Transaction support system, transaction support method, and program

Abstract

One aspect of this disclosure is a transaction support system comprising: a history management unit that stores historical information associating products with customers who own the products; an acquisition unit that acquires information indicating a second customer to whom ownership will be transferred and information indicating the quantity of ownership to be transferred from a first customer who wishes to transfer ownership; a fee determination unit that determines a fee for the transfer of ownership based on the information indicating the quantity of ownership to be transferred acquired by the acquisition unit; and a billing unit that charges the first customer the fee determined by the fee determination unit. The history management unit changes the ownership of the transferred quantity from the first customer to the second customer based on the information indicating the second customer and the information indicating the quantity of ownership to be transferred acquired by the acquisition unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a transaction support system, a transaction support method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a technology for reselling rights, for example, Patent Document 1 below is known. Patent Document 1 describes a resale reduction system that resells the ownership of an e-book as a predetermined right. The resale reduction system records the ownership of the e-book in a blockchain section and returns a predetermined percentage of the amount to the copyright holder of the e-book when the ownership of the e-book is sold and bought.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Even in the field of manufacturing and maintaining products, there is a need to resell the ownership of products or the right to use personnel for product maintenance, etc. However, Patent Document 1 described above is about the sale and purchase of the ownership of e-books, and it is difficult to apply it to a mechanism for reselling the ownership of products or the right to use personnel.

[0005] The present disclosure has been proposed in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a transaction support system, a transaction support method, and a program that can provide a mechanism for reselling related rights of product ownership. In power

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] One aspect of the transaction support system relating to this disclosure includes a history management unit that stores historical information associating a product with the customer who owns the product, and a first customer who wishes to transfer the ownership of the product. Before The recipient of the transfer of ownership In an agreement to transfer the aforementioned product to a second customer, Information indicating the second customer and information indicating the quantity of ownership transferred From the aforementioned first customer The system comprises an acquisition unit for acquiring information, a fee determination unit for determining a fee for the transfer of ownership based on information indicating the quantity to be transferred acquired by the acquisition unit, and a billing unit for charging the fee determined by the fee determination unit to the first customer, wherein the history management unit includes, The system acquires information including product information and customer information related to the purchase of the product by the first customer from the manufacturer, associates the product with the first customer, and stores the history information. This is a transaction support system that, based on the information indicating the second customer and the information indicating the quantity to be transferred acquired by the acquisition unit, changes the ownership of the quantity to be transferred from the first customer to the second customer.

[0008] One aspect of the transaction support method relating to this disclosure is a computer that stores historical information as relating a product to a customer who owns the product, and a first customer who wishes to transfer ownership of the product. Before The recipient of the transfer of ownership In an agreement to transfer the aforementioned product to a second customer, Information indicating the second customer and information indicating the quantity of ownership transferred From the aforementioned first customer The process involves: obtaining information; determining a fee for the transfer of ownership based on the information indicating the quantity transferred; and charging the determined fee to the first customer. The system acquires information including product information and customer information related to the purchase of the product by the first customer from the manufacturer, associates the product with the first customer, and stores the history information. This transaction support method changes the ownership of the transferred quantity from the first customer to the second customer based on the acquired information indicating the second customer and the information indicating the transferred quantity.

[0009] One aspect of the transaction support method relating to this disclosure is a step of storing in a computer historical information that associates a product with a customer who owns the product, and a first customer who wishes to transfer the ownership of the product. Before The recipient of the transfer of ownership In an agreement to transfer the aforementioned product to a second customer, Information indicating the second customer and information indicating the quantity of ownership transferred From the aforementioned first customerThe system is configured to perform the steps of acquiring, determining a fee for the transfer of ownership based on the acquired information indicating the quantity to be transferred, and charging the determined fee to the first customer. The system acquires information including product information and customer information related to the purchase of the product by the first customer from the manufacturer, associates the product with the first customer, and stores the history information. This program changes the ownership of the transferred quantity from the first customer to the second customer based on the acquired information indicating the second customer and the information indicating the transferred quantity. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to this disclosure, the conversion of the product For sale We can provide a mechanism for reselling related rights. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing an example of the connection relationships of the transaction support system 100 according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the transaction support system 100 in the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of history information in the embodiment. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of other historical information in the embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation procedure of the transaction support system 100 in the embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a block diagram showing an example of the connection relationship of the transaction support system 100A according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the transaction support system 100A in the second embodiment. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of history information in the second embodiment. [Figure 9] This is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation procedure of the transaction support system 100A in the second embodiment. [Figure 10] This is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation procedure of the transaction support system 100 in the third embodiment. [Figure 11] It is a block diagram showing an example of the transaction support system 100B according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 12] It is a diagram showing an example of history information in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 13] It is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation procedure of the transaction support system 100B in the fourth embodiment.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0014] Hereinafter, a transaction support system, a transaction support method, and a program to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments and can be arbitrarily changed within the scope of the technical idea of the present disclosure.

