Systems, methods, and programs

Abstract

This system provides a simple way to search for projects implemented by local governments that include related products or services. [Solution] The system includes a computer which performs the following steps for each of the multiple projects implemented by the local government: acquiring matching information indicating the degree of relevance of each project to the products owned by the organization; searching for projects among the multiple projects that have related products based on the degree of relevance indicated by the acquired matching information; and notifying the user of the searched projects.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a system, a method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a business collaboration support system that supports a search group wishing to collaborate in business in searching for candidate groups capable of providing appropriate technologies for problems to be solved by the business collaboration. This business collaboration support system extracts candidate groups based on (1) search information including problems to be solved by the business collaboration of the search group, (2) information on business collaboration pre-reality, that is, at least one of past business collaboration results and future business collaboration plans, a business collaboration list in which problems to be solved by the business collaboration pre-reality and the provided technologies provided in the business collaboration pre-reality are associated with each other, and (3) group information in which the names of a plurality of groups are associated with the technical information held by each of the plurality of groups.

[0003] However, the business collaboration support system disclosed in Patent Document 1 does not search for a business in which related commercial materials exist from among a plurality of businesses implemented by a local government.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] It would be convenient if it were possible to easily search for a business in which related commercial materials exist from among a plurality of businesses implemented by a local government. However, the conventional systems as described above are not capable of easily searching for a business in which related commercial materials exist from among a plurality of businesses implemented by a local government.

[0006] The present invention aims to provide a system, method, and program that allows for easy searching of projects implemented by local governments that contain related products. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The system of the present invention includes a computer, which performs the following steps for each of several projects implemented by a local government: acquiring matching information indicating the degree of relevance of each project to the merchandise held by the organization; searching for projects among the multiple projects that have relevant merchandise based on the degree of relevance indicated by the acquired matching information; and notifying the user of the searched projects.

[0008] The present invention is a method performed by a computer, comprising each step performed in the system described above.

[0009] The program of the present invention causes a computer to perform each of the steps executed in the system described above. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a diagram illustrating the system configuration in an embodiment. [Figure 2] This figure illustrates the information managed by the business information file in the embodiment. [Figure 3] This figure illustrates the information managed by the product information file in the embodiment. [Figure 4] This diagram illustrates the information managed by the business classification file in the embodiment. [Figure 5] This diagram illustrates the information managed by the product classification file in the embodiment. [Figure 6] This figure illustrates the information managed by the matching information file in the embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a flowchart illustrating the file creation process in the embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a flowchart illustrating the process for creating a business classification file in the embodiment. [Figure 9] This is a flowchart illustrating the matching information file creation process in the embodiment. [Figure 10] This figure illustrates a business search screen in an embodiment. [Figure 11] This is a flowchart illustrating the business search process in the embodiment. [Figure 12] This is a diagram illustrating a list of businesses in an embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] System 1, one embodiment of the system, will be described below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0012] [System Configuration] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of System 1. System 1 comprises a business server 3 and a user terminal 5. The business server 3 is connected to the user terminal 5 via a communication network 7 such as the Internet. The number of user terminals 5 connected to a single business server 3 is not particularly limited; it may be one or two or more. The business server 3 provides business tools to users operating the user terminal 5.

[0013] Here, the user is, for example, a sales representative working in the local government sales department of a financial institution, i.e., a department that conducts sales activities with local governments. By using the business tools provided by business server 3, the user can search for businesses among multiple businesses conducted by the local government that is their sales target, and find businesses that contain relevant products. The products are, for example, the company's own products or the products of organizations that do business with the company.

[0014] The business server 3 is composed of a general computer, for example, one or two or more server devices. That is, the business server 3 includes a server-side processor 9, a server-side memory 11, a server-side input / output I / F 13, a server-side communication I / F 15, and a server-side storage 17, and each of these components is electrically connected via a bus or the like not shown in the figure.

[0015] The server-side processor 9 reads various programs stored in the server-side storage 17 etc. into the server-side memory 11 and executes various instructions included in the read programs. As the server-side processor 9, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit), etc. can be used alone or in combination.

[0016] The server-side memory 11 functions as a working area for the server-side processor 9. As the server-side memory 11, for example, a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) can be used.

[0017] The server-side input / output I / F 13 includes various input devices and output devices for exchanging information with an operator or the like among others. The input devices are, for example, information input devices such as a keyboard and a pointing device, a voice input device such as a microphone, and an image input device such as a camera. The output devices are, for example, an image output device such as a display, and a voice output device such as a speaker.

[0018] The server-side communication I / F 15 performs wired or wireless communication with an external device such as the user terminal 5 via the communication network 7. As the server-side communication I / F 15, for example, hardware such as a network adapter, various communication software, etc. can be used alone or in combination.

