input data unless the buyer requests it again.

[0060] Companies with a type of Paid 1 (hereinafter also referred to as "Paid 1") are supplier accounts that pay a system usage fee. In addition to the functions available to suppliers, Paid 1 can set access permissions to their own company's data. Paid 1 can issue accounts when access permissions are granted. Such accounts only have access to data. It is assumed that Paid 1 will cover the system usage fee for the issued accounts.

[0061] Companies of type Paid 2 (hereinafter also referred to as "Paid 2") are supplier accounts that pay a higher system usage fee than Paid 1. In addition to the functions available to Paid 1, Paid 2 can input their own company data without going through a request from the buyer.

[0062] A company with the type of reference buyer (hereinafter also referred to as "reference buyer") is a company that requests to view data from suppliers using the sustainability ERP system 10. A reference buyer is a paid user who only has the authority to view data. Note that since a supply chain can have a multi-tiered structure, one company may have both a buyer account and a supplier account. Also, one account may be assigned multiple types.

[0063] (Embodiment 1) Next, the databases will be described. Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the database configuration. The basic DBs include an account DB 121, a company DB 122, a reference authority DB 123, and a confirmation item DB 124. The contents of each DB will be described later.

[0064] The financial information DB includes a journal entry DB, an income statement DB, and a balance sheet DB. The journal entry DB stores transaction information (transaction records) that form the basis of financial data (income statements, balance sheets, cash flow statements, etc.). The income statement DB stores indicators that management considers important (sales, profits, cost structure). The income statement DB stores monthly, quarterly, and yearly data. The balance sheet DB stores basic data (assets, liabilities, net assets) that indicate the company's financial status. Specifically, it stores balance information for each account item, such as cash and deposits, accounts receivable, inventory, capital investments, accounts payable, borrowings, and capital. The balance sheet DB stores end-of-period balance data for each month, quarter, and year. Note that Figure 4 only shows three DBs included in the financial information DB, but other DBs may also be included. For example, possible databases include a cash flow database that stores cash flows for each operating activity, investment activity, and financial activity; a financial indicator / KPI database that stores financial analysis indicators such as ROE, ROA, equity ratio, and EBITDA; a consolidated financial database that stores data on internal transactions between parent and subsidiary companies and balances after elimination processing; and an audit / trail database that stores various change histories, approval histories, and user operation logs and is used for internal control and audit response.

[0065] The non-financial information database includes a GHG emissions database, a labor and human resources database, and a board of directors and compliance database. The GHG emissions database stores Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 GHG emissions data by emission source, facility, and period. The labor and human resources database stores information such as the number of employees, turnover rate, working hours, diversity (gender ratio, etc.), and development investments (training time and costs). The board of directors and compliance database stores information on the composition of the board of directors (independence, gender ratio, expertise), frequency of meetings, agenda items, and evaluation results, as well as information on the internal reporting system, number of legal violations, and implementation status of ethics and compliance training. While Figure 4 shows only three databases included in the non-financial information database, other databases may also be included. For example, an environmental resources database that stores water resource usage and waste emissions, a supply chain audit database that stores the results of human rights and labor environment surveys in the supply chain, and a cyber risk management database that stores information security incidents and risk assessment results are possible. The information items stored in each database included in the non-financial information database are examples of data items.

[0066] As mentioned above, in this specification, "company data" is defined as any type of data, regardless of its content or format. However, the data suppliers are expected to input is primarily non-financial information. Non-financial information is diverse and requires time and effort to collect. Furthermore, while the exchange of non-financial information is increasingly required to maintain business relationships, there are still few cases where it directly impacts individual transactions. For this reason, it is believed that there are still suppliers who have not yet established a system for providing their own non-financial information to other companies.

