Information processing device and program

Abstract

To provide an estimate corresponding to customer's personal information when receiving a request for the estimate while visiting the customer.SOLUTION: An information processing device comprises: request acquisition means for acquiring request information on a request for calculating an estimate at least including agreed contents between a customer and a first person in charge who visits a customer destination, request notification means for performing control to notify a second person in charge who prepares an estimate of the request information acquired by the request acquisition means, estimate acquisition means for providing the second person in charge who receives the notification with customer information and acquiring estimate information calculated with the customer information taken into account, and estimate notification control means for performing control to notify the first person in charge of the estimate information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8-2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and a program.

Background Art

[0002] There has conventionally been a technique for assisting in creating an estimate according to the estimate conditions presented by a customer. For example, in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2016-194883), for a standardized system building in which members constituting a building are standardized and the dimensions, shapes of the members prepared in advance, and details with other members are determined and unified in advance, an estimating system for calculating the estimated price of the standardized system building by inputting data regarding the design conditions of the target standardized system building and other predetermined data is disclosed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Making customer personal information that requires high confidentiality accessible from the terminals of sales staff who visit various customers may not be preferable from the perspective of information protection. Therefore, for information protection, for example, when a sales staff is out, there is a method of prohibiting access to highly confidential information from the terminal of the sales staff. When asked for an estimate amount by a customer at the visit destination, it is often impossible to refer to the customer's personal information because it is the visit destination. An object of the present invention is to provide an estimate according to customer personal information when an estimate request is received while visiting a customer.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The invention described in claim 1 is an information processing device characterized by comprising: a request acquisition means for acquiring request information relating to a request for calculation of an estimated amount, which includes at least the content of the agreement between a first person in charge who visits a customer and the customer; a request notification means for performing control to notify a second person in charge who prepares an estimate of the request information acquired by the request acquisition means; an estimate acquisition means for providing the second person in charge who has received the notification of the customer and acquiring estimate information calculated taking into account the customer information; and an estimate notification control means for performing control to notify the first person in charge of the estimate information. The invention described in claim 2 is an information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the request acquisition means further acquires image data that complements the agreed content as the request information. The invention described in claim 3 is an information processing device according to claim 2, characterized in that the request acquisition means acquires, as request information, the data of the captured image captured by the first person in charge at the time of agreement on the content of the agreement. The invention described in claim 4 is an information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the estimate acquisition means acquires a plurality of estimates calculated based on the request information as the estimate information, and the estimate notification control means controls the notification of the plurality of estimates as the estimate information to the first person in charge in a selectable manner. The invention described in claim 5 is an information processing device according to claim 4, characterized in that the estimate notification control means controls the notification of the plurality of estimates, which have been ranked by the second person in charge, to the first person in charge in a selectable manner as the estimate information. The invention described in claim 6 is an information processing device characterized by having: a receiving means for receiving an input operation for requesting the calculation of an estimated amount, which includes at least the content of an agreement between the person in charge and the customer; a transmission control means for controlling the transmission of the information entered by the input operation and customer identification information that can identify the customer as request information; an acquisition means for acquiring estimate information showing the estimated amount calculated based on the request information; and a display control means for controlling the display of the acquired estimate information. The invention described in claim 7 is a program for a computer to implement the following functions: a function to acquire request information relating to a request for the calculation of an estimated amount, which includes at least the details of the agreement between a first person in charge who visits a customer and the customer; a function to control the computer to notify a second person in charge who prepares an estimate of the acquired request information; a function to provide the second person in charge who has received the notification with the customer's information and acquire estimated information calculated taking into account the customer's information; and a function to control the computer to notify the first person in charge of the estimated information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present invention, when a request for an estimate is received while visiting a customer, an estimate tailored to the customer's personal information can be provided. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of the overall configuration of an information processing system to which this embodiment is applied. [Figure 2] This figure shows the hardware configuration of the management server as an information processing device to which this embodiment is applied. [Figure 3] This figure shows the hardware configuration of a sales terminal, which is an information processing device to which this embodiment is applied. [Figure 4] This figure shows the hardware configuration of the estimation terminal, which is an information processing device to which this embodiment is applied. [Figure 5] This diagram shows the functional configuration of the management server. [Figure 6]This diagram shows the functional configuration of the sales terminal. [Figure 7] This diagram shows the functional configuration of the quotation terminal. [Figure 8-1] This is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the management server. [Figure 8-2] This is a flowchart showing subroutines, which are part of the processing flow of the management server. [Figure 9] This is a flowchart showing the process of inputting data into the sales terminal. [Figure 10] This is a flowchart illustrating the process of displaying a quote on a sales terminal. [Figure 11] This figure shows a specific example of a user interface displayed on a sales terminal. [Figure 12] This diagram shows a specific example of a user interface for entering request information into a sales terminal. [Figure 13] This diagram shows an example of a meeting sheet. [Figure 14] This is a concrete example of a user interface when multiple quotes are displayed in a list on a sales terminal. [Figure 15] This is a concrete example of a user interface when the details of a single quote are displayed on a sales terminal. [Figure 16] These are specific examples of how the "confirmation screen" is displayed, and specific examples of how it is displayed after confirmation. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. (Overall configuration of the information processing system) FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of an information processing system 1 to which the present embodiment is applied. The information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment includes a management server 10 that manages the entire information processing system 1, a business terminal 30 used by a salesperson who visits the customer's place of residence and conducts business activities, and an estimate terminal 50 used by an estimator who creates estimates for construction work such as repair and replacement. These are connected via a network 90. The network 90 is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network), the Internet, or the like. Further, the information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment includes a portable printer 40 that is connected to the business terminal 30 and carried by the salesperson. The portable printer 40 is connected to the business terminal 30 by, for example, a wired connection using a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable or a wireless connection using Bluetooth (registered trademark). The salesperson is an example of a first person in charge, and the estimator is an example of a second person in charge. In the present embodiment, the estimator creates an estimate (estimate document) in a place where confidentiality is maintained, such as within an office, in response to a request from the salesperson.

