Facility operation support system, facility operation support method, and facility operation support program

Abstract

We provide technology to support the operation of welfare facilities. [Solution] The facility operation support system comprises a memory unit, a shift creation unit, a performance acquisition unit, a judgment unit, and a document creation unit. The memory unit stores employee information relating to staff working at welfare facilities that provide welfare services. The shift creation unit receives work requests from employees and creates employee work schedules based on the received requests. The performance acquisition unit acquires employee work performance. The judgment unit determines whether the staffing standards are met based on employee information and work schedules, or based on employee information and work performance. The document creation unit creates documents for submission to public institutions based on employee information and work schedules, or based on employee information and work performance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a technology for supporting facility operation.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a work schedule creation device for creating a work schedule for shift work to provide 24-hour service in a nursing facility or the like. This work schedule creation device acquires the staff attributes of a plurality of staff, the desired conditions regarding shift work, and the priority of the desires, and creates a first work schedule based on the staff attributes, desired conditions, and priority of the desires. When the work schedule creation device accepts a change in the desired priority of a first staff among the plurality of staff, it extracts a second staff based on the staff attributes, changes the above priority of the first staff and the above priority of the second staff, and creates a second work schedule based on the changed priority.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] According to Patent Document 1, the work schedule creation device can create a highly accurate work schedule that reflects the requests of the staff. However, welfare facilities that provide welfare services such as nursing care and medical care upon receiving permission from public institutions need to manage the placement of personnel while considering predetermined requirements in order to properly perform legal filings and claim procedures for remuneration. This has been one of the burdens in the operation of welfare facilities.

[0005] An object of this disclosure is to provide a technology for supporting the operation of welfare facilities.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A facility operation support system according to one aspect of this disclosure comprises a storage unit, a shift creation unit, a performance acquisition unit, a determination unit, and a document creation unit. The storage unit stores employee information for M (M≧2) employees working at a welfare facility that provides welfare services. The shift creation unit receives work requests from the M employees for a specified period and creates a work schedule for the M employees for the specified period based on the received requests. The performance acquisition unit acquires the work performance of the M employees for the specified period. The determination unit determines, based on employee information and work schedules, or based on employee information and work performance, whether the staffing standards stipulated by law are met for the welfare facility for the specified period. The document creation unit, based on employee information and work schedules, or based on employee information and work performance, creates documents to be submitted to public institutions in a specified format, as confirmation for at least one of the prescribed notifications and claims for remuneration under the long-term care insurance system that are publicly stipulated for welfare services. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] A diagram showing the overall configuration of the facility operation support system according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] A block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the facility operation support system according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] A diagram showing an example of a shift rule configuration. [Figure 4] A diagram showing an example of the screen configuration for setting shift patterns. [Figure 5] A sequence chart showing the data flow when the facility operation support system according to the embodiment performs pre-configuration. [Figure 6] A sequence chart showing the data flow when the facility operation support system according to the embodiment performs shift creation. [Figure 7] A diagram showing an example of the configuration of the work request input screen. [Figure 8] A diagram showing an example of the screen layout for displaying a list of work preferences. [Figure 9]A diagram showing an example of the screen configuration for displaying the work schedule. [Figure 10] A diagram showing an example of the screen configuration for displaying each employee's work schedule. [Figure 11] A flowchart illustrating an example of a shift scheduling algorithm. [Figure 12] A flowchart showing an example of a decision algorithm. [Figure 13A] A diagram showing an example of the output format of the judgment result. [Figure 13B] This diagram shows an example of the screen configuration for displaying the judgment results. [Figure 14] A sequence chart showing the data flow when the facility operation support system according to the embodiment performs monitoring. [Figure 15] This diagram shows an example configuration of a monitoring screen that displays monitoring results in a list. [Figure 16] A diagram showing an example of the download screen configuration. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] The facility operation support system according to the embodiment of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the figures.

[0009] <1. System Configuration> Figure 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of the facility operation support system 1 (hereinafter also simply referred to as "System 1"), and Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of System 1. System 1 typically performs a series of operations by coordinating a server device 2, a computer 3, and information processing terminals 4 (4a, 4b, 4c…). The server device 2, computer 3, and information processing terminals 4 are connected via a network to enable data communication. The server device 2 provides facility operation support software (program 210, described later) to the computer 3 and information processing terminals 4, for example, in the form of SaaS (Software as a Service). System 1 is also installed in welfare facility C and is connected via the network to an attendance management system 5 for recording the arrival and departure times of employees of welfare facility C.

