Information processing device and information processing method

Abstract

To reduce the time and efforts required for inputting product information.SOLUTION: An information processing device: accepts identification information of first products and information on a second platform from a terminal of a first company which has not registered first products in a first platform and has registered the first products in a second platform; transmits a disclosure request for information on the first products to the second platform; receives information on the first products and information on one or more second companies which are one or more second product companies located upstream of the first products from the second platform; registers information on the first products in the first platform in association with the first companies; and generates a tentative account in the first platform for at least some second companies or registers information on the second companies in the first platform in association with the first companies.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 23

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] A system has been proposed that allows vendor companies and customer companies to share information about traded products (for example, Patent Document 1). This system allows adjacent companies in a supply chain to share information via a common platform. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-171146 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The purpose of the present disclosure is to reduce the effort required to enter product information. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure is receiving identification information of the first product and information about the second platform from a terminal of a first company that has not registered information about the first product in a first platform but has already registered information about the first product in a second platform different from the first platform; sending a disclosure request for information about the first product to the second platform, the disclosure request including the identification information of the first product; receiving, in response to the disclosure request, information about the first product and information about one or more second companies that are companies of one or more second products upstream from the first product, from the second platform; registering information about the first product in association with the first company on the first platform; creating a virtual account on the first platform for at least some of the second companies and / or registering information about the second companies on the first platform in association with the first company; The information processing device includes a control unit configured to execute the above.

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure is The computer receiving identification information of the first product and information about the second platform from a terminal of a first company that has not registered information about the first product in a first platform but has already registered information about the first product in a second platform different from the first platform; sending a disclosure request for information about the first product to the second platform, the disclosure request including the identification information of the first product; receiving, in response to the disclosure request, information about the first product and information about one or more second companies that are companies of one or more second products upstream from the first product, from the second platform; registering information about the first product in association with the first company on the first platform; creating a virtual account on the first platform for at least some of the second companies and / or registering information about the second companies on the first platform in association with the first company; This is an information processing method for performing the above.

[0007] Another aspect of the present disclosure is a program for causing a computer to execute the processing in the information processing device described above, and a storage medium that non-temporarily stores the program. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present disclosure, the effort required to input product information can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a supply chain according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the relationship between products supplied through a supply chain. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an outline of processing performed between a company terminal and a server device. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of a server device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of a company terminal according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a software configuration diagram of a server device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a software configuration diagram of a company terminal according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] 10 is an example of product information generated by a product information generation unit. [Figure 9] 10 is an example of a screen output by an authority setting unit. [Figure 10] 10 is an example of permission information generated by an authority setting unit based on input information. [Figure 11] 10 is an example of a user interface including a list of potential products to link to. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a flow of processing executed by a server device. [Figure 13] A diagram explaining the product tree and the amount of carbon dioxide emitted in each process. [Figure 14] An example of a screen that displays the product tree as an image. [Figure 15] An example of a product tree when products without access rights are not disclosed. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating the processing performed by the server device and the company terminal in the first to third phases. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating the processing performed by the server device and the company terminal in the fourth phase. [Figure 18] A diagram illustrating an example of the relationship between products in two supply chains. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of product information generated by an information collection unit or a proxy input unit. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a case where a storage area corresponding to a virtual account of a second company is generated in the storage unit. [Figure 21] This is a diagram showing a case where storage space is allocated so that information about the second product is managed by the first company. [Figure 22] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the storage unit when the storage area is allocated to a second company. [Figure 23] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a processing flow in which the first server device acquires first product information and second company information from the second server device. [Figure 24] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a second product registration process performed in the first server device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Carbon Footprint of Products (CFP) is a system that converts the greenhouse gas emissions emitted throughout the entire life cycle of a product, from raw material procurement to disposal and recycling, into CO2 and displays it on the product. In order to realize CFP, it is necessary to record each supplier involved in the product's life cycle, from raw material procurement to disposal and recycling. Traceability, which records data and makes it possible to track its history, is important. On the other hand, if a supplier delivers products to multiple companies, different platforms may be used for each delivery destination, even if the target product is the same. In this case, the supplier is required to enter the same information into each platform, which is time-consuming. Note that this problem does not occur only when collecting carbon footprints. For example, this problem can occur in any situation where any information about a product is collected, such as other traceability-related information (e.g., raw material recycling rate, due diligence information, etc.) or other product information (e.g., components, identification information, etc.).

[0011] Therefore, an information processing device that is one aspect of the present disclosure includes a control unit configured to perform the following: receive identification information of a first product and information about the second platform from a terminal of a first company that has not registered information about the first product on a first platform but has already registered information about the first product on a second platform different from the first platform; send a disclosure request for information about the first product, the disclosure request including the identification information of the first product, to the second platform; receive information about the first product and information about one or more second companies that are companies of one or more second products that are located upstream from the first product, from the second platform in response to the disclosure request; register the information about the first product on the first platform in association with the first company; and generate virtual accounts on the first platform for at least some of the second companies, and register information about the second companies on the first platform in association with the first company.

[0012] The first platform and the second platform are platforms that manage information about each company's products. Each of the first platform and the second platform manages a supply chain. Products from multiple companies belong to each supply chain. The first product of the first company is a product that makes up a supply chain together with products from other companies and is a product that is already registered on the second platform. The first product of the first company is a product that is about to join the first platform. The second product of the second company is a product that makes up a supply chain together with products from other companies and is a product that is already registered on the second platform.

[0013] The first product of the first company encompasses the second product of the second company. There may be multiple second products. The first product is a product closer to the root node than the second product. For example, the second product may be used in the manufacturing process of the first product. Furthermore, the first product and the second product may be the same product. In this case, for example, the first company may be the company that transports the first product. Furthermore, the first product and the second product may be, for example, materials, individual parts, assembly parts, or finished products. However, since information about the first company's first product is not registered in the first platform, it is desirable to register information about the first product to ensure traceability. Therefore, the control unit registers the first product in the first platform using information about the first product registered in the second platform.

[0014] The control unit receives the identification information of the first product and information about the second platform from the terminal of the first company. The information about the first product has already been entered in the second platform. The control unit transmits a disclosure request for information about the second product to the second platform. At this time, the disclosure request including the identification information of the first product is transmitted to the second platform. The second platform, having received this disclosure request, transmits information about the first product to the first platform. In this way, the control unit can obtain information about the first product, and can register the information about the first product in the first platform. This can be done.

[0015] The control unit then associates the information about the first product with the first company and registers it in the first platform. In this way, the information about the first product can be registered based on the information received from the first company, ensuring traceability. Also, the first company can reduce the effort required to input information about the first product.

[0016] The control unit also receives information about one or more second companies that are companies of one or more second products located upstream of the first product. To ensure traceability, it is preferable to register not only information about the first product but also information about second products located upstream of the first product in the first platform. Therefore, the control unit also receives information about the second companies. The control unit may then create a virtual account in the first platform for the second company. Creating a virtual account corresponding to the second company makes it easier for the second company to participate in the platform. The control unit may also associate information about the second company with the first company and register it in the first platform. This allows the information about the second company to be used in the first platform. Furthermore, if information about the second company is stored in the first platform in advance, it makes it easier for the second company to participate in the first platform.

[0017] The information processing device may be a server of the first platform. Alternatively, the information processing device may be a server independent of the first platform that provides information obtained from the second platform to the first platform.

[0018] Furthermore, the information about the first product may include traceability-related information about the first product. The traceability-related information is information required to ensure traceability. The traceability-related information is typically information for calculating greenhouse gas emissions, raw material recycling rates, due diligence scores, or the like. This saves the first company the trouble of inputting multiple pieces of traceability-related information about the first product.

[0019] The traceability-related information may also include information on greenhouse gas emissions. This saves the first company the trouble of inputting greenhouse gas emissions related to the first product multiple times. The information on greenhouse gas emissions related to the first product may be information on the total amount of greenhouse gases emitted until the first product is obtained, or may be information on the amount of greenhouse gases emitted in connection with the manufacturing activities of the first product at the first company.

[0020] The control unit may further be configured to acquire information about the locations of the first platform and the second platform, and convert the information about the greenhouse gas emissions according to the relationship between the locations of the first platform and the second platform. Registering the information about the first product may include registering the converted information about the greenhouse gas emissions in association with the first company. Here, if the location of the first platform and the location of the second platform are different, it is conceivable that the utilization rate of renewable energy among the supplied energy will differ. As a result, even when the same product is manufactured, the greenhouse gas emissions may differ depending on the location. In response to this, converting the amount of greenhouse gases according to the location can improve the accuracy of the CFP. Furthermore, registering the converted information about the greenhouse gas emissions in association with the first company can ensure traceability. The platform location may be used to store traceability information. For example, even if a Japanese platform is configured with a server located outside Japan, the location of the platform is Japan, not the location where the server is located.

[0021] Furthermore, the control unit can perform at least one of the transmission and the reception via a predetermined connector. Different connectors may be used for the first platform and the second platform. By using the predetermined connector corresponding to each platform, information can be transmitted and received between the platforms.

[0022] Furthermore, the information about the second company may include information about the second product, and registering the information about the second company may include registering the information about the second product in association with the first company as a proxy applicant for information about the second product. Registering the second product in association with the first company may subject the first company to responsibility for managing information about the second product. However, this increases the first company's management responsibility for the second product, which is not its own product. Therefore, by registering the second product with the first company as a proxy applicant, the first company may not be held responsible for managing information about the second product. For example, the first platform may store contact information for the second company, and the first platform may automatically contact the second company to manage the information. Alternatively, by registering the first company as an administrator, the first company may modify information about the second product or request the first company to modify information about the second product.

[0023] Furthermore, the information about the first product that the control unit receives from the second platform may be information for which the scope of disclosure is specified by the terminal of the first company. Since the first company can specify the scope of disclosure, for example, it becomes possible not to disclose information whose disclosure is restricted by law or confidential information, thereby increasing convenience for the first company.

[0024] Furthermore, when the control unit executes the creation of a temporary account in the first platform, the control unit may assign the temporary account created in the first platform to the second company as a regular account in response to receiving a message from the terminal of the first company or the terminal of the second company indicating that the second company has agreed to participate in the first platform. In other words, when the second company joins the first platform, assigning the temporary account as a regular account makes it easier for the second company to join the first platform. Furthermore, the first platform does not need to create a new account. The message indicating that the second company has agreed to participate in the first platform may be sent directly from the terminal of the second company to the first platform or may be sent via the first company.