[0009] When the salesperson receives a request from a customer at a business site, the salesperson performs a process for registering the request in the management server 10. Examples of the types of requests include "equipment repair" for repairing a malfunctioning device, "equipment replacement" for replacing a device installed in the customer's home, "sales" for selling and installing a device, and the like.

[0010] When the management server 10 receives a request from the sales terminal 30 to create an estimate for a given request, it generates "information for creating an estimate" for the received request. Then, it sends the generated "information for creating an estimate" to the estimate terminal 50. Here, the "information for creating an estimate" generated by the management server 10 is information that requires confidentiality, such as information based on the customer's personal information. In addition, the "information for creating an estimate" includes, for example, the details of the agreement between the sales representative and the customer. The details of the agreement between the sales representative and the customer include information about the product to be repaired or replaced, the matters that are permitted when carrying out the work, and the date and time of the work. The estimator creates an estimate based on the "information for creating an estimate" sent from the management server 10. The estimate is information created to present the cost of the work to customers requesting repairs, installations, etc. The estimate information includes information about the amount the customer will pay.

[0011] The management server 10 may provide customer information to the estimation terminal 50 as information for creating an estimate. In this case, the estimate 담당자 (estimate 담당자) will create an estimate taking into account the customer information sent to the estimation terminal 50. Customer information stored includes, for example, the number of years the contract has been in effect, family structure, whether or not there are pets, the customer's age, purchase history information, customer's gas usage information, and electricity usage information. Since customer personal information requires a high degree of confidentiality, it is undesirable from an information protection standpoint to store or allow access to each customer's personal information on the terminals of sales representatives who visit many customers. By storing and managing such personal information on the management server 10, the problem of customer personal information leakage can be mitigated. Furthermore, it is difficult to manage fluid information such as gas usage and electricity usage on a daily basis on the sales terminal, and there are also cases where it is desirable to use information managed by other systems as customer information. By using and centrally managing personal information consisting of fluid information and information managed by other systems on the management server 10, it is possible to create estimates using comprehensive customer information that would not be possible with the sales terminal 30 alone.

[0012] (Management server hardware configuration) Figure 2 shows the hardware configuration of the management server 10, which is an information processing device to which this embodiment is applied. The management server 10 is composed of a computer device such as a desktop PC. The management server 10 has a control unit 11 which is a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that controls the entire device, a memory 12 such as RAM (Random Access Memory) used as a work area during calculations, and a storage unit 13 which is a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or semiconductor memory used to store programs and various setting data. The storage unit 13 has a database for storing various information, including a request information DB 901 which stores information for each customer request, a customer information DB 902 which stores personal information for each customer, and a product information DB 903 which stores product functions and prices. Note that the request information DB 901, customer information DB 902, and product information DB 903 do not have to be directly connected to the management server 10, and may be external storage devices connected to the management server 10 via a network 90, for example. Furthermore, it includes a communication unit 14 that transmits and receives data via the network 90, an operation unit 15 such as a keyboard, pointing device, and touch panel that accepts input to the management server 10, and a display unit 16 consisting of an LCD panel or the like that displays images, text information, etc.