[0019] The server-side storage 17 is composed of, for example, a magnetic disk or flash memory. The server-side storage 17 stores various programs, including the operating system, and various data. For example, the server-side storage 17 stores the server-side program 19 and various files 21 that manage various information. The various files 21 include the business information file 40 (see Figure 2), the product information file 50 (see Figure 3), the classification criteria file (not shown), the business classification file 60 (see Figure 4), the product classification file 70 (see Figure 5), and the matching information file 80 (see Figure 6), which will be described later. The server-side program 19 is a program that causes the business server 3 to function as all or part of a system for providing business tools. At least a part of the server-side program 19 may be configured to be executed on the user terminal 5 side via the terminal-side program 37, which will be described later.

[0020] The business server 3 configured in this way functions as both a web server and an application server. Specifically, the business server 3 responds to requests from terminal-side programs 37 installed on the user terminal 5, performs various processes, and transmits screen data and control data, etc., corresponding to the results of those processes, to the user terminal 5. The user terminal 5 then displays a web page or other screen based on the received data.

[0021] The user terminal 5 is comprised of a general-purpose computer, such as a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer. Specifically, the user terminal 5 includes a terminal-side processor 27, terminal-side memory 29, terminal-side input / output interface 31, terminal-side communication interface 33, and terminal-side storage 35, with each of these components electrically connected via a bus or the like (not shown). The terminal-side processor 27, terminal-side memory 29, terminal-side input / output interface 31, terminal-side communication interface 33, and terminal-side storage 35 are configured in substantially the same way as the server-side processor 9, server-side memory 11, server-side input / output interface 13, server-side communication interface 15, and server-side storage 17 described above. Here, we will omit explanations of the similar configurations and focus on the differences.

[0022] The terminal-side storage 35 stores various programs, including the operating system, and various data. For example, the terminal-side storage 35 stores the terminal-side program 37. The terminal-side program 37 is configured as a web browser or an application for business tools. As described above, the terminal-side program 37 may be configured to execute at least a portion of the server-side program 19.

[0023] A user operating the user terminal 5 can utilize business tools provided by the business server 3 by communicating with the business server 3 via the terminal-side program 37 installed on the terminal-side storage 35.

[0024] [Various files] Next, we will explain the information managed by the various files 21. Figure 2 illustrates the information managed by the business information file 40. The business information file 40 manages business information. Business information refers to information related to projects implemented by local governments.

[0025] The business information file 40 is a tabular file consisting of multiple rows and columns, and its file format is, for example, CSV. The business information file 40 contains business information for each business, on a row-by-row basis. The multiple columns comprising the business information file 40 include a business name column 41, a business overview column 42, a budget amount column 43, and a supervising department name column 44. The business information entered in the business name column 41, business overview column 42, budget amount column 43, and supervising department name column 44 is the business name, business overview, budget amount, and supervising department name, respectively.

[0026] The project name indicates the name of the project implemented by the local government. The project name includes terms that describe the project's target field, progress stage, etc. The project's target field is a concept that includes the target people, target industries, target facilities, etc. The project overview is a written description of the project implemented by the local government, and includes a more specific description of the project's target field, progress stage, etc., compared to the project name. The budget amount indicates the amount of budget allocated to the project. The name of the supervising department indicates the name of the department in the local government that has supervision over the project.

[0027] The project information file 40 is created, for example, based on budget information published by a local government. The collection of budget information may be done manually or automatically using web scraping or natural language processing technology. A project information file 40 is created for each local government. That is, the server-side storage 17 stores multiple project information files 40, each created for a single local government. The project information file 40 shown in Figure 2 pertains to City S. In addition to the project information described above, the project information file 40 includes information indicating the name of the local government implementing the project, information about the population of the local government implementing the project, and so on. For example, the project information file 40 for a project implemented by City S includes information indicating the name of City S, information about the population of City S, and so on.

[0028] Figure 3 illustrates the information managed by the product information file 50. The product information file 50 manages product information. Product information refers to information about products held by organizations such as companies, NPOs, and universities. In this embodiment, products include the track record of projects that an organization has previously been commissioned to undertake by local governments. Hereafter, projects that an organization has previously been commissioned to undertake by local governments will also be referred to as commissioned projects.

[0029] The product information file 50 is a tabular file consisting of multiple rows and columns, and its file format is, for example, CSV. The product information file 50 contains product information for each product, on a row-by-row basis. The multiple columns comprising the product information file 50 include a product name column 51, a product overview column 52, a client column 53, a start year column 54, and a contract year column 55. The product name column 51, product overview column 52, client column 53, start year column 54, and contract year column 55 contain product information such as the product name, product overview, client name, start year, and contract year, respectively.

[0030] The "Product Name" indicates the name of the contracted project. The product name includes terms that describe the project's scope and its current stage of progress. The "Product Summary" is a written description of the contracted project, including more specific details about its scope and current stage compared to the product name. The "Client Name" indicates the name of the local government that commissioned the project. The "Start Year" indicates the year the project began. The "Contract Year" indicates the year the project was awarded.

