Delivery Management System

Abstract

We provide a delivery management system that is effective in reducing the number of redeliveries of parcels. [Solution] The first delivery server 1 of the first delivery company receives immediate delivery information indicating whether the recipient of the package wishes to request immediate delivery when the package is accepted. After the package arrives at the branch office 7 responsible for the user's delivery area, the user 4 sends an immediate delivery request from the terminal device 5 to the second delivery server 2 of the second delivery company. The second delivery server 2 then identifies a delivery person 6 who is available for immediate delivery and instructs the delivery person 6 to pick up the package at the branch office and deliver it to the user's delivery address.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a delivery management system for managing the delivery of packages in the delivery network of express delivery services.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, e-commerce (EC) has been rapidly expanding, and the number of packages handled by express delivery services has increased to exceed 5 billion per year. When the recipient is absent at the time of delivery, a redelivery is carried out, but the redelivery rate has risen to about 10%, leading to an increase in the labor load of delivery companies and an increase in CO2 emissions associated with redelivery. As attempts to suppress redelivery, for example, prior notifications of the scheduled delivery date by email, messenger apps, etc., pick-up at convenience stores, delivery to home delivery lockers, delivery to lockers installed at stations, etc., leave-behind delivery, etc. have been carried out, but they are still insufficient to reduce the redelivery rate. Also, various technologies for improving the redelivery rate have been studied (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3).

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a delivery support device that determines the location and time of day to deliver a package using a database in which the daily schedules of customers are registered. Patent Document 2 describes a delivery management system that determines the presence or absence of the user at home and the possibility of receiving a package based on a captured image of the interior of the user's home. Patent Document 3 describes an information providing method that calculates an estimated arrival time at the delivery destination based on the user's current location, time, stay time at the current location, and time required to move to the delivery destination, and transmits a message corresponding to the difference between the calculated estimated arrival time and the scheduled delivery time to the user's information terminal.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

[0005] As described in Patent Documents 1 to 3, various technologies have been considered, but so far, they have not been able to reduce the rate of redeliveries, and a more effective method is needed.

[0006] The present invention aims to provide a delivery management system that is effective in reducing the number of redeliveries of parcels. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention relates to a delivery management system for managing the delivery of packages, and which accepts the delivery of packages. ru Delivery is managed by the first delivery company. And, we can accept deliveries with specified delivery dates and times or immediate delivery. First delivery server and load The system includes a second delivery server that manages deliveries for a second delivery company that handles the delivery of goods. The first delivery server includes delivery destination information that identifies the destination of the package, contact information that indicates the contact information for the destination of the package, and immediate delivery tachi A reception unit receives information indicating whether or not immediate delivery is desired, and a delivery data storage unit stores the delivery destination information, contact information, and immediate delivery information received by the reception unit, along with the identification information of the received package and the delivery status indicating the location of the package, as delivery data. tachi The system includes an arrival notification sending unit that, when it indicates a request and the delivery status indicates that the package has arrived at the sales office responsible for the area covered by the delivery destination specified in the delivery destination information, sends an arrival notification to the contact person specified in the contact information indicating that the package has arrived at the sales office responsible for the area covered by the delivery destination information. The second delivery server receives an arrival notification. Recipient From the terminal device Request immediate delivery of your package. The Immediate Delivery Request Department accepts immediate delivery requests, and the Immediate Delivery Request Department accepts immediate delivery requests. Then A package pickup notification transmission unit sends a package pickup notification to the first delivery server indicating that it will pick up the package related to the immediate delivery request, When the immediate delivery request department receives an immediate delivery request,I sent an immediate delivery request. Recipient It includes a delivery instruction unit that identifies delivery personnel responsible for deliveries and instructs the identified delivery personnel to pick up packages that have arrived at their assigned branch and deliver those packages to their destinations. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a delivery management system that is effective in reducing the number of redeliveries of parcels. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Block diagram showing an example of usage of the delivery management system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] Block diagram showing the hardware configuration of each server shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Functional block diagram of the delivery management system according to the first embodiment [Figure 4] Sequence diagram showing the control process of the delivery management system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 1 shows an example of a delivery date selection screen displayed by the web server. [Figure 6] Block diagram showing an example of usage of the delivery management system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7] Functional block diagram of the delivery management system according to the second embodiment [Figure 8] Sequence diagram showing the control process of the delivery management system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9] Block diagram showing an example of usage of the delivery management system according to the third embodiment. [Figure 10] Functional block diagram of the delivery management system according to the third embodiment [Figure 11] Sequence diagram showing the control process of the delivery management system according to the third embodiment. [Figure 12] Figure 1 shows an example of a product size database used by an e-commerce site. [Figure 13]FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a delivery date selection screen that the Web server shown in FIG. 1 displays according to the shipping size.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0010] (First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the usage form of a delivery management system according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of each server shown in FIG. 1. In FIG. 1, the solid arrows represent data input / output, and the broken arrows represent the delivery routes of goods.

[0011] The delivery management system 100 includes a first delivery server 1 that manages deliveries at a first delivery carrier that has accepted the delivery of a package, and a second delivery server 2 that manages deliveries at a second delivery carrier that delivers the package to a user.