[0013] (Hardware configuration of sales terminals) Figure 3 shows the hardware configuration of the sales terminal 30, which is an information processing device to which this embodiment is applied. The sales terminal 30 is composed of a computer device such as a smartphone, tablet, or notebook PC. The sales terminal 30 includes a control unit 31 that controls the entire device, a memory 32 used as a work area for calculations, a storage unit 33 that stores various information, a communication unit 34 that sends and receives data with external devices, an operation unit 35 that receives operations from the user, and a display unit 36 ​​that displays various information to the user. It also includes an imaging unit 37 that is composed of a camera or the like and captures an image of a subject displayed on the display unit 36, which also functions as a camera's viewfinder, and acquires the image as data.

[0014] (Hardware configuration of the quotation terminal) Figure 4 shows the hardware configuration of the estimation terminal 50, which is an information processing device to which this embodiment is applied. The estimation terminal 50 is composed of a computer device such as a desktop PC, laptop computer, or smartphone. It includes a control unit 51 that controls the entire estimation terminal 50 device, a memory 52 used as a work area for calculations, a storage unit 53 that stores various information, a communication unit 54 that sends and receives data with external devices, an operation unit 55 that receives operations from the user, and a display unit 56 that displays various information to the user.

[0015] (Functional configuration of the control unit of the management server) Figure 5 shows the functional configuration of the management server 10. The control unit 11 of the management server 10 includes a request information acquisition unit 101 that acquires request information regarding customer requests received by sales representatives, a customer information acquisition unit 102 that acquires customer information, which is information about the customer, a product information acquisition unit 103 that acquires product information, which is information about the product, a quotation request information generation unit 104 that generates information used to create quotations, a quotation request notification unit 105 that sends information used to create quotations to the quotation officer, a quotation information acquisition unit 106 that acquires quotations created by the quotation officer, and a quotation notification unit 107 that sends quotation information to sales representatives.

[0016] The request information acquisition unit 101 acquires various request information from the sales terminal 30 via the communication unit 14 (see Figure 2), and also acquires request information from the request information DB 901 (see Figure 2). The "request information" is managed for each request and stored in association with information that identifies the customer. The request information DB 901 stores information agreed upon by the sales representative and the customer regarding the matter the customer is requesting. Examples of "request information" include information indicating the type of matter the customer is requesting, such as "repair," "replacement," or "sale." For example, if the type of matter requested is "repair," the request information may include information to identify the product to be repaired and the state of the malfunction of the product to be repaired. The state of the malfunction of the product to be repaired may be image data of the faulty product. For example, if the matter for which a quote is requested is "replacement," information about the product before replacement and information about the product to be replaced are stored. Image data of the product to be replaced and its surroundings may also be stored. Furthermore, if the request is for "sales," examples of request information include the product name and product identification number, which identify the product to be purchased. If the product to be purchased is not specified, examples of request information include the classification of the product to be purchased. The classification of the product to be purchased includes general nouns such as "water heater" or "built-in gas stove," as well as information indicating the size and function requirements of the product. For example, this information may be included if the size is limited due to the size of the installation location, or if the customer has specific requests regarding the functions of the product to be purchased.

[0017] The customer information acquisition unit 102 acquires customer information stored in the customer information DB 902 (see Figure 2), as well as customer information managed by other systems via the communication unit 14 (see Figure 2), as "customer personal information." "Customer personal information" is information about the customer and is usually information that requires a high degree of confidentiality. Examples of "customer personal information" include the customer's own information such as name, age, and address. In addition, "customer personal information" may also include "customer history information" that shows the contents of products purchased by the customer or services received by the customer. Examples of "content of services received" include "gas contract information" and "electricity usage charges."

[0018] The product information acquisition unit 103 acquires product information from DB903 (see Figure 2) and other systems such as external servers connected to the network via the communication unit 14 (see Figure 2). The product information DB903 stores information such as price, dimensions, functions, and performance for each product. Product performance information may include, for example, whether a product is suitable for a single-person household or a household with four or more people. Discount rates may also be set for each product; for example, a 10% discount for customers who have been using the gas contract for two years or more, or a 5% discount for new customers, may be set as appropriate.