[0015] (First Embodiment) First, the transaction support system, the transaction support method, and the program according to the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the connection relationship of the transaction support system 100 according to the first embodiment. The transaction support system 100 is connected to, for example, a first customer system 200A, a second customer system 200B, an equipment manufacturer system 300, and an inventory management system 400 via a communication network NW. The transaction support system 100, the first customer system 200A, the second customer system 200B, the equipment manufacturer system 300, and the inventory management system 400 have a communication interface (not shown) such as a NIC (Network Interface Card) or a wireless communication module for connecting to a communication network NW such as the Internet. The communication network NW may include, for example, a general-purpose network such as the Internet and a private network such as local 5G or WiFi (registered trademark).

[0016] The transaction support system 100 performs processing to provide a platform for buying and selling ownership of products. In this embodiment, the product is, for example, equipment included in a facility, and parts of the equipment. The facility is, for example, a power generation facility, the equipment is a generator, and the parts are bearings, etc.

[0017] The first customer system 200A and the second customer system 200B include information processing devices managed by customers who purchase and resell products. The first customer system 200A and the second customer system 200B may also include information processing devices managed by facility management companies that operate facilities containing products. The first customer system 200A and the second customer system 200B include, for example, a control device for the facility, a database device for managing the operating status of the facility, a terminal device operated by the facility management company, and a communication device for communicating via a communication network.

[0018] The equipment manufacturer system 300 includes an information processing device managed by an equipment manufacturer that manufactures equipment and components included in the equipment. The equipment manufacturer system 300 includes, for example, equipment and component manufacturing equipment, a database device for managing equipment information and component information, a terminal device operated by the equipment manufacturer, and a communication device for communicating via a communication network.

[0019] The inventory management system 400 includes an information processing device for managing the inventory of products manufactured by the equipment manufacturer system 300. The inventory management system 400 includes, for example, storage facilities for equipment and parts as inventory items, a database device for managing inventory information, a terminal device operated by an inventory management company, and a communication device for communicating via a communication network.

[0020] In this embodiment, for example, the first customer system 200A and the equipment manufacturer system 300 enter into a product sales contract, thereby granting ownership of the product to the first customer system 200A (Procedure 1). The equipment manufacturer system 300 manufactures the product based on the product sales contract (Procedure 2), and the manufactured product is stored as inventory (Procedure 3). Subsequently, when the first customer system 200A and the second customer system 200B enter into a product transfer contract to transfer the product from the first customer to the second customer, ownership of the product as inventory is transferred from the first customer to the second customer (Procedure 4). Then, when the time comes for the product to be shipped, the product is shipped to the second customer (Procedure 5). The functions of the transaction support system 100 that assists in such transfers of product ownership will be described below.

[0021] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the transaction support system 100 in the first embodiment. The transaction support system 100 includes, for example, an acquisition unit 102, a history management unit 104, a fee determination unit 106, a billing unit 108, an output unit 110, and a storage unit 112. The acquisition unit 102, the history management unit 104, the fee determination unit 106, the billing unit 108, and the output unit 110 are functional units realized by a processor, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), executing a program stored in program memory. The storage unit 112 is a storage device such as memory. The storage unit 112 may also be an external storage device connected to the transaction support system 100, such as a database server.