[0012] The first delivery carrier has a transportation network connecting a plurality of stores and logistics facilities, and is a courier company that accepts, transports, and delivers packages to the destination. The second delivery carrier is a company that provides an online ordering and delivery platform, and has been used for food delivery and the like in recent years. The second delivery carrier accepts orders from orderers to stores, and entrusts the delivery of the goods ordered by the orderers to the delivery staff who have individually contracted for the delivery. The delivery staff in the second delivery carrier are selected from the delivery staff who can respond immediately and are assigned for each order placed by the orderer. Therefore, the orderer can receive the goods in a relatively short time after placing the order.

[0013] Both the first delivery server 1 and the second delivery server 2 are equipped with a CPU 21, RAM 22, storage device 23, and communication device 24, as shown in Figure 2. The storage device 23 is equipped with a read / write storage medium such as a hard disk or SSD, and stores the programs and data necessary to operate the server. In the first delivery server 1 and the second delivery server 2, the CPU 21 executes the control processing described later by reading the program from the storage device 23 and executing it using the RAM 22 as a working area. The communication device 24 is a device that communicates with external servers and terminal devices via a network.

[0014] The e-commerce business shown in Figure 1 is a company that conducts electronic commerce and sells products on an e-commerce site 3 that includes multiple servers. The e-commerce site 3 includes a WWW server (Web server) that displays product information in HTML to the user's terminal device 4, a database server that stores product and user information, a mail server that sends and receives emails with users, and an application server that runs various applications.

[0015] The user's terminal device 4 is an internet-connected device such as a personal computer, tablet, or smartphone. The second delivery company's delivery person's terminal device 5 is a portable device such as a tablet or smartphone.

[0016] Figure 3 is a functional block diagram of the delivery management system according to the first embodiment.

[0017] The first delivery server 1 includes a reception unit 11, a delivery data storage unit 12, an arrival notification transmission unit 13, a delivery status update unit 14, and a usage fee calculation unit 15.

[0018] The reception unit 11 receives delivery address information that identifies the delivery destination of the package, contact information indicating the contact details for the delivery destination, and immediate delivery information indicating whether the recipient of the package wishes to request immediate delivery. Delivery address information includes information such as postal code, address, and recipient name. Contact information includes at least one piece of data used to transmit information to the terminal device, such as an email address, telephone number, messenger app, SNS account, or smartphone IP address linked to the delivery address or recipient name. Immediate delivery information indicates whether the recipient of the package (the user who ordered the product in the example in Figure 1) wishes to request an immediate delivery option at any time. Immediate delivery can be requested after the recipient of the package has received a prescribed notification (described later) and is in a state where they can receive the package. When immediate delivery is requested, arrangements for delivery of the package are made immediately. Details of immediate delivery will be described later. The reception unit 11 may accept data sent from the server of the e-commerce site 3, as shown in Figure 1, or it may accept data entered when the package is dropped off at an agent such as a first delivery company or a convenience store.

[0019] The delivery data storage unit 12 stores the delivery destination information, contact information, and immediate delivery information received by the reception unit 11 as delivery data, associating it with the identification information of the received package and the delivery status indicating the location of the package. When the delivery data is registered in the reception unit 11, the sales office or agency that received the package is entered in the delivery status.

[0020] The arrival notification transmission unit 13 sends an arrival notification to the user's terminal device 4 if the immediate delivery information received by the reception unit 11 indicates a request for immediate delivery of the package, and the delivery status indicates that the package has arrived at the sales office 7 responsible for the area of ​​the delivery destination (user's address) specified in the delivery destination information of the delivery data. The arrival notification is an email or message sent to the contact person specified in the contact information of the delivery data.

[0021] The delivery status update unit 14 updates the delivery status associated with the delivery data whenever the location of the package related to the delivery data changes. The delivery status update unit updates the delivery status by recording the location of the package as a history that records it in chronological order. For example, when a package is transported from the branch office that received it to a logistics facility, the name of the logistics facility and the arrival time, which are the location of the package, are added to the delivery status. When a package is transported from the logistics facility to the responsible branch office 7, the name of the branch office and the arrival time, which are the location of the package, are added to the delivery status. In addition, when a delivery completion notification (described later) is received from the second delivery server of the second delivery company, the delivery status of the delivery data related to the package identified by the received delivery completion notification is updated to delivered.

[0022] When the fee calculation unit 15 receives a delivery completion notification from the second delivery server 2 of the second delivery company, it adds and stores the usage fee for the delivery management system 100. The usage fee for the delivery management system 100 can be calculated, for example, by adding the usage fee per package each time an immediate delivery is completed.

[0023] The second delivery server 2 includes an immediate delivery request receiving unit 16, a package pickup notification sending unit 17, a delivery instruction unit 18, and a delivery completion notification sending unit 19.

[0024] The immediate delivery request reception unit 16 receives immediate delivery requests from the user's terminal device 4 that has received an arrival notification. The immediate delivery request includes information that identifies the package to be delivered, such as package identification information and / or package delivery destination information.