[0025] Furthermore, the information about the second company may include information about the second product, and a storage area storing information about the second product may be associated with the first company before the authorized account is assigned to the second company. After the authorized account is assigned to the second company, the association of the storage area may be transferred from the first company to the second company. Transferring the association of the storage area from the first company to the second company eliminates the need for the second company to register information about the second product on the first platform. This makes it easier for the second company to join the first platform. Alternatively, after the authorized account is assigned, information about the second product may be deleted from the storage area associated with the first company, and information about the second product may be newly stored in the storage area associated with the second company.

[0026] The first product and the second product may be products related to batteries. The first product and the second product may be products used in manufacturing the battery, thereby ensuring traceability of the battery.

[0027] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The configurations of the following embodiments are examples, and the present disclosure is not limited to the configurations of the embodiments. Furthermore, the following embodiments can be combined as much as possible.

[0028] First Embodiment The system according to this embodiment is a system that provides information about products supplied through a supply chain that includes multiple companies. The information about products is typically information about traceability.

[0029] First, the structure of the supply chain will be described. In one example, at least some of the companies (intermediate suppliers) included in the supply chain may receive parts from one or more upstream companies, produce their own products using the received parts, and deliver the produced products to companies in the next process (downstream companies). The most upstream company may directly produce its own products and deliver the produced products to companies in the next process. Some companies in the supply chain may deliver products received from other companies directly to other companies (i.e., be involved in distribution). Multiple companies repeat this process, and the final product is obtained in the final process.

[0030] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a supply chain according to this embodiment. The example in FIG. 1 assumes a situation in which automobile-related products are obtained. Specifically, the supply chain shown in FIG. 1 includes an OEM company and multiple supplier companies. The OEM company is a company that assembles final products, and the multiple supplier companies (Companies A to C) are companies that supply parts, materials, assemblies, etc. for manufacturing the final products. The multiple supplier companies each produce multiple products and deliver the products to a company one level below them. The multiple companies repeat this process, and the final product is assembled in the final process.

[0031] In this embodiment, the side that delivers products in a certain hierarchy is referred to as the upstream side, and the side that purchases the products and produces new products is referred to as the downstream side. In this specification, a company located on the upstream side is referred to as an upstream company, and a company located on the downstream side is referred to as a downstream company. Furthermore, products produced by upstream companies are referred to as upstream products, and products produced by downstream companies are referred to as downstream products. Downstream products include upstream products.

[0032] In this embodiment, the layers in the supply chain are called Tiers. Tier 0 is the lowest layer (corresponding to OEM companies) that assembles the final product. As you move through Tier 1, 2, and 3, you move upstream. For example, Company B, which is in Tier 2, is a downstream company in relation to Tier 3, but an upstream company in relation to Tier 1. In this way, upstream and downstream companies The definition may vary from one level to another.

[0033] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the relationship between products supplied by a supply chain. Here, the supply relationship between multiple products that make up final product X is represented by a tree diagram. In this example, final product X is produced by assembling products A1, B1, C1, D1, etc. Product A1 is produced by assembling products A11, A12, A13, etc. In this way, the relationship between multiple products that make up a final product can be represented by a tree diagram in which each product is a node. Hereinafter, a tree diagram related to a specific final product will be referred to as a product tree. In one example, final product X is a battery installed in an electric vehicle (BEV: Battery Electric Vehicle). In another example, final product X is a vehicle, an automobile assembly line, etc. The product may be related to automobiles such as automobiles.

[0034] The server device 1 according to this embodiment collects information about the products produced by each company (hereinafter referred to as product information) and information for linking the product information from terminals (company terminals 2) corresponding to each company, and generates such a product tree based on this information. The product information also includes information about traceability (such as information about greenhouse gas emissions, hereinafter referred to as "traceability-related information"), and tracing the product tree makes it possible to track carbon footprints, etc. Note that the traceability-related information may include any information that can be used to ensure traceability.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 1, an information processing system according to an example of this embodiment includes a server device 1 and multiple company terminals 2. The company terminals 2 are terminals corresponding to each of the multiple companies that make up the supply chain. The system may include multiple company terminals 2. The server device 1 collects information for generating a product tree from each of the multiple company terminals 2, and generates the product tree based on this information. Furthermore, the server device 1 can execute traceability-related processes (typically, processes for calculating carbon dioxide emissions, etc.) based on the generated product tree. The server device 1 can also transmit the results of the processes to the company terminals 2.

[0036] Next, an overview of the process by which the server device 1 generates a product tree will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an overview of the process performed between the company terminal 2 and the server device 1. In the example of Fig. 3, it is assumed that there are a downstream company A and an upstream company B at an arbitrary level. It is assumed that company B produces product B and delivers it to company A, and company A produces product A using product B. That is, in the example of Fig. 3, product B is a child node of product A on the product tree.

[0037] To generate a product tree, a company terminal 2 corresponding to each company transmits information about the products that the company produces to the server device 1. In this example, the company terminal 2 corresponding to company A transmits product information about product A (referred to as product information A) to the server device 1. Similarly, the company terminal 2 corresponding to company B transmits product information about product B (referred to as product information B) to the server device 1. The product information of each company is stored in the server device 1.

[0038] The operation for linking the product information stored in the server device 1 is performed by the company terminal 2. In one example, a person in charge of a downstream company logs in to the server device 1 from the company terminal 2 using the account of the downstream company and selects an upstream product to be linked to the downstream product, which is the company's product. In this way, the linking of the product information is performed from the downstream product to the upstream product. The server device 1 links the product information based on the selection.

[0039] However, if all products in the supply chain and information about those products are presented as options when selecting a product to link to, the confidentiality of information about the companies that make up the supply chain and the products they produce will be compromised.Furthermore, it may not be appropriate to disclose the entire product tree to a single supplier.

[0040] Therefore, the server device 1 according to this embodiment grants the downstream company access rights to the product information of the upstream product in advance in response to a request from the upstream company. The server device 1 allows the downstream company to access the product information within the scope of the granted rights.

[0041] In the example of FIG. 3, the company terminal 2 corresponding to company B, which is an upstream company, transmits to the server device 1 a request (information) instructing "to grant company A access rights to product information B." When the server device 1 receives a linking request from the company terminal 2 corresponding to company A, it provides only a list of product information for which company A has been granted access rights, allowing company A to select it as a linking destination. Also, when there is a product tree reference request from the company terminal 2 corresponding to company A, the server device 1 provides the company terminal 2 with a product tree in which all information other than that for which company A has been granted access rights is concealed. This makes it possible to conceal information about unrelated companies and products.

[0042] [Hardware configuration] Next, the hardware configuration of each device constituting the system will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the server device 1 according to this embodiment. The server device 1 is configured as a computer having a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a communication module 13, and an input / output device 14.

[0043] The server device 1 can be configured as a computer having a processor (CPU, GPU, etc.), a main memory device (RAM, ROM, etc.), and an auxiliary memory device (EPROM, hard disk drive, removable media, etc.). The auxiliary memory device stores an operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, etc., and by executing the programs stored therein, various functions (software modules) that meet predetermined purposes, as described below, can be realized. However, some or all of the modules may be realized as hardware modules using hardware circuits such as ASICs and FPGAs.

[0044] The control unit 11 is a computing unit that executes predetermined programs to realize various functions of the server device 1. The control unit 11 can be realized by, for example, a hardware processor such as a CPU. The control unit 11 may also be configured to include RAM, ROM (Read Only Memory), cache memory, etc.

[0045] The storage unit 12 is a means for storing information and is configured with storage media such as RAM, a magnetic disk, and a flash memory. The storage unit 12 stores programs executed by the control unit 11, data used by the programs, and the like. The storage unit 12 also has a database built therein, which stores product information collected from multiple company terminals 2 and account information related to the companies. Details will be described later.

[0046] The communication module 13 is a communication interface for connecting the server device 1 to a network. The communication module 13 may be configured to include, for example, a network interface board, a wireless communication interface for wireless communication, etc. The server device 1 can perform data communication with other computers (for example, other server devices 1 or each company terminal 2) via the communication module 13.

[0047] The input / output device 14 is a means for receiving input operations performed by an operator and presenting information to the operator. Specifically, the input / output device 14 includes devices for input such as a mouse and a keyboard, and devices for output such as a display and a speaker. The input / output device may be integrally configured with, for example, a touch panel display.

[0048] The specific hardware configuration of the server device 1 can be such that components are omitted, replaced, or added as appropriate depending on the embodiment. For example, the control unit 11 may include multiple hardware processors. The hardware processor may be configured with a microprocessor, FPGA, GPU, or the like. The input / output device 14 may be omitted, or an input / output device other than the exemplified one (for example, an optical drive, etc.) may be added. The server device 1 may also be configured with multiple computers. In this case, the hardware configuration of each computer may be may or may not match.

[0049] 5 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the company terminal 2 according to this embodiment. The company terminal 2 is configured as a computer having a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, a communication module 23, and an input / output device 24.

[0050] The company terminal 2 can be configured as a computer having a processor (CPU, GPU, etc.), a main memory device (RAM, ROM, etc.), and an auxiliary memory device (EPROM, hard disk drive, removable media, etc.), similar to the server device 1. However, some or all of the functions (software modules) may be realized as hardware modules using hardware circuits such as ASIC, FPGA, etc.

[0051] The control unit 21 is a computing unit that executes a predetermined program to realize various functions (software modules) of the company terminal 2. The control unit 21 can be realized by a hardware processor such as a CPU. The control unit 21 may also be configured to include RAM, ROM (Read Only Memory), cache memory, etc.

[0052] The storage unit 22 is a means for storing information, and is configured with storage media such as RAM, a magnetic disk, a flash memory, etc. The storage unit 22 stores programs executed by the control unit 21, data used by the programs, etc.

[0053] The communication module 23 is a communication interface for connecting the company terminal 2 to a network. The communication module 23 may be configured to include, for example, a network interface board, a wireless communication interface for wireless communication, etc. The company terminal 2 can perform data communication with other computers (for example, the server device 1) via the communication module 23.

