Vending machine system

Abstract

To provide an automatic vending machine system configured to prevent commodities from being lacking on a replenishment day in the case where there are one or more non-business days before the replenishment day.SOLUTION: A management server is configured to: calculate, in the case where there is one or more non-business days before a replenishment day, the total quantity of replenishment for a period until two days before the earliest non-business day; estimate the quantity of replenishment for a period from the day before the earliest non-business day to the day before the replenishment day; and calculate an estimated replenishment quantity obtained by adding the calculated total quantity of replenishment to the estimated quantity of replenishment, to notify a mobile terminal of the estimated replenishment quantity. A routeman loads a delivery car with commodities of the calculated estimated replenishment quantity on the day before the earliest non-business day. The management server re-calculates, on the replenishment day, the quantity of replenishment for a period until the day before the replenishment day on the basis of the sales of the commodities for a period until the day before the replenishment day. When the re-calculated quantity of replenishment is larger than the estimated replenishment quantity, the management server notifies the mobile terminal of the routeman about a difference in replenishment quantity, as an additional quantity of replenishment, and directs the routeman to load the delivery car with the commodities of the additional quantity of replenishment.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vending machine system that can prevent shortages of replenishment products on the replenishment day even when there is one or more holidays before the replenishment day.

Background Art

[0002] Beverage manufacturers, which are vending machine installers, send route drivers to visit each vending machine to collect sales money, replenish change, and replenish and replace products. Here, a method has been proposed in which vending machines are made online and the amount of product replenishment to vending machines is grasped based on the sales data of vending machines (see Non-Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Non-Patent Documents

[0003]

Non-Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in product replenishment for vending machines, the management server obtains the product sales of each vending machine based on the product sales information acquired from each vending machine, aggregates the replenishment numbers up to the day before the day before the replenishment day for each product column of each vending machine based on the obtained product sales, predicts the replenishment number for the day before the replenishment day, calculates the replenishment number obtained by adding the aggregated replenishment number and the predicted replenishment number, and can notify the route driver, who is the field worker, on the day before the replenishment day. Then, the route driver performs a picking operation of pre-loading the replenishment products of the notified replenishment number onto the delivery vehicle on the day before the replenishment day. This is to enable the replenishment work by the round of the delivery vehicle to start promptly on the replenishment day.

[0005] However, if there was one or more days off before the replenishment date, traditionally, a forecast calculation was performed that included the days off on the day before the replenishment date, and the picking work for the predicted number of items to be replenished was carried out on the day before the earliest day off. As a result, the period between the picking work and the replenishment date became long, the accuracy of the forecast calculation deteriorated, and there was a problem that shortages of items to be replenished during rounds were likely to occur.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and aims to provide an automatic vending machine system that can prevent shortages of replenished products on the replenishment day, even if there is one or more days off before the replenishment day. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objective, the present invention comprises a plurality of vending machines, a portable terminal for a patrol worker who replenishes products in each vending machine according to a predetermined delivery route, and a management server connected to a terminal device of a patrol manager who manages the patrol of product replenishment. The management server obtains product sales information from each vending machine, aggregates the number of products to be replenished up to two days before the replenishment date for each product column in each vending machine based on the acquired product sales, predicts the number of products to be replenished on the day before the replenishment date, and calculates the total number of products to be replenished by adding the aggregated number of products to the predicted number of products to be replenished. The vending machine system is characterized in that, if there is one or more days off before the replenishment day, the management server aggregates the number of replenishments up to two days before the earliest day off, predicts the number of replenishments from the day before the earliest day off to the day before the replenishment day, calculates a predicted replenishment number by adding the aggregated replenishment number and the predicted replenishment number and notifies the mobile terminal of this, and on the replenishment day, reaggregates the number of replenishments up to the day before the replenishment day based on product sales up to the day before the replenishment day, and if the reaggregated replenishment number is greater than the predicted replenishment number, on the replenishment day, notifies the mobile terminal of the difference as the additional replenishment number.