[0031] The product information file 50 is created, for example, based on information regarding contract performance. The collection of information regarding contract performance may be done manually or automatically using web scraping or natural language processing technology. A product information file 50 is created for each organization. That is, the server-side storage 17 stores multiple product information files 50, each created for a single organization. The product information file 50 shown in Figure 3 pertains to Company A. In this embodiment, product information files 50 relating to products owned by Company A, product information files 50 relating to products owned by Company B, and product information files 50 relating to products owned by Company C are stored. In relation to the organization to which the user belongs, Companies A, B, and C are either the user's own company or a trading partner organization. In addition to the product information described above, the product information file 50 also contains information indicating the name of the organization that owns the product. For example, product information file 50, which pertains to products owned by Company A, contains information such as the name of Company A.

[0032] Here, although not illustrated, the classification criteria file will be explained. The classification criteria file manages the classification criteria. The classification criteria are used to create the business classification file 60 and the product classification file 70, which will be described later. The classification criteria include the subject area classification criteria and the step classification criteria.

[0033] The target field classification criteria include multiple target field classification items for classifying projects implemented by local governments according to their target fields. These multiple target field classification items are hierarchically structured into three levels from top to bottom: major classification, medium classification, and minor classification. For example, the major classification includes "agricultural policy," "industry, commerce, and employment," and "urban planning, housing, and construction." The medium classification belonging to the major classification "industry, commerce, and employment" includes "industrial promotion vision" and "logistics and wholesale markets." The minor classification belonging to the medium classification "industrial promotion vision" includes "industrial strategy formulation" (see Figures 4 and 5).

[0034] The step classification criteria include multiple step classification items for classifying projects implemented by local governments according to the steps of the project, i.e., the stages of project progress. For example, step classification items include "concept / plan formulation / revision," "project method study," and "analysis" (see Figures 4 and 5).

[0035] Figure 4 illustrates the information managed by the business classification file 60. The business classification file 60 manages business classification information. Business classification information refers to information that shows the results of classifying multiple businesses included in the business information file 40, business by business, based on classification criteria.

[0036] The business classification file 60 is a tabular file consisting of multiple rows and columns, and its file format is, for example, CSV. The business classification file 60 contains business classification information for each business, on a row-by-row basis. The multiple columns comprising the business classification file 60 include a business name column 61, a business overview column 62, a budget amount column 63, a supervising department name column 64, a major classification column 65, a medium classification column 66, a minor classification column 67, and a step column 68. The business name column 61, business overview column 62, budget amount column 63, and supervising department name column 64 in the business classification file 60 correspond to the business name column 41, business overview column 42, budget amount column 43, and supervising department name column 44 in the business information file 40, respectively.

[0037] The major category column 65, the medium category column 66, and the minor category column 67 contain the major category name, medium category name, and minor category name, respectively. The major category name indicates the name of the major category to which each business is classified based on the target field classification criteria. The medium category name indicates the name of the medium category to which each business is classified based on the target field classification criteria. The minor category name indicates the name of the minor category to which each business is classified based on the target field classification criteria. The step column 68 contains the step name. The step name indicates the name of the step to which each business is classified based on the step classification criteria. If classification is not possible, "(None)" is entered (see Figure 4).

[0038] The business classification file 60 is created when the business server 3 executes the business classification file creation process (see Figure 8) described later. A business classification file 60 is created for each local government. That is, the server-side storage 17 stores multiple business classification files 60, each created for a single local government. The business classification file 60 shown in Figure 4 pertains to City S. Similar to the business information file 40, the business classification file 60 contains the business classification information described above, as well as information indicating the name of the local government implementing the business, and information regarding the population of the local government implementing the business.

[0039] Figure 5 illustrates the information managed by the product classification file 70. The product classification file 70 manages product classification information. Product classification information refers to information that shows the results of classifying multiple products contained in the product information file 50, product by product, based on classification criteria.

[0040] The product classification file 70 is a tabular file consisting of multiple rows and columns, and its file format is, for example, CSV. Product classification information is entered in the product classification file 70, row by row, for each product. The multiple columns that make up the product classification information include the product name column 71, the product overview column 72, the ordering party column 73, the start year column 74, the contract year column 75, the major category column 76, the medium category column 77, the minor category column 78, and the step column 79. The product name column 71, product overview column 72, ordering party column 73, the start year column 74, and the contract year column 75 in the product classification file 70 correspond to the product name column 51, product overview column 52, ordering party column 53, the start year column 54, and the contract year column 55 in the product information file 50, respectively.

[0041] The major category column 76, the medium category column 77, and the minor category column 78 contain the major category name, medium category name, and minor category name, respectively. The major category name indicates the name of the major category to which each product is classified based on the target field classification criteria. The medium category name indicates the name of the medium category to which each product is classified based on the target field classification criteria. The minor category name indicates the name of the minor category to which each product is classified based on the target field classification criteria. The step column 79 contains the step name. The step name indicates the name of the step to which each product is classified based on the step classification criteria. If classification is not possible, "(None)" is entered.

