Problem identification device and problem identification method

Abstract

To identify problems that a plurality of stakeholders should collectively address.SOLUTION: A problem identification device holds information indicating a directed graph defined by nodes indicating problems of a plurality of stakeholders and links indicating causal relation between the nodes, and information indicating common activity goals that are activity goals common to the plurality of stakeholders among problems; identifies nodes indicating the common activity goals, among the nodes included in the directed graph; identifies a loop containing the identified nodes as a key loop, from the directed graph; and generates data to display information indicating links included in the key loop.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a problem identification device and a problem identification method. [Background technology]

[0002] Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2021-093140 (Patent Document 1) is a background technology in this technical field. This publication states that "The method for proposing a solution uses a classification model trained with training data in which task tags corresponding to multiple past tasks are classified into multiple categories according to their mutual relevance, estimates the category into which a new task will be classified, searches for past tasks similar to the new task within the estimated category, and outputs a solution linked to the searched similar past task. Each past task is entered into one of the task items within at least one piece of hierarchical data. Each task tag is determined based on the information entered into each past task and into an item in the hierarchical data that has a parent-child relationship with the task item into which the past task was entered" (see abstract). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-093140 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The technology described in Patent Document 1 is intended to detect past issues similar to new issues in a single organization, but is not intended to detect issues that multiple stakeholders should address as a whole.

[0005] However, when creating a service that involves multiple stakeholders, power relationships and conflicts of interest may arise between the stakeholders, and even if an issue related to one stakeholder is identified and resolved locally, there is a risk of trade-offs occurring, such as not contributing to the resolution of the issues of other stakeholders or having a negative impact on the resolution of their issues.

[0006] Therefore, one aspect of the present invention is to identify issues that multiple stakeholders should address as a whole. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, one aspect of the present invention employs the following configuration: A problem identification device includes a processor and a memory, wherein the memory holds graph attribute information indicating a directed graph defined by nodes indicating problems of multiple stakeholders and links indicating causal relationships between the nodes, and stakeholder attribute information indicating a common activity goal that is an activity goal common to the multiple stakeholders among the problems, and the processor identifies, from the nodes included in the directed graph, a node that indicates the common activity goal indicated by the stakeholder attribute information, identifies a loop including the identified node from the directed graph as a key loop, and generates data for displaying information indicating the links included in the key loop. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to identify issues that multiple stakeholders should address as a whole.

[0009] Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of an outline of a solution concept according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2]1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a problem identification device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data configuration of a node attribute table according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data configuration of a link attribute table in the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data configuration of a key loop attribute table in the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data configuration of a stakeholder attribute table in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a main process performed by the problem identification device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a key loop search process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a key loop attribute table creation process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an adjacent loop information addition process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen configuration of an operation command input screen in the first embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen configuration of a key loop list display screen in the first embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen configuration of a key loop display screen in the first embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen configuration of a key node display screen in the first embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, the same components are generally designated by the same reference numerals, and repeated explanations will be omitted. It should be noted that this embodiment is merely an example for realizing the present invention, and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention. [Example]

[0012] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of an outline of a solution concept of this embodiment. In this embodiment, issues faced by each of multiple stakeholders, issues shared by the multiple stakeholders, and causal relationships between the issues are collected in advance. Furthermore, among the issues faced by each of the multiple stakeholders, issues that are KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) for each stakeholder (hereinafter also referred to as individual KPIs) and issues shared by the multiple stakeholders that are KPIs common to the multiple stakeholders (hereinafter also referred to as common KPIs) are set in advance. Note that the KPI is an example of an indicator indicating the activity goal of a stakeholder, and other indicators indicating activity goals (e.g., KGI (Key Goal Indicator)) may be used instead of the KPI.

[0013] Furthermore, a directed graph (hereinafter simply referred to as a graph) in which each issue including KPIs is a node and the causal relationships between each issue are edges is registered in advance in the issue identification device, for example, in a description format such as a CLD (Causal Loop Diagram).

[0014] In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the problem identification device displays problems as nodes, but not limited to problems, events related to stakeholders such as measures and expected effects may also be displayed as nodes. In other words, a problem that a stakeholder has is an example of an event that occurs to the stakeholder.

[0015] In the example of Figure 1, there are multiple stakeholders, including distributors, local governments, and railway operators. In the graph of the example of Figure 1, the nodes with hatching indicate individual KPIs, the nodes with grid lines indicate common KPIs, and the white nodes indicate issues that are not KPIs.

[0016] In the example of Figure 1, the nodes drawn directly below the names of the multiple stakeholders indicate the issues that the stakeholder has, and the nodes drawn above the names of the multiple stakeholders indicate the issues that the multiple stakeholders have in common.

[0017] In the example of Figure 1, among the issues faced by each stakeholder, nodes related to management issues or areas of effort and nodes related to business issues are placed in different areas. Also, among the issues common to the multiple stakeholders, nodes related to social value and nodes related to strategic themes are placed in different areas.

[0018] Among nodes connected by a link (edge), the node that outputs the link is the node that indicates the cause, and the node into which the link is input is the node that indicates the result.

[0019] For example, node 201 indicates the revenue of a distributor, node 202 indicates the profit of the distributor, and when the revenue of the distributor increases, the profit of the distributor also increases, and when the revenue of the distributor decreases, the profit of the distributor also decreases. In this way, a correlation in which the increase or decrease in the index indicating the issue indicated by the node that outputs the link matches the increase or decrease in the index indicating the issue indicated by the node into which the link is input (the indexes indicating the two issues change in the same direction) is called a positive correlation, and is shown by a solid line.