[0010] The server device 2 is hardware-wise composed of, for example, a general-purpose server computer. The server device 2 includes a control unit 20, a storage unit 21, and an I / O interface 22 that are connected to each other by a bus line. The control unit 20 is hardware-wise composed of a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The storage unit 21 is hardware-wise composed of a non-volatile and rewritable memory such as an SSD (Solid State Drive) or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive). A program 210 for operating the system 1 is stored in the storage unit 21. By reading and executing the program 210, the control unit 20 operates as a shift creation unit 200, a performance acquisition unit 201, a determination unit 202, a document creation unit 203, a data management unit 204, and a distribution unit 205. The operations of each of the units 200 to 205 will be described later. Also, the storage unit 21 has a storage area for storing setting data and preset data, which will be described later. The I / O interface 22 is a general-purpose module for transmitting and receiving data, for example, between the server device 2 and an external device of the server device 2.

[0011] The server device 2 may further include a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), etc., and the program 210 may be stored in the ROM. Also, the storage unit 21 may be configured as a separate body from the server device 2 as an independent memory device.

[0012] The computer 3 is composed of general-purpose computers such as desktop computers, laptop computers, tablets, and smartphones as hardware. The computer 3 is provided in the welfare facility C and is mainly operated by the person in charge of the staffing arrangement of the welfare facility C and the persons engaged in administrative audit response, etc. (hereinafter also referred to as "users"). Note that a plurality of computers 3 may be provided, and they may be provided not only in the welfare facility C but also in the business office of the operator who operates the welfare facility C. As will be described later, according to the system 1, it is possible to collectively support the operation of a plurality of welfare facilities (including the welfare facility C) operated by the same operator.

[0013] The computer 3 includes a control unit 30, a storage unit 31, and an I / O interface 32 that are connected to each other by a bus line, and is electrically connected to a display unit 33 and an operation unit 34. The control unit 30 is composed of a processor such as a CPU as hardware and performs various arithmetic processes and image processes. The storage unit 31 is composed of non-volatile and rewritable memories such as SSDs and HDDs as hardware. A general-purpose program (not shown) for controlling the operation of the computer 3 is stored in the storage unit 31. By reading and executing this program, the control unit 30 outputs (displays) the screen data received from the server device 2 to the display unit 33, or transfers the instruction from the user received via the operation unit 34 to the server device 2. The I / O interface 32 is a general-purpose module for transmitting and receiving data, for example, between the computer 3 and an external device.

[0014] The display unit 33 is not particularly limited as long as it can display various information to the user, and is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. The display unit 33 may be a touch panel display, and in this case, it may also serve as the operation unit 34. The operation unit 34 is not particularly limited as long as it can be operated by the user to give an instruction to the control unit 30, and is composed of, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch pen, and a touch panel display.

[0015] Information processing terminals 4a, 4b, 4c… are general-purpose computers owned by each of the M staff members working at welfare facility C. Information processing terminals 4a, 4b, 4c… may be desktop computers, laptop computers, tablets, and smartphones, respectively, but are particularly preferably portable devices with data communication capabilities, such as laptop computers, tablets, and smartphones. Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, information processing terminals 4a, 4b, 4c… will be collectively referred to as information processing terminal 4. Information processing terminal 4 comprises a control unit 40, a storage unit 41, a communication unit 42, a display unit 43, and an operation unit 44. The control unit 40 consists of a processor such as a CPU and performs various arithmetic and image processing. The storage unit 31 consists of a built-in flash storage device or the like. The storage unit 31 stores a general-purpose program (not shown) for controlling the operation of information processing terminal 4 and a dedicated application 410 (hereinafter also simply referred to as "app 410") for using system 1. The communication unit 42 is a general-purpose module for network communication. The display unit 43 and the operation unit 44 are described in the same way as the display unit 33 and the operation unit 34, respectively, so a further explanation is omitted.