[0022] The acquisition unit 102 acquires, for example, product information, customer information, and inventory information. Product information includes product ID and quantity. Customer information is information that identifies a customer, such as a first customer or a second customer. Inventory information refers to inventory items managed by the inventory management system 400. This inventory information includes the addition of product IDs, etc., when a product is manufactured and becomes an inventory item by the equipment manufacturer system 300, and the deletion of product IDs, etc., when the product is shipped.

[0023] The acquisition unit 102 acquires information from the first customer who wishes to transfer ownership, including information indicating the second customer to whom ownership will be transferred (transferee information) and information indicating the quantity of ownership to be transferred (transfer quantity information). The acquisition unit 102 may also acquire product information that identifies the products to be transferred and transferor information that identifies the first customer.

[0024] The history management unit 104 associates products with customers who own the products and stores this information as history data in the storage unit 112. Based on the information indicating the second customer and the information indicating the quantity transferred, acquired by the acquisition unit 102, the history management unit 104 changes the ownership of the transferred quantity from the first customer to the second customer.

[0025] Figure 3 shows an example of history information in the embodiment. The history information includes, for example, a product ID, quantity information, product owner information, and ownership acquisition date and time information. The history management unit 104 changes the owner information corresponding to the product to be transferred from the first customer to the second customer based on information indicating the second customer to whom ownership will be transferred. The history management unit 104 also updates the quantity information corresponding to the first customer and the second customer (owner) based on information indicating the quantity of ownership transferred. Furthermore, the history management unit 104 updates the ownership acquisition date and time, which indicates the date and time when the second customer acquired ownership.

[0026] The fee determination unit 106 determines the fee for the transfer of ownership based on the information indicating the quantity to be transferred acquired by the acquisition unit 102. The fee determination unit 106 may increase the fee as the quantity to be transferred increases. For example, the fee determination unit 106 may determine the fee as a value obtained by multiplying the quantity to be transferred by a predetermined unit price. The fee determination unit 106 may add an additional charge for the quantity to be transferred to a fixed price set for each product transfer contract. For example, the fixed price set for each product transfer contract is the fee up to a set quantity (e.g., 10 units), and the additional charge is the fee per unit for the quantity to be transferred exceeding the set value (quantity to be transferred - 10).

[0027] The billing unit 108 charges the fee determined by the fee determination unit 106 to the first customer.Charging the first customer is equivalent to charging the transferor of the product in the transfer of ownership.

[0028] The output unit 110 outputs, for example, a processing result indicating that the ownership of the product has been changed from the first customer to the second customer.

[0029] Figure 4 shows an example of other historical information in the embodiment. The historical information may be associated with purchase price information, which shows the price at the time the first customer purchased the product. The purchase price information is obtained from, for example, the first customer system 200A, but is not limited to this, and may be obtained from the equipment manufacturer system 300. In addition, if the inventory information includes the purchase price associated with the product, the transaction support system 100 may obtain the purchase price information from the inventory management system 400.

[0030] The fee determination unit 106 may determine the fee based on the purchase price stored in the storage unit 112 by the history management unit 104. For example, the fee determination unit 106 may set a higher fee for higher purchase prices.

[0031] Figure 5 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation procedure of the transaction support system 100 in the embodiment. First, when the first customer system 200A purchases a product, the equipment manufacturer system 300 transmits information S10, which includes product information and customer information, to the transaction support system 100. The transaction support system 100 acquires the information S10 using the acquisition unit 102 and stores historical information based on the information S10 (step ST10).

[0032] Subsequently, when a contract is concluded for the transfer of products from the first customer to the second customer, the first customer system 200A transmits information S12, which includes product information, transferee information, and transfer quantity information, to the transaction support system 100. The transaction support system 100 determines the fee based on the information S12 using the fee determination unit 106 (step ST12), and updates the history information using the history management unit 104 (step ST14). The transaction support system 100 transmits billing information S14, which indicates the fee determined by the fee determination unit 106, to the first customer system 200A. After that, settlement processing, including the exchange of fees related to the transfer of products, may be carried out between the first customer and the second customer.