[0025] Here, referring again to Figure 1, we will explain immediate delivery. Immediate delivery can be requested when the recipient of the package (the user in the example in Figure 1) has received the arrival notification mentioned above and is in a state where they can receive the package. When immediate delivery is requested, arrangements for delivery of the package are made immediately. If the user does not wish for immediate delivery, for example by specifying a delivery date and time, or if the package to be delivered is a large item that cannot be delivered by one delivery person, the first delivery company will deliver the package from the responsible branch office 7 to the delivery destination (indicated by the dashed arrow "Route 1" in Figure 1). This delivery by the first delivery company is a conventional home delivery service. In conventional home delivery services, if the user is absent or forgets that they specified a delivery date and time, the delivery of the package will not be completed, and the first delivery company will have to redeliver.

[0026] On the other hand, if a user selects immediate delivery as the delivery method and requests immediate delivery, the second delivery server 2 of the second delivery company identifies a delivery person 6 who is available for immediate delivery. The identified delivery person 6 then picks up the package from the first delivery company's branch office 7 and delivers the package to the user (indicated by the dashed arrow "Route 2" in Figure 1). In the case of immediate delivery by a delivery person from the second delivery company, the delivery request is made when the package is at the branch office 7 and the user is available to receive the package, and the delivery person 6 then immediately makes the delivery, so the user can be sure to receive the package at the date and time they wish.

[0027] Returning to Figure 3, when the immediate delivery request receiving unit 16 receives an immediate delivery request, the package pickup notification transmitting unit 17 sends a package pickup notification to the first delivery server 1 indicating that it will pick up the package related to the immediate delivery request. The package pickup notification includes information that identifies the package to be delivered that was included in the immediate delivery request. Based on the received package pickup notification, the first delivery company can identify the package that the delivery person of the second delivery company will come to pick up.

[0028] The delivery instruction unit 18 identifies a delivery person to deliver the package to the user who sent the immediate delivery request. The method of identifying the delivery person is not particularly limited, but for example, the responsible sales office 7 can send information to the terminal devices 5 of one or more delivery people within a predetermined range to inquire about the feasibility of delivery, and the delivery person who replies with a message indicating that delivery is possible can be selected as the delivery person to handle the received immediate delivery request. Once the delivery instruction unit 18 has identified a delivery person, it instructs the identified delivery person to pick up the package that has arrived at the responsible sales office 7 and deliver it to the destination associated with that package. This delivery instruction includes the information that identifies the package to be delivered as described above.

[0029] When the delivery completion notification transmission unit 19 receives information from the delivery person's terminal device 5 that the delivery has been completed, it sends a delivery completion notification to the first delivery server 1 indicating that the delivery of the package has been completed. The delivery completion notification includes information that identifies the package to be delivered as described above.

[0030] The control process of the delivery management system 100 will be explained below, with reference to Figures 1 and 3-5. Here, we will explain an example where a user purchases a product on EC site 3 and selects immediate delivery as the delivery method.

[0031] Figure 4 is a sequence diagram showing the control process of the delivery management system according to the first embodiment, and Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of the delivery date selection screen displayed by the web server shown in Figure 1.

[0032] (Step 1.1) The user accesses the e-commerce site 3 using their terminal device 4, places an order for a product, and sends the order data to the e-commerce site 3. The order data includes identification information for the purchased product, shipping address information, contact information, and immediate delivery information. The method for specifying immediate delivery information is not particularly limited. For example, the e-commerce site 3 may generate HTML data for an order screen as shown in Figure 5 and display it on the user's terminal device 4. If the user selects "immediate delivery," the terminal device 4 may send information indicating that immediate delivery is desired to the e-commerce site 3. If any other option is selected, the terminal device 4 may send information indicating that immediate delivery is not desired to the e-commerce site 3.

[0033] (Step 1.2) The e-commerce business packs the ordered goods, requests delivery from the first delivery company, and hands over the packages. At this time, the e-commerce site 3 transmits delivery address information, contact information, and immediate delivery information to the first delivery server 1.

[0034] (Step 1.3) The receiving unit 11 of the first delivery server 1 receives delivery address information, contact information, and immediate delivery information transmitted from the e-commerce site 3, and stores the received delivery address information, contact information, and immediate delivery information as delivery data in the delivery data storage unit 12, associating it with package identification information and delivery status.

[0035] (Step 1.4) The first delivery company transports the packages received from the e-commerce business to the branch office 7 responsible for the user's delivery address. When the packages arrive at the branch office, the delivery status update unit 14 of the first delivery server 1 updates the delivery status by adding the branch office name and arrival time of the branch office 7 to the delivery history.