[0020] For example, node 203 indicates the distributor's costs, and if the distributor's costs increase, the distributor's profits decrease, and vice versa. In this way, a correlation in which the increase or decrease in the index indicating the issue indicated by the node that outputs the link is opposite to the increase or decrease in the index indicating the issue indicated by the node into which the link is input (the indexes indicating the two issues change in opposite directions) is called an inverse correlation, and is indicated by a dotted line.

[0021] Also, for example, node 205 is a node that indicates the amount of local promotion by a local government, and node 206 is a node that indicates the number of visitors to the local government's area, and although increasing the amount of local promotion by a local government will increase the number of visitors to the local government's area, it takes a long time (for example, more than a predetermined value) from the increase in the amount of local promotion by the local government to the increase in the number of visitors to the local government's area. In this way, a correlation that takes a long time to get from cause to effect is called a correlation with a delay, and is shown by two straight lines crossing the link arrow that indicates a correlation with a delay.

[0022] Furthermore, the issues of one stakeholder may affect or be affected by the issues of another stakeholder, for example, as shown by the link defined from node 202 representing distributor revenue to node 204 representing local government revenue.

[0023] In addition, some nodes other than the node representing the KPI have links that lead to at least one node representing the KPI. In other words, some issues other than the KPI have a direct or indirect effect on the KPI, or are directly or indirectly affected by the KPI.

[0024] In the example of Figure 1, edges are output from all nodes for each stakeholder and edges are input to all of the nodes, but the graph may contain nodes that only output edges or nodes that only receive edges. However, it is assumed that links are always input to nodes that indicate KPIs.

[0025] In a service involving multiple stakeholders, as described above, the issues of one stakeholder may affect or be affected by the issues of other stakeholders, so addressing the issue of one stakeholder may have either a positive or negative impact on the resolution of the issues of the other stakeholders. By analyzing such a graph, the issue identification device of this embodiment takes into consideration the mutual interests of the multiple stakeholders and identifies the issues that the multiple stakeholders as a whole should address as a priority.

[0026] The CLD display screen, which will be described later, displays the same information as in FIG.

[0027] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a problem identification device 100. The problem identification device 100 is configured by a computer having a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101, a memory 102, an auxiliary storage device 103, and a communication device 104, for example.

[0028] The CPU 101 includes a processor and executes programs stored in the memory 102. The memory 102 includes a ROM (Read Only Memory), which is a non-volatile storage element, and a RAM (Random Access Memory), which is a volatile storage element. The ROM stores unchanging programs (e.g., a BIOS (Basic Input / Output System)). The RAM is a high-speed, volatile storage element such as a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), and temporarily stores programs executed by the CPU 101 and data used when the programs are executed.

[0029] The auxiliary storage device 103 is a large-capacity, non-volatile storage device such as a magnetic storage device (HDD (Hard Disk Drive)) or a flash memory (SSD (Solid State Drive)), and stores programs to be executed by the CPU 101 and data to be used when the programs are executed. That is, the programs are read from the auxiliary storage device 103, loaded into the memory 102, and executed by the CPU 101.

[0030] The communication device 104 is a network interface device that controls communication with other devices in accordance with a predetermined protocol. The communication device 104 may also include a serial interface such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus).

[0031] The problem identification device 100 is connected to an input device 105 and a display device 106. For this reason, the problem identification device 100 preferably has an input interface for connecting the input device 105 and an output interface for connecting the display device 106. The input device 105 is a device, such as a keyboard or a mouse, that receives input from an operator. The display device 106 is a device, such as a display device or a printer, that outputs the results of program execution in a format that can be viewed by the operator.

[0032] Some or all of the programs executed by the CPU 101 may be provided to the problem identification device 100 from removable media (CD-ROM, flash memory, etc.), which are non-transitory storage media, or from an external computer equipped with a non-transitory storage device via a network, and may be stored in the non-volatile auxiliary storage device 103, which is also a non-transitory storage medium. For this reason, the problem identification device 100 should preferably have an interface for reading data from removable media.

[0033] The problem identification device 100 is a computer system configured on a single physical computer or on multiple logically or physically configured computers, and may operate in separate threads on the same computer, or may operate on a virtual computer constructed on multiple physical computer resources.

[0034] The CPU 101 includes, for example, a key loop structure search unit 111, a key node search unit 112, and a display pattern switching unit 113. The key loop structure search unit 111 searches for key loops included in the CLD. A key loop indicates a noteworthy structure within the CLD. The key node search unit 112 searches for key nodes included in the key loop. A key node indicates an issue with a high priority of effort among the nodes included in the key loop. The display pattern switching unit 113 switches the content of the screen displayed on the display device 106.

[0035] For example, CPU 101 functions as key loop structure search unit 111 by operating in accordance with a key loop structure search program loaded into memory 102, and functions as key node search unit 112 by operating in accordance with a key node search program loaded into memory 102. The same relationship between programs and functional units applies to other functional units included in CPU 101.

[0036] Note that some or all of the functions of the functional units included in the CPU 101 may be realized by hardware such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array).

[0037] The auxiliary storage device 103 includes, for example, a CLD attribute data storage unit 121, a stakeholder attribute data storage unit 122, and a search result storage unit 123, all of which are areas for storing data.

[0038] The CLD attribute data storage unit 121 stores information indicating attributes of nodes, links, key loops, etc. included in the CLD. The CLD attribute data storage unit 121 stores a node attribute table 130, a link attribute table 131, and a key loop attribute table 132, which will be described later.