[0033] Furthermore, in response to the update of the historical information, the transaction support system 100 transmits ownership information S16 to the equipment manufacturer system 300, indicating that ownership of the product has changed from the first customer to the second customer. Based on the ownership information S16, the first customer system 200A transmits shipping information S18 regarding the shipment of the product to the second customer system 200B.

[0034] As explained above, according to the transaction support system 100 of the first embodiment, information indicating the second customer to whom ownership will be transferred and information indicating the quantity of ownership to be transferred can be obtained from the first customer, a fee for the transfer of ownership can be determined based on the information indicating the quantity to be transferred, the determined fee can be charged to the first customer, and the ownership of the transferred quantity can be changed from the first customer to the second customer. In this way, the transaction support system 100 can provide a mechanism for reselling the ownership of a product. Furthermore, according to the transaction support system 100, the ownership of a product can be resold even if the product is in the state of being inventory that has not yet been shipped.

[0035] (Second Embodiment) Next, a transaction support system, transaction support method, and program according to the second embodiment will be described. Note that parts identical to those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed explanations will be omitted.

[0036] Figure 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the connection relationships of the transaction support system 100A according to the second embodiment. The transaction support system 100A is connected, for example, to the first customer system 200A, the second customer system 200B, and the personnel dispatch system 500 via a communication network. The transaction support system 100A, the first customer system 200A, the second customer system 200B, and the personnel dispatch system 500 have communication interfaces (not shown), such as NICs or wireless communication modules, for connecting to a communication network NW such as the Internet. The communication network NW may include, for example, a general-purpose network such as the Internet, and a private network such as local 5G or WiFi®.

[0037] The transaction support system 100A performs processing to provide a platform for buying and selling ownership rights to personnel use rights. Personnel use rights are the right to receive personnel dispatch. In this embodiment, personnel are, for example, personnel to perform maintenance work on equipment. Equipment includes, for example, devices and parts manufactured by an equipment manufacturer. Equipment is, for example, power generation equipment, devices are generators, and parts are bearings, etc. Personnel may also be personnel for maintenance services provided by the equipment manufacturer. Personnel may be, for example, personnel referred to as TAs (Technical Advisors), or personnel with other roles.

[0038] The first customer system 200A includes an information processing device for using the first equipment subject to maintenance services. The second customer system 200B includes an information processing device for using the second equipment subject to maintenance services. The first customer system 200A and the second customer system 200B include, for example, a control device for the equipment, a database device for managing the operating status of the equipment, a terminal device operated by the equipment management company, and a communication device for communicating via a communication network.

[0039] The personnel dispatch system 500 includes an information processing device managed by a personnel dispatch company that dispatches personnel to a first customer and a second customer. The personnel dispatch system 500 includes, for example, a database device that manages various types of personnel information, a terminal device operated by the personnel dispatch company, and a communication device that communicates via a communication network.

[0040] In this embodiment, for example, when the first customer system 200A and the personnel dispatch system 500 enter into a personnel dispatch contract, the first customer system 200A is granted the right to use personnel for the period and number of personnel set out in the personnel dispatch contract (Procedure 1). Subsequently, when the first customer system 200A and the second customer system 200B enter into a personnel usage right transfer contract, the personnel usage right is transferred from the first customer to the second customer (Procedure 2). Then, when the time comes when personnel need to be dispatched, the personnel are dispatched for the second customer (Procedure 3). The functions of the transaction support system 100A that support such transfer of personnel usage rights will be described below.

[0041] Figure 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the transaction support system 100A in the second embodiment. The transaction support system 100A includes, for example, an acquisition unit 102, a history management unit 104, a fee determination unit 106, a billing unit 108, an output unit 110, and a storage unit 112. The acquisition unit 102, the history management unit 104, the fee determination unit 106, the billing unit 108, and the output unit 110 are functional units that are realized, for example, by a processor such as a CPU executing a program stored in program memory.

[0042] The acquisition unit 102 acquires, for example, personnel dispatch information and customer information. Personnel dispatch information includes information such as the timing and number of personnel to be dispatched as part of a personnel dispatch contract. Customer information is information that identifies customers, such as the first customer or the second customer. Furthermore, the acquisition unit 102 acquires information from the first customer who wishes to transfer the personnel usage rights, indicating the second customer to whom the personnel usage rights will be transferred (transferee information) and information indicating the number of personnel to whom the personnel usage rights will be transferred (dispatch number information). The acquisition unit 102 may also acquire transferor information that identifies the first customer.