[0019] When the quotation request information generation unit 104 receives a request from the sales terminal 30 to create a quotation, it generates "information for creating a quotation" that the quotation officer will use when creating the quotation. The quotation request information generation unit 104 generates "information for creating a quotation" based on information from the request information DB 901, the customer information DB 902, and the product information DB 903. "Information for creating a quotation" is the information that the quotation officer will refer to when creating a quotation. For example, when generating an estimate for a "sales" request, the estimate request information generation unit 104 includes products suitable for the request information DB 901 and customer information DB 902 as products for which an estimate should be created, in the "information for creating an estimate." Product information suitable for customer information is product information selected from among a large number of product information to increase the degree of suitability to the customer's characteristics. For example, if the number of people in the household is selected as customer information, then products suitable for that number of people in the household are product information suitable for customer information. Also, for example, if purchase history is selected as customer information, then products that match the trends of past performance are selected from among the many current products as product information suitable for customer information. Furthermore, if past discount rates exist as customer information, it is also effective to consider those past discount rates as one of the factors when determining the current discount rate. For example, this could involve applying the same discount rate, or selecting the current discount rate from past discount rates to match the characteristics of the current market. For example, a product with a higher discount rate based on customer information and product information may be considered a product suitable for customer information. Furthermore, for example, when providing an estimate for a "repair" request, if the customer has a purchase history of the item to be repaired, information such as a discount on the calculated estimate will be included in the "information for creating the estimate." Furthermore, for example, less confidential customer personal information may be included in "information for creating a quote."

[0020] The quotation request notification unit 105 transmits the "information for creating a quotation" generated by the quotation request information generation unit 104 to the quotation terminal 50. The person in charge of estimating will refer to the "information for creating an estimate" that they have obtained and create the estimate.

[0021] The quotation information acquisition unit 106 acquires quotation information transmitted from the quotation terminal 50. Examples of the quotation information include, for instance, a quotation number to identify each quotation, the main information, quotation approval information, whether quotation approval is required, the quotation result, the creation date, the total actual selling price (including tax), the total discount amount, the person who created the quotation, and the product name. However, it is not necessary to have all of these items. Here, "primary information" refers to the quote that is most suitable to present to the customer when multiple quotes have been prepared. This primary information may be determined by the quote creator's ranking, or it may be determined according to predetermined rules. These predetermined rules may be determined based on business strategy decisions, and specifically include rules such as prioritizing the quote with the highest gross profit margin, the quote with the largest discount, or the quote with the lowest total selling price (including tax). As an example of identifying the most suitable quote to present to the customer, one could assign a "1" to the most appropriate quote and a "2" to the next most appropriate quote, thereby ranking all the quotes. Another example of identifying the most suitable quote to present to the customer could be to add information indicating that it is the most suitable.

[0022] The estimate notification unit 107 generates a list of estimates to be displayed on the user interface of the sales terminal 30 so that sales representatives can view a list of estimates for each request, and sends it to the sales terminal 30. In addition, the estimate notification unit 107 generates and sends detailed information for each estimate to be displayed on the user interface of the sales terminal 30 so that sales representatives can view the details of each estimate one by one.

[0023] (Functional configuration of the control unit of the sales terminal) Figure 6 shows the functional configuration of the sales terminal 30. The sales terminal 30 includes a request input unit 301, an image acquisition unit 302, a sheet creation unit 303, a transmission control unit 304, an estimate information acquisition unit 305, a display control unit 306, and an input operation reception unit 307.

[0024] The request input unit 301 processes the input of the request details into the request information database when a sales representative receives a request from a customer during a visit. The sales representative inputs information about the request details using a user interface, which will be described in detail later. The information entered by the sales representative is sent to the management server 10.

[0025] The image acquisition unit 302 acquires image information related to the request. For example, it uses the application on the sales terminal 30 to take an image of the faulty product, and also takes an image of the surrounding area where the replacement or installation will be performed, and acquires this image information related to the request.

[0026] The sheet creation unit 303 controls the portable printer 40 and prints the customer's request onto a printing medium. The printed medium on which the customer's request is printed will be referred to as the meeting sheet. The meeting sheet is created to make the agreement between the sales representative and the customer objective. The meeting sheet prints the customer's request and the agreement made between the customer and the sales representative. When an agreement is reached between the sales representative and the customer, the printed sheet is photographed using the image acquisition unit 302. This image information can be used as an example of image information related to the content of the request information. Furthermore, by obtaining the customer's signature when photographing the meeting sheet, the agreement made between the sales representative and the customer can be made objective.

[0027] The transmission control unit 304 controls the transmission of various information to the management server 10 or an external source via the communication unit 34 (see Figure 3). For example, the transmission control unit 304 transmits the information received as input by the request input unit 301 and the image information acquired by the image acquisition unit 302 to the management server 10.