[0054] The input / output device 24 is a means for receiving input operations performed by an operator and presenting information to the operator. Specifically, the input / output device 24 includes devices for input such as a mouse and a keyboard, and devices for output such as a display and a speaker. The input / output device may be integrally configured with, for example, a touch panel display.

[0055] As with the server device 1, the specific hardware configuration of the company terminal 2 may be such that components are omitted, replaced, or added as appropriate depending on the embodiment.

[0056] [Software configuration] Next, the software configuration of each device constituting the system will be described with reference to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of the software configuration of the server device 1 according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, the control unit 11 is configured to have six software modules: an information collection unit 111, an authority setting unit 112, a linking unit 113, an information provision unit 114, a connector unit 115, and a proxy input unit 116. Each software module may be realized by the control unit 11 (CPU) executing a program stored in the storage unit 12. Note that the information processing performed by the information collection unit 111, the authority setting unit 112, the linking unit 113, the information provision unit 114, the connector unit 115, and the proxy input unit 116 below is synonymous with the information processing performed by the control unit 11.

[0057] The information collection unit 111 is configured to receive product information transmitted from the company terminal 2 and to execute a process of storing the product information in the storage unit 12. The authority setting unit 112 is configured to receive information for setting access authority to the product information (hereinafter, permission information) from the company terminal 2. Furthermore, the authority setting unit 112 sets the access authority to the product information in the storage unit 12 based on the received information. The system is configured to execute a process for setting access permissions for the product information stored in the system.

[0058] The linking unit 113 is configured to interact with the company terminal 2 and acquire information for linking product information from the company terminal 2. Furthermore, the linking unit 113 is configured to execute a process of writing information representing a linking relationship for the product information stored in the storage unit 12 based on the acquired information. The linking unit 113 is also configured to receive a request to assign terminal information and, in response to the request, execute a process of assigning terminal information to the product information stored in the storage unit 12. A product tree is formed by reflecting the linking and terminal assignment. In other words, the formation of the product tree is performed by storing the linking information and terminal information in the storage unit 12. The linking unit 113 is configured to generate a product tree according to the results of the linking and terminal assignment.

[0059] The information providing unit 114 is configured to perform information processing related to the product tree and output the results of the information processing. The information processing related to the product tree may include processing for performing calculations related to traceability for the product tree. Outputting the results of the information processing may include processing for providing information related to the generated product tree to the company terminal 2. In one example, the information providing unit 114 is configured to generate information related to the product tree and output the generated information related to the product tree.

[0060] The connector unit 115 includes an application used for communication related to the platform. Communication between multiple server devices 1 may be performed via the connector unit 115. The connector unit 115 may be configured to perform processing related to data communication, such as authentication and communication encryption. The connector unit 115 may also be configured to control access to each piece of data based on rules such as laws, regulations, and contracts. In one example, the connector unit 115 may be an application used for communication related to the platform, such as an IDS (International Data Spaces) connector or an EDC (Eclipse Dataspace Connector).

[0061] The proxy input unit 116 is configured to receive product information transmitted from another platform and to execute a process of storing the product information in the storage unit 12.

[0062] In this embodiment, the storage unit 12 is configured to include multiple logical storage areas. Different access permissions can be set for each of the multiple storage areas, such as an area to which access permission is granted to company A, an area to which access permission is granted to company B, or an area to which access permission is granted to both companies A and B. The permission setting unit 112 sets the access permission by storing the product information received from the company terminal 2 in an appropriate storage area. A specific processing method will be described later.

[0063] Furthermore, the storage unit 12 stores account information. In this embodiment, an operator of each company logs in to the server device 1 using the account of the corresponding company via the company terminal 2, thereby allowing interaction between the server device 1 and the company terminal 2. The account information is information relating to the account corresponding to each company that makes up the supply chain. Note that logging in using an account is an example of accessing the server device 1 as the corresponding company. However, the method of accessing the server device 1 is not limited to this example, and may be selected as appropriate depending on the embodiment.

[0064] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a schematic software configuration of the company terminal 2 according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, the control unit 21 is configured to have four software modules: a product information generation unit 211, an authority setting unit 212, a linking request unit 213, an information acquisition unit 214, and a management unit 215. Each software module may be realized by the control unit 21 (CPU) executing a program stored in the storage unit 22. Note that the following product information The information processing executed by the generation unit 211, the authority setting unit 212, the linking request unit 213, the information acquisition unit 214, and the management unit 215 is synonymous with the information processing executed by the control unit 21.

[0065] The product information generation unit 211 is configured to generate information (product information) about the products of the company corresponding to the company terminal 2. FIG. 8 is an example of product information generated by the product information generation unit 211. The product information may be input via an operator of the device. In this embodiment, the product information is configured to have fields for company ID, company name, product ID, and product name. The company ID and company name are the identifier and name of the company that produces the target product (i.e., the company that uses the company terminal 2). The product ID and product name are the identifier and name of the target product.

[0066] Furthermore, the product information is configured to include linking-related information. The linking-related information is information for identifying upstream products that are linked to the target product. In this embodiment, the linking-related information includes fields for "upstream product information" and "termination flag."

[0067] The upstream product information field is configured to store information for identifying product information corresponding to an upstream product linked to the target product (i.e., a product that is necessary to produce the target product and is included in the target product). The upstream product information field is used when the server device 1 links products together. Basically, at the stage when the product information is generated, the target product is not linked to an upstream product, so the upstream product information field does not need to store a value indicating the upstream product.

[0068] The terminal flag field is configured to store a flag indicating whether the target product is a leaf node, i.e., the node located at the most upstream (end) in the product tree. In this embodiment, since multiple company terminals 2 transmit product information, this flag is used to determine whether a product in the product tree is linked to another product upstream or whether no further linking will occur (whether the target product is located at the most upstream). In other words, the terminal flag field is used when the server device 1 determines the linking between products. Basically, at the stage when product information is generated, the linking relationship of the target product is not determined, so the terminal flag field may store "0 (not currently the terminal)." Finally, to generate the product tree, the product information of each company stored in the server device 1 is set to either "linked to an upstream product" or "terminal flag set to '1'."

[0069] Furthermore, the product information is configured to include traceability-related information. In one example, the traceability-related information may include the amount of materials (e.g., upstream products) used per unit production volume of the product, information on the recycling rate of a specific raw material, the amount of greenhouse gases emitted during the production of the product (CFP value), due diligence-related information, or a combination thereof. The specific raw material may be, for example, lithium, nickel, cobalt, lead, graphite, etc. The recycling rate may be expressed directly or indirectly, such as a combination of the total amount used and the amount of recycled material used. These values ​​correspond to the process of producing the target product. For example, in the example of FIG. 3, the traceability-related information included in product information A stores the amount of greenhouse gases emitted in the production activities of product A. The traceability-related information included in product information A does not include information on the process leading up to the production of an upstream product (e.g., the amount of greenhouse gases emitted until upstream product B is produced).

[0070] The traceability-related information may be appropriately selected depending on the embodiment. For example, the greenhouse gas emissions (carbon footprint) may be divided into Scope 1, Scope 2, and This may include Scope 3 emissions. Scope 1 may be a company's own direct greenhouse gas emissions. Scope 2 may be indirect emissions associated with the use of electricity, heat, and steam supplied by other companies. Scope 3 may be indirect emissions other than those in Scope 1 and Scope 3. In one example, due diligence-related information may be, for products containing target materials (e.g., cobalt, natural graphite, lithium, nickel, etc.), the amount of material contained in the product, or technical documentation demonstrating that smelters and other entities are fulfilling their obligations for responsible mineral sourcing. In another example, due diligence-related information may include a score indicating the degree to which the above obligations are being fulfilled.

[0071] The product information generating unit 211 is configured to obtain such information via the operator of the company terminal 2 and transmit it to the server device 1 at any timing.

[0072] The authority setting unit 212 is configured to designate downstream companies that are permitted to access product information transmitted from the company terminal 2 to the server device 1. FIG. 9 is an example of a screen output by the authority setting unit 212. As shown in the figure, the authority setting unit 212 is configured to accept designation of downstream companies that are permitted to access any of the company's products. FIG. 10 is an example of permission information generated by the authority setting unit 212 based on input information. The authority setting unit 212 is configured to transmit the permission information to the server device 1 at any timing. Note that access permissions may be set for each product information unit, or may be set for each item included in the product information ("permitted item" in the figure). This makes it possible to handle partial disclosure, for example, by disclosing the existence of a product but not disclosing specific information regarding the materials used, the amount used, etc.

[0073] 9 may be a list of companies that have done business with the company in the past. For this reason, the server device 1 may store data on past transactions (transaction data) for each company and generate a list of companies based on the transaction data. The transaction data may include, for example, an identifier of the target product, an identifier of the company that produced the product, the transaction date, etc.

[0074] The linking request unit 213 is configured to request the server device 1 to link the company's product information transmitted to the server device 1 with an upstream product. In one example, the linking request unit 213 first transmits the company's company ID and product ID to the server device 1, and requests linking of the product information corresponding to the product ID. In response, the server device 1 generates a user interface including a list of product information to which the target company is permitted to access (i.e., candidates for linking destinations), and provides the generated user interface to the company terminal 2. FIG. 11 is an example of a user interface including a list of products to which the target company is permitted to access.

[0075] 11 may be a list of products that have been traded with the company in the past. The server device 1 may generate the list based on the stored transaction data.

[0076] Next, the linking request unit 213 is configured to have the operator select an upstream product to be linked from the list. Furthermore, the linking request unit 213 is configured to transmit a pair of an identifier of the product (downstream product) that is the linking source and an identifier of the upstream product that is the linking destination to the server device 1. In response to this, the server device 1 can link the product information together.

[0077] If there is no upstream product linked to the target product, this can be clearly indicated by checking the check box indicated by the dotted line in Figure 11. There is no linking between product information.

[0078] The information acquisition unit 214 is configured to request the server device 1 to provide a product tree and to output the information transmitted from the server device 1. The management unit 215 is configured to execute a process of requesting the server device 1 to register product information stored in other platforms.