[0042] The product classification file 70 is created by the business server 3, which performs the same processing as the business classification file creation process described later, based on product information obtained from the product information file 50 and classification criteria obtained from the classification criteria file. A product classification file 70 is created for each organization. That is, the server-side storage 17 stores multiple product classification files 70, each created for a single organization. Note that the product classification file 70 shown in Figure 5 pertains to Company A. In this embodiment, product classification files 70 pertaining to products owned by Company A, product classification files 70 pertaining to products owned by Company B, and product classification files 70 pertaining to products owned by Company C are stored. Similar to the product information file 50, the product classification file 70 contains the above-mentioned product classification information, as well as information indicating the name of the organization that owns the product.

[0043] Figure 6 illustrates the information managed by the matching information file 80. In addition to the business information described above, the matching information file 80 manages matching information. Matching information refers to information indicating the degree of relevance between a business and the products or services held by an organization.

[0044] The matching information file 80 is a tabular file consisting of multiple rows and columns, and its file format is, for example, CSV. The matching information file 80 contains business information and matching information for each business, on a row-by-row basis. The columns comprising the matching information file 80 include a business name column 81, a business overview column 82, a budget amount column 83, a supervising department name column 84, and a relevance column 85. The business name column 81, business overview column 82, budget amount column 83, and supervising department name column 84 in the matching information file 80 correspond to the business name column 61, business overview column 62, budget amount column 63, and supervising department name column 64 in the business classification file 60, respectively.

[0045] The relevance column 85 contains the relevance level for each organization that owns the merchandise. The relevance level indicates the degree of relevance between the business and the merchandise held by each organization. The relevance level is displayed in four stages, from highest to lowest: "◎", "○", "△", and "-". A relevance level of "◎" means that the merchandise held by that business is very highly relevant. A relevance level of "○" means that the merchandise held by that business is highly relevant. A relevance level of "△" means that the merchandise held by that business is somewhat relevant. A relevance level of "-" means that the merchandise held by that business is not relevant. Note that the relevance level can be two or three stages, or even five or more stages.

[0046] The matching information file 80 is created when the business server 3 executes the matching information file creation process (see Figure 9) described later. A matching information file 80 is created for each local government. That is, the server-side storage 17 stores multiple matching information files 80, each created for a single local government. The matching information file 80 shown in Figure 6 pertains to City S. Similar to the business information file 40, the matching information file 80 contains the business information and matching information described above, as well as information indicating the name of the local government implementing the business, and information regarding the population of the local government implementing the business.

[0047] [File creation process] Next, we will explain the file creation process performed by the business server 3. Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating the file creation process. For example, when the business information file 40 is uploaded, the business server 3 starts the file creation process. Here, it is assumed that the product information file 50, the product classification file 70, and the classification criteria file are already stored in the server-side storage 17.

[0048] First, business server 3 executes the business classification file creation process (step S01). In the business classification file creation process, business classification file 60 is created. Next, business server 3 executes the matching information file creation process (step S02). In the matching information file creation process, matching information file 80 is created.

[0049] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating the business classification file creation process performed in step S01 of Figure 7. First, the business server 3 obtains business information from the uploaded business information file 40 (step S11). Next, the business server 3 obtains classification criteria from the classification criteria file stored in the server-side storage 17 (step S12). Then, the business server 3 creates a business classification file 60 using a language model based on the obtained business information and classification criteria (step S13). Finally, the business server 3 stores the created business classification file 60 in the server-side storage 17 (step S14).

[0050] In step S13, business server 3 first creates a business classification file creation prompt. Next, business server 3 inputs the created business classification file creation prompt to the language model. The language model is a model of human language using word occurrence probability, and includes, for example, a Large Language Model (LLM). Subsequently, business server 3 obtains the business classification file 60 based on the output information from the language model.

[0051] Here, the business classification file creation prompt instructs the language model to classify the businesses and create a business classification file 60 based on the acquired business information and classification criteria. The business classification method is not particularly limited, but for example, for each business, the business's subject area is extracted from at least one of the business name and business overview included in the business information, and the extracted subject area is classified into the major category among the multiple major categories included in the acquired subject area classification criteria that is most strongly related to it. Subsequently, it is classified into the major category among the multiple minor categories belonging to that major category that is most strongly related to the extracted subject area. Subsequently, it is classified into the minor category among the multiple minor categories belonging to that minor category that is most strongly related to the extracted subject area. In addition, for each business, the business steps are extracted from at least one of the business name and business overview included in the business information, and the extracted steps are classified into the step classification item among the multiple step classification items included in the acquired step classification criteria that is most strongly related to it. Furthermore, when extracting target fields or steps, extracting from the project name and project overview, or extracting from the project overview alone, allows for more accurate extraction and classification compared to extracting from the project name alone.