[0036] (Step 1.5) The arrival notification transmission unit 13 of the first delivery server 1 extracts delivery data from the delivery data storage unit 12, indicating that the immediate delivery information indicates a request for immediate delivery of the package, and that the delivery status indicates that the package has arrived at the sales office responsible for the area of ​​jurisdiction over the delivery destination specified in the delivery destination information. The arrival notification transmission unit 13 sends an arrival notification to the contact (for example, the user's terminal device 4) specified in the contact information of the extracted delivery data, indicating that the package has arrived at the sales office responsible for the package. The arrival notification includes the package identification information and / or delivery destination information. The timing of the processing in step 1.5 is not particularly limited; the processing in step 1.5 may be performed when the package arrives at the sales office responsible for the package and the delivery status is updated, or it may be performed at a predetermined time or time interval.

[0037] Upon receiving an arrival notification from the first delivery server 1, the user can request immediate delivery from the second delivery company. Since immediate delivery is delivered in a relatively short time (e.g., within 30 minutes), users should request immediate delivery when they are available to receive their package. The immediate delivery request may be sent to the second delivery server 2 by clicking a URL included in the arrival notification, or it may be sent from the second delivery company's website or app. The data transmitted in the immediate delivery request includes package identification information and / or delivery address information.

[0038] (Step 2.1) The immediate delivery request receiving unit 16 of the second delivery server 2 receives immediate delivery requests sent from the user's terminal device 4.

[0039] (Step 2.2) When the immediate delivery request receiving unit 16 receives an immediate delivery request from the user's terminal device 4, the second delivery server 2's package pickup notification sending unit 17 sends a package pickup notification to the first delivery server 1 indicating that it will pick up the package identified by the package identification information and / or delivery destination information included in the immediate delivery request. The package pickup notification includes the package identification information and / or delivery destination information.

[0040] (Step 2.3) The delivery instruction unit 18 of the second delivery server 2 identifies a delivery person to deliver a package related to an immediate delivery request, and transmits a delivery instruction to the delivery person's terminal device 5, instructing the identified delivery person 6 to pick up the package that has arrived at the assigned sales office 7 and to deliver the picked-up package to the destination. The delivery instruction includes package identification information and / or destination information, and information that identifies the assigned sales office 7.

[0041] (Step 2.4) When delivery person 6 completes the delivery of the package specified in the delivery instructions, a delivery completion notification is sent from delivery person 6's terminal device 5 to the second delivery server 2 indicating that the delivery has been completed. Send The delivery completion notification transmitted by terminal device 5 includes the package identification information and / or delivery address information.

[0042] (Step 2.5) When the delivery completion notification transmission unit 19 of the second delivery server 2 receives a delivery completion notification from the terminal device 5 of the delivery person 6, it transmits a delivery completion notification to the first delivery server 1. The delivery completion notification transmitted by the delivery completion notification transmission unit 19 includes the identification information of the package and / or the delivery destination information. In the example control process shown in Figure 4, information indicating that the delivery has been completed is transmitted from the second delivery server 2 to the first delivery server 1, but step 2.5 may be omitted, and the delivery completion notification may be transmitted from the terminal device 5 of the delivery person 6 to the first delivery server 1 in step 2.4.

[0043] (Step 2.6) The fee calculation unit 15 of the first delivery server 1 calculates the fee for using the delivery management system 100 for packages that have been delivered immediately and stores it in the storage unit.

[0044] By performing the above-described control processing using the first delivery server 1 and the second delivery server 2, the aforementioned immediate delivery can be achieved.

[0045] In the conventional courier delivery method, specifically "Route 1" shown by the dashed arrow in Figure 1, a driver from the first delivery company loads a large number of packages onto a truck and delivers them sequentially to each destination. With this method, the availability of recipients at the delivery destinations and the use of delivery lockers are unknown, resulting in a certain percentage of redeliveries. This increases the workload of the first delivery company and also increases CO2 emissions associated with redeliveries. While it is possible to specify a delivery time, the time slots that can be specified are long because one driver visits multiple destinations sequentially, and recipients must wait for delivery during the specified time. As a result, there have been cases where recipients were unable to receive their packages due to being out, etc., even after specifying a delivery time, leading to redeliveries.

[0046] In contrast, with the immediate delivery system 100 according to the present invention, the delivery destination and the delivery person of the second delivery company are matched on a one-to-one basis, making it possible to deliver from the responsible sales office 7 to the delivery destination in a relatively short time. Therefore, if immediate delivery is selected as the delivery method, delivery can be requested when it is possible to receive the package, and the waiting time until delivery is completed is also short. As a result, deliveries can be completed more reliably compared to conventional delivery methods, and the rate of redeliveries can be reduced.

[0047] (Second embodiment) Figure 6 is a block diagram showing an example of how the delivery management system according to the second embodiment is used.

[0048] In the delivery management system 100 according to the first embodiment, the second delivery server 2 of the second delivery company received the immediate delivery request sent from the user's terminal device 4. However, the delivery management system 200 according to this embodiment differs from the delivery management system 100 according to the first embodiment in that the first delivery server 1 of the first delivery company receives the immediate delivery request sent from the user's terminal device 4. The first delivery server 1, having received the immediate delivery request from the user's terminal device 4, requests the second delivery server 2 of the second delivery company to pick up (deliver) the package specified in the immediate delivery request. The differences between this embodiment and the first embodiment will be explained below.

[0049] Figure 7 is a functional block diagram of the delivery management system according to the second embodiment.