[0016] The attendance management system 5 is not particularly limited as long as it is a system for clocking in and recording the arrival and departure times of each employee of the welfare facility C, and any known attendance management system can be used. The attendance management system 5 includes, for example, a time recorder 50 installed at the welfare facility C and a general-purpose computer 51 connected to the time recorder 50 for data communication. The time recorder 50 clocks in and out each employee's arrival and departure times by reading a dedicated card held by each employee of the welfare facility C, for example, and outputs the data to the computer 51. Based on the clock-in data of each employee, the computer 51 aggregates the working hours, overtime hours, and absent hours of each employee for a predetermined period (for example, one month). The aggregated data is stored in the non-volatile memory of the computer 51 as attendance data for each employee. The stored attendance data can be read by the server device 2 or computer 3 via the network.

[0017] Here, welfare facility C is a facility that provides welfare services such as nursing care and medical care under the authorization of public institutions such as the national government or local governments. Examples include nursing homes, hospitals, and facilities for supporting people with disabilities. For welfare facility C, the staffing standards for caregivers are stipulated by law according to the legal classification to which it belongs. The remuneration for welfare services provided by welfare facility C is calculated in a manner stipulated by law. For example, the remuneration for nursing care services is determined by a basic fee and additions and deductions therefrom. The basic fee is calculated, for example, according to the average number of users per month in the previous year, the service provision time, and the level of care required by the users. Additions include, for example, the "service provision system strengthening addition" and the "specific business establishment addition." On the other hand, deductions include, for example, the "deduction due to lack of staffing standards," which is applied when nursing care services are provided under circumstances where the prescribed staffing standards are not met. In addition, welfare facility C must not only calculate remuneration based on the above laws and regulations, but also carry out procedures such as applying for designation and renewal as a service provider under the Long-Term Care Insurance Act, and notifying changes in staffing and work systems in a timely manner. Therefore, for the sound operation of welfare facility C, it is important to provide welfare services with an appropriate staffing system and to properly prepare and manage the documents required as proof for the publicly mandated notifications under the Long-Term Care Insurance Act and for the claims for remuneration. System 1 provides comprehensive support for these tasks.

[0018] <2. System Operation> The operation of System 1 can be broadly divided into pre-configuration, shift creation, monitoring, and document creation. The following explanation uses the example of welfare facility C being a nursing care facility, where System 1 is configured to automatically create a work schedule list and a reference calculation sheet for the percentage of qualified personnel (hereinafter also simply referred to as the "reference calculation sheet"). It should be noted that the use of a prescribed format for the work schedule list and reference calculation sheet is recommended by public institutions such as the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. The prescribed format 216 is stored in the storage unit 21 as preset data. Preset data is data stored in the storage unit 21 before pre-configuration, and in addition to format 216, examples include shift rules 214 and staffing standard data 215.

[0019] Shift rule 214 consists of several rules for creating work schedules (shifts) for M employees. For example, as shown in Figure 3, these rules include: "Setting holidays based on the requested dates of leave submitted by each employee," "Not assigning work schedules to any employee on facility holidays," "Assigning shifts in accordance with the work constraints set for each employee," "Assigning employees so that the number of people is above the minimum (minimum required) and below the maximum (maximum required) number for each shift pattern," and "When a night shift is involved, assigning the next day's and the day after's shifts as a set in the order of 'night shift → day off → public holiday'." The "minimum required number" and "maximum required number" are values ​​determined by the user for each set of working hours in the pre-setting of shift pattern 213, which will be described later. Shift rule 214 may also include rules regarding bathing assistance and rules regarding the maximum number of consecutive workdays for each employee. In the example shown in Figure 3, the rules included in shift rule 214 are sorted according to priority. These rules and priorities take into account laws and regulations and fairness among staff, as well as the expertise of staff who were previously responsible for creating shifts at individual care facilities.

[0020] Staffing Standard Data 215 is data used to identify the minimum required staffing threshold for welfare facility C to provide care services. This data may include different calculation formulas depending on the type of facility, the number of users (those requiring care and those requiring support), and the job titles of the staff, as well as rounding rules related to the calculation formulas and predetermined minimum thresholds. For example, if the staffing standards for care workers and nurses are stipulated by law as one or more staff members for every three users of welfare facility C, then Staffing Standard Data 215 may include formula (1) for calculating the minimum required staffing threshold Th1 for care workers and nurses, and data representing rounding rules such as rounding up to the first decimal place. Note that formula (1) and rounding rules in Staffing Standard Data 215 may be updated in accordance with changes in laws and regulations. Th1 = (Number of users of welfare facility C x 1) / 3 (1)