[0052] Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating the matching information file creation process performed in step S02 of Figure 7. First, the business server 3 performs a first screening (step S21). In the first screening, the business server 3 searches for businesses and products whose subcategory names and step names match from among multiple businesses in the business classification information and multiple products in the product classification information, based on the business classification information contained in the business classification file 60 created in step S01 of Figure 7 and the product classification information contained in the product classification file 70 which is stored in the server-side storage 17 beforehand.

[0053] For example, suppose business server 3 retrieves business classification information from business classification file 60 shown in Figure 4 and product classification information from product classification file 70 shown in Figure 5. In this case, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, among multiple businesses and multiple products, the business whose name is "Revision of Industrial Promotion Vision and Startup Support" and the product whose name is "Outsourcing of Support Services for Formulating Industrial Promotion Plans" are found because their sub-category name matches "Industrial Promotion Vision" and their step name matches "Concept, Plan Formulation, and Revision".

[0054] Businesses not found in the first screening in step S21 are determined to have the lowest degree of relevance to the product (in this embodiment, "-" on the four-level scale). On the other hand, businesses found in step S21 are determined to have a more detailed degree of relevance to the product through the second screening in step S22.

[0055] Returning to Figure 9, the explanation continues. After performing the first screening in step S21, the business server 3 performs a second screening (step S22). In the second screening (step S22), the business server 3 first creates a relevance determination prompt. Next, the business server 3 inputs the created relevance determination prompt to the language model. Subsequently, the business server 3 obtains the relevance determination result between the business and the product searched in step S21 based on the output information from the language model.

[0056] Here, the relevance determination prompt instructs the language model to determine the degree of relevance for each business searched in step S21 to products with matching subcategory names and step names. The method for determining relevance is not particularly limited, but for example, it can be determined based on the affinity between words contained in the product information of the searched product and the business information of the searched business. In this case, the business information of the business may be either the business name and the business overview, or both. Similarly, the product information may be either the product name and the product overview, or both.

[0057] Returning to Figure 9, the explanation continues. The business server 3 creates a matching information file 80 that includes the judgment results obtained in the second screening, i.e., the judgment results of the degree of relevance between the searched business and product, as matching information (step S23). Subsequently, the business server 3 stores the created matching information file 80 in the server-side storage 17 (step S24).

[0058] [Business Search Screen] Next, we will explain the business search screen 101 that is output to the user terminal 5. The business search screen 101 accepts operations such as selecting the municipality to be searched for and specifying search conditions, and displays businesses that have related products found among the businesses of the selected municipality.

[0059] Figure 10 illustrates the project search screen 101. The project search screen 101 includes a municipality selection button 103, a municipality search field 105, a population specification bar 107, a classification item search field 109, a classification item selection button 111, a budget amount specification bar 113, and a search execution button 115. The project search screen 101 also includes a selected municipality display field 117, a search target municipality display field 119, a classification item display field 121, and a search results display field 123.

[0060] The municipality selection button 103 is used to select the municipalities to be searched for in the business. When the municipality selection button 103 is selected, multiple municipality names corresponding to multiple business information files 40 stored in the server-side storage 17 are displayed for selection. The user selects one or more municipality names from the displayed list, for example, the names of the municipalities for which they are responsible for sales. The selected municipality names are displayed in the selected municipality display field 117 and the search target municipality display field 119.

[0061] The municipality search field 105 is a search field for searching for municipalities that are the target of the project search. Any municipality name can be entered in the municipality search field 105. When a municipality name is entered in the municipality search field 105, the server-side storage 17 searches for the entered municipality name among multiple municipality names corresponding to multiple project information files 40 stored in the server-side storage 17. The searched municipality names are displayed in the selected municipality display field 117 and the search target municipality display field 119.

[0062] The population specification bar 107 is used to specify the population range of a municipality in order to further narrow down the municipalities that can be searched for by the project. The population specification bar 107 is equipped with a population upper limit slider 107a for specifying the upper limit of the population and a population lower limit slider 107b for specifying the lower limit of the population range. The search target municipality display field 119 will only display the names of municipalities whose population falls within the population range specified by the population specification bar 107, from among the names of municipalities selected by the municipality selection button 103 and the names of municipalities searched by the municipality search field 105.

[0063] The classification item search field 109 is a search field for searching for target field classification items as a search criterion for businesses. Any word or phrase can be entered in the classification item search field 109. When a word or phrase is entered in the classification item search field 109, the system searches for target field classification items that are identical to or related to the entered word or phrase from among the multiple target field classification items contained in the classification criteria file stored in the server-side storage 17. The searched target field classification items are displayed in the classification item display field 121. In addition, the classification item search field 109 may also be used to search for step classification items as a search criterion for businesses.