[0050] The first delivery server 1 includes a reception unit 11, a delivery data storage unit 12, an arrival notification transmission unit 13, a delivery status update unit 14, a usage fee calculation unit 15, an immediate delivery request reception unit 31, and a package pickup request transmission unit 32. The reception unit 11, delivery data storage unit 12, arrival notification transmission unit 13, delivery status update unit 14, and usage fee calculation unit 15 are the same as those described in the first embodiment, so repeated explanations will be omitted.

[0051] The immediate delivery request reception unit 31 receives immediate delivery requests from the user's terminal device 4 that has received an arrival notification. The immediate delivery request includes information that identifies the package to be delivered, such as package identification information and / or package delivery destination information.

[0052] When the immediate delivery request receiving unit 31 receives an immediate delivery request, the package pickup request transmission unit 32 transmits a package pickup request to the second delivery server 2 indicating that it will pick up the package related to the immediate delivery request. The package pickup request includes information that identifies the package to be delivered that was included in the immediate delivery request. Based on the received package pickup request, the second delivery company can identify the package to be delivered by its delivery personnel.

[0053] The second delivery server 2 includes a parcel pickup request receiving unit 33, a delivery instruction unit 18, and a delivery completion notification transmission unit 19. The delivery instruction unit 18 and the delivery completion notification transmission unit 19 are the same as those described in the first embodiment, so a repeated explanation will be omitted.

[0054] The parcel pickup request reception unit 33 receives parcel pickup requests transmitted from the first delivery server 1. Once the parcel pickup request is received by the parcel pickup request reception unit 33, the delivery instruction unit 18 identifies a delivery person and issues delivery instructions to the delivery person.

[0055] Figure 8 is a sequence diagram showing the control process of the delivery management system according to the second embodiment. The control processes from steps 1.1 to 1.5 are the same as in the first embodiment, so a repeated explanation is omitted.

[0056] (Step 2.1_2) The immediate delivery request receiving unit 31 of the first delivery server 1 receives immediate delivery requests sent from the user's terminal device 4.

[0057] (Step 2.2_2) When the immediate delivery request receiving unit 31 of the first delivery server 1 receives an immediate delivery request from the user's terminal device 4, the package pickup request transmission unit 32 of the first delivery server 1 transmits a package pickup request to the second delivery server 2, requesting the pickup of the package identified by the package identification information and / or delivery destination information included in the immediate delivery request. The package pickup request includes the package identification information and / or delivery destination information.

[0058] (Step 2.3) When the parcel pickup request receiving unit 33 of the second delivery server 2 receives a parcel pickup request, the delivery instruction unit 18 of the second delivery server 2 identifies a delivery person to deliver the parcel related to the immediate delivery request, and sends a delivery instruction to the terminal device 5 of the identified delivery person 6, instructing them to pick up the parcel that has arrived at the assigned sales office 7 and to deliver the picked-up parcel to the destination. The delivery instruction includes parcel identification information and / or destination information, and information that identifies the assigned sales office 7.

[0059] (Steps 2.4-2.6) Subsequently, similar to the first embodiment, based on the delivery completion notification from the delivery person 6, the delivery completion notification transmission unit 19 of the second delivery server 2 sends a delivery completion notification to the first delivery server 1. When the usage fee calculation unit 15 of the first delivery server 1 receives the delivery completion notification from the second delivery server 2, it calculates the usage fee for the delivery management system 100 for the package that was immediately delivered and stores it in the storage unit.

[0060] In the delivery management system 200 according to this embodiment, the first delivery server 1 and the second delivery server 2 perform the control processing described above, thereby enabling the realization of immediate delivery. The realization of immediate delivery by the delivery management system 200 according to this embodiment makes it possible to suppress the redelivery rate, similar to the first embodiment.

[0061] (Third embodiment) Figure 9 is a block diagram showing an example of how the delivery management system according to the third embodiment is used.

[0062] The delivery management system 300 according to this embodiment further includes a management server 40 that receives immediate delivery requests and provides notifications to the first delivery server 1 and the second delivery server 2 necessary to realize immediate delivery. in This differs from the delivery management system 100 according to the first embodiment. The management server 40, upon receiving an immediate delivery request from the user's terminal device 4, notifies the first delivery server of the first delivery company that a delivery person 6 of the second delivery company will pick up the package, and also requests the second delivery server 2 of the second delivery company to pick up (deliver) the package specified in the immediate delivery request. The differences between this embodiment and the first embodiment will be explained below.

[0063] Figure 7 shows the 3 This is a functional block diagram of the delivery management system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0064] The first delivery server 1 includes a reception unit 11, a delivery data storage unit 12, an arrival notification transmission unit 13, and a delivery status update unit 14. The reception unit 11, the delivery data storage unit 12, the arrival notification transmission unit 13, and the delivery status update unit 14 are all the same as those described in the first embodiment, so repeated explanations will be omitted.

[0065] The management server 40 includes an immediate delivery request receiving unit 41, a package pickup notification sending unit 42, a package pickup request sending unit 43, and a usage fee calculation unit 44.