[0021] In formula (1), the number of users X1 is a value calculated based on the number of people requiring care and support who receive services from welfare facility C, according to the method prescribed by law. Therefore, the staffing standard data 215 may also include data representing formula (2) for calculating the number of users X1 according to law, and rounding rules such as truncation to the second decimal place. Note that formula (2) and rounding rules in the staffing standard data 215 may be updated in accordance with revisions to the law. Number of users X1 = {(Number of people requiring care) + (Number of people requiring support) × 0.3} (2) Equation (1) is merely an example, and in reality, different staffing standards for care workers and nurses may be applied depending on the number of users X1. Therefore, the staffing standard data 215 may include other formulas besides equation (1) for calculating the lower threshold Th1 according to the number of users X1.

[0022] Furthermore, the staffing standards data 215 may include data for determining whether or not full-time equivalent calculations are applicable to staffing standards by job type, as well as data for identifying additional requirements.

[0023] As described above, the staffing standard data 215 includes formulas for determining the lower threshold for the required number of staff, in accordance with the methods stipulated by law. Furthermore, the staffing standard data 215 may also include a formula for calculating the lower threshold for the required number of staff Th2 when welfare facility C adopts its own staffing arrangement that exceeds the staffing standards stipulated by law. For example, if welfare facility C adopts a staffing arrangement of one or more care staff and nurses for Q users (where Q is the number at which additional care costs are incurred, for example, a number of 2.5 or less), the staffing standard data 215 may also include the following formula (3) and data representing rounding, such as truncation to the second decimal place. In formula (3), the number of users X2 is the number of users of welfare facility C as defined by law, and the formula and rounding rules for calculating this may also be included in the staffing standard data 215. Th2 = (Number of users of welfare facility C x 2) / Q (3) Hereinafter, the value (Q or its equivalent) representing the staffing levels adopted independently by welfare facility C will be referred to as the "additional care ratio."

[0024] To give another example, a welfare facility C may have a legally mandated staffing ratio for care plan coordinators, which is set at 1 full-time equivalent for every 100 users (the total number of care recipients and support recipients of welfare facility C's services) (100:1). However, as of September 2025, the treatment of cases where the number of users exceeds 100 but is less than 200 is not clearly defined. In such a case, if the required number of care plan coordinators is interpreted as 2, then at least 2 care plan coordinators would be needed even for 101 users, which could be an excessive burden for welfare facility C. In this regard, in system 1 according to this embodiment, the threshold Th for determining whether or not the staffing ratio for care plan coordinators is satisfied is set to a value that is greater than 1 and less than 2, and is corresponding to the number of users.

[0025] That is, in System 1, legally, the staffing standard for employees of a certain job type is defined with 1 as the standard for the number of users P. However, when the handling when the number of users X of the welfare facility C is (k - 1)P < X < kP (where k is an integer of 2 or more) is not clear, the threshold Th is defined within the range of (k - 1) < Th < k and as a value corresponding to the number of users X. Such a method for determining the threshold Th is not particularly limited. For example, the threshold Th may be calculated according to a calculation formula such as multiplying the number of users X by a predetermined coefficient. Also, for example, for the number of users X, a plurality of ranges (for example, "X < P", "P < X ≤ 1.5P", "1.5P < X < 2P", etc.) may be predetermined in advance, and the threshold Th corresponding to each range may be predetermined in advance. In this way, while System 1 supports the welfare facility C to satisfy the staffing standard defined by law, it is devised so as not to impose an excessive burden on the welfare facility C.

[0026] <2-1. Pre-setting> Pre-setting is an operation of customizing System 1 for the operator who operates the welfare facility C, and then accepting the input of setting data for automatically creating a predetermined format from the operator and storing it in the storage unit 21. Examples of the setting data include facility information 211, staff information 212, shift pattern 213, and the like. When the above operator operates other welfare facilities other than the welfare facility C, by inputting the setting data for these other welfare facilities as well, for these welfare facilities, shift creation, monitoring, and document creation described later can be performed in the same manner.