[0064] The classification item selection button 111 is a button for selecting a target field classification item as a search criterion for a business. When the classification item selection button 111 is selected, multiple major categories from among the multiple target field classification items contained in the classification criteria file stored in the server-side storage 17 are displayed for selection. The user selects any major category from among the displayed multiple major categories. Once a major category is selected, multiple intermediate categories and multiple minor categories belonging to the selected major category are displayed for selection. The user selects one or more intermediate categories and multiple minor categories from among the displayed multiple intermediate categories and multiple minor categories. The target field classification items selected in this way are displayed in the classification item display field 121. In addition, the classification item selection button 111 may also be used to select step classification items as a search criterion for a business.

[0065] The budget amount specification bar 113 is used to specify the budget range for a project as a search criterion for the project. The budget amount specification bar 113 is provided with a budget amount upper limit slider 113a for specifying the upper limit of the budget amount and a budget amount lower limit slider 113b for specifying the lower limit of the budget amount.

[0066] The search execution button 115 is used to perform a business search. When the search execution button 115 is selected, the business server 3 executes the business search process.

[0067] Figure 11 is a flowchart illustrating the business search process. First, the business server 3 reads business information and matching information from the matching information file 80 of a municipality that is selected by the municipality selection button 103 or searched by the municipality search field 105 and falls within the population range specified by the population specification bar 107, and obtains this information (step S31). Next, the business server 3 searches for businesses that have related products from among the multiple businesses included in the matching information file 80, based on the degree of relevance to the products indicated by the obtained matching information (step S32). More specifically, the business server 3 searches for businesses that have related products from among the multiple businesses included in the matching information file 80, where the degree of relevance for at least one organization is determined to be above a predetermined degree of relevance (for example, "△" or higher). If business search conditions (target field classification items, budget range, etc.) are specified at this time, the search will be conducted from among businesses that match the specified search conditions. The business server 3 creates a business list 130 based on the business search results and displays the created business list 130 in the search results display area 123 (step S33).

[0068] Figure 12 illustrates the project list 130. The project list 130 is a tabular format consisting of multiple rows and multiple columns. Project information is entered in each row of the project list 130 for each searched project. The multiple columns that make up the project list 130 include the project name column 131, the project overview column 132, the budget amount column 133, the name of the supervising department column 134, the relevance column 135, and the name of the local government column 136. The project name column 131, the project overview column 132, the budget amount column 133, the name of the supervising department column 134, and the relevance column 135 correspond to the project name column 81, the project overview column 82, the budget amount column 83, the name of the supervising department column 84, and the relevance column 85 in the matching information file 80, respectively. The name of the local government column 136 contains the name of the local government that implements the project. Thus, the business list 130 includes a business name column 131 and a relevance column 135, and businesses with related products are reported in association with the relevance of the products. Furthermore, if a relevance entered in the relevance column 85 is selected by the user, the business server 3 may display product information (e.g., product name) of the product corresponding to the selected relevance.

[0069] As described above, System 1 of this embodiment includes a business server 3. For each of the multiple projects implemented by the local government, the business server 3 acquires matching information indicating the degree of relevance between the project and the products held by the organization. Based on the degree of relevance to the products indicated by the acquired matching information, the business server 3 searches for projects among the multiple projects in which related products exist. The business server 3 notifies the user of the found projects.

[0070] This configuration allows the system to search for businesses containing relevant products from among multiple businesses, and the searched businesses are then notified to the user. Therefore, it is possible to easily search for businesses containing relevant products from among multiple businesses implemented by local governments. For example, if the user is a sales representative working in the sales department of a local government, they can extract only the businesses from among multiple businesses (e.g., hundreds) that contain products suitable for introducing to local governments in their sales activities, thereby supporting the discovery of sales opportunities.

[0071] [Other variations] It goes without saying that the embodiments described above are not limited to those described above, and various configurations can be adopted without departing from their spirit. For example, the embodiments described above can be modified to the following forms in addition to those described above. The contents described in one embodiment or modification shall also apply to other embodiments or modifications as long as they do not contradict each other.

[0072] In this embodiment, when the search execution button 115 is selected and a business search is performed, the business server 3 obtains matching information by reading it from a matching information file 80 that is pre-stored in the server-side storage 17. However, the configuration is not limited to this. For example, the business server 3 may be configured to obtain matching information by performing the same processing as the matching information file creation process when the search execution button 115 is selected and a business search is performed. Furthermore, the matching information is not limited to being created by the business server 3 itself, but may be created by another computer.

[0073] In this embodiment, the business server 3 performs a first screening and a second screening to determine the degree of relevance between each business and the merchandise, but the configuration is not limited to this. For example, the business server 3 may perform only the first screening. In this case, the first screening searches for businesses and merchandise that match the classification items, and for example, businesses that are found are determined to have a "high" degree of relevance, while businesses that are not found are determined to have a "low" degree of relevance. Alternatively, the business server 3 may perform only the second screening. In this case, the business server 3 may, for example, use a language model to determine the degree of relevance between all businesses included in the business classification file 60 and the merchandise.