[0079] [Process details for forming product tree] Next, a description will be given of specific contents of the processing performed by the server device 1 and the company terminal 2. Fig. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the flow of processing performed by the server device 1 based on a request from the company terminal 2. The processing performed by the server device 1 can be roughly divided into the following four phases. (1) A first phase in which product information transmitted from the company terminal 2 is received and the received product information is stored. (2) A second phase in which permission information transmitted from the company terminal 2 is received and access rights to product information are set according to the received permission information. (3) The third phase involves linking product information by interacting with company terminal 2. (4) The fourth phase provides information about the product tree based on the results of the linking.

[0080] In the example of Figure 12, Company A is the downstream company and Company B is the upstream company. The product produced by Company A is Product A, and the product produced by Company B is Product B. Product information corresponding to Product A is Product Information A, and product information corresponding to Product B is Product Information B.

[0081] In the first phase, the information collection unit 111 of the server device 1 acquires product information from the product information generation unit 211 of the company terminal 2. In the example of FIG. 12, the server device 1 acquires product information A from the company terminal 2 corresponding to company A, and acquires product information B from the company terminal 2 corresponding to company B. The information collection unit 111 saves the product information A in a storage area to which only company A has access authority (hereinafter, storage area A). The information collection unit 111 also saves the product information B in a storage area to which only company B has access authority (hereinafter, storage area B). In this way, the information collection unit 111 saves product information transmitted from any company in a dedicated storage area to which only that company has access authority.

[0082] In the second phase, the authority setting unit 112 of the server device 1 receives permission information from the authority setting unit 212 of the company terminal 2 and sets access permissions for the product information in accordance with the received permission information. As shown in Fig. 10, the permission information associates a product with a company that is permitted to access the product information of the product.

[0083] In the example of FIG. 12, it is assumed that the authority setting unit 212 has received permission information permitting access from downstream company A to product information B of an upstream company. In this case, the authority setting unit 112 copies product information B stored in storage area B to a storage area (hereinafter, storage area AB) to which access permissions have been granted to both companies A and B. As a result, product information B becomes accessible to both companies A and B. Note that if access permissions have not been set for a specific item included in the product information, that item is excluded from being copied to storage area AB.

[0084] In the following description, a storage area to which only a specific company has been granted access rights will be referred to as a "dedicated storage area," and a storage area to which multiple companies have been granted access rights will be referred to as a "shared storage area."

[0085] The copying of the product information is executed by the server device 1 in response to receiving the permission information from the company terminal 2. That is, the company terminal 2 transmits the permission information to the server device 1, thereby causing the server device 1 to execute an operation of copying the product information identified by the permission information from the dedicated storage area of ​​the target company to a shared storage area accessible by downstream companies.

[0086] In the third phase, the linking unit 113 of the server device 1 receives the linking request from the linking request unit 213 of the company terminal 2, and links the product information together based on the received linking request.

[0087] First, the linking unit 113 receives a linking request from the company terminal 2. The linking request is sent from the company terminal 2 of a downstream company. In the example of FIG. 12, it is assumed that the company terminal 2 of company A has sent the linking request. The linking request includes the company ID and the product ID of the target product. The linking unit 113 acquires product information stored in a storage area accessible from the company, and generates a list of the acquired product information. In the example of FIG. 12, company A can access product information B stored in storage area AB. Therefore, product information B can be selected as the linking destination on the company terminal 2 of company A.

[0088] The linking request unit 213 of the company terminal 2 presents the list to the operator and allows the operator to select the products to be linked. In this example, products A and B are to be linked to each other. For example, the operator inputs information indicating that the upstream product of product A is product B via the input / output device 24. The linking request unit 213 transmits data (linking data) for linking the upstream product (product B) and the downstream product (product A) to the linking unit 113.

[0089] 8, the product information has a field (linking-related information) related to the product to be linked. Based on the above-mentioned linking data, the linking unit 113 stores information corresponding to product information B (i.e., the upstream product) in the linking-related information held by product information A. For example, the linking-related information stores an identifier of the upstream product, an identifier of the company that produces the upstream product, etc.

[0090] The linking-related information may store a pointer to the linked product information. The pointer indicates the address of the product information corresponding to the upstream product. The above-described process forms part of a tree structure in which the product information of the downstream product is the parent node and the product information of the upstream product is the child node.

[0091] At the end of the product tree, no further linking is performed. In this case, instead of sending linking data, the linking request unit 213 sends data indicating that the product is at the end of the tree. When the linking unit 113 receives this data, it sets "1" in the end flag field of the corresponding product information. That is, in the third phase, either the "process of setting the upstream product to be linked" or the "process of setting the end flag" is executed.

[0092] In the fourth phase, the information providing unit 114 of the server device 1 generates information about a product tree based on the stored product information, and outputs the information about the product tree. Generating information about the product tree can include processing to generate various information about the product (for example, information about traceability, an image showing the link relationships between products in a tree diagram, etc.) after links between nodes are formed by linking the product information together. In order to generate information about the product tree, it is necessary that all linking between product information has been completed, and that the terminal flags of all leaf nodes have been set to "1". Information When such conditions are met, the providing unit 114 can appropriately generate the information.

[0093] The product tree in this embodiment is a tree diagram that represents the supply relationships between product information in a supply chain, as described with reference to Fig. 2. The information providing unit 114 can generate an image representing the tree diagram based on the product information.

[0094] Furthermore, when generating information related to the product tree, the information providing unit 114 integrates the traceability-related information defined in each piece of product information and outputs the results.

[0095] Here, the integration of traceability-related information will be explained using FIG. 13. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the multiple products that make up the final product X and the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted in each process of producing these multiple products. For example, in the process of producing product A12 in the figure, A12 [g] of carbon dioxide is emitted. The total amount of carbon dioxide emitted up to the production of a target product can be obtained by repeating the process of passing on the CO2 emissions associated with upstream products to downstream products between companies in each of the two adjacent layers, from the most upstream product (the leaf node) to the target product.

[0096] 13, if the target product is A12, the total amount of carbon dioxide emitted up to the time when product A12 is produced can be calculated by adding up the CO2 emissions corresponding to the included products (upstream products A121 to A123) and the CO2 emissions corresponding to product A12. That is, the integrated CO2 emissions for product A12 are as follows: I A12 =E A12 +E A121 ×U A121 +E A122 ×U A122 +E A123 ×U A123 [g] where E A121,E A122 ,E A123 are the CO2 emissions per unit amount when producing products A121, A122, and A123, respectively. A121 ,U A122 ,U A123 are the amounts of materials used in the production of product A12, respectively. These amounts are an example of the amount of material used per unit of product production, which is included in the traceability-related information. The CO2 emissions of the final product (the product of the most downstream company) can be obtained by sequentially performing the above calculations from the product of the most upstream company to the final product.

[0097] The same applies when the target product is product A1. When the target product is A1, the total amount of carbon dioxide emitted in the manufacturing activities up to the production of product A1 can be calculated by integrating the CO2 emissions corresponding to product A1 with the CO2 emissions corresponding to the included products, products A11, A12, A13, and A14.

[0098] The integrated value may be stored in the storage unit 12 in association with the product, or may be included as part of the product information. That is, the product information corresponding to the product A12 includes the amount of emissions E A12 and the integrated emissions, I A12 It is also possible to hold both of these.

[0099] The integrated traceability-related information is reused when integrating downstream products. By performing this process at each level, starting from the most upstream level, the traceability-related information (for example, cumulative CO2 emissions) is passed on downstream. Finally, by passing the traceability-related information on to the final product, it is possible to obtain traceability-related information (for example, total CO2 emissions) for the entire period leading up to the production of the final product.

[0100] In this way, when generating information about the product tree, the information providing unit 114 The process of sequentially integrating the traceability-related information defined in the information from the most upstream to the most downstream may be repeatedly performed. Note that, in the above example, carbon dioxide emissions were used as an example of the information to be integrated, but the traceability-related information to be integrated may also be the recycling rate of a specified raw material, a due diligence score, etc. Note that, if the traceability-related information is numerical, the integration may be performed by numerical calculation, and if the traceability-related information is non-numerical information (for example, due diligence-related information), the integration may be simply information collection.

[0101] In another example, the product information may include information indicating the location of traceability-related information for the corresponding product (hereinafter referred to as "location information"; typically, an address, a pointer, etc.). In this case, the traceability-related information may not be included in the product information. Alternatively, the integration may involve collecting the location information included in the product information.

[0102] The information providing unit 114 may output the generated product tree in an image format, and may also simultaneously output traceability-related information corresponding to any product.

[0103] FIG. 14 is an example of a screen that displays a product tree as an image. The screen shown includes an image that displays, in a tree diagram, the supply relationships of multiple products that make up the final product. By selecting any product, it is possible to view the traceability-related information corresponding to that product, or the integrated results of the traceability-related information corresponding to the entire period leading up to the production of that product (for example, the total amount of carbon dioxide emissions from the most upstream). Such information can be output via the input / output device 14 of the server device 1 based on the operation of the operator of the server device 1.

[0104] Furthermore, the information providing unit 114 may provide the generated product tree to a company terminal 2 (information acquiring unit 214) in response to a request from the company terminal 2. Note that there are cases where it is not appropriate to disclose the entire product tree to a specific company. Therefore, when providing a product tree to a company terminal 2 corresponding to a certain company, the information providing unit 114 may perform processing to not disclose the range for which the company does not have access authority.

[0105] For example, in the example of FIG. 13, assume that the information providing unit 114 receives a product tree disclosure request from a company terminal 2 corresponding to a company that produces product A12. Here, assume that the company has been granted access authority only for products A121, A122, and A123. In other words, the company cannot access product information other than those three products and downstream product A1. In this case, the information providing unit 114 provides the company terminal 2 with a product tree in which information about products for which the company does not have access authority is not disclosed.

[0106] 15 shows an example of a product tree in which products for which the user does not have access rights are not disclosed. In this example, the product tree is displayed with detailed information (or even the existence itself) of the not-disclosed products concealed.

[0107] In addition, in cases where the existence of a product is publicly available, but access rights are not granted to only specific items in the corresponding product information, confidentiality processing is performed only for those specific items, as indicated by the dotted line in the figure. In the example shown, it is indicated that the amount of carbon dioxide emissions in producing product A121 is not disclosed.

[0108] On the other hand, even if there is a product (or item) in the tree for which you do not have access rights, the integration of traceability-related information described above is carried out without being affected by this. For example, in the illustrated example, the carbon dioxide emissions for product A121 are not disclosed, but this does not affect the process of calculating the total carbon dioxide emissions for product A12.