[0027] Facility information 211 is information that identifies the basic information of welfare facility C, as well as the staffing standards and additional fee requirements applicable to welfare facility C. Examples of facility information 211 include the name of welfare facility C, the location of welfare facility C, the type of welfare facility C (e.g., assisted living facility, special nursing home, long-term care health facility, long-term care medical facility, group home, short-term stay care service provider, home-visit service provider (providing either long-term care, preventive nursing, or preventive rehabilitation), day care, service-provided housing for the elderly, etc.), the prescribed number of hours that full-time staff must work, the type of specific business establishment additional fee applicable, and the number of persons requiring support and care who receive services from welfare facility C. Furthermore, facility information 211 may also include information regarding the additional care ratio and committees mentioned above.

[0028] Employee information 212 is information that identifies each of the M employees, as well as information that identifies each employee's attributes and work restrictions. Examples of employee information 212 include employee identification information such as employee name and ID, gender, job title (e.g., care worker, nurse, service provider manager, care plan creator, social worker, and functional training instructor, etc.), length of service, work style (e.g., full-time and dedicated, part-time and part-time, full-time and dedicated, part-time and part-time, etc.), qualifications held that qualify for additional payments (e.g., certified care worker, etc.), ability to provide bathing assistance, and days and times when the employee is unavailable to work (shifts that the employee is unavailable to work, as defined by the shift pattern 213 described later).

[0029] Shift pattern 213 is information that defines various shifts in welfare facility C, and more specifically includes multiple prescribed working hours and the shift name set for each of them (e.g., "early shift," "day shift," "late shift," "night shift," etc.). Shift pattern 213 may further include information on the minimum and maximum number of people required for each prescribed working hour. Figure 4 is an example of a setting screen W1 for setting shift pattern 213. As shown in Figure 4, the minimum and maximum number of people to be assigned to each shift may be set by the user to different values ​​for each day of the week. Furthermore, shift pattern 213 may be rewritable by the user as needed.

[0030] Figure 5 is a sequence chart showing the data flow when System 1 performs pre-configuration. Assume that Computer 3 is accessing the program 210 of Server Device 2 via the network, and that the main menu of System 1 is displayed on the display unit 33. When a user operates the operation unit 34 and selects one of the pre-configurations, facility information 211, staff information 212, or shift pattern 213, via the main menu, Computer 3 sends a request to Server Device 2 for a configuration screen corresponding to one of the configuration data 211 to 213 (step S301). Upon receiving the request, Server Device 2 sends the data for the corresponding configuration screen to Computer 3 (step S201). The control unit 30 processes the received data and displays the configuration screen on the display unit 33 (step S302). The configuration screen is an interface screen for saving (storing) the configuration data 211 to 213 in the storage unit 21. Following the configuration screen displayed on the display unit 33, the user uses the operation unit 34 to select the desired options, input data, etc., and then inputs an instruction to save the settings. Computer 3 transmits the data entered by the user to Server Device 2 and requests that the data be saved (step S303). Upon receiving the data and request, the data management unit 204 of Server Device 2 saves the data in the storage area of ​​the setting data in Storage Unit 21 (step S202). Furthermore, the data management unit 204 sends a completion notification to Computer 3 indicating that the saving is complete. The control unit 30 displays the received completion notification on the display unit 33 (step S304).

[0031] As described above, the pre-configuration is completed. The configuration data stored in the memory unit 21 can be rewritten at any time via the computer 3.

[0032] <2-2. Shift Creation> Figure 6 is a sequence chart showing the data flow when System 1 performs shift creation for a predetermined period. Hereinafter, the predetermined period is one month, and the explanation will be given using the example of System 1 performing shift creation for the month following the current month (hereinafter referred to as "the next month"). First, the distribution unit 205 of the server device 2 distributes a request for input of desired work schedules for the next month to each information processing terminal 4 (step S211). The input request may also be distributed on the application 410. The distribution unit 205 may also automatically distribute the above input request at a predetermined timing, such as the 15th of the current month.

[0033] When the information processing terminal 4 receives an input request, it notifies the employee who holds the information, for example, via the display unit 43 (step S411). After the employee confirms the notification, they each call up the work preference input screen W2 within the application 410 and use the operation unit 44 to input their work preferences. Figure 7 is an example of the work preference input screen W2. As shown in Figure 7, the work preference input screen W2 displays the following month in a table calendar format. In the example shown in Figure 7, when an employee taps a cell for a desired day on the work preference input screen W2, a form W3 for inputting preferences for that day (such as leave or early shift) pops up. After each employee inputs their work preferences using the operation unit 44 and then inputs an instruction to confirm, the information processing terminal 4 sends the work preferences to the server device 2 (step S412). The work preference input screen W2 may be configured to allow input of work preferences not only for the following month but also for months after that.