[0074] In this embodiment, the business server 3 searches for businesses and products whose subcategory names and step names match from among multiple businesses and products in the first screening, but is not limited to this. For example, the business server 3 may search for businesses and products whose subcategory names and step names match, or may search for businesses and products whose subcategory names match, or may search for businesses and products whose step names match. Furthermore, the classification items used for the search are not limited to subcategories, but may also be major categories or minor categories.

[0075] In this embodiment, the target field classification items are hierarchically structured into three levels: major, medium, and minor. However, the number of levels is not particularly limited and may be one, two, or four or more. Furthermore, the step classification items may be hierarchically structured into multiple levels. In addition, the target field classification criteria may include descriptions or specific examples for each target field classification item, in addition to the target field classification items. Similarly, the step classification criteria may include descriptions or specific examples for each step classification item, in addition to the step classification items.

[0076] In this embodiment, each business is classified into one major category, but is not limited to this, and may be classified into multiple major categories. Also, each business is classified into one subcategory for each major category, but is not limited to this, and may be classified into multiple subcategories. Furthermore, each business is classified into one minor category for each subcategory, but is not limited to this, and may be classified into multiple minor categories. For example, each business may be classified into a maximum of five major categories, each major category into a maximum of five subcategory, and each subcategory into a maximum of five minor categories. In this case, each business will be classified into a maximum of five major categories, a maximum of 5 x 5 = 25 subcategories, and a maximum of 5 x 5 x 5 = 125 minor categories. Also, in this embodiment, each business is classified into one step, but is not limited to this, and may be classified into multiple steps. Similarly, each product may be classified into multiple major categories, multiple subcategories and minor categories, and each product may be classified into multiple steps.

[0077] In this embodiment, the business server 3 notifies the user by displaying the searched business on the user terminal 5, but it is not limited to this. For example, the business server 3 may be configured to notify the user by outputting the searched business as an audio message.

[0078] The products and services held by an organization are not limited to its track record of undertaking projects, but encompass a concept that includes any goods or services that the organization can offer in relation to its business.

[0079] The business information file 40 is not limited to being created for each local government, but may be created for each of multiple local governments. The same applies to the business classification file 60 and the matching information file 80. Furthermore, the product information file 50 is not limited to being created for each organization, but may be created for each of multiple organizations. Conversely, the product information file 50 may be created for each department that makes up an organization. This allows for a more specific matching of products for each department. Similarly, the product classification file 70 may be created for each of multiple organizations, or it may be structured by department.

[0080] Some or all of the functions of the business server 3 may be realized through the cooperation of the business server 3 and the user terminal 5, or may be realized by the user terminal 5 alone. In other words, the system 1 of this disclosure may consist of the business server 3, or it may consist of the business server 3 and the user terminal 5, or it may consist of the user terminal 5 alone.