[0043] The history management unit 104 associates the personnel to be dispatched with the customer who has the right to use the personnel, and stores this information in the storage unit 112 as history information. Based on the information indicating the second customer and the information indicating the number of people to be transferred, acquired by the acquisition unit 102, the history management unit 104 changes the ownership of the personnel usage rights for the number of people to be transferred from the first customer to the second customer.

[0044] Figure 8 shows an example of history information in the second embodiment. The history information includes, for example, personnel dispatch information including the number of people dispatched, information on the owner of the personnel usage rights, and acquisition date and time information. The history management unit 104 changes the owner of the personnel usage rights from the first customer to the second customer based on information indicating the second customer to whom the personnel usage rights will be transferred. The history management unit 104 also updates the number of personnel usage rights owned by the first customer and the number of personnel usage rights owned by the second customer based on information indicating the number of personnel usage rights transferred. Furthermore, the history management unit 104 updates the acquisition date and time, which indicates the date and time when the second customer acquired the personnel usage rights.

[0045] The fee determination unit 106 determines the fee for the transfer of personnel usage rights based on information indicating the number of personnel usage rights to be transferred acquired by the acquisition unit 102. The fee determination unit 106 may increase the fee as the number of transferees increases. For example, the fee determination unit 106 may determine the fee as a value obtained by multiplying the number of transferees by a predetermined unit price. The fee determination unit 106 may add an additional fee for the number of transferees to a fixed price set for each contract for the transfer of personnel usage rights. For example, the fixed price set for each contract for the transfer of personnel usage rights is the fee up to a set number of transferees (e.g., 10 people), and the additional fee is the fee per person for the number of transferees exceeding the set number (transfer quantity - 10).

[0046] The billing unit 108 charges the fee determined by the fee determination unit 106 to the first customer.Charging the first customer is equivalent to charging the transferor of personnel in the transfer of personnel usage rights.

[0047] The output unit 110 outputs, for example, a processing result indicating that the ownership of personnel has been changed from the first customer to the second customer.

[0048] The historical information may also be associated with a contract price, which indicates the price at the time the first customer entered into a contract for personnel dispatch, as shown in Figure 8. In this case, the fee determination unit 106 determines the fee based on the contract price acquired by the acquisition unit 102. The acquisition unit 102 may acquire the price at the time the first customer entered into a contract for personnel dispatch from the first customer system 200A or from the personnel dispatch system 500. For example, the fee determination unit 106 may set a higher fee for higher contract prices.

[0049] Figure 9 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation procedure of the transaction support system 100A in the second embodiment. First, when the first customer system 200A enters into a personnel dispatch contract, the personnel dispatch system 500 transmits information S20, which includes personnel dispatch information and customer information, to the transaction support system 100A. The transaction support system 100A acquires the information S20 using the acquisition unit 102 and stores the history information based on the information S20 (step ST20).

[0050] Subsequently, when a contract is concluded for the transfer of personnel usage rights from the first customer to the second customer, the first customer system 200A transmits information S22, which includes information on the transferor, the transferee, and the number of personnel to be dispatched, to the transaction support system 100A. The transaction support system 100A determines the fee based on the information S22 using the fee determination unit 106 (step ST22), and updates the history information using the history management unit 104 (step ST24). The transaction support system 100A transmits billing information S24, which includes the fee determined by the fee determination unit 106, to the first customer system 200A. After that, settlement processing, including the exchange of fees related to the transfer of personnel usage rights, may be carried out between the first customer and the second customer.

[0051] Furthermore, in response to the update of the historical information, the transaction support system 100A sends transfer information S26 to the personnel dispatch system 500 indicating that the personnel usage rights have been changed from the first customer to the second customer. The personnel dispatch system 500 then sends dispatch information S28 to the second customer system 200B indicating that personnel will be dispatched based on the personnel usage rights transfer agreement.