[0109] [Processing flow] Next, the flow of processing executed by the server device 1 and the company terminal 2 when registering the company's product information using the company terminal 2 will be described with reference to Fig. 16 and Fig. 17. Fig. 16 is a sequence diagram corresponding to the first to third phases described above.

[0110] In one example, the interaction between the server device 1 and the company terminal 2 is initiated when an operator of each company logs in to the server device 1 using the account of the corresponding company via the company terminal 2. In this example, it is assumed that the operator of each company logs in to the server device 1 using the account of their company.

[0111] First, in step S11, the product information generation unit 211 of the company terminal 2 acquires the company's product information via an operator and transmits the acquired product information to the server device 1. The transmitted product information is received by the server device 1 (information collection unit 111) and stored in the storage unit 12 (step S12). At this time, the information collection unit 111 saves the product information in a storage area to which access rights are granted only to companies that manufacture the corresponding products.

[0112] Next, in step S13, the authority setting unit 212 of the company terminal 2 accepts, via the operator, input of information (permission information) specifying downstream companies that are permitted to access the product information transmitted in step S11. In this step, a user interface screen such as that described with reference to FIG. 9 may be provided to allow the user to specify a combination of an arbitrary product and a downstream company that is permitted to access the product information. The input permission information is transmitted to the server device 1.

[0113] In step S14, the authority setting unit 112 of the server device 1 grants access authority to the target product information based on the received permission information. In this step, as described with reference to Fig. 12, the authority setting unit 112 copies the target product information to a storage area to which access authority has been granted to multiple companies, thereby granting access authority to any product information to any company. If there is no storage area to which appropriate access authority has been granted, a new storage area may be created and processing may be performed to grant access authority to appropriate companies.

[0114] Next, in step S15, the linking request unit 213 of the company terminal 2 transmits data (linking request) to the server device 1 requesting linking of the product information transmitted to the server device 1 with an upstream product. The linking request includes the company's company ID and the product ID of the target product.

[0115] In step S16, the server device 1 (association unit 113) generates a list of product information that the target company is permitted to access, and provides a user interface screen including the list to the company terminal 2. In this step, the server device 1 may provide the company terminal 2 with a user interface screen such as that described with reference to Fig. 11, and allow the company terminal 2 to specify a combination of an arbitrary product and an upstream product associated with the product.

[0116] In step S17, the linking request unit 213 of the company terminal 2 receives from the operator a designation of a combination of the target product and an upstream product linked to the target product. The linking request unit 213 generates data (linking data) indicating the association between the upstream product and the downstream product, and transmits the generated linking data to the server device 1.

[0117] In step S18, the linking unit 113 of the server device 1 updates the stored product information based on the linking data to reflect the linking details between the product information. This may be done by storing information (identifier, pointer, etc.) about the upstream product in the linking related information included in the product information about the downstream product.

[0118] If there is no downstream company, steps S13 to S14 may be omitted. Similarly, if there is no upstream company (if there is no linking destination for the target product), instead of requesting linking between product information, the process of setting the termination flag described above may be executed. In this case, steps S15 to S18 described above are omitted.

[0119] 17 is a sequence diagram corresponding to the fourth phase described above. First, in step S21, the information acquisition unit 214 of the company terminal 2 requests the server device 1 to provide a product tree. The request includes, for example, an identifier of the target product. The target product may be a final product or another product (intermediate product).

[0120] The server device 1 (information provider 114) that receives the request generates information about the product tree by the above-mentioned process (step S22). At this time, the information provider 114 executes a process of integrating the traceability-related information defined in each piece of product information from the most upstream to the most downstream. The integration result may be reflected in each piece of product information.

[0121] Next, in step S23, the server device 1 executes a process of concealing information to which the access authority is not granted, based on the access authority held by the target company. For example, if the existence of product information of other companies has not been made public for a certain company, the server device 1 may execute a process of concealing the existence of the product information. Furthermore, if only a specific item included in the product information has not been made public, the server device 1 may execute a process of concealing the content of the item. Information on the product tree that has been concealed is provided to the company terminal 2 (information acquisition unit 214) and output (step S24).

[0122] [Details of the process for registering product information for other platforms] The proxy input unit 116 of the server device 1 can acquire product information from the server device 1 of another platform and store it in the storage unit 12. Here, when storing product information in a new platform, if product information stored in the other platform can be used, the effort required for the operator of the company terminal 2 to input information can be reduced. Therefore, in this embodiment, based on a request from a company that has already registered product information in another supply chain, the product information of that company is registered in that supply chain.

[0123] FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating an example of the relationship between products in two supply chains. The two supply chains are assumed to be formed on a first platform and a second platform. In FIG. 18, the first platform uses a tree diagram to represent the supply relationships between multiple products that make up final product X0. The second platform uses a tree diagram to represent the supply relationships between multiple products that make up final product X1. For example, the first platform and the second platform are formed in different countries or regions. In the following, the server device 1 corresponding to the first platform is referred to as a first server device 1A, and the server device 1 corresponding to the second platform is referred to as a second server device 1B. The first server device 1A and the second server device 1B can communicate with each other via a connector unit 115. However, communication via the connector unit 115 is not essential, and communication without the connector unit 115 is also possible.

[0124] Product A12 and products A121, A122, and A123 are registered in the second platform but not in the first platform. Products A121, A122, and A123 are upstream products of product A12. In the following, the downstream product A12 is referred to as the first product A12, and product A121, which is located one level upstream of the first product A12, is referred to as the second product. Products A122 and A123 can be considered to be the same as the second product A121, so the following will describe the second product A121.

[0125] An example will be described in which a first product A12 is registered in the first platform. The proxy input unit 116 of the first server device 1A receives a request to register the first product A12 from the management unit 215 of the company terminal 2 of the company that manufactures the first product A12. Note that, hereinafter, the company that manufactures the first product A12 will be referred to as the first company, and the company that manufactures the second product A121 will be referred to as the second company. Furthermore, the company terminal of the first company will be referred to as the first company terminal 2A, and the terminal of the second company will be referred to as the second company terminal 2B.

[0126] First, the management unit 215 of the first company terminal 2A requests the first server device 1A to acquire first product information from the second platform and register it on the first platform. At this time, the proxy input unit 116 of the first server device 1A receives identification information of the first product A12 of the first company and information related to the second platform from the management unit 215 of the first company terminal 2A. The identification information of the first product A12 is, for example, information including the product ID and product name stored in the second platform.

[0127] The proxy input unit 116 of the first server device 1A transmits a disclosure request to the second server device 1B, which is a request to disclose information about the first product A12. The disclosure request is transmitted and received via the respective connector units 115. This disclosure request includes identification information of the first product A12. The disclosure request also includes, for example, a request to disclose traceability-related information. The disclosure request may also include information that enables determination of the type of information requested for disclosure (for example, information indicating the items that are the subject of the disclosure request). Since the information required for the first platform may differ from that required for the second platform, disclosure of only the information required for the first platform may also be requested. The disclosure request may also include a request to disclose information about a product upstream of the first product A12 (i.e., the second product A121).

[0128] The proxy input unit 116 of the second server device 1B, which has received the disclosure request, identifies the first product A12 based on the identification information. Then, in response to the disclosure request, the proxy input unit 116 of the second server device 1B transmits information about the first product A12 and information about the second company (hereinafter also referred to as second company information) to the first server device 1A. This information transmission and reception is also performed via the respective connector units 115. The information about the first product A12 may include information about the scope of disclosure, such as access rights. The second company information may also include, for example, information about the second company's contact information and information about the second product A121.

[0129] When the proxy input unit 116 of the first server device 1A receives information about the first product A12 from the second server device 1B, the proxy input unit 116 associates the information about the first product A12 with the first company and stores it in the storage unit 12. In this way, the first company can register the information about the first product A12 on the first platform by applying for registration of the first product A12. This eliminates the need for the first company to input information about the first product A12 on the first platform itself, thereby reducing the effort required for input.

[0130] Furthermore, when the proxy input unit 116 of the first server device 1A receives the second company information from the second server device 1B, it performs at least one of generating a virtual account in the first platform for the second company and registering the second company information in the first platform in association with the first company. When the proxy input unit 116 of the first server device 1A generates a virtual account corresponding to the second company, it stores the account information in a database constructed in the storage unit 12. Unlike a regular account, the virtual account is a user account that can be used on the first platform. Restrictions are placed on the use of the system's functions. For example, it may be possible to prevent access to product information of other companies. Also, for example, it may be possible to prevent display of a product tree screen. Furthermore, the proxy input unit 116 of the first server device 1A may generate a storage area to which access rights are granted to a virtual account of the second company. Access rights to this storage area may be granted to both the first company and the second company.

[0131] Furthermore, when the proxy input unit 116 of the first server device 1A receives the second product information from the second server device 1B, the proxy input unit 116 may store the second product information in the storage unit 12. Here, if the second company is not participating in the first platform at the time the information about the second product A121 is registered in the first platform, the question arises as to who will manage the information about the second product A121 in the first platform. For example, if a change occurs in the traceability-related information about the second product A121, the information may not be updated unless a procedure for changing the information is determined. In response to this, for example, the second product information about the second product A121 may be associated with the first company so that the first company can manage the information. That is, the first company may be registered as the administrator of the second product A121. In this case, the second product A121 may be registered as a product of the first company. For example, in the product information shown in FIG. 8, the company ID and company name corresponding to the first company may be stored in the company ID and company name fields.

[0132] However, this increases the work for the first company to manage information about the second product A121, which is not its own product. Therefore, the first company may not be held responsible for managing the information about the second product A121 registered by the proxy input unit 116 of the first server device 1A. For example, the first server device 1A may store a contact point for the second company, and the first server device 1A may update the information by making inquiries to the second company at predetermined intervals, for example.