[0081] [Note] The following is an addendum regarding the system, methods, and programs. (Note 1) Equipped with a computer, The aforementioned computer, For multiple projects implemented by a local government, the process involves obtaining matching information for each project that indicates the degree of relevance to the products and services held by the organization, and The steps include: searching for a business among several businesses that has the relevant product, based on the degree of relevance indicated by the acquired matching information; The steps include notifying the user of the aforementioned business that was found, A system that executes this process. This configuration allows users to search for businesses that contain relevant products from among multiple businesses, and then notify them of the found businesses. Therefore, it is possible to easily search for businesses that contain relevant products from among multiple businesses implemented by local governments. (Note 2) The aforementioned computer, For each of the aforementioned businesses, the step of determining the degree of relevance to the aforementioned products is performed. In the step of obtaining the matching information, the matching information is obtained based on the determination result of the degree of relevance with the product. The system described in Appendix 1. This configuration allows for the acquisition of matching information by determining the degree of relevance to the product. (Note 3) The aforementioned computer, In the step of determining the degree of relevance to the aforementioned product, A first screening is performed to search for businesses and products whose classification items match from among the multiple businesses and multiple products, based on business classification information showing the results of classifying multiple businesses according to classification criteria that include multiple classification items for each business, and product classification information showing the results of classifying multiple products according to classification criteria for each product. A second screening is performed on the searched businesses, using a language model to determine their relevance to the aforementioned products. The system described in Appendix 2. This configuration allows for the easy extraction of businesses that are likely to be highly relevant to the product through the first screening, thereby reducing the workload required for the second screening. Furthermore, the second screening allows for the removal of businesses from the first screening that are not highly relevant to the product. (Note 4) The multiple classification items include subject area classification items for classifying the business according to the subject area of ​​the business, The aforementioned computer, In the first screening, the business and the product whose subject area classification items match are searched. The system described in Appendix 3. This structure allows for the extraction of businesses with a high degree of relevance to the products within the target field. (Note 5) The multiple classification items include step classification items for classifying the business according to the stage of progress of the business, The aforementioned computer, In the first screening, the business and the product whose step classification items match are searched. The system described in Appendix 3 or 4. This structure allows for the extraction of businesses that are highly relevant to the product at each stage of development. (Note 6) The aforementioned computer, In the step of notifying the user of the searched business, The aforementioned business will be reported in relation to the degree of relevance to the aforementioned products. The system described in any one of the appendices 1 through 5. This configuration allows users to understand the relevance of the searched businesses to the products they are interested in. (Note 7) A method by which a computer performs an action. A method comprising each step performed in the system described in any one of the appendices 1 to 6. This configuration allows users to search for businesses that contain relevant products from among multiple businesses, and then notify them of the found businesses. Therefore, it is possible to easily search for businesses that contain relevant products from among multiple businesses implemented by local governments. (Note 8) On the computer, A program that causes each step to be performed in the system described in any one of the appendices 1 to 6. This configuration allows users to search for businesses that contain relevant products from among multiple businesses, and then notify them of the found businesses. Therefore, it is possible to easily search for businesses that contain relevant products from among multiple businesses implemented by local governments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 1...System, 3...Business Server, 5...User Terminal, 7...Communication Network, 9...Server-side Processor, 11...Server-side Memory, 13...Server-side Input / Output Interface, 15...Server-side Communication Interface, 17...Server-side Storage, 19...Server-side Program, 21...File, 27...Terminal-side Processor, 29...Terminal-side Memory, 31...Terminal-side Input / Output Interface, 33...Terminal-side Communication Interface, 35...Terminal-side Storage, 37...Terminal-side Program, 40...Business Information file, 41...Project name column, 42...Project overview column, 43...Budget amount column, 44...Department in charge column, 50...Product information file, 51...Product name column, 52...Client column, 53...Start year column, 54...Contract year column, 60...Project classification file, 61...Project name column, 62...Project overview column, 63...Budget amount column, 64...Department in charge column, 65...Major classification column, 66...Medium classification column, 67...Minor classification column, 68...Step column, 70...Product classification file, 71...Product name column, 72...Client Columns: 73...Start Year Column, 74...Contract Year Column, 75...Major Classification Column, 76...Medium Classification Column, 77...Minor Classification Column, 78...Step Column, 80...Matching Information File, 81...Project Name Column, 82...Project Overview Column, 83...Budget Amount Column, 84...Department Name Column, 85...Relevance Column, 101...Project Search Screen, 103...Municipality Selection Button, 105...Municipality Search Field, 107...Population Specification Bar, 107a...Population Upper Limit Slider, 107b...Population Lower Limit Slider, 109...Classification Item 111...Category selection button, 113...Budget amount specification bar, 113a...Budget amount upper limit slider, 113b...Budget amount lower limit slider, 115...Execute search button, 117...Selected municipality display field, 119...Search target municipality display field, 121...Category item display field, 123...Search results display field, 130...Project list, 131...Project name column, 132...Project overview column, 133...Budget amount column, 134...Department name column, 135...Relevance column, 136...Municipality name column

Claims

1. Equipped with a computer, The aforementioned computer, For multiple projects implemented by a local government, the process involves obtaining matching information for each project that indicates the degree of relevance to the products and services held by the organization, and The steps include: searching for a business among several businesses that has the relevant product, based on the degree of relevance indicated by the acquired matching information; The steps include notifying the user of the aforementioned business that was found, A system that executes this process.

2. The aforementioned computer, For each of the aforementioned businesses, the step of determining the degree of relevance to the aforementioned products is performed. In the step of obtaining the matching information, the matching information is obtained based on the determination result of the degree of relevance with the product. The system according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned computer, In the step of determining the degree of relevance to the aforementioned product, A first screening is performed to search for businesses and products whose classification items match from among the multiple businesses and multiple products, based on business classification information showing the results of classifying multiple businesses according to classification criteria that include multiple classification items for each business, and product classification information showing the results of classifying multiple products according to classification criteria for each product. A second screening is performed on the searched businesses, using a language model to determine their relevance to the aforementioned products. The system according to claim 2.

4. The multiple classification items include subject area classification items for classifying the business according to the subject area of ​​the business, The aforementioned computer, In the first screening, the business and the product whose subject area classification items match are searched. The system according to claim 3.

5. The multiple classification items include step classification items for classifying the business according to the stage of progress of the business, The aforementioned computer, In the first screening, the business and the product whose step classification items match are searched. The system according to claim 3.

6. The aforementioned computer, In the step of notifying the user of the searched business, The aforementioned business will be reported in relation to the degree of relevance to the aforementioned products. The system according to claim 1.

7. A method by which a computer performs an action. A method comprising each step performed in the system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. On the computer, A program that causes each step to be performed in the system described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

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