[0052] As explained above, according to the transaction support system 100A of the second embodiment, information indicating the second customer to whom the personnel usage rights will be transferred and information indicating the number of personnel usage rights to be transferred can be obtained from the first customer, a fee for the transfer of personnel usage rights can be determined based on the information indicating the number of personnel usage rights to be transferred, the determined fee can be charged to the first customer, and the ownership of the transferred quantity can be changed from the first customer to the second customer. In this way, the transaction support system 100A can provide a mechanism for reselling personnel usage rights. Furthermore, according to the transaction support system 100A, personnel usage rights can be resold even when no personnel have been dispatched.

[0053] (Third embodiment) Next, a third embodiment will be described. The third embodiment describes a transaction support system 100 that assists in the resale of ownership of a product. This is also applicable to the transaction support system 100A of the second embodiment.

[0054] Figure 10 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation procedure of the transaction support system 100 in the third embodiment. First, when the first customer system 200A purchases a product, the equipment manufacturer system 300 transmits information S30, which includes product information and customer information, to the transaction support system 100. The transaction support system 100 acquires the information S30 using the acquisition unit 102 and stores historical information based on the information S30 (step ST30).

[0055] Subsequently, when a contract is concluded for the transfer of products from the first customer to the second customer, the first customer system 200A transmits information S32, which includes product information, transferee information, transfer quantity information, and transfer price information, to the transaction support system 100. The transfer price information is information indicating the transfer price that the first customer will collect from the second customer when transferring rights (ownership or personnel usage rights) to the second customer. The acquisition unit 102 acquires information S32, which includes product information, transferee information, transfer quantity information, and transfer price information, from the first customer system 200A.

[0056] The fee determination unit 106 determines the fee based on the transfer price (step ST32). The fee determination unit 106 may set a higher fee if the transfer price of the transfer agreement is high. The fee determination unit 106 may also set a higher fee if the transfer price of each product is high, and may set a higher fee if the total transfer price of a transfer agreement including multiple products is high. The history management unit 104 updates the history information based on the information S32 (step ST34).

[0057] The transaction support system 100 transmits billing information S34, including the fee determined by the fee determination unit 106, to the first customer system 200A. Subsequently, settlement processing, including the exchange of fees related to the transfer of products, may be carried out between the first customer and the second customer.

[0058] Furthermore, in response to the update of the historical information, the transaction support system 100 transmits ownership information S36 to the equipment manufacturer system 300, indicating that ownership of the product has changed from the first customer to the second customer. Based on the ownership information S36, the equipment manufacturer system 300 transmits shipping information S38 regarding the shipment of the product to the second customer system 200B.

[0059] In the case of a personnel usage rights transfer agreement, the acquisition unit 102 acquires information S32, which includes information on the transfer price of the personnel usage rights, from the first customer system 200A. Based on this, the fee determination unit 106 determines the fee based on the transfer price of the personnel usage rights (step ST32) and can output billing information S34 to the first customer system 200A.

[0060] (Fourth embodiment) Next, a fourth embodiment will be described. Figure 11 is a block diagram showing an example of the transaction support system 100B according to the fourth embodiment. The transaction support system 100B comprises a dispatch management unit 120 and an additional cost determination unit 122. The dispatch management unit 120 and the additional cost determination unit 122 are functional units that are realized, for example, by a processor such as a CPU executing a program stored in program memory.

[0061] Figure 12 shows an example of history information in the fourth embodiment. Historical information is linked to, for example, the number of personnel dispatched, the country of dispatch, the owner, and the date and time of acquisition. The country of dispatch information indicates the first country of dispatch (destination) specified by the first customer in the personnel dispatch contract. Note that the country of dispatch information is not limited to the country of dispatch, but may also indicate the destination as an administrative division such as a state, region, prefecture, area, or city or town.

[0062] The acquisition unit 102 acquires personnel dispatch information, including information on the first country, when a personnel dispatch contract is concluded. The acquisition unit 102 also acquires personnel dispatch information, including information on the second country, information on the transferor indicating the first customer, information on the destination indicating the second customer, and information on the number of personnel to be dispatched when a personnel usage rights transfer contract is concluded. As a result, the acquisition unit 102 acquires information from the first customer indicating the second customer to whom the personnel will be transferred, specifically information indicating the second country to which personnel will be dispatched when the ownership of the personnel usage rights is transferred to the second customer.