[0133] However, this is not limiting, and the second product information may be stored in the first server device 1A so long as it is possible to determine that the second product information was registered in conjunction with the registration of the first product information. For example, the company ID and company name fields of the second product information may contain a company ID and company name that indicate that the first company is the proxy applicant, but that are different from the first company. A proxy applicant refers to a company that applies for registration of information on a product other than its own. For example, when second product information is registered in conjunction with the registration of first product information, the first company is considered to have applied for registration of the second product information on behalf of the first company, and is registered as the proxy applicant. The proxy applicant is not held responsible for managing the second product information after it is stored. Alternatively, the proxy input unit 116 may generate a company ID corresponding to the second company, enter the company ID and company name corresponding to the second company in the company ID and company name fields, and provide a field for storing the company that made the proxy application, in which the company ID and company name of the first company are stored. Alternatively, the company ID and company name fields may be left blank, and a field for storing the company that made the proxy application may be provided, in which the company ID and company name of the first company are stored.

[0134] Furthermore, in order to identify the product information registered by the first server device 1A in accordance with the information received from the second server device 1B, the product information stored in the first server device 1A may be configured to have a proxy input flag field. FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of product information generated by the information collection unit 111 or the proxy input unit 116. The proxy input flag field is used to identify the product information registered by the first server device 1A. When the product information is registered by the first server device 1A, "1" is stored in the proxy input flag field, and when the product information is registered based on the product information transmitted from the company terminal 2, "0" is stored in the proxy input flag field. Therefore, when the product information acquired from the company terminal 2 is stored in the storage unit 12, the proxy input flag field is set by the information collection unit 111. When the first product information and the second product information acquired from the second server device 1B are stored in the storage unit 12, the proxy input unit 116 stores "1" in the proxy input flag field.

[0135] FIG. 20 illustrates a case where a storage area corresponding to the second company's virtual account is generated in the storage unit 12. In this manner, a storage area corresponding to the second company's virtual account may be allocated. Alternatively, the proxy input unit 116 of the first server device 1A may only generate a virtual account associated with the second company without allocating a storage area to the second company. Furthermore, upon receiving second product information from the second server device 1B, the proxy input unit 116 of the first server device 1A may store the second product information in a storage area corresponding to the virtual account. The second product information stored in this manner may be modifiable only through the virtual account, or may be modifiable through both the virtual account and the first company's account. Furthermore, the proxy input unit 116 of the first server device 1A grants the first company access authority to the second product information. The proxy input unit 116 of the first server device 1A stores the identification information of the second product A121 in the upstream product information field of the product information of the first product A12.

[0136] FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating a case where a storage area is allocated so that information about a second product A121 is managed by a first company. When the proxy input unit 116 of the first server device 1A receives second product information from the second server device 1B, the proxy input unit 116 allocates a storage area for the second product information as information about a product of a virtual company. The second product information is then stored in the storage area. This storage area is associated with the first company and registered as a storage area managed by the first company. The first company is registered as the administrator or proxy applicant for the second product information stored in the first server device 1A. The proxy input unit 116 of the first server device 1A also grants the first company access authority to the second product information. The proxy input unit 116 of the first server device 1A stores identification information for the second product A121 in the upstream product information field of the product information for the first product A12.

[0137] Furthermore, if a second company joins the first platform after the second product information is stored in the memory unit 12 of the first server device 1A, a participation request is transmitted from the second company terminal 2B to the first server device 1A. The participation request includes information about the second company joining the first platform. Upon receiving the participation request, the proxy input unit 116 of the first server device 1A officially registers the second company and allocates to the second company a memory area corresponding to the second product information that was managed by the first company. Furthermore, if a temporary account has been assigned, the temporary account is allocated to the second company as a regular account.

[0138] Fig. 22 is a diagram showing the storage unit 12 when the storage area is allocated to the second company. By the second company taking over the "storage area managed by the first company" in Fig. 21 as is, it is possible to save the trouble of re-entering the second product information. In addition, the "storage area corresponding to the virtual account of the second company" in Fig. 20 may be taken over as a storage area dedicated to the second company.

[0139] Furthermore, the proxy input unit 116 of the first server device 1A, which has received the second company information, may contact the second company to encourage it to join the first platform. This contact may be sent to the second company terminal 2B or by mail, such as a letter. Through this contact, the proxy input unit 116 of the first server device 1A may notify the second company of the temporary account. Alternatively, the proxy input unit 116 may request the first company to contact the second company. Since the second server device 1B is considered to store the contact information of the second company, the proxy input unit 116 of the first server device 1A may receive information regarding the contact information of the second company from the second server device 1B in response to the disclosure request. Alternatively, the proxy input unit 116 of the second server device 1B may contact the second company to encourage it to join the first platform when sending the second company information to the first server device 1A.

[0140] Furthermore, the proxy input unit 116 of the first server device 1A grants access authority to the first product information based on permission information indicating the scope of disclosure of the first product received from the second server device 1B. As described with reference to Fig. 12, the proxy input unit 116 of the first server device 1A grants access authority to any product information to any company by copying the first product information to a storage area to which access authority has been granted to multiple companies. For example, the proxy input unit 116 of the first server device 1A stores identification information of the first product A12 in the upstream product information field in the product information of the upstream product A1.

[0141] Furthermore, the proxy input unit 116 of the first server device 1A grants access authority to the second product information based on the second company information received from the second server device 1B. For example, access authority may be granted only to the first company for the second product information received from the second server device 1B. As described with reference to FIG. 12 , the proxy input unit 116 of the first server device 1A grants access authority to the second product information to the first company by copying the second product information to a storage area to which access authority has been granted to the first company.

[0142] It should be noted that information on products located further upstream than the second product A121 can also be transmitted to the first server device 1A together with the first product information, and the same processing as that of the second company can be performed. The access authority for each piece of product information including the second product information can be inherited from the access authority specified in the second platform, for example.

[0143] [Processing flow] FIG. 23 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a processing flow in which the first server device 1A acquires the first product information and the second company information from the second server device 1B.

[0144] As an example of this embodiment, it is assumed that the interaction between the server device 1 and the company terminal 2 is initiated when an operator of each company logs in to the server device 1 using the account of the corresponding company via the company terminal 2. In this example, it is assumed that the operator of each company logs in to the server device 1 using their own company's account. In addition, it is assumed that the second server device 1B stores first product information and second product information linked to each other as a downstream product and an upstream product.

[0145] The management unit 215 of the first company terminal 2A transmits information about the first product A12 to the first server device 1A via the operator (step S31). This information about the first product A12 includes information used by the proxy input unit 116 of the first server device 1A to acquire product information about the first product A12 from the second server device 1B. In one example, the information about the first product A12 includes identification information about the first product A12 and information about the second platform (which may be the second server device 1B).

[0146] Next, in step S32, the proxy input unit 116 of the first server device 1A transmits a disclosure request to the second server device 1B. This disclosure request requests disclosure of product information for the first product A12 and includes identification information for the first product A12. This disclosure request also includes a request for disclosure of information about a second company that is a company that produces an upstream product of the first product A12. The proxy input unit 116 of the first server device 1A identifies a destination of the disclosure request based on information about the second platform included in the information received from the first company terminal 2A, and transmits the disclosure request.

[0147] The proxy input unit 116 of the second server device 1B, which has received the disclosure request, transmits a registration confirmation to the first company terminal 2A (step S33). The registration confirmation includes an inquiry as to whether the product information of the first product A12 may be disclosed to the first server device 1A, and an inquiry as to the scope of disclosure. The scope of disclosure specifies the companies to which access rights to the product information are granted, and is information that specifies the types of companies to which access rights are granted.

[0148] The scope of disclosure may be included in the information transmitted from the management unit 215 of the first corporate terminal 2A to the first server device 1A in step S31. Furthermore, the scope of disclosure may be included in the disclosure request transmitted from the proxy input unit 116 of the first server device 1A to the second server device 1B in step S32. In this case, the proxy input unit 116 of the second server device 1B may present the received scope of disclosure to the first corporate terminal 2A and inquire whether or not to accept this scope of disclosure. The operator of the first corporate terminal 2A may also be able to modify the presented scope of disclosure. Alternatively, if the scope of disclosure is transmitted from the first server device 1A to the second server device 1B, it is not necessary to inquire about the scope of disclosure in step S33. In this case, the processes of steps S33 and S34 are omitted.

[0149] The proxy input unit 116 of the second server device 1B may provide a user interface screen that allows the operator of the first company to specify downstream companies to which access is permitted, and the operator may specify the downstream companies to which access is permitted to the first product information. In this case, information about the downstream companies is included in the disclosure request.

[0150] The management unit 215 of the first company terminal 2A receives, for example, input of consent to disclose the first product information to the first server device 1A and information (permission information) specifying downstream companies that are permitted to access. The management unit 215 of the first company terminal 2A obtains, via the operator, consent to disclose the first product information to the first server device 1A and the permission information, and transmits them to the second server device 1B (step S34).

[0151] Then, the proxy input unit 116 of the second server device 1B transmits the first product information and the second company information to the first server device 1A in response to the disclosure request (step S35). At this time, the permission information corresponding to the first product A12 is also transmitted. Note that the second company information may be transmitted only when requested by the first server device 1A, or it may be predetermined that the second company information is transmitted together with the first product information.

[0152] The transmitted first product information and permission information are received by the proxy input unit 116 of the first server device 1A and stored in the memory unit 12 (step S36). The proxy input unit 116 of the first server device 1A associates the first product information with the first company and stores it in the memory unit 12. At this time, a proxy input flag field is generated and "1" is stored in this proxy input flag field. The proxy input unit 116 of the first server device 1A also grants access authority to the first product information based on the received permission information. In this step, the proxy input unit 116 grants access authority to the first product information to the company of Product A, which is a downstream product, by copying the first product information to a memory area to which access authority has been granted for the company of Product A, for example.

[0153] Furthermore, based on the second company information, the proxy input unit 116 of the first server device 1A generates a virtual account corresponding to the second company (step S37). Furthermore, if the second company information includes second product information, the second product information is stored in a storage area of ​​the storage unit 12. The storage area in which the second product information is stored may be, for example, a storage area managed by the first company. At this time, a proxy input flag field is generated, and "1" is stored in this proxy input flag field. The proxy input unit 116 of the first server device 1A grants access authority to the second product information to the first company and the second company.

[0154] When the first product information and the second company information are stored in the storage unit 12, the proxy input unit 116 of the first server device 1A transmits a registration completion notice to the first company terminal 2A (step S38). The registration completion notice is a notice that the registration of the first product information has been completed. In addition, in this notice, The first company may be requested to check whether the first product information stored in the storage unit 12 is correct.

