Business support device, business support method, and business support program

Abstract

To prevent an operator's reservation mistake by automating a reservation process based on stocks in a plurality of warehouses.SOLUTION: A detection unit makes reference to a storage unit in which a reservation code that is associated with a destination code of each destination and that indicates a warehouse from which an item is delivered, warehouse codes of a plurality of warehouses for which a reservable number associated with a reservation code is referred to, a priority order of warehouses for which a reservable number is referred to, and a reservable number of each item stored in the warehouses and provided with a corresponding item code are stored, in accordance with a destination code in order acceptance data, and detects a reservation code indicating a warehouse from which an item associated with the destination code is delivered. A reservation unit performs a reservation process in accordance with the priority order of the warehouse corresponding to the reservation code by referring to the storage unit. A reservation control unit controls the reservation unit to perform a reservation process from a warehouse at one lower rank of the priority order in a case where the reservation process is not completed. A data generation unit generates post-reservation order acceptance data obtained by adding a reserved number and a non-reserved number to the order acceptance data.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a business support device, a business support method, and a business support program. [Background technology]

[0002] The order and warehouse management system disclosed in Patent Document 1 (JP 2022-182329 A) performs order inventory management, which occurs when products are ordered by customers, and shipping inventory management, which stores products in advance and delivers the ordered products ordered by customers. Specifically, it creates an order slip for the ordered products ordered by the customer and a shipping slip by determining the allocation source warehouse from which the stored products will be shipped. It also allocates the stored products stored at the allocation source warehouse to the ordered products and ships them. This makes it possible to integrate order inventory management at each store and shipping inventory management at each warehouse into a single system. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-182329 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the conventional inventory management system, the business operator manages each warehouse individually, which makes the operation complicated when allocating ordered products based on the inventory of multiple warehouses, resulting in problems such as allocation errors.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a business support device, a business support method, and a business support program that enable allocation processing based on inventory in multiple warehouses without causing allocation errors by business operators. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the business support device of the present invention has an acquisition unit that acquires order data including a shipping destination code indicating a shipping destination of the product, a product code of the product to be shipped, and an order quantity of the product, and a storage unit that stores allocation codes that are associated with the shipping destination code of each shipping destination and indicate a warehouse that ships the product, warehouse codes of one or more warehouses that reference the available allocation quantity, which is the inventory of the product, associated with the allocation code, warehouse priorities that reference the available allocation quantity, and the available allocation quantity for each product with a product code attached that is stored in each warehouse, based on the shipping destination code of the order data. a detection unit that detects an allocation code that is associated with the shipping destination code and indicates a warehouse that will ship the products by referring to the allocation code; an allocation unit that refers to the storage unit based on the detected allocation code and performs allocation processing to allocate the ordered number of products from the available allocation number of the warehouse that corresponds to the allocation code in accordance with the priority of the warehouse that corresponds to the allocation code; an allocation control unit that controls the allocation unit so that, when allocation processing for all the ordered number of products has not been completed, allocation processing for the unallocated amount of products is performed from the available allocation number of a warehouse that is one level lower in priority; and a data generation unit that generates post-allocation order data by adding at least the allocated number and the unallocated number to the order data. The storage unit includes a reference hierarchy indicating how many other warehouses with lower priorities can be referred to for available allocation quantities when allocation of all ordered quantities of merchandise has not been completed, and the allocation control unit controls the allocation unit so that when allocation processing of all ordered quantities of merchandise has not been completed, allocation processing is performed by referring to the available allocation quantities of other warehouses with lower priorities indicated in the reference hierarchy.

[0007] In order to solve the above problems and achieve the object, the present invention provides Business support equipmentThe business support method includes an acquisition step in which an acquisition unit acquires order data including a shipping destination code indicating a shipping destination of the product, a product code of the product to be shipped, and an order quantity of the product; and a detection unit references a storage unit that stores, based on the shipping destination code of the order data, allocation codes indicating a warehouse from which the product will be shipped, which are associated with the shipping destination code of each shipping destination, warehouse codes of one or more warehouses that reference the available allocation quantity, which is the product inventory, associated with the allocation code, warehouse priorities that reference the available allocation quantity, and the available allocation quantity for each product with a product code attached that is stored in each warehouse. a detection step of detecting an allocation code indicating a warehouse from which the merchandise will be shipped, an allocation step in which the allocation unit refers to a storage unit based on the detected allocation code and performs allocation processing to allocate the ordered quantity of merchandise from the available allocation quantity of the warehouse corresponding to the allocation code in accordance with the priority of the warehouse corresponding to the allocation code, an allocation control step in which the allocation control unit controls the allocation unit so that, when allocation processing for all the ordered quantity of merchandise has not been completed, allocation processing for the unallocated amount of merchandise is performed from the available allocation quantity of a warehouse with one lower priority, and a data generation step in which the data generation unit generates post-allocation order data by adding at least the allocated quantity and the unallocated quantity to the order data. The storage unit includes a reference hierarchy indicating how many other warehouses with lower priorities can be referred to for available allocation quantities when allocation of all ordered quantities of merchandise has not been completed, and the allocation control step controls the allocation unit so that when allocation processing of all ordered quantities of merchandise has not been completed, allocation processing is performed by referring to the available allocation quantities of other warehouses with lower priorities indicated in the reference hierarchy.