[0028] The estimate information acquisition unit 305 acquires estimate information created on the estimate terminal 50 from the management server 10 via the communication unit 34.

[0029] The display control unit 306 controls the display of various information on the display unit 36 ​​(see Figure 3) as a display means. For example, the display control unit 306 controls the display of a user interface on the display unit 36. The user interface can be displayed by launching user-facing application software pre-installed on the sales terminal 30, or by accessing a user-facing website. The acquired quotation information is displayed on this user interface. Specific examples of the quotation information displayed on the user interface will be described later with reference to Figures 14 and 15. The user interface also displays input fields for entering information.

[0030] The input operation reception unit 307 accepts input operations from the user, which is a sales representative, as a means of reception. Examples of input from the sales representative include touch operations with a finger and voice input. For example, the input operation reception unit 307 accepts input operations to launch application software.

[0031] Furthermore, for example, the input operation reception unit 307 receives various types of information entered via the user interface displayed on the display unit 36 ​​when the application software is launched. Examples of information entered via the user interface include request information and photographic image information. Also, for example, the input operation reception unit 307 receives input operations to display quotation information sent from the management server 10.

[0032] (Functional configuration of the control unit of the quotation terminal) Figure 7 shows the functional configuration of the estimation terminal 50. The quotation terminal 50 includes an information acquisition unit 501, a display control unit 502, an input operation reception unit 503, and a transmission control unit 504.

[0033] The information acquisition unit 501 acquires various types of information via the communication unit 54. For example, the information acquisition unit 501 acquires various types of information necessary for the estimation staff to perform estimation work, such as request information and customer information transmitted from the management server 10.

[0034] The display control unit 502 controls the display of various information on the display unit 56 (see Figure 4) as a display means. For example, the display control unit 502 controls the display of a user interface on the display unit 56. The user interface can be displayed by launching user-facing application software pre-installed on the estimation terminal 50, or by accessing a user-facing website. This user interface displays request information and customer information, and estimates are created by referring to the request information and customer information. For example, if "discount information" is displayed as customer information, the estimater will create an estimate using that discount rate, or if the customer's family structure is displayed, they will select products appropriate for the family structure and create an estimate.

[0035] The input operation reception unit 503 accepts input operations from the quotation 담당자 (person in charge of estimates) as a means of reception. Examples of visitor input operations include keyboard input, mouse operation, and touch operation with a finger. For example, the input operation reception unit 503 accepts input operations to launch application software.

[0036] Furthermore, for example, the input operation reception unit 503 receives various types of information via the user interface displayed on the display unit 56 when the application software is launched. Examples of information that can be entered via the user interface include information related to quotations.

[0037] The transmission control unit 504 controls the transmission of various information to the management server 10 or an external source via the communication unit 54 (see Figure 4). For example, the transmission control unit 504 controls the transmission of information regarding the quotation, which has been received as input by the input operation reception unit 503, to the management server 10.

[0038] The following describes the processes (operations) performed by the management server 10 and the sales terminal 30. (Processing flow of the management server) Figure 8-1 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the management server 10. The management server 10 determines whether or not it has received a request for a quote from the sales terminal 30 (step 801). If it has received a request for a quote, it generates quote request information, which is "information for creating a quote" (step 802). On the other hand, if it has not received a request for a quote from the sales terminal 30 (NO in step 801), it repeats step 801 until it receives a request for a quote from the sales terminal 30. Details of the process for generating "information for creating a quote" will be described later using Figure 8-2.

[0039] When the management server 10 generates the quotation request information in step 802, it sends the acquired request information to the quotation terminal 50 (step 803).

[0040] In step 804, if the system receives quotation information created by the estimator from the quotation terminal 50 (YES in step 804), the system retrieves the quotation information and stores it in the request information DB 901 (step 805). On the other hand, if the system does not receive quotation information created by the estimator from the quotation terminal 50 in step 804 (NO in step 804), the system repeats step 804 until quotation information is received. In step 805, the quotation information is stored in the request information database. Then, the acquired quotation information is sent to the sales terminal 30 (step 806), and the process ends.