[0039] The stakeholder attribute data storage unit 122 stores information indicating the attributes of stakeholders. The stakeholder attribute data storage unit 122 stores a stakeholder attribute table 133, which will be described later. The search result storage unit 123 stores information indicating the search results of key loops and key nodes.

[0040] Note that some or all of the information stored in the auxiliary storage device 103 may be stored in the memory 102 or in a database connected to the problem identification device 100.

[0041] In this embodiment, the information used by the problem identification device 100 does not depend on a data structure and may be expressed in any data structure. For example, the information can be stored in a data structure appropriately selected from a table, a list, a database, or a queue.

[0042] 3 is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of the node attribute table 130 stored in the CLD attribute data storage unit 121. The node attribute table 130 includes, for example, a node ID column 1301, a text column 1302, a placement area column 1303, an input node ID column 1304, an output node ID column 1305, an output degree column 1306, and a key node flag column 1307.

[0043] The node ID column 1301 holds node IDs that identify nodes included in the graph. The text column 1302 holds text that indicates the issue indicated by the node. The placement area column 1303 holds information that indicates the area in which the node is placed. Specifically, the placement area column 1303 stores stakeholder IDs that identify stakeholders, and indicates which stakeholder owns the issue indicated by the node.

[0044] In the example of Figure 3, the placement area column 1303 stores stakeholder IDs, making it possible to determine which stakeholder each node belongs to, but the placement area column 1303 may also store information that makes it possible to determine which stakeholder and which type of issue each node belongs to (any of "social value," "strategic theme," "management issue / area of ​​action," and "business issue" shown in Figure 1).

[0045] The input node ID column 1304 holds the node ID of the input node (a node that outputs a link to the node indicated by the node ID column 1301, i.e., a node that influences the node indicated by the node ID column 1301) based on the node indicated by the node ID column 1301. If there is no link input to the node indicated by the node ID column 1301, a null value is stored in the input node ID column 1304.

[0046] The exit node ID column 1305 holds the node ID of the exit node (the node into which the link output by the node indicated in the node ID column 1301 is input, i.e., the node affected by the node indicated in the node ID column 1301) based on the node indicated in the node ID column 1301. If the node indicated in the node ID column 1301 does not have an output link, a null value is stored in the exit node ID column 1305.

[0047] The out-degree column 1306 holds the number of links (out-degree) output by the node indicated in the node ID column 1301. The key node flag column 1307 holds a key node flag ("1" if the node indicated in the node ID column 1301 is a key node, which will be described later) indicating whether the node is a key node or not.

[0048] 4 is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of the link attribute table 131 stored in the CLD attribute data storage unit 121. The link attribute table 131 includes, for example, a link ID column 1311, an exit node ID column 1312, an entry node ID column 1313, a correlation column 1314, and a delay column 1315.

[0049] The link ID column 1311 holds link IDs that identify links included in the graph. The exit node ID column 1312 holds the node ID of the exit node (the node at the start point of the link indicated by the link ID column 1311) based on the link indicated by the link ID column 1311. The entry node ID column 1313 holds the node ID of the entry node (the node at the end point of the link indicated by the link ID column 1311) based on the link indicated by the link ID column 1311.

[0050] The correlation column 1314 holds a value indicating whether the link indicated by the link ID column 1311 has a positive correlation or an inverse correlation ("D" for a positive correlation, and "O" for an inverse correlation). The delay column 1315 holds information indicating whether the link indicated by the link ID column 1311 has a correlation with a delay.

[0051] 5 is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of the key loop attribute table 132 stored in the CLD attribute data storage unit 121. The key loop attribute table 132 includes, for example, a loop ID column 1321, a node ID column 1322, a loop type column 1323, and a delay column 1324.

[0052] The loop ID column 1321 holds loop IDs for identifying key loops, which will be described later. The node ID column 1322 holds the node IDs of nodes included in the key loop indicated by the loop ID column 1321. The loop type column 1323 holds information indicating whether the key loop indicated by the loop ID column 1321 is an extended loop, which will be described later, or a balanced loop ("R" for an extended loop, and "B" for a balanced loop). The delay column 1324 holds information indicating whether the key loop indicated by the loop ID column 1321 is a loop with a delay (in other words, whether it includes a link that indicates a correlation with a delay).

[0053] 6 is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of the stakeholder attribute table 133 stored in the stakeholder attribute data storage unit 122. The stakeholder attribute table 133 includes, for example, a stakeholder ID column 1331, a text column 1332, and a KPI column 1333.

[0054] The stakeholder ID column 1331 holds stakeholder IDs. In addition to each stakeholder, in order to indicate issues or KPIs common to multiple stakeholders, "SH00" is also defined in the stakeholder ID column 1331 as a stakeholder ID indicating the entire group of stakeholders. The text column 1332 holds text indicating the name of the stakeholder indicated by the stakeholder ID column 1331.

[0055] The KPI column 1333 holds the node ID of the node indicating the KPI of the stakeholder indicated in the stakeholder ID column 1331. In the stakeholder attribute table 133, the KPI corresponding to the stakeholder with the stakeholder ID "SH00" (i.e., the text "common") indicates the common KPI, and the KPI corresponding to each stakeholder with a stakeholder ID other than "SH00" indicates the individual KPI of the stakeholder.

[0056] Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the main processing by the problem identification device 100. It is assumed that the stakeholder ID column 1331 and the value of the text column 1332 of the stakeholder attribute table 133 are registered in advance before the main processing of Fig. 7 starts.