[0008] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, a business support program according to the present invention includes a computer, an acquisition unit that acquires order data including a shipping destination code indicating a shipping destination of a product, a product code of the product to be shipped, and an order quantity of the product, and a storage unit that stores allocation codes that are associated with the shipping destination code of each shipping destination and indicate a warehouse from which the product will be shipped, warehouse codes of one or more warehouses that reference an available allocation quantity, which is inventory of the product, associated with the allocation codes, a warehouse priority that references the available allocation quantity, and an available allocation quantity for each product with a product code attached that is stored in each warehouse. a detection unit that detects an allocation code that is associated with the shipping destination code and indicates a warehouse that will ship the products by referring to the code; an allocation unit that refers to the storage unit based on the detected allocation code and performs allocation processing to allocate the ordered quantity of the products from the available allocation quantity of the warehouse that corresponds to the allocation code in accordance with the priority of the warehouse that corresponds to the allocation code; an allocation control unit that controls the allocation unit so that, when allocation processing for all the ordered quantity of the products is not completed, allocation processing for the unallocated amount of the products is performed from the available allocation quantity of the warehouse that is one level lower in priority; and a data generation unit that generates post-allocation order data by adding at least the allocated quantity and the unallocated quantity to the order data. The storage unit includes a reference hierarchy indicating how many other warehouses with lower priorities can be referred to for available allocation quantities when allocation processing for all ordered quantities of merchandise has not been completed, and the allocation control unit controls the allocation unit so that when allocation processing for all ordered quantities of merchandise has not been completed, allocation processing is performed by referring to the available allocation quantities of other warehouses with lower priorities indicated in the reference hierarchy. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The present invention makes it possible to perform allocation processing based on inventory in a plurality of warehouses without causing allocation errors by business operators. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a task assistance device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the allocation management master. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the product-specific allocation control master. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the shipping destination master. [Figure 5]FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the product master. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of order data and post-allocation order data. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing allocation codes associated with product shipping destinations and warehouses to which products associated with the allocation codes are shipped. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the priority order of warehouses to which ordered products are allocated. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the allocation process of products based on inventory. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a reference hierarchy that indicates the priority order in which reference is possible for allocating products. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of post-allocation order data, which is order data into which the allocated quantity, the unallocated quantity, and the like are input. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of other order data before allocation. [Figure 13] Figure 13 shows how the ordered items are allocated from the inventory of the warehouse with the highest priority, but since it was not possible to allocate all the items, allocation continues from the inventory of the warehouse with the second highest priority. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 shows how the ordered items are allocated from the inventory of the warehouse with the second highest priority, even though the quantity is not enough to meet the ordered quantity. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of post-allocation order data generated when an unallocated quantity occurs. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of transfer instruction data for transferring a product allocated from a warehouse with second priority to a warehouse with the highest priority. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A task support device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment.

[0012] (Hardware configuration) As shown in FIG. 1, the business support device 1 of the embodiment includes a storage unit 2, a control unit 3, a communication interface unit 4, and an input / output interface unit 5. An input device 6 and an output device 7 are connected to the input / output interface unit 5. The output device 7 corresponds to a display unit of a monitor device (including a home television), a speaker device, etc. The input device 6 may be a keyboard device, a mouse device, a microphone device, etc., or a monitor device that cooperates with a mouse device to realize a pointing device function. The communication interface unit 4 is connected to a network, for example, a wide area network such as the Internet or a private network such as a LAN (Local Area Network).

[0013] For example, a storage device such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), HDD (Hard Disk Drive), or SSD (Solid State Drive) can be used as the storage unit 2. The storage unit 2 stores a business support program that automates allocation by pre-registering the warehouse allocation order for each product and shipping destination, thereby preventing allocation errors by business operators.

[0014] The storage unit 2 also stores an allocation management master 11, a product-specific allocation control master 12, a shipping destination master 13, and a product master 14. The storage unit 2 also stores pre-allocation order data, reference inventory data, post-allocation order data, and movement instruction data.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 2, the allocation management master 11 stores allocation codes, warehouse codes, names, product types, priority levels, and the like, in association with each other. The allocation codes are associated with warehouses from which products are shipped. Furthermore, as will be described later with reference to FIG. 4, the allocation codes are associated with destinations for the products. The warehouse codes are unique codes assigned to warehouses from which products are shipped. The names are the names of each warehouse. The product types are the types of products stored in each warehouse. The priority levels indicate the order in which warehouses that allocate products are referenced.

[0016] In the example in Figure 2, the allocation code "H001" is associated with the "West Japan Warehouse" and "Bicycle" whose warehouse code is "S001," the "East Japan Warehouse" and "Bicycle" whose warehouse code is "S002," and the "Kyushu Warehouse" and "Bicycle" whose warehouse code is "S003." The priorities of the warehouses are "West Japan Warehouse (1st priority)," "East Japan Warehouse (2nd priority)," and "Kyushu Warehouse (3rd priority)." Therefore, when allocating the product "Bicycle" with the allocation code "H001," the inventory is referenced and allocated in the following order: "West Japan Warehouse (1st priority)" → "East Japan Warehouse (2nd priority)" → "Kyushu Warehouse (3rd priority)."

[0017] Similarly, in the example in Figure 2, the allocation code "H001" is associated with the "West Japan Warehouse" and "Bicycle Parts" whose warehouse code is "S001", and the "East Japan Warehouse" and "Bicycle Parts" whose warehouse code is "S002". The priority of each warehouse is also "West Japan Warehouse (1st priority)" and "East Japan Warehouse (2nd priority)". Therefore, when allocating the product "Bicycle Parts" with the allocation code "H001", the inventory is referenced and allocated in the order of "West Japan Warehouse (1st priority)" → "East Japan Warehouse (2nd priority)".