[0063] The dispatch management unit 120 determines, based on information indicating the first country and information indicating the second country, whether or not it is necessary to extend the dispatch period when dispatching personnel to the second country. The dispatch management unit 120 determines, for example, whether or not it is necessary to extend the dispatch period to obtain a visa for entry into the second country. The dispatch management unit 120 may also determine whether or not it is necessary to extend the dispatch period by comparing, for example, the dispatch period based on the travel route to the first country with the dispatch period based on the travel route to the second country. The dispatch management unit 120 may also determine whether or not it is necessary to extend the dispatch period by comparing the dispatch period based on parts or machinery for maintenance services that can be procured in the first country with the dispatch period based on parts or machinery for maintenance services that can be procured in the second country.

[0064] The additional cost determination unit 122 determines the additional cost if the dispatch management unit 120 determines that it is necessary to extend the dispatch period. The additional cost determination unit 122 determines the additional cost based on the number of days extended and the number of dispatched personnel during the extended period. The billing unit 108 charges the first customer the additional cost determined by the additional cost determination unit 122.

[0065] Figure 13 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation procedure of the transaction support system 100B in the fourth embodiment. First, when a personnel dispatch contract is concluded, the personnel dispatch system 500 transmits information S40, which includes personnel dispatch information such as the dispatch period, the number of personnel to be dispatched, and the country of dispatch, as well as customer information, to the transaction support system 100B. The transaction support system 100B acquires the information S40 using the acquisition unit 102 and stores the history information based on the information S40 using the history management unit 104 (step ST40).

[0066] Subsequently, once an agreement is concluded for the transfer of personnel usage rights from the first customer to the second customer, the first customer system 200A transmits information S42, which includes information on the transferor, the transferee, the number of personnel, and the country of dispatch, to the transaction support system 100B.

[0067] The dispatch management unit 120 determines whether it is necessary to extend the dispatch period when dispatching personnel to the second country, based on the information indicating the first country included in information S40 and the information indicating the second country included in information S42. If the dispatch management unit 120 determines that it is necessary to extend the dispatch period when dispatching personnel to the second country (step ST42), the additional cost determination unit 122 determines the additional cost based on the extended dispatch period and the number of personnel dispatched (step ST44).

[0068] Next, the fee determination unit 106 determines the fee (step ST46), and the history management unit 104 updates the history information (step ST48). The transaction support system 100B transmits billing information S44, which includes the additional charges determined by the additional fee determination unit 122 and the fees determined by the fee determination unit 106, to the first customer system 200A. Subsequently, settlement processing, including the exchange of fees related to the transfer of personnel usage rights, may be carried out between the first customer and the second customer.

[0069] The transaction support system 100B transmits transfer information S46 to the personnel dispatch system 500, indicating that the personnel usage rights have been transferred from the first customer to the second customer. Subsequently, when the time comes for personnel to be dispatched, the personnel dispatch system 500 transmits dispatch information S48 to the second customer system 200B, indicating that personnel will be dispatched based on the personnel usage rights transfer agreement.

[0070] As described above, according to the transaction support system 100B of the fourth embodiment, when personnel usage rights are transferred from the first customer to the second customer, and the country to which the personnel are dispatched changes from the first country to the second country, requiring an extension of the dispatch period, the system can determine additional costs based on information indicating the second country and charge the first customer accordingly. According to this transaction support system 100B, it is possible to provide a mechanism for charging additional fees when personnel usage rights are resold and the dispatch period changes due to a change in country.

[0071] Construction management may be performed by recording a program that implements some or all of the functions of the transaction support systems 100, 100A, and 100B onto a computer-readable recording medium, and then loading and executing the program recorded on this recording medium into a computer system. The term "computer system" here includes hardware such as the operating system and peripheral devices.