[0034] Furthermore, application 410 may include a group chat function that enables sending and receiving text messages between information processing terminals 4a, 4b, 4c, etc. The group chat function can be used as needed for purposes such as communicating information or coordinating work preferences among staff members.

[0035] Server device 2 receives (accepts) requests from each employee from each information processing terminal 4. Shift creation unit 200 creates data that displays the requests received from each employee in a table format and saves it in storage unit 21, etc. (step S212). This data is accessible from computer 3, and for example, when a read request is sent from computer 3 (step S311), it is sent to computer 3 in response to the request (step S213). The data received by computer 3 is displayed on display unit 33 as a list display screen W4, for example, as shown in Figure 8 (step S312). The list display screen W4 includes, for example, an employee display area R1, a date area R2, and a table area R3. The employee display area R1 displays M employees in a vertical list, and the date area R2 displays a calendar for the following month from the 1st to the Nth day in a horizontal list. The table area R3 displays cells corresponding to each employee and each date, and the requests received from each employee ("leave," etc.) are displayed in the cell for the corresponding date in the cell row corresponding to the employee. The user can easily check the work preferences of employees on computer 3 using this list display screen W4. The employee display area R1 may also display the employee's work style, etc., based on employee information 212, for example. Furthermore, the list display screen W4 may display the calendar as a vertical list and the employees as a horizontal list.

[0036] For the following month, after all employees' requests have been received by the server device 2, the user selects a menu related to shift creation from the main menu displayed on the display unit 33 and inputs instructions for shift creation. The computer 3 sends an instruction to the server device 2 to create the work schedules for all employees for the following month (step S313). Upon receiving the above creation instruction, the shift creation unit 200 of the server device 2 executes the shift creation algorithm shown in Figure 11 and creates the work schedules for all employees for the following month so that they can be output as a work schedule (step S214).

[0037] Next, the shift creation unit 200 transmits the work schedule to the computer 3 (step S215). The work schedule received by the computer 3 is displayed on the display unit 33 as a work schedule screen W5, for example, as shown in Figure 9 (step S314). The work schedule screen W5 includes, for example, an employee display area R4, a date area R5, and a table area R6. The employee display area R4 and the date area R5 are common to the employee display area R1 and the date area R2, respectively. The table area R6 displays cells corresponding to each employee and each date, and each cell displays the work schedule assigned to the corresponding employee and the corresponding date. The display in each cell corresponds to the shift name set in the shift pattern, leave, etc.

[0038] The user can easily check the employee work schedule created by the shift creation unit 200 on the computer 3 using this work schedule screen W5. Furthermore, the user can, via the computer 3, modify the work schedule created by the shift creation unit 200 as needed, or send instructions to the shift creation unit 200 to recreate the work schedule.

[0039] Subsequently, the user enters instructions to finalize the work schedule for the following month via a menu related to shift creation. The work schedule may be the one initially created by the shift creation unit 200, or it may be a revised or recreated work schedule. Computer 3 sends an instruction to the server device 2 to finalize the work schedule for the following month (step S315). Upon receiving the finalization instruction, the shift creation unit 200 saves the work schedule at that time in the storage unit 21 (step S216). Even after being saved in the storage unit 21, this work schedule can be rewritten by the user or recreated by the shift creation unit 200 at any time. Therefore, each time the shift creation unit 200 receives an instruction from the user to rewrite or recreate the work schedule, or an instruction to finalize the rewritten or recreated work schedule, it saves the latest work schedule. In other words, multiple versions of the work schedule for the same month can be stored in the storage unit 21.

[0040] The distribution unit 205 distributes each employee's work schedule, based on the latest work schedule, to the information processing terminal 4 owned by that employee (step S217). The work schedule is in a table calendar format, and each day's cell displays the start time of work, leave, etc., as shown in the individual work schedule screen W6 in Figure 10 (step S413). This allows each employee to check their own work schedule within the application 410 on the information processing terminal 4. In addition to, or instead of, individual employee work schedules, the distribution unit 205 may also distribute the latest work schedule for all employees to the information processing terminal 4 owned by each employee.

[0041] Furthermore, the distribution unit 205 transmits the latest work schedule to the computer 3 in parallel with or around step S217 (step S218). The work schedule received by the computer 3 is displayed on the display unit 33 in the same format as the work schedule screen W5 (step S316).