[0018] Similarly, in the example of Figure 2, the allocation code "H002" is associated with the "West Japan Warehouse" and "Bicycle" whose warehouse code is "S001," the "Kyushu Warehouse" and "Bicycle" whose warehouse code is "S003," and the "Nagoya Warehouse" and "Bicycle" whose warehouse code is "S004." The priorities of each warehouse are "West Japan Warehouse (1st priority)," "Kyushu Warehouse (2nd priority)," and "Nagoya Warehouse (3rd priority)." Therefore, when allocating the product "Bicycle" with the allocation code "H002," the inventory is referenced and allocated in the following order: "West Japan Warehouse (1st priority)" → "Kyushu Warehouse (2nd priority)" → "Nagoya Warehouse (3rd priority)."

[0019] Similarly, in the example of Figure 2, the allocation code "H002" is associated with the "West Japan Warehouse" and "Bicycle Parts" whose warehouse code is "S001," the "Kyushu Warehouse" and "Bicycle Parts" whose warehouse code is "S003," and the "Nagoya Warehouse" and "Bicycle Parts" whose warehouse code is "S004." The priorities of the warehouses are "West Japan Warehouse (1st priority)," "Kyushu Warehouse (2nd priority)," and "Nagoya Warehouse (3rd priority)." Therefore, when allocating the product "Bicycle Parts" with the allocation code "H002," the inventory is referenced and allocated in the following order: "West Japan Warehouse (1st priority)" → "Kyushu Warehouse (2nd priority)" → "Nagoya Warehouse (3rd priority)."

[0020] Next, the product-specific allocation control master 12 stores the above-mentioned allocation code, product code, name, and reference hierarchy in association with each other, as shown in Figure 3. The product code is a unique code assigned to the product to be allocated. As an example, in the case of the bicycle mentioned above, the product code is "J000002," and in the case of bicycle parts, the product code is "P000002."

[0021] The reference layer is information that indicates how many lower-priority warehouses can be referenced for available allocations when the entire ordered quantity of a product has not been allocated. In the example of Figure 3, if the allocation code is "H001" and the product to be allocated is a "bicycle" with a product code of "J000002", allocation will be made at the warehouse with the highest priority, and then allocation will be made from the inventory of the warehouse with the second highest priority (reference layer = 1).

[0022] Similarly, in the example in Figure 3, if the allocation code is "H001" and the product to be allocated is "bicycle parts" with a product code of "P000002", allocation will be made from the warehouse with the highest priority, and then from the inventory of the warehouse with the second highest priority (reference hierarchy = 1).

[0023] Next, as shown in Fig. 4, the shipping destination master 13 stores shipping destination codes, which are unique codes assigned to product shipping destinations, the names of each shipping destination, and the above-mentioned allocation codes, all associated with each other. In the example of Fig. 4, the allocation code "H001" is associated with "Store 001" whose shipping destination code is "M0001" and "Shipping Destination 001" whose shipping destination code is "T0001". The allocation code "H002" is associated with "Shipping Destination 002" whose shipping destination code is "T0002", and the allocation code "H003" is associated with "Dummy shipping destination for EC home delivery" whose shipping destination code is "E0001".

[0024] Next, the product master 14 stores product codes and product types in association with each other, as shown in Fig. 5. In the example of Fig. 5, "J000001," "J000002," and "J000003" indicate that the product type is "bicycle," and "P000001" and "P000002" indicate that the product type is "bicycle parts."

[0025] (Functional configuration of business support device) Next, the control unit 3 executes the business support program stored in the memory unit 2, thereby functioning as an acquisition unit 21, a detection unit 22, an allocation unit 23, an allocation control unit 24, and a data generation unit 25, as shown in Figure 1.

[0026] The acquiring unit 21 acquires order data including a shipping destination code indicating the shipping destination of the product, a product code of the product to be shipped, and the number of products ordered.

[0027] The above-mentioned allocation management master 11, product-specific allocation control master 12, shipping destination master 13, and product master 14 are examples of a storage unit. The detection unit 22 detects an allocation code that indicates a warehouse from which the product is shipped, which is associated with a shipping destination code, by referring to the shipping destination master 13 shown in FIG.

[0028] Based on the detected allocation code, the allocation unit 23 refers to the allocation management master 11 shown in Figure 2 and performs allocation processing to allocate the ordered quantity of goods from the available quantity of the warehouse corresponding to the allocation code in accordance with the priority of the warehouse corresponding to the allocation code.

[0029] The allocation control unit 24 controls the allocation unit 23 so that, when allocation processing for all ordered quantities of goods is not completed, the allocation processing for the unallocated goods is performed from the available allocation quantity of the warehouse with the next lower priority.

[0030] The data generating unit 25 generates post-allocation order data by adding at least the allocated quantity and the unallocated quantity to the order data.

[0031] In addition, if the allocation process for all ordered quantities of goods has not been completed, the allocation control unit 24 controls the allocation unit 23 to perform the allocation process by referring to the available allocation quantities of other warehouses with lower priorities as indicated in the reference hierarchy of the product-specific allocation control master 12 shown in Figure 3.

[0032] Furthermore, the data generating unit 25 generates transfer instruction data that instructs the transfer of products that have been allocated in a warehouse with a lower priority to a desired warehouse with a higher priority.

[0033] (Allocation processing) The business support device 1 of this embodiment automates the allocation work by registering the warehouse allocation order for each product and shipping destination in advance, thereby supporting the allocation work of the business operator. This prevents allocation errors by the business operator.