[0057] For example, the display pattern switching unit 113 acquires information indicating nodes indicating tasks, areas in which the tasks (nodes) are located, links indicating causal relationships between tasks (nodes) (start point, end point of each link, whether the correlation is positive or negative, and whether the correlation is accompanied by a delay), and tasks (nodes) corresponding to KPIs, based on input from the user of the task identification device 100 to the input device 105, and draws a graph in CLD format description on the CLD display screen displayed on the display device 106 according to the acquired information (S701). Note that the CLD display screen displays information similar to that shown in FIG. 1.

[0058] The key loop structure search unit 111 issues a node ID and a link ID according to the information acquired in step S701, and registers the values ​​of the node ID column 1301 to the outdegree column 1306 in the node attribute table 130, the values ​​of the link ID column 1311 to the delay column 1315 in the link attribute table 131, and the value of the KPI column 1333 in the stakeholder attribute table 133 (S702).

[0059] The key loop structure search unit 111 searches for key loops included in the CLD (S703). Details of the processing of step S703 will be described later with reference to Figures 8, 9, and 10. In the processing of step S703, key loops and key nodes are identified, that is, values ​​in each column of the key loop attribute table 132 and values ​​in the key node flag column 1307 of the node attribute table 130 are registered.

[0060] The display pattern switching unit 113 determines whether an instruction to display a key loop display screen, which will be described later, on the display device 106 has been received, via input to the input device 105 from the user of the problem identification device 100 (S704). Note that, as will be described in detail later, the key loop display screen may display a key loop list or the like to receive input of information for identifying a key loop to be highlighted in step S705, which will be described later.

[0061] If the display pattern switching unit 113 determines in step S704 that the command has been received (S704: YES), it acquires information about the key loop to be highlighted from the key loop attribute table 132 and highlights the key loop on the CLD on the key loop display screen (S705).If the display pattern switching unit 113 determines in step S704 that the command has not been received (S704: NO), it proceeds to the processing of step S706.

[0062] The display pattern switching unit 113 determines whether an instruction to display a key node display screen (described later) on the display device 106 has been received, as input to the input device 105 by the user of the problem identification device 100 (S706). If the display pattern switching unit 113 determines in step S706 that the instruction has not been received (S706: NO), the main processing ends.

[0063] If the display pattern switching unit 113 determines in step S706 that it has received the command (S706: YES), the key node search unit 112 searches for a key node included in the key loop, and the display pattern switching unit 113 highlights the key node on the CLD on the key node display screen (S707), and then terminates the main processing.

[0064] In step S707, the key node search unit 112 executes the following process for each key loop, for example: The key node search unit 112 identifies the nodes included in each key loop from the key loop attribute table 132, determines the node with the highest outdegree indicated in the node attribute table 130 for each key loop as the key node, stores "1" as the value in the key node flag field 1307 corresponding to the node determined as the key node, and stores "0" as the value in the key node flag field 1307 corresponding to the other nodes.

[0065] In the above example, the key node search unit 112 identifies a key node corresponding to each key loop, but may determine the node with the highest out-degree among the nodes included in at least one key loop as the key node. Alternatively, the key node search unit 112 may identify the node with the highest out-degree for each key loop as a key node candidate, and determine overlapping key node candidates for each key loop as key nodes (however, if there is only one key loop, the node with the highest out-degree is determined as the key node, and if there are multiple key loops but no overlapping key node candidates, the node with the highest out-degree among all key node candidates, or the node with the highest out-degree among key node candidates for each key loop, is determined as the key node).

[0066] Furthermore, in the above example, the key node search unit 112 determines the node with the highest out-degree as the key node or key node candidate, but it may also determine nodes with high out-degree as key nodes or key node candidates based on predetermined conditions, such as determining a predetermined number of nodes in descending order of out-degree as key nodes or key node candidates, or determining nodes with out-degrees equal to or greater than a predetermined value as key nodes or key node candidates.

[0067] Note that in steps S705 and S707, key loops and key nodes are highlighted, but instead of or in addition to highlighting, it is also possible to flash them, or to suppress the display of links not included in the key loop or nodes that are not key nodes (for example, by thinning the lines of the display, deleting the display, or lowering the brightness of the display), etc. In other words, it is sufficient if the key loops and key nodes are easier for the user to see.

[0068] The display pattern switching unit 113 switches the pattern of highlighting on the CLD based on information input by the user and information stored in the search result storage unit 123 .

[0069] 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the key loop search process in step S703. The key loop structure search unit 111 generates the key loop attribute table 132 based on the node indicating the common KPI included in the CLD (the node indicating the KPI corresponding to the stakeholder ID "SH00" in the stakeholder attribute table 133) (S801). Details of the process in step S801 will be described later using FIG. 9.

[0070] The key loop structure search unit 111 determines whether the key loop attribute table 132 is empty (i.e., whether the CLD includes a key loop) (S802). If the key loop structure search unit 111 determines that the key loop attribute table 132 is empty (S802: NO), the key loop search process ends.

[0071] If the key loop structure search unit 111 determines that the key loop attribute table 132 is not empty (S802: YES), it adds loop information adjacent to the key loop to the key loop attribute table 132 (S803) and ends the key loop search process. Details of the process in step S803 will be described later with reference to FIG. 10.

[0072] 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the key loop attribute table creation process in step S801. The key loop structure search unit 111 identifies a node indicating a common KPI included in the CLD, searches for exit nodes originating from the node indicating the common KPI (hereinafter also referred to as a common KPI node), and selects one of the exit nodes as an exit node Vi (S901).