[0041] Figure 8-2 is a flowchart showing an example of the process for generating "information for creating an estimate" in step 802 of Figure 8-1. The management server 10 obtains the quotation request information for the case in which a request for a quotation was sent in step 801 of Figure 8-1 (step 811). The management server 10 also obtains product information from the product DB 903 and extracts product information that matches the conditions of the request information (step 812). Here, product information that matches the request information is product information that meets the size of the product that can be installed and the specified conditions of the request information. Furthermore, the management server 10 obtains customer information from the customer information DB (step 813). After that, the management server 10 extracts products that are suitable for the customer information from the product information extracted in step 812 (step 814). Then, it includes the information of the extracted products as products for which a quotation should be created in the quotation request information and generates the quotation request information (step 815), and returns to the flowchart in Figure 8-1.

[0042] (Processing flow of sales terminals) Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the processing flow for inputting data into the sales terminal. In the sales terminal 30, when an input operation to start the application software is performed (YES in step 821), the control unit 31 (see Figure 3) displays the user interface on the display unit 36 ​​(step 822). Conversely, if no input operation to start the application software is performed (NO in step 821), step 801 is repeated until an input operation to start the application software is performed.

[0043] When an input operation is performed via the user interface to enter information for registering a request (YES in step 823), the sales terminal 30 accepts the input operation and sends the information to the management server 10 (step 824). Conversely, if no input operation is performed to enter information for registering a request (NO in step 823), the sales terminal 30 skips step 824 and proceeds to step 825.

[0044] In step 825, if an input operation is performed to enter information for "creating and printing a meeting sheet" (YES in step 825), the sales terminal 30 accepts the input operation, controls the portable printer 40 (Figure 1), and performs printing (step 826). In step 827, if an input operation is performed to input image data (YES in step 827), the input operation is accepted, and information is sent to the management server 10, for example, the image data captured using the imaging unit 37 (step 828). If no input operation is performed to input image data in step 827 (NO in step 827), step 828 is skipped and the process proceeds to step 829.

[0045] Step 829 determines whether an input operation to request a quote has been performed. If an input operation to request a quote has been performed (YES in step 829), the input operation is accepted, a request to create a quote is sent to the management server 10, and the process ends (step 830). If it is not determined in step 829 that an input operation to request a quote has been performed (NO in step 829), the process returns to step 823.

[0046] Figure 10 is a flowchart showing the processing flow when referencing quotation information on the sales terminal 30. When an input operation is performed on the sales terminal 30 to launch the application software (YES in step 841), the control unit 31 (see Figure 3) displays the user interface on the display unit 36 ​​(step 842).

[0047] When the sales terminal 30 receives a request from a sales representative to view a quotation via the operation unit 35 (YES in step 843), the sales terminal 30 determines whether or not quotation information is stored in the storage unit 33 (step 844). If it is determined in step 844 that quotation information exists (YES in step 844), the quotation list is displayed on the display unit 36 ​​(step 845). Furthermore, if a request for detailed display is received from a sales representative via the operation unit 35 (YES in step 846), the details of the received estimate are displayed on the display unit 36 ​​(step 847).

[0048] Then, when the sales terminal 30 receives an instruction from the sales representative via the operation unit 35 to end viewing the estimate (step 848), it displays the user interface on the display unit 36 ​​(step 849) and terminates the process. Furthermore, in step 844, if the sales terminal 30 determines that there is no quotation information in the storage unit 33 (NO in step 844), the sales terminal 30 displays "No quotation information available" on the display unit 36 ​​(step 850) and proceeds to step 849.

[0049] (Specific example) An example of the user interface of the sales terminal 30 in this embodiment will be described. Figure 11 shows a specific example of the user interface displayed on the sales terminal 30. Figure 11 is an example of the user interface displayed in steps 822 and 842 (see Figures 9 and 10).

[0050] The user interface shown in Figure 11 displays an information display area 361 where text such as "No announcements" is displayed to provide various information to the sales representative. The information display area 361 is used to convey information to the sales representative; for example, information indicating that the estimate is complete is displayed in the information display area 361. When information is displayed in the information display area 361, a sound may be emitted or vibration may be generated to notify the sales representative. The user interface shown in Figure 11 also displays buttons 362 labeled "Request Correction," 363 labeled "Request Registration," 364 labeled "Meeting Sheet Creation / Printing," and 365 labeled "Photo (Equipment / Paper Document Photography)." When the sales representative taps any of the buttons 362 to 365, a screen for using the function indicated on the tapped button is displayed.

[0051] Button 362, labeled "Request Correction," is a button that takes you to an input form for correcting the details of a registered request. Button 363, labeled "Request Registration," is a button that takes you to an input form for entering information about a new request received from a customer. Tapping button 364, labeled "Meeting Sheet Creation / Printing," takes you to an input form for creating a meeting sheet. Button 365, labeled "Photo (Equipment / Paper Document Photography)," is a button that takes you to a function for taking photos.