[0008] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a vending machine system comprising a plurality of vending machines, a mobile terminal for a patrol worker who replenishes products in each vending machine according to a predetermined delivery route, and a management server connected to a terminal device of a patrol manager who manages the patrols for product replenishment, wherein the management server obtains product sales information from each vending machine, aggregates the number of products to be replenished up to two days before the replenishment date for each product column for each vending machine based on the acquired product sales, predicts the number of products to be replenished on the day before the replenishment date, and calculates the number of products to be replenished by adding the aggregated number of products to the predicted number of products to be replenished, wherein if there is one or more days off before the replenishment date, the management server aggregates the number of products to be replenished up to two days before the earliest day off on the day before the earliest day off, predicts the number of products to be replenished from the day before the earliest day off to the day before the replenishment date, calculates a predicted replenishment number with a margin of safety added to the result of the prediction, and notifies the mobile terminal of the predicted replenishment number obtained by adding the aggregated number of products to the predicted replenishment number with a margin of safety.

[0009] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, the margin is weighted more heavily in proportion to the increase in the number of days of non-business days.

[0010] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, the management server calculates the margin increment of the predicted number of additional margins based on the standard deviation of the statistical values ​​at the time of prediction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, even if there is one or more days off before the replenishment date, it is possible to prevent shortages of replenished products on the replenishment date. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the outline configuration of an automatic vending machine system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a time chart showing the picking process in cases where there is no or more days off before the replenishment day, and in cases where there is. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the picking work management process performed by the management server. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a time chart showing a modified example of picking operations when there is one or more days off before the replenishment day. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the picking work management process by the management server in a modified example. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out this invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings.

[0014] <Overview of the Vending Machine System> Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the outline configuration of an automatic vending machine system according to an embodiment of the present invention. This vending machine system includes communication units 11 and 12 for each of the multiple vending machines 1 and 2, a portable terminal 10 for a route man 100 who is a patrol worker who performs tasks such as replenishing products at each of the vending machines 1 and 2 according to a predetermined delivery route R, and a management server 31 connected to a terminal device 50 for a route manager 200 who is a patrol manager who manages the delivery plan. In addition to replenishing products, the tasks of the route man 100 include troubleshooting, collecting sales revenue, and replenishing change. Note that the vending machines 1 and 2 are shown as an example of multiple vending machines.

[0015] The management server 31 is a server on the cloud 30 and has a product replenishment forecasting unit 40 and a database unit 41. The database unit 41 has a vending machine DB 42, a vending machine inventory DB 43, and a delivery plan 44. The vending machine DB 42 is static information of vending machines 1 and 2, and stores information such as the installation location and product configuration of vending machines 1 and 2. The vending machine inventory DB 43 is dynamic inventory information for each vending machine, and for example, the product name, inventory quantity, and replenishable quantity are updated in near real time for each vending machine. The inventory quantity is updated based on product sales indicated by the details sent from the vending machine, and the replenishment quantity is updated when the route man 100 completes product replenishment, and is notified via the mobile terminal 10 or communication units 11 and 12. The delivery plan 44 has product replenishment information DT. The delivery plan 44 includes the delivery route, delivery date, delivery vehicle, and the number of products to be loaded (number of picks). This includes product replenishment information DT such as the number of items to be replenished for each vending machine and product columns. The management server 31 also manages other data, such as sales data.

[0016] The product replenishment forecasting unit 40 aggregates product sales based on individual sales details sent from each vending machine 1, 2 as they occur, aggregates the number of items to be replenished up to two days before the replenishment date for each product column for each vending machine 1, 2, and predicts the number of items to be replenished the day before the replenishment date. The unit then calculates the total number of items to be replenished by adding the aggregated number of items to the predicted number of items to be replenished. Here, the predicted number of items to be replenished is, for example, the number of items to be replenished based on the average sales performance for each day of the week over the past month.

[0017] The management server 31 notifies the route driver 100 of the calculated replenishment quantity via the mobile terminal 10 or terminal device 50. The route driver 100 loads the notified replenishment quantity of products onto the delivery vehicle 20 the day before the replenishment date, and on the replenishment date, replenishes each vending machine 1 and 2 by visiting each vending machine 1 and 2 in the delivery vehicle 20.

[0018] Specifically, the management server 31 sends a delivery plan including this replenishment quantity to the food storage 101 side. Although the delivery plan may be sent to the mobile terminal 10, the management server 31 sends the delivery plan to a terminal (not shown) of the food storage 101, and based on this, the delivery plan for each route man 100 is passed on. The route man 100 performs a picking operation to load the replenishment goods onto the delivery vehicle 20 on the day before the replenishment day at the food storage 101 at the installation location LO based on the delivery plan.