[0067] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an account DB. Account DB 121 stores account information for end users. Here, end users are employees of suppliers and buyers, etc. Note that multiple people may share one account. Account DB 121 includes an ID column, a display name column, an email address column, and a company ID column. The ID column stores an ID that can uniquely identify an account. The display name column stores the name of the account. The name may be a name, job title, or group name, etc. The email address column stores the email address that is used as the address when sending email to an account user. The company ID column stores the ID of the company to which the user using the account belongs.

[0068] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a company DB. The company DB 122 stores information about companies. The company DB 122 includes a company ID column, a name column, a type column, a referral top column, an industry classification column, and a stock code column. The company ID column stores a company ID that can uniquely identify a company. The name column stores the name of the company. The type column stores the account type. The referral top column stores the company ID of the account used by the company when the account is created based on a request from another company. The industry classification column stores the company's industry classification code. For example, the industry classification code is a four-digit code in the Japanese Industry Classification managed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. The stock code column stores the company's stock code. If the company is not listed and does not have a stock code, data indicating the absence of a value, such as NULL, is stored. The corporate DB122 may store codes to identify companies, such as the corporate number assigned by the National Tax Agency, the EDINET code used by the Financial Services Agency's EDINET, the TDB company code assigned by Teikoku Databank, and the TSR company code assigned by Tokyo Shoko Research.

[0069] FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a reference authority DB. The reference authority DB 123 stores conditions related to partner companies to which each company grants reference authority to its own information. The reference authority DB 123 includes a company ID column, a type column, a classification column, a reference column, and a condition column. The company ID column stores company IDs. The type column stores the type of condition. For example, "prohibited" indicates a type that prohibits granting reference authority to companies that match the conditions. "allowed" is a type that allows granting reference authority to companies that match the conditions. "each time" is a type that indicates that the user should confirm each time granting reference authority (confirm each time). This type is an example of a confirmation condition. The type column stores the type of condition. For example, "industry" indicates that the condition is constructed with content related to the industry. "specific company" indicates that the condition is constructed with content that can identify the company. The comparison column stores data that should be referenced for the company to be judged when making condition judgments. "industry classification" indicates that the industrial classification of the company to be judged should be referenced. It is assumed that the value specified in the reference column is stored in the company DB 122. The condition column stores the content of the condition. Note that the reference authority DB 123 is not an essential component in this embodiment. Also, the data stored in the reference authority DB 123 is an example of authority information.

[0070] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a confirmation item DB. The confirmation item DB 124 stores settings for determining the unit of authority granting when the type of condition related to reference authority is "each time." The confirmation item DB 124 includes a company ID column, a confirmation range column, and an item column. The company ID column stores the company ID. The confirmation range column stores the range of confirmation. "Comprehensive" indicates that a determination is made as to whether or not to disclose data to the target company all at once, regardless of data type. "Field" indicates that a determination is made as to whether or not to disclose data in the specified field to the target company, and that for other fields, no confirmation is required and the server 1 may make a determination in accordance with the reference authority DB 123. The item column stores data indicating the range according to the confirmation range column.