[0034] That is, in the task support device 1 of the embodiment, the control unit 3 executes the following steps of processing based on the task support program, thereby automating the allocation task and supporting the task operator in the allocation task.

[0035] Step S1: The allocation management master 11 is identified by the allocation code associated with the shipping destination of the order data and the product type of the product code. Step S2: The inventory status of the warehouse with the highest priority in the allocation management master 11 is confirmed. Step S3: If the number of unallocated units is 40 and the number of units that can be allocated is 30, allocation processing is performed for only 30 units. Step S4: Normally, the remaining 10 units would be allocated by checking the inventory in the sub-warehouse (warehouse with second or lower priority), but since the reference hierarchy for the corresponding allocation code and product code in the product-specific allocation control master 12 is set to "1," the allocation process ends even if there are unallocated items.

[0036] To explain this allocation process in detail, in step S1, the acquisition unit 21 acquires order data exemplified in Fig. 6. This order data may be acquired via the communication interface unit 4 and a network, or may be input by a business operator.

[0037] As shown in Fig. 6, the order data includes the transaction type, slip number, detail line, slip date, shipping destination code, product code, allocation code (reference to master), order quantity, allocated quantity, and unallocated quantity. Of these, the shipping destination code is a unique code assigned to the store or other location to which the product is to be delivered, as explained using Fig. 4.

[0038] Note that Figure 6 includes both pre-allocation order data and post-allocation order data. Pre-allocation order data indicates that the allocated quantity is "0" because the allocation process has not yet been performed. In contrast, post-allocation and currently allocated order data indicates that the allocated quantity entry field contains the number of items for which allocation processing has been performed. In the example shown in Figure 6, the record with the slip number "J0000000002" and product code "P000002" indicates that the order quantity is "300 units," but "150 units" have been allocated, leaving "150 units" unallocated. Similarly, the record with the slip number "J0000000002" and product code "J000002" indicates that the order quantity is "50 units," but "10 units" have been allocated, leaving "40 units" unallocated.

[0039] Subsequently, in step S1, when such order data is acquired, the detection unit 22 refers to the shipping destination master 13 shown in Fig. 4 based on the shipping destination code included in the order data, and detects the allocation code associated with the shipping destination code. When the allocation code is detected in this way, the data generation unit 25 inputs the detected allocation code into the allocation code input field of the order data, as shown in Fig. 6. Furthermore, the detection unit 22 refers to the product master 14 shown in Fig. 5 based on the product code included in the order data, and detects the product type corresponding to the product code.

[0040] Next, in step S1, the detection unit 22 refers to the allocation management master 11 as shown in Figure 7 based on the allocation code associated with the shipping destination code and the product type corresponding to the product code, and detects the warehouse code (and warehouse name) that will perform the allocation process for the product of the allocation code and product type.

[0041] 6, in the case of a record having a slip number of "J0000000002" and a product code of "J000002," the shipping destination code is "T0001," and the product type of the product code of "J000002" is "bicycle." Therefore, the detection unit 22 references the shipping destination master 13 based on the shipping destination code of "T0001" and the product type of "bicycle," and identifies a record having an allocation code of "H001" and a product type of "bicycle."

[0042] Next, in steps S2 and S3, the allocation unit 23 checks the inventory status of each warehouse based on the priority of each warehouse corresponding to the allocation code and product type, and performs allocation processing for the ordered quantity of products. In this example, as shown in FIG. 8, the warehouses corresponding to the allocation code of "H001" and the product type of "bicycle" are as follows: the warehouse with the highest priority is the "West Japan Warehouse" with a warehouse code of "S001", the warehouse with the second highest priority is the "East Japan Warehouse" with a warehouse code of "S002", and the warehouse with the third highest priority is the "Kyushu Warehouse" with a warehouse code of "S003". Therefore, the allocation unit 23 checks the inventory status in this order of priority: "West Japan Warehouse" → "East Japan Warehouse" → "Kyushu Warehouse", and performs allocation processing corresponding to the ordered quantity of "bicycle".

[0043] FIG. 9 shows a specific example of this allocation process. In this example, the "West Japan Warehouse," which has the highest priority and is a warehouse with warehouse code "S001," has an inventory (allocation available number) of "30" bicycles with code "J000002," as shown in FIG. 9(a). Furthermore, as shown in the record on the third line in FIG. 6, the number of orders for "J000002" bicycles is "50." Therefore, the allocation unit 23 allocates "30" of the "50" ordered number from the "West Japan Warehouse," which has the highest priority. As a result, the number of available bicycles for the "West Japan Warehouse" becomes "0" as shown in FIG. 9(b). Furthermore, the number of unallocated bicycles at this point is "20."

[0044] Next, allocation processing is performed based on the inventory of the "East Japan Warehouse," which has the second highest priority. However, before that, in step S4, the allocation control unit 24 references the product-specific allocation control master 12 shown in FIG. 10. As shown in FIG. 10, the product-specific allocation control master 12 stores a reference hierarchy associated with the allocation code and product code, which indicates how many lower-priority warehouses should be referenced for the available allocation quantity to perform allocation processing if allocation processing for the entire ordered quantity of the product has not been completed. In the example of FIG. 10, the reference hierarchy is "1," which means that allocation processing is performed using the inventory of the warehouse with the highest priority.

[0045] Therefore, even if there are unallocated quantities when the allocation process based on the inventory of the warehouse with the highest priority is completed (even if the allocation process for all ordered quantities has not been completed), the allocation control unit 24 controls the allocation unit 23 to terminate the allocation process.