[0066] The immediate delivery request reception unit 41 receives immediate delivery requests from the user's terminal device 4 that has received an arrival notification. The immediate delivery request includes information that identifies the package to be delivered, such as package identification information and / or package delivery destination information.

[0067] When the immediate delivery request acceptance unit 41 receives an immediate delivery request, the package pickup notification transmission unit 42 transmits a package pickup notification to the first delivery server 1 indicating that it will pick up the package related to the immediate delivery request. The package pickup notification includes information that identifies the package to be delivered that was included in the immediate delivery request. Based on the received package pickup notification, the first delivery company can identify the package that the delivery person of the second delivery company will come to pick up.

[0068] When the immediate delivery request receiving unit 41 receives an immediate delivery request, the package pickup request transmission unit 43 transmits a package pickup request to the second delivery server 2 indicating that it will pick up the package related to the immediate delivery request. The package pickup request includes information that identifies the package to be delivered, which was included in the immediate delivery request. Based on the received package pickup request, the second delivery company can identify the package to be delivered by its delivery personnel.

[0069] When the fee calculation unit 44 receives a delivery completion notification from the second delivery server 2 of the second delivery company, it adds and stores the fee for the delivery management system 300. The fee for the delivery management system 300 can be calculated, for example, by adding the fee per package each time an immediate delivery is completed.

[0070] Furthermore, the management server 40, like the first delivery server 1 and second delivery server 2 shown in Figure 2, is equipped with a CPU 21, RAM 22, storage device 23, and communication device 24. The storage device 23 is equipped with a read / write storage medium such as a hard disk or SSD, and stores the programs and data necessary to operate the server. Each of the management server 40 shown in Figure 10 functionThe CPU 21 can be implemented by executing a program read from the storage device 23 using the RAM 22 as a working area. The communication device 24 is a device that communicates with external servers and terminal devices via a network.

[0071] The second delivery server 2 includes a parcel pickup request receiving unit 45, a delivery instruction unit 18, and a delivery completion notification transmission unit 19. The delivery instruction unit 18 and the delivery completion notification transmission unit 19 are the same as those described in the first embodiment, so a repeated explanation will be omitted.

[0072] The parcel pickup request reception unit 45 receives parcel pickup requests transmitted from the management server 40. Once the parcel pickup request is received by the parcel pickup request reception unit 45, the delivery instruction unit 18 identifies a delivery person and issues delivery instructions to the delivery person.

[0073] Figure 8 shows the 3 This is a sequence diagram showing the control process of the delivery management system according to the embodiment. The control processes from steps 1.1 to 1.5 are the same as in the first embodiment, so a repeated explanation is omitted.

[0074] (Step 2.1_3) The immediate delivery request receiving unit 41 of the management server 40 receives immediate delivery requests sent from the user's terminal device 4.

[0075] (Step 2.20_3) When the management server 40 receives an immediate delivery request from the user's terminal device 4, the package pickup notification transmission unit 42 of the management server 40 sends a package pickup notification to the first delivery server 1 indicating that it will pick up the package identified by the package identification information and / or delivery destination information included in the immediate delivery request. The package pickup notification includes the package identification information and / or delivery destination information.

[0076] (Step 2.25_3) When the management server 40 receives an immediate delivery request from the user's terminal device 4, the package pickup request transmission unit 43 of the management server 40 transmits a package pickup request to the second delivery server 2, requesting the pickup of the package identified by the package identification information and / or delivery destination information included in the immediate delivery request. The package pickup request includes the package identification information and / or delivery destination information.

[0077] (Step 2.3) When the package pickup request receiving unit 45 of the management server 40 receives a package pickup request, the delivery instruction unit 18 of the second delivery server 2 identifies a delivery person to deliver the package related to the immediate delivery request, and sends a delivery instruction to the identified delivery person 6's terminal device 5, instructing them to pick up the package that has arrived at the assigned sales office 7 and deliver the picked-up package to its destination. The delivery instruction includes the package identification information and / or destination information, and information that identifies the assigned sales office 7.

[0078] (Step 2.4) When delivery person 6 completes the delivery of the package specified in the delivery instructions, a delivery completion notification is sent from delivery person 6's terminal device 5 to the second delivery server 2 indicating that the delivery has been completed. Send The delivery completion notification transmitted by terminal device 5 includes the package identification information and / or delivery address information.

[0079] (Step 2.5_3) When the delivery completion notification transmission unit 19 of the second delivery server 2 receives a delivery completion notification from the terminal device 5 of the delivery person 6, it transmits a delivery completion notification to the management server 40. The delivery completion notification transmitted by the delivery completion notification transmission unit 19 includes the identification information of the package and / or the delivery destination information.

[0080] (Step 2.6_3) The fee calculation unit 44 of the management server 40 calculates the usage fee for the delivery management system 300 for packages that have been delivered immediately and stores it in the storage unit.

[0081] In this embodiment, the notification that the delivery of the package has been completed may be sent from the management server 40 to the first delivery server 1 after step 2.4, or from the second delivery server 2 to the first delivery server 1 at the same time as or after step S2.4.