[0155] Furthermore, the proxy input unit 116 of the first server device 1A transmits a provisional registration completion notification to the second company terminal 2B (step S39). The provisional registration completion notification is a notification that a provisional account has been created. If second product information is stored in the memory unit 12, this is also notified. If the second product information is registered as product information of a virtual company or if the second product information is managed by the first company, this is also notified. The provisional registration completion notification includes a message encouraging participation in the first platform. The provisional registration completion notification may be transmitted via the first company terminal 2A.

[0156] In response to the message encouraging the second company to participate in the first platform, the second company can participate in the first platform. In this case, the management unit 215 of the second company terminal 2B sends a participation request to the first server device 1A (step S40). This participation request includes a message indicating that the second company has agreed to participate in the first platform. Note that the participation request may not be sent directly from the second company terminal 2B to the first server device 1A, but may be sent via the first company terminal 2A. That is, the management unit 215 of the second company terminal 2B may send a participation request to the first company terminal 2A, and the management unit 215 of the first company terminal 2A may then send the second company's participation request to the first server device 1A.

[0157] The proxy input unit 116 of the first server device 1A, which has received the participation request, assigns the second company's temporary account as a regular account to the second company in order to allow the second company to participate in the first platform (step S41). If a storage area corresponding to the second company has not been assigned, a new storage area is created and assigned to the second company (step S42). On the other hand, if the second product information has been registered in association with the first company in the storage area of ​​the storage unit 12, the association is transferred from the first company to the second company in step S42, thereby assigning the storage area to the second company. Therefore, the second company can use the second product information that was registered in association with the first company as is, thereby saving the second company the trouble of newly inputting the second product information.

[0158] Furthermore, the proxy input unit 116 of the first server device 1A transmits a registration completion notification to the second company terminal 2B (step S43). The registration completion notification is a notification that the second company has been officially registered on the first platform. This notification may include information about the legitimate account. This notification may also request the second company to check whether there are any errors in the second product information stored in the storage unit 12.

[0159] As described above, in this embodiment, the first product information can be acquired from the second platform and stored in the first platform in response to a request from the first company terminal 2A. This configuration can save the operator the trouble of inputting information when registering product information. In addition, by at least one of creating a temporary account on the first platform for a downstream product company and registering second company information on the first platform in association with the first company, it is possible to encourage the second company to participate in the first platform.

[0160] Second Embodiment In the first embodiment, the first server device 1A stores the first product information acquired from the second server device 1B. However, even for the same product, the amount of CO2 emissions may differ depending on the location of the platform. For example, the proportion of electricity generated using renewable energy among the electricity supplied to each company may differ depending on the country or region where the product is produced. Furthermore, products produced in areas with a high rate of renewable energy utilization will emit less CO2 during the manufacturing process. Therefore, if the locations of the first and second platforms are different, there is a risk that the accuracy of the CFP calculation will be reduced if the first product information is used as is.

[0161] Therefore, the proxy input unit 116 of the first server device 1A converts the CO2 emissions acquired from the second server device 1B based on the locations of the first platform and the second platform, and stores the converted CO2 emissions in the memory unit 12 of the first server device 1A. Here, the locations of the first platform and the second platform refer to the regions from which traceability-related information is to be collected. For example, in the case of a platform targeted at Japan, even if the server device 1 is located in a country other than Japan, the location will be Japan.

[0162] The proxy input unit 116 of the first server device 1A acquires information about the locations of the first platform and the second platform. Information stored in the memory unit 12 of each server device 1 can be used as information about the location of each platform. Furthermore, the proxy input unit 116 of the first server device 1A may acquire information about the utilization rate of renewable energy corresponding to each location. The utilization rate of renewable energy is the ratio of the amount of electricity generated by renewable energy to the amount of electricity generated at each location. This ratio can be a value published by the electric power company or the government of each country or region. Note that, hereinafter, the utilization rate of renewable energy in the first platform is referred to as the first utilization rate, and the utilization rate of renewable energy in the second platform is referred to as the second utilization rate.

[0163] The proxy input unit 116 of the first server device 1A obtains a coefficient by, for example, calculating (1 - first utilization rate) / (1 - second utilization rate). Then, the CO2 emissions included in the first product information are converted by multiplying this coefficient by the CO2 emissions. Note that the method of converting the CO2 emissions is not limited to this. For example, the higher the first utilization rate is compared to the second utilization rate, the smaller the CO2 emissions, or the lower the first utilization rate is compared to the second utilization rate, the larger the CO2 emissions. This conversion formula is stored in the storage unit 12.

[0164] 24 is a flowchart showing the flow of the registration process of the first product A12 performed in the first server device 1A. This routine is executed at predetermined time intervals in the first server device 1A. Note that the following description will be given assuming that the first product information has already been stored in the second server device 1B.

[0165] In step S101, the proxy input unit 116 determines whether or not a registration request for the first product A12 has been received. This registration request includes information about the first product A12. The information about the first product A12 here includes identification information for the first product A12 and information about the second platform (which may be the second server device 1B). If the proxy input unit 116 determines yes in step S101, it proceeds to step S102, and if it determines no, it ends this routine.

[0166] In step S102, the proxy input unit 116 transmits a disclosure request to the second server device 1B. This disclosure request requests disclosure of product information about the first product A12 and includes identification information of the first product A12. The proxy input unit 116 identifies the destination of the disclosure request based on information about the second platform included in the information received from the first company terminal 2A.

[0167] In step S103, the proxy input unit 116 receives a disclosure request from the second server 1B. In response to the request, the second server device 1A determines whether the first product information has been received. If the second server device 1B refuses to disclose the first product information, the first product information is not sent and a notification that disclosure is refused is sent. If the proxy input unit 116 makes a positive determination in step S103, the process proceeds to step S104, and if the proxy input unit 116 makes a negative determination, the process proceeds to step S109. In step S109, the proxy input unit 116 transmits a registration failure notification to the first company terminal 2A. The registration failure notification is a notification that the product information could not be registered in the first server device 1A. The registration failure notification includes identification information of the first product.

[0168] In step S104, the proxy input unit 116 acquires the locations of the first platform and the second platform. The location of the first platform (hereinafter also referred to as the first location) is stored in the storage unit 12 of the first server device 1A. The location of the second platform (hereinafter also referred to as the second location) may be acquired from the second platform by inquiring of the second platform, or may be acquired from another server device that stores the relationship between the second platform and the location.

[0169] In step S105, the proxy input unit 116 acquires the renewable energy utilization rates of the first location and the second location. The renewable energy utilization rate corresponding to each location is disclosed, for example, by the government or an electric power company, so the proxy input unit 116 accesses a server device that discloses the renewable energy utilization rate to acquire the renewable energy utilization rate. Note that the renewable energy utilization rate at each location may be stored in the corresponding server device 1. In this case, the proxy input unit 116 may acquire the renewable energy utilization rate of the second location from the second server device 1B.

[0170] In step S106, the proxy input unit 116 converts the CO2 emissions included in the first product information. The information collection unit 111 converts the CO2 emissions included in the first product information so that the CO2 emissions decrease as the first utilization rate becomes higher than the second utilization rate. This conversion is performed using, for example, a calculation formula stored in the storage unit 12.

[0171] In step S107, the proxy input unit 116 replaces the CO2 emissions included in the first product information with the CO2 emissions converted in step S106, and stores the first product information in the storage unit 12. Then, in step S108, the proxy input unit 116 transmits a registration completion notification to the first company terminal 2A.

[0172] In addition, if the information transmitted from the second server device 1B includes second product information, the CO2 emissions included in the second product information can be converted to the same amount as the CO2 emissions included in the first product information and stored in the memory unit 12 of the first server device 1A.

[0173] As described above, in this embodiment, the CO2 emissions included in the first product information and the CO2 emissions included in the second product information can be automatically converted based on the location of each platform, thereby saving the operators of the first and second companies the trouble of converting the information.

[0174] (Other embodiments) The above-described embodiment is merely an example, and the present disclosure may be modified as appropriate within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the processes and means described in the present disclosure may be freely combined as long as no technical contradiction occurs.

[0175] Furthermore, in the description of the embodiment, the server device 1 stores the product information in a database, but the product information may be stored by means other than a database.

[0176] Furthermore, in the description of the embodiment, an example has been given in which the server device 1 completes the product tree by executing the first to fourth phases, but the role of the server device 1 may be distributed among multiple company terminals 2. For example, product information may be stored in a distributed database using a blockchain platform. In this case, a product information database may be configured by multiple company terminals 2. In this case, the processing of each of the above-mentioned phases may be executed using a smart contract. For example, the processing in the second phase may be triggered when a certain company account writes permission information to the database. Furthermore, the processing in the third phase may be triggered when a certain company account writes a linking request to the database.

[0177] In addition, in the description of the embodiment, the phase in which the server device 1 receives product information about upstream products and the phase in which the server device 1 receives permission information corresponding to the product information are described separately, but both may be received simultaneously. Similarly, in the description of the embodiment, the phase in which the server device 1 receives product information about downstream products and the phase in which the server device 1 receives a linking request corresponding to the product information are described separately, but both may be received simultaneously.

[0178] Furthermore, in the description of the embodiment, the first platform is provided by the first server device 1A, but this is not limited to this. For example, the first server device 1A may be a server independent of the first platform, and may be a server that provides information obtained from the second platform to the first platform.

[0179] In the above embodiment, access control for each company is achieved by providing a dedicated storage area and a shared storage area. However, the method for achieving access control is not limited to this example. Any method may be used for access control.

[0180] In the above embodiment, a method using the renewable energy utilization rate is exemplified as a method for correcting CO2 emissions in accordance with the location difference. However, the method for correcting CO2 emissions in accordance with the location difference is not limited to this example. In another example, information related to transportation such as transportation distance and transportation means at each location may be used in addition to or instead of the renewable energy utilization rate. In this case, in the above step S106, The first server device 1A may convert the CO2 emissions to correct for differences in transportation between each location.

[0181] In the above embodiment (FIG. 1), the multiple companies included in the supply chain are described as companies that produce products. However, the companies included in the supply chain do not necessarily have to be companies that produce products. For example, companies that transport, import, store, wholesale, etc. of products may also be included in the companies that make up the supply chain. In one example, some of the multiple companies may be companies that do not perform manufacturing processes, such as trading companies, sales agents, or import agents, and may receive products from companies located one level higher (upstream companies) and deliver them to companies located one level lower (downstream companies).