[0046] In this case, the data generation unit 25 generates allocated order data by adding the warehouse code of the warehouse where the allocation process was performed, the allocated quantity, and the unallocated quantity to the above-mentioned order data, as shown in Figure 11. The example in Figure 11 shows that by performing allocation processing on an ordered quantity of "50" bicycles from the inventory of the "West Japan Warehouse" with a warehouse code of "S001," "40" of the ordered quantity of "50" have been allocated, and the remaining "10" are unallocated.

[0047] (Other examples of allocation processing) Next, a description will be given of an example of another allocation process that is performed by the control unit 3 based on the business support program. This other allocation process is performed in the following steps.

[0048] Step S11: The allocation management master is identified based on the allocation code associated with the shipping destination of the order data and the product type of the product code. Step S12: Check the stock status from the warehouse with the highest priority set in the allocation management master 11. If there is no stock in the warehouse with the highest priority, check the stock status of the warehouse with the second highest priority. Step S13: Since the number of orders is 15 but the number of units that can be allocated is 10, allocation processing is performed for only 10 units. Step S14: The inventory of the warehouse with the third highest priority is checked, but since there is no inventory of the corresponding product, no allocation process is performed. Step S15: In order to move the allocated products to the warehouse with the highest priority, data instructing the movement of the products from the Kyushu warehouse, which has the second highest priority, to the West Japan warehouse, which has the highest priority, is generated, and the allocation process is completed.

[0049] Specifically, first, in step S11, the acquisition unit 21 acquires pre-allocation order data as shown in Fig. 12. When such order data is acquired, the detection unit 22 references the shipping destination master 13 shown in Fig. 4 based on the shipping destination code included in the order data, and detects the allocation code associated with the shipping destination code. In the example of Fig. 12, the shipping destination code is "T0002", so the allocation code of "H002" is detected as shown in Fig. 7.

[0050] Furthermore, based on the product code included in the order data, the detection unit 22 references the product master 14 shown in Fig. 5 and detects the product type corresponding to the product code. In the example of Fig. 12, since the product code is "J000003", "bicycle" is detected as the product type as shown in Fig. 5.

[0051] Next, in step S11, the detection unit 22 refers to the allocation management master 11 as shown in Figure 7 based on the allocation code associated with the shipping destination code and the product type corresponding to the product code, and detects the warehouse code (and warehouse name) that will perform the allocation process for the product of the allocation code and product type.

[0052] In the example of Figure 12, the allocation code is "H002" and the product type is "bicycle", so as shown in Figures 7 and 13, the "West Japan Warehouse" with warehouse code "S001", the "Kyushu Warehouse" with warehouse code "S003", and the "Nagoya Warehouse" with warehouse code "S004" are detected.

[0053] Next, in step S12, the allocation unit 23 checks the inventory status of each warehouse based on the priority of each warehouse corresponding to the allocation code and product type, and performs allocation processing for the ordered quantity of products. In this example, as shown in FIG. 13, the warehouses corresponding to the allocation code of "H002" and the product type of "bicycle" are as follows: the warehouse with the highest priority is the "West Japan Warehouse" with a warehouse code of "S001", the warehouse with the second highest priority is the "Kyushu Warehouse" with a warehouse code of "S003", and the warehouse with the third highest priority is the "Nagoya Warehouse" with a warehouse code of "S004". Therefore, the allocation unit 23 checks the inventory status in this order of priority: "West Japan Warehouse" → "Kyushu Warehouse" → "Nagoya Warehouse", and performs allocation processing corresponding to the ordered quantity of "bicycle".

[0054] Here, as shown in FIG. 14(a), there is no inventory of "Bicycle" with product code "J000003" in the "West Japan Warehouse" with warehouse code "S001", which is the warehouse with the highest priority in this example. Therefore, the allocation control unit 24 references the product-specific allocation control master 12 shown in FIG. 3 and detects the reference hierarchical level set for "Bicycle" with allocation code "H002" and product code "J000003". In the example of FIG. 3, no reference hierarchical level has been set for "Bicycle" with allocation code "H002" and product code "J000003". Therefore, the allocation control unit 24 controls the allocation unit 23 to shift the warehouse to be allocated from the warehouse with the highest priority to the warehouse with the second highest priority and perform allocation processing.

[0055] In the example of Figure 12, the number of bicycles ordered is "12 units." As shown in Figures 14(a) and 14(b), the "Kyushu Warehouse" with warehouse code "S003" has "10 units" of "Bicycle" with code "J000003" in stock. Therefore, the allocation unit 23 allocates "10 units" of the "15 units" ordered from the stock of the Kyushu Warehouse (step S13).

[0056] Next, in step S14, the allocation control unit 24 controls the allocation unit 23 to shift the warehouse to be allocated from the "Kyushu Warehouse," which has the second highest priority, to the "Nagoya Warehouse," which has the third highest priority, and perform allocation processing. However, as shown in FIG. 14(a), the "Nagoya Warehouse," which has the warehouse code "S004" and is the warehouse with the third highest priority, does not have any inventory of "Bicycles" with the product code "J000003." Also, in this example, no warehouses with priorities higher than third have been set. Therefore, the allocation control unit 24 controls the allocation unit 23 to end the allocation processing at this point.