[0082] By performing the above control processing in the delivery management system 300 according to this embodiment, immediate delivery can be achieved, and the redelivery rate can be suppressed, similar to the first embodiment. Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the management server 40 for managing immediate delivery is provided separately from the first delivery server 1 and the second delivery server 2, there is an advantage that the modifications to the existing first delivery server 1 and the second delivery server 2 required to achieve immediate delivery are minimal.

[0083] (modified version) The delivery methods used by the second-party delivery company's delivery personnel are bicycles, motorcycles, or cars, but most use bicycles or motorcycles. When using bicycles or motorcycles, delivery personnel carry a delivery bag of a predetermined size on their back or secured to the rack, but because the size of the delivery bag is limited, the size of packages that can be delivered immediately is also limited to a certain size or smaller. In addition, even if the package itself is deliverable, if it is too heavy, it is not suitable for delivery by bicycle or motorcycle. Therefore, it is preferable for the web server of the e-commerce site to change whether or not to display the "immediate delivery option" on the delivery date selection screen according to the package size and weight of the product purchased by the user. The following describes an example of how to control the display of the "immediate delivery option".

[0084] Figure 12 shows an example of a product size database provided by the e-commerce site shown in Figure 1, and Figure 13 shows an example of a delivery date selection screen displayed by the web server shown in Figure 1 according to the shipping size.

[0085] The product size database shown in Figure 1 (hereinafter referred to as the "product size DB") records the size and weight of each product for each product code used to identify the product. There are no particular limitations on how product size is determined; for example, combinations of length, width, and height can be used. After the user selects the products to purchase and proceeds to the purchase procedure, for example, an application server located on EC site 3 calculates the sum of the sizes and weights of all purchased products and calculates the package size and package weight when packed in a cardboard box or similar.

[0086] The web server of EC site 3 compares the package size calculated by the application server with a threshold that is the size of a package that can be delivered immediately (i.e., the size of a package that can fit into the delivery bag of the second delivery company's delivery person). The web server also compares the package weight calculated by the application server with the weight of a package that can be delivered immediately (i.e., 2nd (Weight that can be delivered by the delivery person of the shipping company using a bicycle or motorcycle) in It compares to a certain threshold.

[0087] If both the calculated package size and package weight are below the threshold, a screen will be displayed allowing the user to select the immediate delivery option, as shown in Figure 13(a). On the other hand, if either the calculated package size or package weight exceeds the threshold, a screen will be displayed where the immediate delivery option cannot be selected, as shown in Figure 13(b). height ru.

[0088] In this way, by controlling whether or not the "immediate delivery option" can be selected based on the package size and weight of the purchased product, it is possible to prevent packages unsuitable for delivery by bicycle or motorcycle, such as large home appliances and heavy items, from being eligible for immediate delivery. [Industrial applicability]

[0089] This invention can be used in a delivery management system for managing the delivery of packages in courier services. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0090] 1. First Delivery Server 2. Second Delivery Server 3. E-commerce sites 4 Terminal devices 5 Terminal devices 6 Delivery drivers 7. Sales office in charge 11 Reception Department 12 Delivery data storage unit 13 Arrival Notification Transmission Unit 14. Delivery Status Update Section 15. Usage Fee Calculation Section 16 Immediate Delivery Request Reception Department 17. Package Pickup Notification Transmission Section 18 Delivery Instruction Department 19 Delivery completion notification sending section 31 Immediate Delivery Request Reception Department 32. Package Pickup Request Submission Section 33. Package Pickup Request Reception Department 40 Management Server 41 Immediate Delivery Request Reception Department 42. Package pickup notification transmission section 43. Package Pickup Request Submission Section 44 Usage Fee Calculation Department 45. Package Pickup Request Reception Department 100, 200, 300 Delivery Management System

Claims

1. A delivery management system for managing the delivery of packages, The first delivery company that accepts the delivery of the package manages the delivery and has a first delivery server that can accept deliveries with specified delivery dates and times or immediate delivery, The system includes a second delivery server that manages deliveries for a second delivery company that handles the delivery of packages. The previous first delivery server was, A reception desk that receives delivery address information to identify the delivery destination of the package, contact information indicating the contact details of the delivery destination, and immediate delivery information indicating whether or not immediate delivery is desired. A delivery data storage unit stores the delivery destination information, contact information, and immediate delivery information received by the reception unit as delivery data, associating them with the identification information of the received package and the delivery status indicating the location of the package. The system includes an arrival notification transmission unit that, when the immediate delivery information indicates that the package is to be delivered immediately, and the delivery status indicates that the package has arrived at the sales office responsible for the area that has jurisdiction over the delivery destination specified in the delivery destination information, sends an arrival notification to the contact person specified in the contact information indicating that the package has arrived at the sales office responsible for the delivery destination, The aforementioned second delivery server is, An immediate delivery request reception unit receives an immediate delivery request from the recipient's terminal device that has received the aforementioned arrival notification, requesting immediate delivery of the package. When the immediate delivery request receiving unit receives the immediate delivery request, the package pickup notification transmitting unit transmits a package pickup notification to the first delivery server indicating that the package related to the immediate delivery request will be picked up. A delivery management system comprising: an immediate delivery request receiving unit that, upon receiving an immediate delivery request, identifies a delivery person to deliver the package to the recipient who sent the immediate delivery request, and a delivery instruction unit that instructs the identified delivery person to pick up the package that has arrived at the responsible branch and deliver the package to the destination.