[0073] Specifically, for example, the key loop structure search unit 111 identifies the node ID corresponding to the KPI of stakeholder ID "SH00" (text "common") from the stakeholder attribute table 133 as the node ID of the common KPI node, and identifies the exit node ID corresponding to the node ID of the common KPI node from the node attribute table 130, thereby identifying the exit node Vi.

[0074] The key loop structure search unit 111 temporarily records the node ID of the exit node Vi in the memory 102 as a loop configuration candidate, identifies the exit node ID corresponding to the node ID of the exit node Vi (i.e., the next exit node of the exit node Vi) from the node attribute table 130, and replaces the identified next exit node as a new Vi (S902).

[0075] The key loop structure search unit 111 determines whether the outgoing node Vi replaced in step S902 matches a common KPI node (S903). If the key loop structure search unit 111 determines that the outgoing node Vi does not match a common KPI node (S903: NO), the process returns to step S902.

[0076] If the key loop structure search unit 111 determines that the output node Vi matches the common KPI node (S904: YES), it determines the loop including the common KPI node, the temporarily recorded series of nodes, and the link for tracing the common KPI node and the series of nodes (that is, a loop that starts from the common KPI, traces the nodes in the direction indicated by the link, and returns to the common KPI) as a key loop, assigns a loop ID to the key loop, and stores the loop ID in the loop ID column 1321 of the key loop attribute table 132, and the node IDs of each of the nodes included in the key loop in the node ID column 1322 of the key loop attribute table 132 (S904). Note that the key loop structure search unit 111 may also store the links included in the loop in the key loop attribute table 132.

[0077] After storing the information in the key loop attribute table 132 in step S904, the key loop structure search unit 111 may delete the series of nodes that was temporarily recorded from the memory 102.

[0078] The key loop structure search unit 111 refers to the correlation column 1314 of the link attribute table 131, and counts the number of links having an inverse correlation among the links included in the key loop determined in step S904 (S905).

[0079] The key loop structure search unit 111 determines whether the number of links with anti-correlation counted in step S905 is odd (S906). If the key loop structure search unit 111 determines that the number of links with anti-correlation is odd (S906: YES), it determines that the key loop is a balance loop, and stores "B" in the loop type column 1323 in the key loop attribute table 132 that corresponds to the loop ID of the key loop determined in step S904 (S907), and proceeds to the processing of step S909.

[0080] If the key loop structure search unit 111 determines that the number of inversely correlated links is even (S906: NO), it determines that the key loop is an extended loop, stores "R" in the loop type column 1323 in the key loop attribute table 132 corresponding to the loop ID of the key loop determined in step S904 (S908), and proceeds to processing in step S909.

[0081] The key loop structure search unit 111 determines whether the key loop determined in step S904 includes a link with a delay by referring to the delay presence / absence column 1315 of the link attribute table 131 (S909). If the key loop structure search unit 111 determines that the key loop determined in step S904 includes a link with a delay (S909: YES), it stores "YES" in the delay presence / absence column 1324 of the key loop attribute table 132 that corresponds to the loop ID of the key loop determined in step S904 (S910), and proceeds to the processing of step S912.

[0082] If the key loop structure search unit 111 determines that the key loop determined in step S904 does not contain a link with a delay (S909: NO), it stores "NO" in the delay column 1324 corresponding to the loop ID of the key loop determined in step S904 in the key loop attribute table 132 (S911), and proceeds to processing of step S912.

[0083] The key loop structure search unit 111 determines whether all outgoing nodes originating from the common KPI searched in step S901 have been selected (S912). If the key loop structure search unit 111 determines that all outgoing nodes originating from the common KPI have been selected (S912: YES), it ends the key loop attribute table creation process.

[0084] If the key loop structure search unit 111 determines that there are any unselected exit nodes that originate from the common KPI (S912: NO), it selects one of the unselected exit nodes as exit node Vi (S913) and returns to processing of step S902.

[0085] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the adjacent loop information addition process in step S803. The key loop structure search unit 111 selects one node (hereinafter also referred to as the starting node) included in the key loop identified in step S801 (excluding the common KPI node), searches for outgoing nodes starting from the starting node, and selects one of the outgoing nodes as the outgoing node Vj (S1001).

[0086] Specifically, for example, the key loop structure search unit 111 identifies the node ID corresponding to the starting node from the stakeholder attribute table 133, and identifies the exit node ID corresponding to the identified node ID from the node attribute table 130, thereby identifying the exit node Vi.

[0087] The key loop structure search unit 111 temporarily records the node ID of the exit node Vj in the memory 102 as a loop configuration candidate, identifies the exit node ID corresponding to the node ID of the exit node Vj (i.e., the next exit node of the exit node Vj) from the node attribute table 130, and replaces the identified next exit node as a new Vj (S1002).

[0088] The key loop structure search unit 111 determines whether the outgoing node Vj replaced in step S1002 matches a common KPI node (S1003). If the key loop structure search unit 111 determines that the outgoing node Vj does not match a common KPI node (S1003: NO), the process returns to step S1002.

[0089] If the key loop structure search unit 111 determines that the exit node Vj matches a common KPI node (S1004: YES), it determines the loop including the starting node, the temporarily recorded series of nodes, and the link for tracing the starting node and the series of nodes (i.e., a loop that starts from the starting node, traces the nodes in the direction indicated by the link, and returns to the starting node) as a key loop, assigns a loop ID to the key loop, and stores the loop ID in the loop ID column 1321 of the key loop attribute table 132, and the node IDs of each node included in the key loop in the node ID column 1322 of the key loop attribute table 132 (S904).