[0057] In this way, when allocation processing is performed based on the inventory of warehouses with lower priorities other than the highest priority, the data generation unit 25 generates transfer instruction data instructing the movement of the "10" "bicycles" allocated at the "Kyushu Warehouse" to the "West Japan Warehouse" with the highest priority in step S15, and ends the allocation processing. As shown in Figure 16, this transfer instruction data includes, along with the slip number and slip date, the receiving warehouse to which the products are to be moved, the shipping warehouse from which the products are to be shipped, the product codes of the products to be moved, and the transfer instruction quantity. Figure 16 shows transfer instruction data instructing the movement of "10" "bicycles" with product code "J000003" from the "Kyushu Warehouse" with warehouse code "S003" to the "West Japan Warehouse" with warehouse code "S001."

[0058] Next, the data generation unit 25 creates movement instruction data to move "10 units" of "bicycles" with product code "J000003" to the "West Japan Warehouse" with warehouse code "S001," and generates post-allocation order data indicating that allocation processing has been performed from the "West Japan Warehouse," which is the movement destination. That is, in this case, the data generation unit 25 generates post-allocation order data including the product code "J000003," the ordered quantity of "15 units," the allocated quantity of "10 units," and the unallocated quantity of "5 units," as shown in FIG. 15. This allows products to be shipped to the destination from the warehouse with the highest priority, thereby transporting the products at the lowest transportation cost and maximizing profits from product sales.

[0059] (Other specific examples of allocation operations) Finally, some specific examples of allocation operations will be briefly described.

[0060] For the allocation operation for the slip number "JU0000000002," which is the record on the second line in FIG. 6, warehouse inventory is referenced based on the allocation code "H001." In this case, since the product with product code "P000002" is a target product in the product-specific allocation control master 12 and its reference hierarchy is "1," as shown in FIG. 3, only the inventory of the "West Japan Warehouse" with warehouse code "S001" is referenced. As a result, when the allocation of, for example, "150 units," which is the same number as the order quantity, is completed from the inventory of the "West Japan Warehouse" with warehouse code "S001," the allocation control unit 24 controls the allocation unit 23 to end the allocation process. The data generation unit 25 updates the available allocation quantity in the reference inventory data for the "West Japan Warehouse" illustrated in FIG. 9 from "200 units" to "50 units."

[0061] Next, for the allocation operation for the slip number "JU0000000002," which is the record on the third line in FIG. 6, warehouse inventory is referenced based on the allocation code "H001." In this case, since the product with the product code "J000002" is the target product of the product-specific allocation control master 12 as shown in FIG. 3 and has a reference count of "1," only the inventory of the "West Japan Warehouse" with the warehouse code "S001" is referenced. As a result, for example, "10 units" out of the ordered quantity of "50 units" are allocated from the inventory of the "West Japan Warehouse" with the warehouse code "S001." The allocation control unit 24 controls the allocation unit 23 to end the allocation process, leaving "40 units" as the unallocated quantity. The data generation unit 25 updates the available allocation quantity in the reference inventory data for the "West Japan Warehouse" illustrated in FIG. 9 from "10 units" to "0 units."

[0062] Next, for the allocation operation for the slip number "JU0000000004", which is the record on the fifth line in Fig. 6, the inventory at the "West Japan Warehouse" with warehouse code "S001" is first referenced based on the allocation code "H002". If the product with product code "J000003" does not exist in the "West Japan Warehouse" with warehouse code "S001", the allocation control unit 24 references the product-specific allocation control master 12 shown in Fig. 3.

[0063] As shown in FIG. 3, a product with an allocation code of "H002" and a product code of "J000003" is not registered in the product-specific allocation control master 12. Therefore, the allocation control unit 24 controls the allocation unit 23 to make an allocation from the inventory of the "Kyushu Warehouse" with the warehouse code "S003", which has the second highest priority. Since there are "10 units" in stock at the "Kyushu Warehouse" for the order quantity of "15 units", the allocation unit 23 performs allocation processing for "10 units". The allocation control unit 24 controls the allocation unit 23 to end the allocation processing by marking the remaining "5 units" as unallocated. The data generation unit 25 updates the available allocation quantity in the reference inventory data for the "Kyushu Warehouse" from "10 units" to "0 units".

[0064] Next, for the allocation operation for the slip number "JU0000000005," which is the record on the sixth line in FIG. 6, the inventory at the "East Japan Warehouse" with warehouse code "S003" is referenced based on the allocation code "H003." If the "East Japan Warehouse" with warehouse code "S003" does not contain a product with product code "J000001," the allocation unit 23 does not perform allocation processing. In this case, the allocation control unit 24 also references the product-specific allocation control master 12 shown in FIG. 3, but the product-specific allocation control master 12 does not register a product code associated with the allocation code "H003." Therefore, the allocation control unit 24 controls the allocation unit 23 to terminate the allocation processing. In this case, since the allocation processing has not been performed, the data generation unit 25 does not change the available allocation quantity, etc.

[0065] (Effects of the embodiment) For example, when transporting medium-sized products such as household electrical appliances, it is extremely important from the perspective of maximizing profits to understand the inventory status and then select an appropriate transportation route to minimize transportation costs. Conventionally, each warehouse had its own inventory management system, and inventory was managed at each warehouse, but because there was no connection with other warehouses, it was difficult to manage the overall inventory, and inventory status confirmation, allocation, and shipping arrangements were all done manually.

[0066] Furthermore, when selecting an appropriate transportation route, it is necessary to select the warehouse from which the goods will be shipped. However, due to the above-mentioned reasons, it is difficult for business operators to make a choice that minimizes transportation costs, and incorrect choices are frequently made.