[0071] Next, information processing performed by the information system 100 will be described. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure for permission setting processing. The permission setting processing is executed when a company whose account type is supplier wishes to grant permission to view its own data to a company other than the buyer. The buyer here refers to the buyer set in the information system 100. In other words, the company corresponding to the company ID stored in the referral upper column of the company DB 122 is the buyer. An employee of the supplier operates the terminal 2 and selects a menu for granting permission to view. The control unit 21 of the terminal 2 sends a request to set permission to view (intention to disclose) to the server 1 (step S11). The control unit 11 of the server 1 receives the setting request (step S12). The control unit 11 sends a type change screen to the terminal 2 (step S13). The control unit 21 of the terminal 2 receives and displays the type change screen (step S14). The type change screen is a screen for prompting a change of account type. In the information system 100, a company whose account type is supplier is not allowed to allow anyone other than the buyer to view its data, so it is necessary to change the account type. An employee of the supplier inputs a response as to whether or not to change the account type into the terminal 2. The control unit 21 of the terminal 2 accepts the response (step S15). The control unit 21 determines whether or not the response indicates consent to the account type change (step S16). If the control unit 21 determines that the response indicates consent (YES in step S16), it transmits consent to the server 1 (step S17). The control unit 11 of the server 1 receives consent (step S18). The control unit 11 of the server 1 updates the account type (step S19). Note that the updated account type is subject to payment of a system usage fee, and billing information is transmitted to the supplier through a separate billing process. The control unit 11 transmits a setting screen to the terminal 2 (step S20). The control unit 21 of the terminal 2 receives and displays the setting screen (step S21). The employee sets the companies that the employee wishes to be allowed to access their company data. The control unit 21 accepts the setting (step S22). The control unit 21 transmits the accepted setting to the server 1 (step S23). The control unit 11 of the server 1 receives the setting (step S24).The control unit 11 issues an account and generates reference authority based on the received settings, and stores the account information in the account DB 121 and the reference authority in the reference authority DB 123 (step S25). The control unit 11 sends a completion screen to the terminal 2 (step S26). The control unit 21 of the terminal 2 receives and displays the completion screen (step S27). The control unit 21 ends the process. Note that the control unit 11 of the server 1 may notify the company that has newly granted the account that the account issuance has been completed before or after step S26. Communication means such as email, push notification, messaging service, etc. can be used as a means of notification. If the control unit 21 determines that the reply is not consent (NO in step S16), it displays a cancellation screen informing the company that the process has been cancelled (step S28), and ends the process.

[0072] This embodiment has the following advantages: A company with a supplier account type can allow companies other than the buyers with which it is already linked to refer to its own company data stored in the information system 100. In addition, it is possible to guide free suppliers who do not charge a system usage fee to a paid account.

[0073] (Embodiment 2) This embodiment relates to a form in which the account type (user type) is changed in a situation different from that of embodiment 1. As described above, companies whose account type is supplier or fee-based (hereinafter collectively referred to as "suppliers, etc.") cannot input data for a new period without an input request from the linked buyer. If a supplier, etc. wishes to input data voluntarily without receiving a request from a buyer, a change of account type is required. In the following explanation, the same content as in embodiment 1 will be omitted, and the differences will be mainly explained.

[0074] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure for type change processing. A supplier or the like who wishes to input data voluntarily without receiving a request from a buyer inputs an input request to terminal 2. Control unit 21 of terminal 2 transmits the input request to server 1 (step S41). Control unit 11 of server 1 receives the input request (step S42). Control unit 11 transmits a type change screen to terminal 2 (step S43). Control unit 21 of terminal 2 receives and displays the type change screen (step S44). The type change screen is the same as in embodiment 1. An employee of the supplier inputs a response to terminal 2 as to whether or not to change the account type. Control unit 21 of terminal 2 accepts the response (step S45). Control unit 21 determines whether or not the response indicates consent to the account type change (step S46). If control unit 21 determines that the response indicates consent (YES in step S46), it transmits consent to server 1 (step S47). The control unit 11 of the server 1 receives the acknowledgement (step S48). The control unit 11 of the server 1 updates the account type (step S49). Note that if the supplier transitions to paid 2, the updated account type assumes payment of the system usage fee, and a separate billing process is performed. Also, if the supplier transitions from paid 1 to paid 2, an increase in the system usage fee is assumed, and a separate process to change the billing amount is performed. The control unit 11 sends an input screen to the terminal 2 (step S50). The control unit 21 of the terminal 2 receives and displays the input screen (step S51). The employee enters their company data. The control unit 21 accepts the input (step S52). The control unit 21 sends the accepted data to the server 1 (step S53). The control unit 11 of the server 1 receives the data (step S54). The control unit 11 stores the received data in the financial information DB or the non-financial information DB depending on the content (step S55). The control unit 11 sends a completion screen to the terminal 2 (step S56). The control unit 21 of the terminal 2 receives and displays the completion screen (step S57). The control unit 21 ends the process. If the supplier or the like wishes to input data that is different in content or format from the data previously input, the input will be possible after changing the account type.In this case, the supplier or the system administrator can input the data after the supplier or the system administrator has set up the input. If the control unit 21 determines that the response is not consent (NO in step S56), it displays a cancellation screen informing the user that the process has been cancelled (step S58), and terminates the process.