[0090] After storing the information in the key loop attribute table 132 in step S1004, the key loop structure search unit 111 may delete the series of nodes that was temporarily recorded from the memory 102. Furthermore, if the key loop structure search unit 111 determines that the key loop determined in step S1004 overlaps with a key loop already registered in the key loop attribute table 132, it omits the processes from step S1004 to step S1011.

[0091] The key loop structure search unit 111 refers to the correlation column 1314 of the link attribute table 131, and counts the number of links having an inverse correlation among the links included in the key loop determined in step S1004 (S1005).

[0092] The key loop structure search unit 111 determines whether the number of links of anti-correlation counted in step S1005 is odd (S1006). If the key loop structure search unit 111 determines that the number of links of anti-correlation is odd (S1006: YES), it determines that the key loop is a balance loop, and stores "B" in the loop type column 1323 of the key loop attribute table 132 that corresponds to the loop ID of the key loop determined in step S1004 (S1007), and proceeds to the processing of step S1009.

[0093] If the key loop structure search unit 111 determines that the number of inversely correlated links is even (S1006: NO), it determines that the key loop is an extended loop, stores "R" in the loop type column 1323 in the key loop attribute table 132 corresponding to the loop ID of the key loop determined in step S1004 (S1008), and proceeds to processing of step S1009.

[0094] The key loop structure search unit 111 determines whether the key loop determined in step S1004 includes a link with a delay by referring to the delay presence / absence column 1315 of the link attribute table 131 (S1009). If the key loop structure search unit 111 determines that the key loop determined in step S1004 includes a link with a delay (S1009: YES), it stores "YES" in the delay presence / absence column 1324 of the key loop attribute table 132 that corresponds to the loop ID of the key loop determined in step S1004 (S1010), and proceeds to the processing of step S1012.

[0095] If the key loop structure search unit 111 determines that the key loop determined in step S1004 does not contain a link with a delay (S1009: NO), it stores "NO" in the delay column 1324 corresponding to the loop ID of the key loop determined in step S1004 in the key loop attribute table 132 (S1011), and proceeds to processing of step S1012.

[0096] The key loop structure search unit 111 determines whether all the exit nodes starting from the start node searched in step S1001 have been selected (S1012). If the key loop structure search unit 111 determines that all the exit nodes starting from the start node have been selected (S1012: YES), it ends the adjacent loop information addition process.

[0097] If the key loop structure search unit 111 determines that there are any unselected exit nodes starting from the starting node (S1012: NO), it selects one of the unselected exit nodes as the exit node Vj (S1013) and returns to the processing of step S1002.

[0098] In the example of Figure 10, the adjacent loop information addition process is executed for one starting node, but the adjacent loop information addition process of Figure 10 is executed for each of all nodes included in the key loop identified in step S801 (excluding the common KPI node).

[0099] 9 and 10, a loop that passes through the common KPI node in the CLD is determined to be a key loop, but for example, a loop that passes through the common KPI node and the individual KPIs of all stakeholders may be determined to be a key loop. Also, for example, a loop that passes through the common KPI node and the individual KPIs of at least some stakeholders may be determined to be a key loop.

[0100] Furthermore, for example, among the loops that pass through a common KPI node, a predetermined number of loops may be determined as key loops in descending order of the number of individual KPIs included in the loop, or among the loops that pass through a common KPI node, a predetermined number of loops may be determined as key loops in descending order of the number of stakeholders corresponding to the individual KPIs included in the loop.

[0101] Also, for example, a loop that passes through the common KPI node and at least one node of each stakeholder may be determined to be a key loop.

[0102] Furthermore, when the key loop is an extended loop, as mentioned above, the number of inversely correlated links is even, so the events indicated by each node in the key loop have a mutually reinforcing relationship (which can be either a virtuous cycle or a vicious cycle).

[0103] Furthermore, when a key loop is a balance loop, as described above, the number of links with an inverse correlation is odd, so that the event indicated by the first node included in the key loop strengthens the event indicated by the second node included in the key loop, but as a result of strengthening the event indicated by the second node, the event indicated by the first node may be weakened. In particular, when a balance loop is an adjacent loop to an extended loop, a force acts to suppress the activity of the extended loop.

[0104] Furthermore, if a key loop is a loop with a delay, changes in the events indicated by the nodes included in the key loop will be delayed, which may result in an equilibrium in the state of the events indicated by the nodes included in the key loop, or an unexpected event may occur at an unexpected time.

[0105] 11 is a diagram showing an example of the screen configuration of an operation command input screen displayed on the display device 106. For example, when an arbitrary area on the CLD display screen is selected, the operation command input screen is displayed. On the operation command input screen, for example, an operation command input box 1101 is displayed in addition to the information on the CLD display screen shown in FIG.

[0106] In the operation command input box 1101, for example, displays showing the operation commands "Search," "Edit Attributes," "Display Key Loop," and "Display Key Node," respectively, are displayed. When "Search" is selected, key loop search processing is executed in step S703. When "Edit Attributes" is selected, the display pattern switching unit 113 displays a screen for editing information in the node attribute table 130 (excluding key node flags), the link attribute table 131, and the stakeholder attribute table 133.

[0107] When "Key Loop Display" is selected, the display pattern switching unit 113 displays a key loop list display screen, which will be described later. Note that when "Key Loop Display" is selected, the display pattern switching unit 113 may omit displaying the key loop list display screen, which will be described later, and instead display a key loop display screen, which will be described later (in this case, for example, all key loops indicated by the key loop attribute table 132 are highlighted on the key loop display screen). When "Key Node Display" is selected, the display pattern switching unit 113 displays a key node display screen, which will be described later.