[0019] On the replenishment day, the route man 100 tours along the delivery route R with the delivery vehicle 20 loaded with the replenishment goods and performs replenishment work for each vending machine 1, 2. When the delivery vehicle 20 arrives at the parking lot PP1 near the installation location LP1 of the first vending machine 1, the route man 100 unloads the replenishment goods from the delivery vehicle 20 and transports the replenishment goods to the vending machine 1 by means of a trolley 60 or the like. Then, the surplus goods and the withdrawn goods associated with the product replacement are transported to the delivery vehicle 20 and loaded.

[0020] After that, when the delivery vehicle 20 arrives at the parking lot PP2 near the installation location LP2 of the next vending machine 2, the route man 100 performs the same work for the vending machine 2 as for the replenishment work for the vending machine 1.

[0021] [[ID=X]] Here, when there is a holiday of one or more days before the replenishment day, the product replenishment prediction unit 40 totals the replenishment quantity from the day before the day before the earliest holiday and predicts and totals the replenishment quantity from the day before the earliest holiday to the day before the replenishment day, and calculates a predicted replenishment quantity obtained by adding the totaled replenishment quantity and the predicted replenishment quantity. The route man 100 loads the replenishment goods of the calculated predicted replenishment quantity onto the delivery vehicle on the day before the earliest holiday. The product replenishment prediction unit 40 re-totals the replenishment quantity from the day before the replenishment day based on the product sales up to the day before the replenishment day on the replenishment day. When the re-totaled re-totaled replenishment quantity is more than the predicted replenishment quantity, on the replenishment day, the product replenishment prediction unit 40 notifies the mobile terminal 10 of the difference in the replenishment quantity as an additional replenishment quantity. Then, the route man 100 loads the goods of the additional replenishment quantity onto the delivery vehicle.

[0022] Figure 2 is a time chart showing the picking operation in cases where there is no or more days off before the replenishment day and cases where there is. As shown in Figure 2(a), when there are no days off before the replenishment day, at 0:00 AM on the day before the replenishment day (predicted day), the number of items to be replenished is tallied based on the sales of products from the previous replenishment date to the day before the replenishment day, and the number of items to be replenished on the day before the replenishment day is predicted from the sales forecast for the day before the replenishment day. The total number of items to be replenished is calculated by adding the tallied number of items to the predicted number of items to be replenished. Then, on the day before the replenishment day, the route man 100 picks the calculated number of items to be replenished. Then, on the replenishment day, no picking is performed, and the delivery vehicle 20 is moved and replenishment is performed for each vending machine 1, 2.

[0023] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 2(b), if there is one or more days off before the replenishment date (in Figure 2(b), there are three days off), the number of items to be replenished during period T1 from the previous replenishment date (time t0) to two days before the earliest day off (time t1: midnight on the day before the earliest day off), and the number of items to be replenished during period T2 from the day before the earliest day off (time t1) to the day before the replenishment date (time t3: midnight on the replenishment date), are predicted, and the predicted number of items to be replenished is calculated by adding the total number of items to the predicted number of items to be replenished. At time t2 on the day before the earliest day off, the route man 100 loads the calculated predicted number of items to be replenished into the delivery vehicle. At time t3 (midnight) on the replenishment date, the management server 31 recalculates the number of items to be replenished during the period up to the day before the replenishment date (T1+T2) based on the sales of goods up to the day before the replenishment date. If the recalculated number of items to be replenished is greater than the predicted number of items to be replenished, the difference in the number of items to be replenished is notified to the mobile terminal 10 as the additional number of items to be replenished on the replenishment date. Then, at time t4 on the replenishment day, Routeman 100 loads the additional replenishment items onto the delivery vehicle, moves the delivery vehicle 20, and performs the replenishment work on each of the vending machines 1 and 2.

[0024] In this embodiment, even if the period of closure, including holidays, is long after the picking work is performed, the actual number of items to be replenished is calculated based on product sales during the closure period, rather than a prediction of the number of items to be replenished. This ensures that there is no shortage of replenished products at each vending machine 1 and 2 on the day of replenishment.

[0025] <Picking work management> Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the picking work management process by the management server 31. As shown in Figure 3, the management server 31 first determines whether there are any days off of one or more days before the replenishment date (step S101).