[0052] Additionally, a button labeled "View Estimate" (366), used to view created estimates, and a button labeled "Request Estimate" (367), used to request an estimate from an estimate maker, are displayed.

[0053] Figure 12 is an example of an input form that appears when you tap button 363 labeled "Request Registration" in Figure 11. The input form in Figure 12 is labeled "Request Details" and has a field where text can be entered using the operation panel 35 of the sales terminal 30. By entering text in this field, the sales representative can register the details of the customer's request. In the example in Figure 12, the text entered reads, "The water heater is old and has been making a lot of noise, so I was worried it might break down. I would like an estimate, not a repair." The input form in Figure 12 is labeled "Work Instruction Memo" and has a field where text can be entered using the operation unit 35 of the sales terminal 30, allowing for the input of work instruction memos. The "Work Instruction Memo" field is for entering information to be shared with relevant parties such as construction managers. Furthermore, there is a display for selecting the work category; tapping the ">" next to "Work Category" will show the available work categories for selection. The category for which the estimate is being made is displayed as "Water Heater." There are also fields for entering the work date and specifying the time.

[0054] Figure 13 shows a specific example of a meeting sheet. The meeting sheet includes the date of issue in the upper right corner. Additionally, the heading "Meeting Sheet" is printed near the top center, with various information printed below it. In the example in Figure 13, it reads "Customer Number: 123456," "Name: Taro Tokachi," "Next Visit Schedule: None," and "Items to Prepare: None." Furthermore, there are sections for printing the customer's request and the details of the discussion. In the example in Figure 13, the request states, "The water heater is old and has become noisy, so I was worried it might break down. I would like an estimate rather than a repair." The discussion details state, "I would like a water heater with high functionality." Then there is a section for "Customer Signature," where the customer signs. The sales representative's name is printed in the lower right corner. Furthermore, the imaging unit 37 (see Figure 3) of the sales terminal 30 takes a photograph of the meeting sheet with the customer's signature, the meeting sheet itself is handed to the customer, and the image information of the photograph of the meeting sheet is transmitted to the management server 10 via the network 90. ​​The management server 10 manages the image information of the meeting sheet containing the request details and stores it in the request information DB 901 for each request.

[0055] Figure 14 shows a specific example of the user interface when multiple quotes are displayed in a list on the sales terminal 30. Figure 15 shows a specific example of the user interface when the details of a single quote are displayed on the sales terminal 30. Figure 14 shows a specific example of what is displayed on the user interface of the sales terminal 30 when a salesperson taps the "See Estimate" button 366 in Figure 11. "See Estimate" is displayed at the top, and a button 371 labeled "<" is displayed to the left of the "See Estimate" display. Button 371 is a button to return to the previous display screen, and when button 371 is tapped, for example, the user interface of Figure 11 is displayed. Furthermore, the screen displays "Search for Case Number," and next to it are an input field 372 where you can enter a number, and a button 373 with a magnifying glass icon. In the example in Figure 14, the input field 372 displays "3128-97421," which is the number identifying the currently displayed estimate. If you enter a number identifying another estimate into input field 372 and tap button 373, the estimate corresponding to that number will be displayed.

[0056] Then, along with the display of "Estimate List," the estimates are displayed in a list format. Note that "list format" here includes not only display formats in which the entire list is displayed at once within the display area of ​​the user interface's display means, but also display formats in which the entire list can be recognized by scrolling, even if the entire list is not displayed at once.

[0057] In the list view of estimates, predetermined items are displayed as information to understand the overview of the estimates. For example, in this embodiment, the following are displayed: an identification number for the estimate, the main information, the type of case for which the estimate was made, the estimate creator, the total actual sales price, and the total discount amount. In the example in Figure 14, three estimates are displayed. The estimate displayed at the top of the estimate list in Figure 14 has the estimate number "3128-97421-5" and a circle is displayed to the right to indicate that it is the main item. Note that the circle indicating the main item cannot be colored due to drawing limitations, but it is displayed in red to stand out. The type of case is listed as "Water heater replacement" and "Estimate creator: Saburo Shiba" is displayed. Furthermore, "Total actual sales price (tax included): ¥331,100" is displayed and "Total discount amount: ¥0" is displayed. Additionally, buttons 374a, 374b, and 374c, each labeled with ">", are displayed corresponding to each quote. Tapping these buttons 374a-374c displays the details of each individual quote.