[0108] 12 is a diagram showing an example of the screen configuration of a key loop list display screen displayed on the display device 106. The key loop list display screen displays a key loop list 1201. Note that the key loop list display screen may be one in which the key loop list 1201 is displayed superimposed on the CLD in the CLD display screen shown in FIG.

[0109] The key loop list 1201 displays, for each key loop indicated by the key loop attribute table 132, the loop ID, type, adjacent loops, and KPIs included in the key loop.

[0110] The loop IDs shown in the loop ID column 1321 of the key loop attribute table 132 are displayed as the loop IDs of the key loop list 1201. A check box is displayed associated with each loop ID in the key loop list 1201, and the key loop corresponding to the selected check box is highlighted in step S705 on the key loop display screen, which will be described later.

[0111] The type displayed in the key loop list 1201 is the type indicated by the loop type column 1323 and delay column 1324 in the loop ID column 1321 of the key loop attribute table 132. For example, the type of an extended loop without delay is displayed as "R," the type of a balanced loop without delay is displayed as "B," the type of an extended loop with delay is displayed as "R[D]," and the type of a balanced loop with delay is displayed as "B[D]."

[0112] The key loop list 1201 displays the loop IDs of adjacent key loops in the adjacent loop column. For example, a "1" in the adjacent loop column for loop ID "3" in the key loop list 1201 indicates that the key loop with loop ID "3" is adjacent to the key loop with loop ID "1." Note that, for example, when storing information about adjacent key loops in the key loop attribute table 132 in step S1004, the ID of the key loop that includes the starting node in step S1001 may also be stored, thereby making it possible to identify which key loop the adjacent loop is adjacent to.

[0113] As KPIs included in each key loop of the key loop list 1201, information indicating whether each node of the key loop indicated by the node ID column 1322 of the key loop attribute table 132 corresponds to the KPI of each stakeholder indicated by the stakeholder attribute table 133, and information indicating which stakeholder each KPI belongs to are displayed.

[0114] 13 is a diagram showing an example of the screen configuration of the key loop display screen displayed on the display device 106 in step S705. On the key loop display screen, for example, in the information on the CLD display screen shown in FIG. 1, an arrow indicating a link included in a key loop whose check box is selected on the key loop list display screen is highlighted with a thick line.

[0115] Furthermore, on the key loop display screen, among the links indicated by thick arrows, links that are included only in the extended loop are displayed as triangular-tipped arrows 1351, links that are included only in the balanced loop are displayed as circular-tipped arrows 1352, and links that are included in both the extended loop and the balanced loop are displayed as diamond-tipped arrows 1353. In other words, on the key loop display screen, it is possible to visually distinguish whether the links included in the key loop are included only in the extended loop, only in the balanced loop, or in both the extended loop and the balanced loop.

[0116] 14 is a diagram showing an example of the screen configuration of the key node display screen displayed on the display device 106 in step S707. On the key node display screen, for example, the frames of the key nodes are highlighted with a thick line in the information on the CLD display screen shown in Fig. 1. Note that the outer edges of the ellipses indicating the key nodes included in the key loops whose checkboxes are selected on the key loop list display screen may also be highlighted with a thick line.

[0117] Furthermore, on the key loop display screen, among the key nodes whose outer edges are shown with thick lines, the key node with the largest out-degree has its outer edge displayed with a solid line 1401, and the key node with the next largest out-degree has its outer edge displayed with a dotted line 1402. In other words, on the key node display screen, the degrees of the key nodes can be distinguished and visually recognized.

[0118] Note that a node ID or a link ID may be displayed in association with each node of the CLD displayed on the display screens shown in Figures 1, 11, 12, 13, and 14. The highlighting in Figure 13 and the highlighting in Figure 14 may be performed simultaneously, that is, the highlighting of the key loop and the highlighting of the key node may be performed simultaneously.

[0119] As described above, the problem identification device 100 of this embodiment determines a loop that passes through a common KPI in the CLD as a key loop, thereby enabling a user of the problem identification device 100 to recognize noteworthy structures for improving KPIs common to multiple stakeholders, and ultimately to recognize that events corresponding to nodes included in the key loop are important events for improving KPIs common to multiple stakeholders (in other words, issues corresponding to nodes included in the key loop are issues that multiple stakeholders as a whole should address as a priority).

[0120] Furthermore, when the problem identification device 100 determines a key loop as a loop that passes through a common KPI node and also through the individual KPIs of some or all stakeholders, the user of the problem identification device 100 can recognize noteworthy structures for improving not only the common KPI but also the individual KPIs.

[0121] Furthermore, when the problem identification device 100 determines the key loop as a loop that passes through the common KPI node and at least one node of each stakeholder, the user of the problem identification device 100 can recognize a noteworthy structure for improving the common KPI, which includes events of each of multiple stakeholders (i.e., a structure in which all stakeholders are involved).

[0122] Furthermore, the problem identification device 100 identifies whether each key loop is an extended loop or a balanced loop, and whether it involves a delay, allowing the user of the problem identification device 100 to recognize whether the events indicated by the nodes included in the key loop have a mutually reinforcing relationship, whether changes in the events included in the key loop involve a delay, etc.

[0123] Furthermore, the problem identification device 100 determines the node with the highest outdegree among the nodes included in the key loop as the key node, thereby enabling the user to recognize events that require high priority in order to improve KPIs that are common to multiple stakeholders.

[0124] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those including all of the described configurations. Furthermore, it is possible to replace part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, or to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. Furthermore, it is possible to add, delete, or replace part of the configuration of each embodiment with other configurations.