2. A delivery management system for managing the delivery of packages, The first delivery company that accepts the delivery of the package manages the delivery and has a first delivery server that can accept deliveries with specified delivery dates and times or immediate delivery, The system includes a second delivery server that manages deliveries for a second delivery company that handles the delivery of packages. The previous first delivery server was, A reception desk that receives delivery address information to identify the delivery destination of the package, contact information indicating the contact details of the delivery destination, and immediate delivery information indicating whether or not immediate delivery is desired. A delivery data storage unit stores the delivery destination information, contact information, and immediate delivery information received by the reception unit as delivery data, associating them with the identification information of the received package and the delivery status indicating the location of the package. If the aforementioned immediate delivery information indicates that the recipient wishes for immediate delivery of the package, and the delivery status indicates that the package has arrived at the sales office responsible for the area of ​​the delivery destination specified in the delivery destination information, the arrival notification transmission unit sends an arrival notification indicating that the package has arrived at the sales office responsible for the delivery to the contact information specified in the contact information, An immediate delivery request reception unit receives an immediate delivery request from the recipient's terminal device that has received the aforementioned arrival notification, requesting immediate delivery of the package. The package pickup request transmission unit includes, when the immediate delivery request reception unit receives the immediate delivery request, a package pickup request transmission unit that transmits a package pickup request to the second delivery server requesting the pickup of the package related to the immediate delivery request, The aforementioned second delivery server is, A package pickup request receiving unit that receives the package pickup request from the first delivery server, A delivery management system including a delivery instruction unit that, upon receiving a package pickup request from the package pickup request unit, identifies a delivery person to deliver the package to the recipient who sent the immediate delivery request, and instructs the identified delivery person to pick up the package that has arrived at the responsible branch office and deliver the package to the destination.

3. The second delivery server includes a delivery completion notification transmission unit that, upon completion of delivery of a package, sends a delivery completion notification to the first delivery server indicating that the delivery of the package has been completed. The previous first delivery server was, Upon receiving the delivery completion notification from the second delivery server, the status update unit updates the delivery status of the delivery data related to the package identified in the received delivery completion notification, which is stored in the delivery data storage unit, to delivered. The delivery management system according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a usage fee calculation unit that, upon receiving a delivery completion notification from the second delivery server, adds and stores the usage fee for the delivery management system.

4. A delivery management system for managing the delivery of packages, The first delivery company that accepts the delivery of the package manages the delivery and has a first delivery server that can accept deliveries with specified delivery dates and times or immediate delivery, The second delivery server manages deliveries at the second delivery company that handles the delivery of packages, Equipped with a management server, The previous first delivery server was, A reception desk that receives delivery address information to identify the delivery destination of the package, contact information indicating the contact details of the delivery destination, and immediate delivery information indicating whether or not immediate delivery is desired. A delivery data storage unit stores the delivery destination information, contact information, and immediate delivery information received by the reception unit as delivery data, associating them with the identification information of the received package and the delivery status indicating the location of the package. The system includes an arrival notification transmission unit that, when the immediate delivery information indicates that the package is to be delivered immediately, and the delivery status indicates that the package has arrived at the sales office responsible for the area that has jurisdiction over the delivery destination specified in the delivery destination information, sends an arrival notification to the contact person specified in the contact information indicating that the package has arrived at the sales office responsible for the delivery destination, The aforementioned management server An immediate delivery request reception unit receives an immediate delivery request from the recipient's terminal device that has received the aforementioned arrival notification, requesting immediate delivery of the package. When the immediate delivery request receiving unit receives the immediate delivery request, the package pickup notification transmitting unit transmits a package pickup notification to the first delivery server indicating that the package related to the immediate delivery request will be picked up. The package pickup request transmission unit includes, when the immediate delivery request reception unit receives the immediate delivery request, a package pickup request transmission unit that transmits a package pickup request to the second delivery server requesting the pickup of the package related to the immediate delivery request, The aforementioned second delivery server is, A package pickup request receiving unit that receives the package pickup request from the first delivery server, A delivery management system including a delivery instruction unit that, upon receiving a package pickup request from the package pickup request unit, identifies a delivery person to deliver the package to the recipient who sent the immediate delivery request, and instructs the identified delivery person to pick up the package that has arrived at the responsible branch office and deliver the package to the destination.

5. The second delivery server includes a delivery completion notification transmission unit that, upon completion of delivery of a package, sends a delivery completion notification to the management server indicating that the delivery of the package has been completed. The delivery management system according to claim 4, wherein the management server includes a usage fee calculation unit that, upon receiving the delivery completion notification from the second delivery server, adds and stores the usage fee for the delivery management system.

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