[0067] In addition, in the past, allocation processing was performed for all products in the order of main warehouse → sub-warehouse. However, depending on the product, there are cases where transportation costs can be reduced by ordering directly from the main warehouse to the manufacturer rather than allocating the product at the sub-warehouse and transporting it to the main warehouse.

[0068] For this reason, the business support device 1 of the embodiment automates allocation by pre-registering the warehouse allocation order for each product and shipping destination. This prevents allocation errors by business operators and automatically selects the optimal transportation route to ship products, minimizing transportation costs.

[0069] Furthermore, the business support device 1 of the embodiment can prevent opportunity loss and accelerate revenue recognition. In other words, if inventory could only be checked in the main warehouse, even if inventory was present in the sub-warehouse, it would be treated as out of stock, and the order could not be fulfilled. However, in the business support device 1 of the embodiment, if there is no inventory in the main warehouse, the inventory in the sub-warehouse is referenced and an allocation is made. This makes it possible to allocate ordered products from inventory in multiple warehouses, and the products can be shipped without being treated as out of stock.

[0070] Furthermore, when shipment from the sub-warehouse is possible, the business support device 1 of the embodiment can record sales earlier than the original timing of recording sales (stocking in the main warehouse and then selling to the customer).

[0071] Furthermore, the business support device 1 according to the embodiment can optimize inventory. That is, when inventory is allocated in a sub-warehouse, a warning function is implemented in the main warehouse to warn that there is no inventory, which can prompt inventory replenishment and prevent loss of ordering opportunities.

[0072] Furthermore, the business support device 1 according to the embodiment can reduce expenses and transportation costs. That is, the business support device 1 according to the embodiment can perform allocation processing by referencing the main warehouse and the sub-warehouse on a product-by-product basis. Therefore, for example, if there is no inventory in the main warehouse, rather than shipping the product from the sub-warehouse, it is possible to order the product from the manufacturer, have it arrive at the main warehouse, and then deliver it via a route, thereby reducing transportation costs.

[0073] [Contribution to the United Nations-led Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)] This embodiment can contribute to improving business efficiency and promoting appropriate management decisions by companies, thereby contributing to the achievement of Goals 8 and 9 of the SDGs.

[0074] Furthermore, this embodiment can contribute to reducing waste and promoting paperless and electronic systems, thereby contributing to the achievement of SDGs Goals 12, 13, and 15.

[0075] Furthermore, this embodiment can contribute to strengthening control and governance, which can contribute to the achievement of Goal 16 of the SDGs.

[0076] [Other embodiments] The present invention may be implemented in various different embodiments other than those described above within the scope of the technical concept set forth in the claims.

[0077] For example, among the processes described in the embodiments, all or part of the processes described as being performed automatically can be performed manually, or all or part of the processes described as being performed manually can be performed automatically using known methods.

[0078] Furthermore, the processing procedures, control procedures, specific names, information including parameters such as registered data and search conditions for each process, screen examples, and database configurations shown in this specification and drawings can be changed as desired unless otherwise specified.

[0079] Furthermore, with regard to the task support device 1, the components shown in the figures are functional concepts, and do not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown in the figures.

[0080] For example, all or any part of the processing functions of the business support device 1, particularly the control unit 3 and each processing function performed by the control unit 3, may be realized by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a program interpreted and executed by the CPU, or may be realized as hardware using wired logic. The program is recorded on a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium containing programmed instructions for causing the information processing device to execute the processes described in this embodiment, and is mechanically read by the business support device 1 as needed. That is, a storage unit such as a ROM or HDD stores a computer program for cooperating with the OS to issue instructions to the CPU and perform various processes. The computer program is executed by being loaded into RAM, and cooperates with the CPU to constitute the control unit 3.

[0081] In addition, the business support program of this business support device 1 may be stored in another server device connected to the business support device 1 via any network, and all or part of it may be downloaded as needed.

[0082] The business support program for executing the processes described in this embodiment may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium or configured as a program product. Here, the term "recording medium" includes any portable physical medium such as a memory card, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) memory, a Secure Digital (SD) card, a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk, a ROM, an Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EPROM), an Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM (registered trademark)), a Compact Disk Read Only Memory (CD-ROM), a Magneto-Optical Disk (MO), a Digital Versatile Disk (DVD), and a Blu-ray (registered trademark) disc.

[0083] Furthermore, a "program" is a data processing method written in any language or description method, and does not matter whether it is in the form of source code or binary code. Note that a "program" is not necessarily limited to a single structure, but also includes a structure that is distributed as multiple modules or libraries, or a structure that achieves its function by cooperating with a separate program, such as an OS. Note that the specific structure and reading procedure for reading a recording medium in the business support device 1 described in the embodiment, as well as the installation procedure after reading, can use well-known structures and procedures.

[0084] The memory unit 2 is a storage means such as a memory device such as RAM or ROM, a fixed disk device such as a hard disk, a flexible disk, or an optical disk, and stores various programs, tables, databases, and web page files used for various processes and providing websites.

[0085] The business support device 1 may be configured as an information processing device such as a known personal computer or a workstation, or may be configured as an information processing device connected to any peripheral device. The information processing device may be realized by installing software (including programs or data) that realizes the processing described in this embodiment.