[0125] Furthermore, the above-described configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, etc. may be partially or entirely implemented in hardware, for example, by designing them as integrated circuits. The above-described configurations, functions, etc. may also be implemented in software, with a processor interpreting and executing a program that implements each function. Information such as the programs, tables, and files that implement each function can be stored in a memory, a recording device such as a hard disk or SSD (Solid State Drive), or a recording medium such as an IC card, SD card, or DVD.

[0126] In addition, the control lines and information lines shown are those that are considered necessary for the explanation, and do not necessarily show all the control lines and information lines in the product. In reality, it can be assumed that almost all components are interconnected. [Explanation of symbols]

[0127] 100 problem identification device, 101 CPU, 102 memory, 103 auxiliary storage device, 104 communication device, 105 input device, 106 display device, 111 key loop structure search unit, 112 key node search unit, 113 display pattern switching unit, 130 node attribute table, 131 link attribute table, 132 key loop attribute table, 133 stakeholder attribute table

Claims

1. A problem identification device, a processor and a memory, The memory includes: Graph attribute information indicating a directed graph defined by nodes indicating issues of multiple stakeholders and links indicating causal relationships between the nodes; and retaining stakeholder attribute information indicating common activity goals, which are activity goals common to the plurality of stakeholders, among the issues; The processor: Identifying a node that indicates the common activity goal indicated by the stakeholder attribute information from among the nodes included in the directed graph; Identifying a loop including the identified node from the directed graph as a key loop; The problem identification device generates data for displaying information indicating links included in the key loop.

2. The problem identification device according to claim 1 , The stakeholder attribute information indicates individual activity goals that are activity goals of each of the plurality of stakeholders among the issues; The processor: Identifying a node that indicates the individual activity goal indicated by the stakeholder attribute information from among the nodes included in the directed graph; A task identification device that identifies, from the directed graph, a loop that includes a node indicating the common activity goal and a node indicating the individual activity goal as the key loop.

3. The problem identification device according to claim 1 , the graph attribute information indicates which stakeholder among the plurality of stakeholders each of the issues indicated by the nodes corresponds to; The processor: obtaining a loop including the identified node from the directed graph; The problem identification device identifies, from among the acquired loops, a loop that includes a node indicating a problem corresponding to each of the plurality of stakeholders indicated by the graph attribute information, as the key loop.

4. The problem identification device according to claim 1 , the graph attribute information indicates whether the causal relationship indicated by the link is a positive correlation or an inverse correlation; The processor: Identifying the number of anti-correlated links included in the key loop by referring to the graph attribute information; Identifying whether the key loop is an expansion loop or a balance loop based on the number of the identified inversely correlated links; The problem identification device generates data for displaying information indicating whether the key loop is the extension loop or the balance loop.

5. The problem identification device according to claim 1 , the graph attribute information indicates whether the causal relationship indicated by the link is a correlation with a delay; The processor: referring to the graph attribute information to determine whether the key loop includes a correlation with a delay; Identifying whether the key loop is a loop with a delay based on a determination result of whether the key loop includes a correlation with a delay; The problem identification device generates data for displaying information indicating whether the key loop is a loop involving a delay.

6. The problem identification device according to claim 1 , The processor generates data for displaying a screen that displays the nodes and links of the directed graph, and that allows links included in the key loop and links not included in the key loop to be distinguished and recognized.

7. The problem identification device according to claim 1 , The processor: Identifying a node included in the key loop and having a high out-degree determined based on a predetermined condition as a key node; The problem identification device generates data for displaying information indicating the key nodes included in the key loop.

8. The problem identification device according to claim 7, The processor generates data for displaying a screen that displays the nodes and links of the directed graph, where the key nodes can be distinguished from nodes other than the key nodes.

9. The problem identification device according to claim 1 , The stakeholder attribute information indicates individual activity goals that are activity goals of each of the plurality of stakeholders among the issues; the graph attribute information indicates whether the causal relationship indicated by the link is a direct correlation or an inverse correlation, and whether the causal relationship indicated by the link is a correlation with a delay; The processor: Identifying the number of anti-correlated links included in the key loop by referring to the graph attribute information; Identifying whether the key loop is an expansion loop or a balance loop based on the number of the identified inversely correlated links; referring to the graph attribute information to determine whether the key loop includes a correlation with a delay; Identifying whether the key loop is a loop with a delay based on a determination result of whether the key loop includes a correlation with a delay; Identifying a node indicating the common activity goal and a node indicating the individual activity goal, which are included in the key loop, by referring to the stakeholder attribute information; Generate data for displaying a key loop list including a list of the key loops, whether the key loops included in the list are extended loops or balanced loops, whether the key loops included in the list are loops with delays, and a node indicating the common activity goal and a node indicating the individual activity goal included in the key loops included in the list; The problem identification device generates data for displaying information indicating links included in the key loop selected in the key loop list.

10. A problem identification method using a problem identification device, the problem identification device includes a processor and a memory; The memory includes: Graph attribute information indicating a directed graph defined by nodes indicating issues of multiple stakeholders and links indicating causal relationships between the nodes; and retaining stakeholder attribute information indicating common activity goals, which are activity goals common to the plurality of stakeholders, among the issues; The problem identification method includes: the processor identifies a node that indicates the common activity goal indicated by the stakeholder attribute information from among the nodes included in the directed graph; the processor identifies a loop including the identified node from the directed graph as a key loop; The problem identification method, wherein the processor generates data for displaying information indicating links included in the key loop.

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