[0026] If there is one or more days off before the replenishment date (Step S101: Yes), on the day before the earliest day off (midnight), the number of items to be replenished is calculated based on the sales of goods from the previous replenishment date to the day before the earliest day off. Furthermore, the number of items to be replenished is predicted based on the sales forecast from the day before the earliest day off (predicted date) to the replenishment date (midnight). The predicted number of items to be replenished is calculated by adding the calculated number of items to the predicted number of items to be replenished and notified to the mobile terminal 10 (Step S102). As a result, the route driver 100 will pick the predicted number of items to be replenished on the day before the earliest day off.

[0027] Subsequently, on the replenishment day (midnight), the number of items to be replenished up to the day before the replenishment day is recalculated based on the sales of goods up to the day before the replenishment day, and the recalculated number of items to be replenished is calculated (step S103). Then, it is determined whether the recalculated number of items to be replenished is greater than the predicted number of items to be replenished (step S104). If the recalculated number of items to be replenished is greater than the predicted number of items to be replenished (step S104: Yes), on the replenishment day, the difference in the number of items to be replenished is notified to the mobile terminal 10 as the additional number of items to be replenished (step S105), the additional number of items to be replenished is then communicated to the route man 100, and this process is terminated. On the other hand, if the recalculated number of items to be replenished is not greater than the predicted number of items to be replenished (step S104: No), this process is terminated as is.

[0028] On the other hand, if there are no non-business days before the replenishment date (Step S101: No), the number of replenishments up to two days before the replenishment date is totaled, the number of replenishments on the day before the replenishment date is predicted, the total number of replenishments is calculated by adding the total number of replenishments and the predicted number of replenishments, and this number of replenishments is notified to the mobile terminal 10 (Step S106), and this process ends.

[0029] <Variation> Figure 4 is a time chart showing a modified version of the picking operation when there is one or more days off before the replenishment date. As shown in Figure 4, when there is one or more days off before the replenishment date, at 0:00 AM (time t1) on the day before the earliest day off (predicted date), the number of items to be replenished for the period T1 from the previous replenishment date (time t0) to time t1 two days before the earliest day off is totaled, and the number of items to be replenished for the period T2 from the day before the earliest day off to the day before the replenishment date is predicted. A marginalized predicted replenishment number is calculated by adding a margin to the prediction result, and the total predicted replenishment number, which is the sum of the total replenishment number and the marginalized predicted replenishment number, is notified to the mobile terminal 10. Then, at time t4 on the replenishment date, the route man 100 loads the predicted replenishment number of goods onto the delivery vehicle, moves the delivery vehicle 20, and performs the replenishment work.

[0030] In this modified example, the number of replenished items is calculated by adding a margin to the normal forecast for the closure period (period T2), thereby ensuring that even if the closure period, including the closure days, is long, there will be no shortage of replenished products at each vending machine location 1 and 2 on the day of replenishment.

[0031] <Picking work management> Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the picking work management process by the management server 31 in a modified example. As shown in Figure 5, the management server 31 first determines whether there are any non-working days of one or more days before the replenishment date (step S201).

[0032] If there is one or more days off before the replenishment date (Step S201: Yes), on the day before the earliest day off, the number of items to be replenished up to two days before the earliest day off is totaled, and the number of items to be replenished from the day before the earliest day off to the day before the replenishment date is predicted. A buffer is added to the prediction result to calculate the additional predicted replenishment number, and the total predicted replenishment number plus the buffer predicted replenishment number is notified to the mobile terminal 10 (Step S202), and this process ends. Upon notification, the route man 100 will pick the predicted replenishment number on the day before the earliest day off.

[0033] On the other hand, if there are no days off for one or more days before the replenishment date (Step S201: No), the number of items to be replenished up to two days before the replenishment date is totaled, the number of items to be replenished on the day before the replenishment date is predicted, the total number of items to be replenished is calculated by adding the total number of items to the predicted number of items to be replenished, and this number of items to be replenished is notified to the mobile terminal 10 (Step S203), and this process ends. Upon this notification, the route man 100 will perform the picking work for the notified number of items to be replenished on the day before the earliest day off.

[0034] Furthermore, the margin of safety can be weighted more heavily in proportion to the number of days the store is closed. Specifically, if there are two days of closure, the margin of safety (weighting coefficient) can be set to 1.1 times the normal forecast, and if there are three or more days of closure, the margin of safety can be set to 1.15 times the normal forecast. This helps to prevent shortages in replenishment even if sales forecasts are inaccurate.