[0072] Furthermore, "computer system" shall also include the homepage provisioning environment (or display environment) if a WWW system is being used. Furthermore, "computer-readable recording media" refers to portable media such as flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, ROMs, and CD-ROMs, as well as storage devices such as hard disks built into computer systems. Moreover, "computer-readable recording media" includes those that retain programs for a certain period of time, such as volatile memory within server and client computer systems. The program itself may only implement a portion of the aforementioned functions, and may also be able to implement those functions in combination with programs already recorded in the computer system. Additionally, the program may be stored on a designated server and distributed (downloaded, etc.) via a communication line in response to requests from other devices.

[0073] While this disclosure describes various exemplary embodiments and examples, the various features, aspects, and functions described in one or more embodiments are not limited to the application of a particular embodiment, but are applicable individually or in various combinations to the embodiments. Accordingly, countless variations not illustrated herein are conceivable within the scope of the art disclosed herein. For example, these include modifying, adding or omitting at least one component, or even extracting at least one component and combining it with a component from another embodiment.

[0074] While embodiments of this disclosure have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments and may include designs and the like that do not depart from the gist of this disclosure.

[0075] For example, the configurations and methods described herein can be combined as appropriate, provided they are not inconsistent with each other. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0076] 100, 100A, 100B Transaction Support System 102 Acquisition Department 104 History Management Department 106 Fee Determination Section 108 Billing Section 110 Output section 112 Storage section 120 Dispatch Management Department 122 Additional Cost Determination Section 200A First Customer System 200B Second Customer System 300 Equipment Manufacturer Systems 400 Inventory Management System 500 Personnel Dispatch System

Claims

1. A history management unit that associates a product with the customer who owns the product and stores this information as historical data, In a contract for transferring the product from a first customer who wishes to transfer ownership to a second customer who is the recipient of the ownership, an acquisition unit obtains information indicating the second customer and information indicating the quantity of ownership to be transferred from the first customer, A fee determination unit that determines the fee for the transfer of ownership based on the information indicating the quantity to be transferred acquired by the acquisition unit, The system comprises a billing unit that charges the fee determined by the fee determination unit to the first customer, The aforementioned history management unit, The system acquires information including product information and customer information related to the purchase of the product by the first customer from the manufacturer, associates the product with the first customer, and stores the history information. A transaction support system that changes the ownership of the transferred quantity from the first customer to the second customer based on the information indicating the second customer and the information indicating the transferred quantity acquired by the acquisition unit.

2. The aforementioned history information is further associated with a purchase price indicating the price at which the first customer purchased the product. The transaction support system according to claim 1, wherein the fee determination unit determines the fee based on the purchase price stored in the history management unit.

3. The acquisition unit acquires the transfer price that the first customer collects from the second customer when transferring the rights to the second customer. The transaction support system according to claim 1, wherein the fee determination unit determines the fee based on the transfer price acquired by the acquisition unit.

4. Computers A step of associating a product with a customer who owns the product and storing this information as historical data, In a contract for transferring the product from a first customer who wishes to transfer ownership to a second customer who will be the recipient of the ownership, the steps include obtaining information from the first customer indicating the second customer and information indicating the quantity of ownership to be transferred, A step of determining the fee for the transfer of ownership based on the information indicating the quantity of the transfer obtained, The steps of charging the determined fee to the first customer and The system acquires information including product information and customer information related to the purchase of the product by the first customer from the manufacturer, associates the product with the first customer, and stores the history information. A transaction support method that changes the ownership of the transferred quantity from the first customer to the second customer based on acquired information indicating the second customer and information indicating the transferred quantity.

5. On the computer, A step of associating a product with a customer who owns the product and storing this information as historical data, In a contract for transferring the product from a first customer who wishes to transfer ownership to a second customer who will be the recipient of the ownership, the steps include obtaining information from the first customer indicating the second customer and information indicating the quantity of ownership to be transferred, A step of determining the fee for the transfer of ownership based on the information indicating the quantity of the transfer obtained, The steps of charging the determined fee to the first customer and then executing the following: The system acquires information including product information and customer information related to the purchase of the product by the first customer from the manufacturer, associates the product with the first customer, and stores the history information. A program that changes the ownership of the transferred quantity from the first customer to the second customer based on acquired information indicating the second customer and information indicating the transferred quantity.

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