[0075] In addition to the effects of the first embodiment, this embodiment has the following effects. When a supplier or the like wishes to input data voluntarily without receiving a request from a buyer, a company whose account type is supplier must change its type to paid 2. A company whose account type is paid 1 must change its type to paid 2, which increases the system usage fee. By encouraging suppliers or the like to change their type, an increase in sales of the information system 100 can be expected.

[0076] (Embodiment 3) This embodiment relates to functions for companies (hereinafter referred to as "referring companies") (third businesses) that wish to refer to data registered in the information system 100. The information system 100 holds information on multiple companies, and it is expected that other companies, such as credit investigation companies, will request reference to the registered data. In the following explanation, content similar to that of the first and second embodiments will be omitted, and differences will be mainly explained.

[0077] In this embodiment, an employee of a reference company who accesses the information system 100 is referred to as a "reference user." A company that has registered its own company data in the information system 100 is referred to as a "registered company," and an employee of the registered company is referred to as an "existing user." For convenience, the terminal 2 used by the reference user is referred to as a "reference terminal 2," and similarly, the terminal 2 used by an existing user is referred to as an "existing terminal 2." It is assumed that the reference user requests data about the reference company after the reference company has been issued an account by the information system 100.

[0078] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure for the reference data acquisition process. The reference data acquisition process is executed in response to a reference request from a reference user for data on a registered company. The reference user instructs the reference terminal 2 to request information on the registered company. The control unit 21 of the reference terminal 2 transmits the acquisition request to the server 1 (step S71). The control unit 11 of the server 1 receives the acquisition request (step S72). The control unit 11 refers to the confirmation item DB 124 and determines whether confirmation from the registered company is required before providing data to the reference company (step S73). If the control unit 11 determines that confirmation from the registered company is not required (NO in step S73), it refers to the reference authority DB 123 and acquires condition information for determining whether the reference company has reference authority to the registered company's data (step S74). Based on the acquired condition information, the control unit 11 determines whether the reference company is permitted to access the registered company's data (step S75). If the control unit 11 determines that the reference company is permitted to access the registered company's data based on the acquired condition information (YES in step S75), it acquires the registered company's data (step S76). The control unit 11 creates a screen with the acquired data embedded (step S77). The control unit 11 transmits the created screen to the reference terminal 2 (step S78). The control unit 21 of the reference terminal 2 receives and displays the screen (step S79). The control unit 21 ends the process.

[0079] If the control unit 11 determines that the reference company is not permitted to be referenced based on the acquired condition information (NO in step S75), it creates a screen notifying the denial (step S80). The control unit 11 then proceeds to step S78.

[0080] If the control unit 11 determines that confirmation is required from the registered company (YES in step S73), it sends a notification to the existing terminal 2 requesting an answer as to whether or not to allow the referencing company to access its company data (step S81). The control unit 21 of the existing terminal 2 receives the notification (step S82). Communication means such as email, push notification, messaging service, etc. can be used as the notification means. The existing user inputs the answer into the existing terminal 2. The control unit 21 of the existing terminal 2 sends the answer to the server 1 (step S83). The control unit 11 of the server 1 receives the answer (step S84). If the answer indicates that access is permitted, the answer is an example of an intention to disclose. The control unit 11 moves the process to step S75.