[0042] [Shift scheduling algorithm] Figure 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a shift creation algorithm executed by the shift creation unit 200. This shift creation algorithm aims to automatically create work schedules that reflect employees' work preferences and unavailable conditions, while minimizing the burden on employees and ensuring a high degree of conformity to staffing standards. The flowchart shown in Figure 11 starts when the shift creation instruction in step S313 of Figure 6 is received by the shift creation unit 200.

[0043] First, the shift scheduling unit 200 assigns a "vacation" work schedule to each of the M employees on the days between the 1st and Nth of the following month, corresponding to their vacation requests and unavailable days (Step S1).

[0044] Next, the shift creation unit 200 defines which day of the following month the work schedule currently being tentatively determined corresponds to by setting the value of n (step S2). If step S2 is executed immediately after step S1, n is set to "1". This means that the work schedule currently being tentatively determined corresponds to the first day of the following month. If the work schedule for the nth day for all employees (including the hypothetical employees described later, if set) is tentatively determined in the steps following step S2, n is reset to a value that is 1 higher than its current value. In this way, the shift creation unit 200 tentatively determines the work schedules sequentially in chronological order.

[0045] Next, the shift creation unit 200 determines whether the current value of n exceeds N, that is, whether the work schedule for all employees up to the last day of the following month has already been tentatively determined (step S3). If it is determined that the current value of n exceeds N (Yes), it means that the work schedule for the following month has been created, and the shift creation algorithm shown in Figure 11 terminates. If it is determined that the current value of n does not exceed N (No), then step S4 is executed.

[0046] In step S4, the shift creation unit 200 determines whether the currently counted "number of failures" has exceeded a predetermined threshold for the first time. The "number of failures" is the number of times the shift selected in step S9 (described later) was determined to have failed in step S10 despite satisfying all shift rules 214. Multiple predetermined thresholds can be defined, for example, threshold 1, threshold 2, threshold 3, ... (where threshold 1 < threshold 2 < threshold 3...). If it is determined that the current number of failures has exceeded any of the predetermined thresholds for the first time (Yes), then step S5 is executed. If it is determined that the current number of failures has not exceeded threshold 1 (No), then step S6 is executed. Also, if it is determined that the current number of failures exceeds any threshold but not for the first time, and has not exceeded the next largest threshold (No), then step S6 is executed.

[0047] If the result in step S4 is "Yes," it indicates that it is difficult to tentatively determine a work schedule that satisfies the shift rule 214 while reflecting the preferences and unavailable conditions of the M employees. Therefore, in step S5, the shift creation unit 200 adds "1" to the "vacancy support slot." The "vacancy support slot" represents a hypothetical employee added in addition to the M employees, and adding "1" to this slot indicates the addition of one hypothetical employee. As a result, in subsequent steps, a work schedule is tentatively determined for the added hypothetical employee as well. If multiple predetermined thresholds are set in step S4, one hypothetical employee is added each time the number of failures exceeds each threshold for the first time. For convenience, hypothetical employees are counted one at a time during the shift creation stage. However, during the stage of actually performing the work, it is possible to assign, for example, two temporary employees to the work schedule of one hypothetical employee. It is also possible to add different numbers of hypothetical employees depending on the threshold that has been exceeded.

[0048] On the other hand, in step S6, the shift creation unit 200 determines whether there is a shift available for all employees (including virtual employees) on day n that can be assigned. An "assignable shift" is defined as a shift that is not on leave, or a shift defined in the shift pattern 213 that the employee is unable to work, or a shift that cannot be assigned in relation to the employee's previous day's shift (for example, a shift with an earlier start time than the previous day's shift). Furthermore, among the "leave" and "night shift" shifts, if it is not possible to secure a certain number of days or more from the same employee's previous "leave" and "night shift," these are also excluded from the "assignable shifts." If it is determined that there is an employee for whom there is no assignable shift on day n (No) based on the above conditions, step S7 is executed. On the other hand, if it is determined that there is an assignable shift on day n for all employees (Yes), step S8 is executed.

[0049] In step S7, the shift creation unit 200 changes the currently set value of n to a value that is 1 less (n-1). Then, it repeats the steps from step S2 onward. In other words, if "No" is determined in step S6, it can be said that a provisional work schedule cannot be determined for the day set at that time. For this reason, the shift creation unit 200 resets the work schedule that was already provisionally determined for the previous day and provisionally determines a different work schedule again.