[0035] Alternatively, the margin increment for the additional predicted replenishment can be calculated based on the standard deviation of the statistical values ​​at the time of prediction. That is, the margin increment can be the number of replenishment units equal to the standard deviation (σ). For example, the margin increment can be calculated as the number of replenishment units equal to +2σ when the standard deviation is (σ). Note that this margin increment can be, for example, an integer multiple of the standard deviation (σ). Also, this margin increment can be a value that indicates the degree of variance in the statistics at the time of prediction.

[0036] Furthermore, when predicting the number of items to be replenished, the difference between past sales forecasts and actual sales for the same vending machine may be displayed on the mobile terminal 10 (Routeman 100) or terminal device 50 (Route Manager 200) to allow for flexible adjustment of the number of items to be replenished. For example, the difference between sales forecasts and actual sales for weekends over the past month may be displayed. In addition, various information that affects sales, such as weather and temperature, may also be displayed as a basis for deciding on the number of items to be replenished.

[0037] In addition, each configuration illustrated in the above-described embodiments and modifications is functionally schematic, and it is not necessarily physically configured as illustrated. That is, the form of distribution and integration of each device and component is not limited to that illustrated, and all or part of it can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in any unit according to various usage situations and the like.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0038] 1, 2 Vending machine 10 Mobile terminal 11, 12 Communication unit 20 Delivery vehicle 30 Cloud 31 Management server 40 Product replenishment prediction unit 42 Vending machine DB 43 Vending machine inventory DB 44 Delivery plan 50 Terminal device 60 Cart 100 Route man 101 Food management warehouse 200 Route manager DT Product replenishment information LO, LP1, LP2 Installation location PP1, PP2 Parking lot R Delivery route T1, T2 Period t1 to t3 Time points

Claims

1. The vending machine system comprises multiple vending machines, portable terminals for patrol workers who replenish products in each vending machine according to a predetermined delivery route, and a management server connected to a terminal device of a patrol manager who manages the patrols for product replenishment. The management server obtains product sales information from each vending machine, aggregates the number of products to be replenished up to two days before the replenishment date for each product column in each vending machine based on the acquired product sales, predicts the number of products to be replenished the day before the replenishment date, and calculates the total number of products to be replenished by adding the aggregated number of products to the predicted number of products to be replenished. The vending machine system is characterized in that, if there is one or more days off before the replenishment date, the management server aggregates the number of replenishments up to two days before the earliest day off, predicts the number of replenishments from the day before the earliest day off to the day before the replenishment date, calculates a predicted replenishment number by adding the aggregated replenishment number and the predicted replenishment number and notifies the mobile terminal of this, and on the replenishment date, reaggregates the number of replenishments up to the day before the replenishment date based on product sales up to the day before the replenishment date, and if the reaggregated replenishment number is greater than the predicted replenishment number, on the replenishment date, notifies the mobile terminal of the difference as an additional replenishment number.

2. The vending machine system comprises multiple vending machines, portable terminals for patrol workers who replenish products in each vending machine according to a predetermined delivery route, and a management server connected to a terminal device of a patrol manager who manages the patrols for product replenishment. The management server obtains product sales information from each vending machine, aggregates the number of products to be replenished up to two days before the replenishment date for each product column in each vending machine based on the acquired product sales, predicts the number of products to be replenished the day before the replenishment date, and calculates the total number of products to be replenished by adding the aggregated number of products to the predicted number of products to be replenished. The vending machine system is characterized in that, if there is one or more days off before the replenishment date, the management server, on the day before the earliest day off, aggregates the number of replenishments up to two days before the earliest day off, predicts the number of replenishments from the day before the earliest day off to the day before the replenishment date, calculates a surplus prediction replenishment number by adding a margin to the result of the prediction, and notifies the mobile terminal of the predicted replenishment number obtained by adding the aggregated number of replenishments and the surplus prediction replenishment number.

3. The vending machine system according to claim 2, characterized in that the margin is weighted more heavily in proportion to the increase in the number of days of non-business.

4. The vending machine system according to claim 2, characterized in that the management server calculates the increase in the margin of the predicted number of additional replenishment units based on the standard deviation of the statistical values ​​at the time of prediction.

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