[0081] Reference companies pay a set fee in exchange for accessing the registered company's data. Possible fee plans include a fixed monthly plan, a flat-rate + pay-as-you-go plan, and a fully pay-as-you-go plan. A fixed monthly plan is a plan that allows users to access registered company data within a set range without limiting the number of times or the amount of data they access. A flat-rate + pay-as-you-go plan is a plan that allows users to access a predetermined standard amount (for example, 50 data accesses per month) for a set fee, and any data exceeding that amount is charged on a pay-as-you-go basis based on a set unit price. A fully pay-as-you-go plan is a plan in which reference companies are not charged a basic fee and are charged only for the amount of data they actually access.

[0082] In addition to the effects of the first and second embodiments, this embodiment has the following effects. By allowing reference companies to reference data on registered companies, it is possible to increase the utility value of the information system 100. Furthermore, by charging the reference companies, it is possible to increase the sales of the information system 100. Note that a portion of the usage fees collected from the reference companies may be distributed to the registered companies referenced by the reference companies.

[0083] (Fourth embodiment) This embodiment relates to a form of providing evaluations of registered companies. When the information system 100 comes to have non-financial information of a large number of companies, the information system 100 will be regarded as having functional properties similar to systems that provide credit investigation information. In this case, it is expected that the information system 100 will also be required to provide evaluation information. The function of providing such evaluation information will be described below.

[0084] FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an evaluation value DB. The evaluation value DB 125 stores evaluation values ​​for registered companies. The evaluation DB 125 is included in the basic DB, for example. The evaluation value DB 125 includes a company ID column, a GHG emissions column, an employee column, and a diversity column. Each column further includes multiple columns.

[0085] The GHG emissions column is an example of an evaluation item in the environmental field. The GHG emissions column includes the Scope 1 and 2 emissions column, the Target and Basis column, and the Transparency and Consistency column. The Scope 1 and 2 emissions column stores an evaluation score based on the CO2 emissions per 100 million yen in sales. For example, if the emissions are less than 10 t-CO2 / 100 million yen, the score is 20, and if the emissions are between 10 t and 30 t, the score is 5. The Target and Basis column stores an evaluation score based on the presence or absence of SBTi certification and the emission reduction rate plan. For example, if SBTi certification is obtained, the score is 20, and if not obtained and there is no reduction plan, the score is 0. The Transparency and Consistency column stores an evaluation score based on the compliance with disclosure guidelines such as GRI and TCFD. For example, full compliance with the guidelines is 10 points, partial compliance is 5 points, and undisclosed is 0 points.

[0086] The employee column is an example of an evaluation item in the social domain. The employee column includes a female manager ratio column, a foreign nationality ratio column, and a training system column. The female manager ratio column stores an evaluation score based on the percentage of women among all managers. For example, if the female manager ratio is 50% or higher, it is assigned 20 points, if it is 30% or higher but less than 50%, it is assigned 10 points, and if it is less than 10%, it is assigned 0 points. The foreign nationality ratio column stores an evaluation score based on the percentage of foreign national employees or minority employees among all employees. For example, if the ratio is above the industry average, it is assigned 10 points, and if it is below the industry average, it is assigned 0 to 5 points depending on the degree of deviation. The training system column stores an evaluation score based on whether or not a company has a written diversity policy and how often diversity training is conducted. For example, if a company has a written policy and conducts training at least once a year, it is assigned 10 points. If a company has a written policy but conducts no training, it is assigned 5 points. If neither of these is met, it is assigned 0 points.

[0087] The diversity column is an example of an evaluation item in the governance field. This column includes the independent director ratio column, the director diversity column, and the director literacy column. The independent director ratio column stores an evaluation score based on the percentage of independent outside directors among all directors. For example, if independent outside directors account for 50% or more, a score of 20 is assigned; if they are between 30% and 50%, a score of 10 is assigned; and if they are less than 30%, a score of 0 is assigned. The director diversity column stores an evaluation score based on the number and composition of female directors or foreign directors. For example, if there are two or more female directors or foreign directors, a score of 10 is assigned; if there is one female director or foreign director, a score of 5 is assigned; and if there are none, a score of 0 is assigned. The director literacy column stores an evaluation score based on indicators such as whether directors have ESG-related work experience, whether an ESG committee or sustainability committee is in place, etc. For example, if there is a committee and multiple directors with work experience, a score of 10 is assigned; if there is a committee or directors with work experience, a score of 5 is assigned; and if there is no committee and no directors with work experience, a score of 0 is assigned.