[0182] In the above embodiment, the supply chain of an automobile-related product is assumed, and the OEM manufacturer is described as the most downstream company, and companies that supply parts, materials, assemblies, etc. are described as suppliers. However, the companies that belong to the supply chain are not necessarily limited to this. Companies at each stage may be determined appropriately depending on the product, etc. Furthermore, the manufacturing activities that each company performs until the final product is obtained may be determined appropriately depending on the embodiment. For example, it may include all activities that may be performed before a final product is obtained, such as excavation, processing, assembly, transportation, and storage.

[0183] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the server device 1 is configured to execute the information processing of the first to fourth phases described above in addition to the information processing (FIGS. 23 and 24) regarding the information disclosure request to other platforms. However, the configuration of the server device 1 need not be limited to this example. In another example, the server device 1 may omit at least one of the information processing of the first to fourth phases described above. The server device 1 may also be configured to execute any other information processing.

[0184] In the above embodiment, an example of calculating the CO2 emission amount (CFP value) is shown. The CFP value may be calculated by the following formula. Tier N-1 CFP value = Tier N-1 in-house measured CFP value + Σ k(CFP value of company k (Tier N) × usage amount at Tier N-1 u k ) Here, "CFP value of Tier N-1" indicates the result of combining the CFP value of the upstream company (company k (Tier N)) and the company's own CFP value. The company's measured CFP value indicates the CFP value included in the product information of each company. If Tier N is the most upstream company, "CFP value of Tier N" is the CFP value included in the product information of that company, otherwise "CFP value of Tier N" is the result of combining the CFP value of the further upstream company (Tier N+1) and the CFP value included in the product information of that company. By setting Tier N to the most upstream company (terminal company) and repeating the calculation up to N=1, the Tier 0 product The CFP value of the product (=final product) can be obtained.

[0185] In the above embodiment, the server device 1 may calculate the recycle rate and due diligence (score) together with or instead of calculating the CO2 emission amount (CFP value). The recycle rate may be calculated using the following formula. (Recycling rate of Tier N-1 products for target substances) = (Total amount used in Tier N-1) × (Recycling rate in Tier N-1) + Σ k (Total amount used at Company k (Tier N) × Recycling rate at Company k (Tier N) × Amount used at Tier N-1 u k )}÷{Total usage in Tier N-1 + Σ k ( Total usage at company k (Tier N) × Usage at Tier N-1 u k )}={Amount of recycled materials used in Tier N-1 +Σk (amount of recycled material used at company k (Tier N) × amount used at Tier N-1 u k )}÷{Total for Tier N-1 Total usage + Σk (total usage at company k (Tier N) × usage at Tier N-1 u k )}" The amount of recycled material used indicates the amount of recycled material used for the target substance. As with the CFP value, the recycling rate for the target substance in the final product can be calculated by sequentially calculating from the most upstream company (end company). Furthermore, the due diligence score (DD score) can also be integrated using the same calculation as the CFP value and recycling rate. In one example, the CFP value can be replaced with the DD score, and the calculation can be performed sequentially from the most upstream company (end company) to obtain the DD score (integrated result) for the final product.

[0186] In the above embodiment, the traceability of each company (Tier N-1) other than the most upstream company is Instead of storing the relevant information in a shared memory area between each company and its downstream companies, the integrated results of each company (CFP value of Tier N-1, recycling rate of Tier N-1 products for target substances) may be stored in a shared memory area between each company and its downstream companies (Tier N-2). It is possible to obtain traceability-related information (integrated results) for the final product without disclosing the traceability-related information of the manufacturer itself.

[0187] In the above embodiment, it is assumed that each company places an order with one company for a certain material. However, in the above embodiment, the order format of each company does not need to be limited to this example. At least some of the companies in the supply chain may place orders with multiple upstream companies for the same product and selectively use the obtained upstream products in their own products. For example, in the example of Figure 13 above, Tier 1 product A1 may be supplied with Tier 2 products A11_1, A11_2, or A11_3. In this case, the server device 1 may select the product A11_3 to be used. In the above example, the server device 1 stores the following information about the Tier 1 product A1: In this case, pattern 1 is "Tier 2 product A11_1, ...", pattern 2 is "Product A11_2, ..." and and pattern 3 "Product A11_3, ...". Thus, the server device 1 may execute calculation (integration) of the traceability-related information for each pattern. In this case, in one example, the server device 1 may output the calculation results for each pattern. In another example, the server device 1 may calculate statistics such as the maximum value, minimum value, average value, variance, standard deviation, and median of the calculation results from the calculation results, and output the calculated statistics.

[0188] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the traceability-related information (particularly the CFP value) may be composed of primary data or secondary data (inventory data). The primary data is an actual measurement value, and the secondary data is a reference value used when the actual measurement value is not available. In this case, the calculation (integration) of the traceability-related information may include calculating the primary data ratio of the traceability-related information obtained for the final product. The primary data ratio may be calculated by a simple ratio calculation, or may be calculated by weighting the CFP value in the calculation formula for the CFP value by substituting the primary data ratio of each company and performing calculations sequentially starting from the most upstream company.

[0189] Furthermore, a process described as being performed by one device may be shared and executed by multiple devices. Alternatively, a process described as being performed by different devices may be executed by a single device. In a computer system, the hardware configuration (server configuration) by which each function is realized can be flexibly changed.

[0190] The present disclosure can also be realized by providing a computer program implementing the functions described in the above embodiments to a computer, and having one or more processors in the computer read and execute the program. Such a computer program may be provided to the computer via a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium connectable to the computer's system bus or via a network. Non-transitory computer-readable storage media include, for example, any type of disk, such as a magnetic disk (e.g., a floppy disk, a hard disk drive (HDD), etc.), an optical disk (e.g., a CD-ROM, a DVD disk, a Blu-ray disk), a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), an EPROM, an EEPROM, a magnetic card, a flash memory, an optical card, or any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions. [Explanation of symbols]

[0191] 1. Server device 2. Corporate terminals 11 Control section 12 Storage section 13 Communication Module 14 Input / Output Devices 111 Information Gathering Department 112 Permission setting section 113 Attachment 114 Information Provision Department 115 Connector part 116 Proxy Input Section

Claims

1. receiving identification information of the first product and information about the second platform from a terminal of a first company that has not registered information about the first product in a first platform but has already registered information about the first product in a second platform different from the first platform; sending a disclosure request for information about the first product to the second platform, the disclosure request including the identification information of the first product; receiving, in response to the disclosure request, information about the first product and information about one or more second companies that are companies of one or more second products upstream of the first product from the second platform; registering information about the first product in association with the first company on the first platform; creating a virtual account on the first platform for at least some of the second companies and / or registering information about the second companies on the first platform in association with the first company; An information processing device comprising a control unit configured to execute the above.

2. The information about the first product includes traceability-related information about the first product. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. The traceability-related information includes information on greenhouse gas emissions. The information processing device according to claim 2 .

4. The control unit obtaining information regarding the location of the first platform and the second platform; converting the information about greenhouse gas emissions according to a relationship between the locations of the first platform and the second platform; and further configured to execute Registering information about the first product includes registering information about the greenhouse gas emissions after conversion in association with the first company; The information processing device according to claim 3 .

5. the control unit performs at least one of the transmission and the reception via a predetermined connector. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

6. the information about the second company includes information about the second product; registering information about the second company includes registering information about the second product in association with the first company as a proxy applicant for information about the second product; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

7. The information about the first product that the control unit receives from the second platform is information whose disclosure range is specified by the terminal of the first company. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

8. When the control unit executes the generation of the virtual account in the first platform, the control unit executes the generation of the virtual account in the first platform in response to receiving a message from the terminal of the first company or the terminal of the second company indicating that the second company has accepted the participation in the first platform. The temporary account created on the platform is assigned to the second company as a regular account; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

9. the information about the second company includes information about the second product; a storage area for storing information about the second product is associated with the first company until the authorized account is assigned to the second company; After the regular account is assigned to the second company, the storage area association is transferred from the first company to the second company. The information processing device according to claim 8 .

10. the first product and the second product are battery-related products; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

11. The computer receiving identification information of the first product and information about the second platform from a terminal of a first company that has not registered information about the first product in a first platform but has already registered information about the first product in a second platform different from the first platform; sending a disclosure request for information about the first product to the second platform, the disclosure request including the identification information of the first product; receiving, in response to the disclosure request, information about the first product and information about one or more second companies that are companies of one or more second products upstream of the first product from the second platform; registering information about the first product in association with the first company on the first platform; creating a virtual account on the first platform for at least some of the second companies and / or registering information about the second companies on the first platform in association with the first company; An information processing method that performs the above.

12. The information about the first product includes traceability-related information about the first product. The information processing method according to claim 11.

13. The traceability-related information includes information on greenhouse gas emissions. The information processing method according to claim 12.

14. The computer obtaining information regarding the location of the first platform and the second platform; converting the information about greenhouse gas emissions according to a relationship between the locations of the first platform and the second platform; Further execute Registering information about the first product includes registering information about the greenhouse gas emissions after conversion in association with the first company; The information processing method according to claim 13.

15. the computer performs at least one of the transmission and the reception via a predetermined connector; The information processing method according to claim 11.

16. the information about the second company includes information about the second product; registering information about the second company includes registering information about the second product in association with the first company as a proxy applicant for information about the second product; The information processing method according to claim 11.

17. The information about the first product that the computer receives from the second platform is information whose disclosure scope is specified by the terminal of the first company. The information processing method according to claim 11.

18. When the computer executes the step of generating a temporary account on the first platform, in response to receiving a message from the terminal of the first company or the terminal of the second company indicating that the second company has agreed to participate in the first platform, the computer assigns the temporary account generated on the first platform to the second company as a regular account; The information processing method according to claim 11.

19. the information about the second company includes information about the second product; a storage area for storing information about the second product is associated with the first company until the authorized account is assigned to the second company; After the regular account is assigned to the second company, the storage area association is transferred from the first company to the second company.

19. The information processing method according to claim 18.

20. the first product and the second product are battery-related products; The information processing method according to claim 11.

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