[0086] Furthermore, the specific form of distribution and integration of the devices is not limited to that shown in the drawings, and all or part of them can be configured by functionally or physically distributing and integrating them in any unit according to various additions or functional loads. In other words, the above-described embodiments can be implemented in any combination, or embodiments can be implemented selectively. [Industrial Applicability]

[0087] The present invention can be used in the general industry and in the field of selling goods, including household electrical appliances. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 1 Business support equipment 2 Storage section 3. Control Unit 4. Communication interface section 5 Input / output interface section 6 Input Devices 7 Output Devices 11 Allocation Management Master 12 Product Allocation Control Master 13 Shipping destination master 14 Product Master 21 Acquisition Department 22 Detection unit 23 Provision Department 24 Allocation Control Section 25 Data Generation Unit

Claims

1. an acquisition unit that acquires order data including a shipping destination code indicating a shipping destination of the product, a product code of the product to be shipped, and the number of products ordered; a detection unit that detects the allocation code that indicates the warehouse that will ship the merchandise, which is associated with the shipping destination code, by referring to a storage unit that stores, based on the shipping destination code of each of the shipping destinations, allocation codes that indicate the warehouse that will ship the merchandise, warehouse codes of one or more warehouses that reference the allocation quantities that are inventory of the merchandise, which are associated with the allocation codes, the priority of the warehouses that reference the allocation quantities, and the allocation quantities for each merchandise that is assigned a merchandise code and that is stored in each of the warehouses; an allocation unit that refers to the storage unit based on the detected allocation code and performs allocation processing to allocate the ordered quantity of the product from the available allocation quantity of the warehouse corresponding to the allocation code in accordance with the priority of the warehouse corresponding to the allocation code; an allocation control unit that controls the allocation unit so that, when allocation processing for all of the ordered quantities of the goods is not completed, allocation processing for the unallocated goods is performed from the available allocation quantity of a warehouse with one lower priority; a data generating unit that generates post-allocation order data by adding at least the allocated quantity and the unallocated quantity to the order data, the storage unit includes a reference hierarchy indicating how many other warehouses with lower priorities can be referenced for available allocation quantities when allocation of the entire ordered quantity of the product is not completed, the allocation control unit controls the allocation unit so that, when allocation processing for all of the ordered quantities of the goods is not completed, the allocation processing is performed by referring to the available allocation quantities of other warehouses with lower priorities indicated in the reference hierarchy; A business support device characterized by the above.

2. the data generation unit generates movement instruction data instructing that the product allocated in a warehouse with a lower priority be moved to a desired warehouse with a higher priority; 2. The business support device according to claim 1, wherein:

3. an acquisition step in which an acquisition unit acquires order data including a shipping destination code indicating a shipping destination of the product, a product code of the product to be shipped, and an order quantity of the product; a detection step in which a detection unit detects, based on the shipping destination code of the order data, an allocation code indicating a warehouse from which the merchandise will be shipped, the allocation code indicating a warehouse from which the merchandise will be shipped, the warehouse codes of one or more warehouses that refer to the allocation codes and that are associated with the shipping destination code of each of the shipping destinations, the priority of the warehouses that refer to the allocation quantities, and the allocation quantities for each merchandise with a merchandise code that is stored in each of the warehouses; an allocation step in which an allocation unit refers to the storage unit based on the detected allocation code, and performs allocation processing to allocate the ordered quantity of the product from the available allocation quantity of the warehouse corresponding to the allocation code in accordance with the priority of the warehouse corresponding to the allocation code; an allocation control step of controlling the allocation control unit so that, when allocation processing for all of the ordered quantities of the goods has not been completed, the allocation control unit performs allocation processing for the unallocated goods from the available allocation quantity of a warehouse with one lower priority; a data generating step in which a data generating unit generates post-allocation order data by adding at least the allocated quantity and the unallocated quantity to the order data, the storage unit includes a reference hierarchy indicating how many other warehouses with lower priorities can be referenced for available allocation quantities when allocation of the entire ordered quantity of the product is not completed, In the allocation control step, when the allocation process for the entire ordered quantity of the product is not completed, the allocation unit is controlled so as to perform the allocation process by referring to the available allocation quantity of another warehouse with a lower priority indicated in the reference hierarchy; A business support method using a business support device.

4. Computer, an acquisition unit that acquires order data including a shipping destination code indicating a shipping destination of the product, a product code of the product to be shipped, and the number of products ordered; a detection unit that detects the allocation code that indicates the warehouse that will ship the merchandise, which is associated with the shipping destination code, by referring to a storage unit that stores, based on the shipping destination code of each of the shipping destinations, allocation codes that indicate the warehouse that will ship the merchandise, warehouse codes of one or more warehouses that reference the allocation quantities that are inventory of the merchandise, which are associated with the allocation codes, the priority of the warehouses that reference the allocation quantities, and the allocation quantities for each merchandise that is assigned a merchandise code and that is stored in each of the warehouses; an allocation unit that refers to the storage unit based on the detected allocation code and performs allocation processing to allocate the ordered quantity of the product from the available allocation quantity of the warehouse corresponding to the allocation code in accordance with the priority of the warehouse corresponding to the allocation code; an allocation control unit that controls the allocation unit so that, when allocation processing for all of the ordered quantities of the goods is not completed, allocation processing for the unallocated goods is performed from the available allocation quantity of a warehouse with one lower priority; a data generating unit that generates post-allocation order data by adding at least the allocated quantity and the unallocated quantity to the order data; the storage unit includes a reference hierarchy indicating how many other warehouses with lower priorities can be referenced for available allocation quantities when allocation of the entire ordered quantity of the product is not completed, the allocation control unit controls the allocation unit so that, when allocation processing for all of the ordered quantities of the goods is not completed, the allocation processing is performed by referring to the available allocation quantities of other warehouses with lower priorities indicated in the reference hierarchy; A business support program that features:

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