[0088] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure for evaluation processing. The evaluation processing is a process for evaluating a company based on financial and non-financial information entered by the company. For example, the evaluation processing is executed when the server 1 detects that a company has entered or updated its own company data. The evaluation processing may be started in response to an instruction from the company. It may also be executed periodically as a batch process.

[0089] The control unit 11 of the server 1 sets the scope of the processing target (step S91). For example, if the processing is initiated by a company's instruction, the scope of the evaluation is set to that company. Furthermore, if data is input or updated, the evaluation targets the evaluation items that use or are expected to use the data as an indicator. The control unit 11 selects the evaluation items to be processed (step S92). The control unit 11 acquires the data necessary for the evaluation of the selected evaluation items (step S93). As described above, for the evaluation item "Scope 1 / 2 emissions," the control unit 11 acquires sales from the financial information DB and CO2 emissions from the non-financial information DB. The control unit 11 determines whether there is sufficient data (step S94). If the control unit 11 determines that there is sufficient data (NO in step S94), the control unit 11 executes the evaluation (step S95). For example, for Scope 1 / 2 emissions, the control unit 11 calculates the CO2 emissions per 100 million yen in sales from the acquired sales and CO2 emissions, and assigns a score based on a predetermined threshold. The control unit 11 stores the evaluation score in the evaluation value DB 125 (step S96). The control unit 11 determines whether there are any unprocessed evaluation items (step S97). If the control unit 11 determines that there are any unprocessed evaluation items (YES in step S97), the control unit 11 returns the process to step S92. If the control unit 11 determines that there are no unprocessed evaluation items (NO in step S97), the process ends.

[0090] If the control unit 11 determines that there is insufficient data (YES in step S94), it sends an inquiry to the company's terminal 2 (step S98). The control unit 21 of the terminal 2 receives the inquiry (step S99). The company employee inputs a response to the inquiry into the terminal 2. The control unit 21 accepts the response (step S100). The control unit 21 sends the response to the server 1 (step S101). The control unit 11 of the server 1 receives the response (step S102). The control unit 11 again determines whether there is insufficient data (step S103). If the control unit 11 determines that there is insufficient data (NO in step S103), it moves the process to step S95. If the control unit 11 determines that there is insufficient data (YES in step S103), it stores a message that scoring was not possible due to insufficient data (step S104). Alternatively, the control unit 11 may store a default value (middle score, median, industry average, etc.) when no evaluation score is given. The control unit 11 executes step S97 and subsequent steps.

[0091] Although the data used for evaluation is insufficient, the data is inquired from the company, but this is not limited to this. For example, the data may be obtained from another system using an API (Application Programming Interface). Also, although it is assumed that the server 1 evaluates all items, some of the evaluation items may be entrusted to experts in the field or evaluation agencies. Furthermore, the information system 100 may be configured to audit the stored financial information and non-financial information, as well as the validity of the evaluation based on them, and provide the audit results together.

[0092] In addition to the effects of the first to third embodiments, this embodiment has the following effects. The information system 100 not only provides non-financial information about a company, but also provides an evaluation of the company based on the company information including the non-financial information, making it possible to compare multiple companies. Furthermore, similar to credit investigation information, the evaluation provided by the information system 100 can be used to analyze the creditworthiness of a company and quantitatively grasp the risk.

[0093] Although the present invention has been described above using embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements can be made to the above embodiments. It is clear from the claims that such modifications and improvements can also be included within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0094] It should be noted that the execution order of each process, such as operations, procedures, steps, and stages, in the devices, systems, programs, and methods shown in the claims, specifications, and drawings is not specifically stated as "before," "prior to," etc., and that the processes can be performed in any order unless the output of a previous process is used in a subsequent process. Even if the operational flow in the claims, specifications, and drawings is described using "first," "next," etc. for convenience, this does not mean that the processes must be performed in this order.