[0058] Figure 15 is an example of a screen that displays the details of an estimate. Here, the estimate number is displayed as "3128-97421-5". Below the estimate number, a red circle is displayed as the main information. The estimate results display "Creation Date", "Total Actual Sales Price", "Total Discount Amount", "Estimate Creator", "Product Name", "Product Number", etc. In addition, related information such as "Project Status", "Estimate Approval Status", "Estimate Approval Required", "Project Overview", "Billing Address", "Expected Contract Date", and "Approval Date" are displayed. Furthermore, an "@" symbol is displayed in the bottom field. To the right of the field where this "@" is displayed, a button 381 with a downward-pointing ">" is shown. Tapping this button 381 displays the "Confirmation Screen".

[0059] Figure 16 shows specific examples of the "confirmation screen" display and the display after confirmation. The "confirmation screen" in Figure 16 displays the messages "Confirm" and "Open gross profit margin. Are you sure?" along with a button 391 labeled "Cancel" and a button 392 labeled "OK". Tapping the "Cancel" button 391 makes the confirmation screen disappear. Tapping the "OK" button 392 makes the confirmation screen disappear, and the gross profit margin is displayed for a certain period of time in the field where the "@" symbol was previously displayed. In the specific example in Figure 16, "Gross Profit Margin" and "57.1%" are displayed in the field where the "@" symbol was previously displayed. Here, the certain period of time is set as the time required to confirm the information, for example, it is displayed for 10 seconds. After the certain period of time, the display of the gross profit margin automatically disappears. Furthermore, the system may be configured to require a password to display the gross profit margin, or to require a long press of the "@" symbol. Additionally, the system may include other information that is inappropriate to present to the customer in the "@" field. In this embodiment, the sales representative can confirm the contents of the "@" field, and by showing the customer a screen where the contents of the "@" field are hidden, it is possible to provide the customer with quotation information while concealing information that should not be presented to the customer. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0060] 10...Management server, 30...Sales terminal, 40...Portable printer, 50...Quotation terminal, 90...Network, 101...Request information acquisition unit, 102...Customer information acquisition unit, 103...Product information acquisition unit, 104...Quotation request information generation unit, 105...Quotation request notification unit, 106...Quotation information acquisition unit, 107...Quotation notification unit, 301...Request input unit, 302...Image acquisition unit, 303...Sheet creation unit, 304...Transmission control unit, 305...Quotation information acquisition unit, 306...Display control unit, 307...Input operation reception unit, 501...Information acquisition unit, 502...Display control unit, 503...Input operation reception unit, 504...Transmission control unit

Claims

1. A request acquisition means that acquires request information from a first terminal used by the first representative visiting the customer's site, which includes at least the details of the agreement between the first representative and the customer, and which requests the calculation of an estimated price. A means for acquiring personal information to acquire the aforementioned customer's personal information, A product information acquisition means for acquiring information about the products used in the aforementioned request, Based on the customer's personal information and the product information, an extraction means for extracting products corresponding to the customer's personal information, A request notification means transmits the request information obtained by the request acquisition means, along with the product information extracted by the extraction means, to a second terminal used by a second person in charge of creating an estimate. An estimate acquisition means for obtaining the estimate calculated by the second person in charge from the second terminal, Estimate notification control means that controls the transmission of the aforementioned estimate to the first terminal, A feature having Information processing device.

2. The first terminal comprises an imaging unit for capturing an image, The request information is characterized in that it includes data of an image captured by the imaging unit. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The first terminal includes a control unit that controls a portable printer for printing the contents of the request information onto a printing medium, The data of the aforementioned image is characterized by being an image of the printed medium on which the content of the request information is printed. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2.

4. The aforementioned estimate acquisition means acquires multiple types of estimates calculated by the second person in charge from the second terminal, The estimate notification control means is characterized by transmitting the multiple types of estimates to the first terminal. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

5. The multiple types of estimates are characterized in that they are ranked by the second person in charge. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4.

6. On the computer, A function to acquire request information from the first terminal used by the first representative visiting the customer's site, which includes at least the details of the agreement between the first representative and the customer, and which requests the calculation of an estimated price. The function for acquiring the aforementioned customer's personal information, A function to obtain information about the products used in the aforementioned request, Based on the customer's personal information and the product information, a function is provided to extract products corresponding to the customer's personal information. The system includes a function to transmit the request information obtained along with the extracted product information to a second terminal used by the second person responsible for creating the estimate, A function to obtain the estimate calculated by the second person in charge from the second terminal, A function to control the transmission of the aforementioned estimate to the first terminal, A program to achieve this.

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