[0095] Furthermore, aspects of each embodiment may be embodied in whole or in part by a computer. As an example of such a computer, a program installed on the computer can cause the computer to perform operations associated with an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention or to function as one or more "parts" of the apparatus. Alternatively, the program can cause the computer to execute the operations or one or more "parts." The program can cause the computer to execute a process or steps of the process according to an embodiment of the present invention. Such a program may be executed by a CPU to cause the computer to perform specific operations associated with some or all of the blocks in the flowcharts and block diagrams described herein. [Explanation of symbols]

[0096] 100: Information Systems 10: Sustainability ERP System 20: User companies 30: Information provider 40: Collaboration system 50: Formulating body 60: Host organization 70: Cloud services 80: Information site 90: Stakeholders 1: Server 11: Control section 12: Storage section 121: Account DB 122: Corporate DB 123: Reference authority DB 124: Confirmation item DB 13: Communications Department 14: Reading unit 1P: Program 1a: Portable storage medium 2: Terminal 2P: Program 21: Control unit 22: Storage section 23: Communications Department 24: Input section 25:Display section B: Bus N: Network

Claims

1. A computer that can access the storage unit Obtaining non-financial information from a second business operator at the request of a first business operator; The acquired non-financial information is associated with identification information of the second business operator and stored in the storage unit; When receiving the intention to disclose from the second business, generating authority information including a reference authority to the non-financial information associated with identification information of the second business; storing the generated authority information in the storage unit; The user type stored in the storage unit in association with the identification information of the second business operator is updated. Information processing method for processing.

2. The non-financial information includes multiple data items, values ​​of the same data item at multiple points in time, or both; When receiving, from the second business operator, a request for input of the data item not based on a request from the first business operator or a request for input of the data item at a time not based on a request from the first business operator, the user type is updated and then the input request is accepted. The information processing method according to claim 1, wherein processing is performed.

3. When a request to reference the non-financial information regarding the second business operator is received from a third business operator, determining whether or not the request can be referenced based on the authority information; If it is determined that the non-financial information is accessible, the non-financial information regarding the second business operator is transmitted to the third business operator; generating billing information for the third business; Output the generated billing information 3. The information processing method according to claim 1.

4. The authority information includes identification information of a business operator that is not allowed to access the information, and whether or not the third business operator is allowed to access the information is determined based on the identification information. The information processing method according to claim 3 .

5. The authority information includes a confirmation condition for confirming with the second business operator each time, and if the confirmation condition is met, the second business operator determines whether the third business operator is allowed to access the information. The information processing method according to claim 3 .

6. obtaining evaluation information of the second business operator based on the non-financial information; The acquired evaluation information is stored in the storage unit in association with identification information of the second business operator.

3. The information processing method according to claim 1.

7. A computer that can access the storage unit Obtaining non-financial information from a second business operator at the request of a first business operator; The acquired non-financial information is associated with identification information of the second business operator and stored in the storage unit; When a reference request is received from the second business operator, generating authority information including a reference authority to the non-financial information associated with identification information of the second business operator; storing the generated authority information in the storage unit; The user type stored in the storage unit in association with the identification information of the second business operator is updated. An information processing program that executes processing.

8. An information processing device including a control unit and capable of accessing a storage unit, The control unit Obtaining non-financial information from a second business operator at the request of a first business operator; The acquired non-financial information is associated with identification information of the second business operator and stored in the storage unit; When a reference request is received from the second business operator, generating authority information including a reference authority to the non-financial information associated with identification information of the second business operator; storing the generated authority information in the storage unit; The user type stored in the storage unit in association with the identification information of the second business operator is updated. An information processing device that executes processing.

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