[0050] In step S8, the shift creation unit 200 defines which employee's work schedule the currently tentatively determined work schedule pertains to by setting the value of m. If step S8 is executed immediately after step S6 or step S19 (described later), m is set to "1". This indicates that the currently tentatively determined work schedule pertains to the first employee. On the other hand, if step S8 is executed immediately after step S13, m is set to a value between 2 and M+(number of virtual employees).

[0051] Next, the shift creation unit 200 selects a shift for the employee defined in step S8 (step S9). Specifically, the shift creation unit 200 randomly selects one shift from among the shifts that can be assigned to the employee.

[0052] Next, the shift creation unit 200 determines whether the shift selected in step S8 succeeded or failed to satisfy all of the shift rules 214 (step S10). If it is determined to be successful (Yes), then step S11 is executed. On the other hand, if it is determined to be unsuccessful (No), then step S15 is executed. Note that the criteria for determining "success" in step S10 may be changed by pre-setting, etc. For example, if the shift selected in step S8 fails to satisfy only the rules with relatively low priority among the shift rules 214, it may be possible to change the criteria so that it is not determined to be a "failure" and is allowed up to a predetermined upper limit.

[0053] In step S11, the shift creation unit 200 tentatively determines the shift selected in step S8 as the work schedule for the m-th employee on day n. In the following step 12, the shift creation unit 200 determines whether the work schedule for day n has been tentatively determined for all employees, including the M employees and hypothetical employees. If it is determined that the work schedule for day n has not yet been tentatively determined for all employees (No), the shift creation unit 200 changes the currently set value of m to a value of 1 (m+1) (step S13) and repeats steps S8 onwards. On the other hand, if it is determined that the work schedule for day n has been tentatively determined for all employees (Yes), the shift creation unit 200 changes the currently set value of n to a value of 1 (n+1) (step S14) and repeats steps S2 onwards.

[0054] In step S15, the shift creation unit 200 increments the failure count by 1. In the following step 16, the shift creation unit 200 determines whether there are other assignable shifts for the employee defined in step S8. If it is determined that there are other assignable shifts (Yes), the shift creation unit 200 executes step S9 again and randomly selects one shift that is assignable to the employee, excluding the shift that has already been selected. Thus, the loop of steps S9, S10, S15, and S16 can be described as a loop that searches for a shift that satisfies all of the shift rules 214 for a given employee.

[0055] On the other hand, if it is determined in step 16 that there are no assignable shifts (No), the shift creation unit 200 adds "1" to the "vacancy support slot" (step S17). In the following step S18, the shift creation unit 200 determines whether the number of failures determined to be failures in step S10 exceeds a predetermined threshold for the currently set value of n. The predetermined threshold can be set separately from the threshold in step S4. If it is determined in step S18 that the number of failures exceeds the predetermined threshold (Yes), then step S19 is executed. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S18 that the number of failures does not exceed the predetermined threshold (No), then step S20 is executed.

[0056] In step S19, the shift creation unit 200 changes the currently set value of n to a value that is 1 less (n-1). Furthermore, in the following step S8, the shift creation unit 200 sets the value of m to "1" and then executes the subsequent steps again. In other words, if it is difficult to tentatively determine the work schedule for day n, the shift creation unit 200 attempts to reset the already tentatively determined work schedule for day (n-1) and tentatively determine the work schedule for day (n-1) again.

[0057] In step S20, the shift creation unit 200 resets the currently set value of m to "1" and executes steps S2 onwards again. That is, the shift creation unit 200 attempts to restart the provisional determination of the work schedule for day n, starting with the first employee.

[0058] As described above, the shift creation unit 200 creates the work schedules for M employees for the following month. According to the above shift creation algorithm, it is possible to create work schedules that are easy for employees to work and that make it easy to secure the necessary personnel, while reflecting each employee's work preferences and unavailable conditions, and in accordance with the shift rules 214.

[0059] <2-3. Shift Determination> The determination unit 202 determines whether the work schedule for the following month (including the work schedule created by the shift creation unit 200 and any subsequently modified work schedules) satisfies the staffing standards stipulated by law for welfare facility C, following the procedure below. Figure 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the determination algorithm performed by the determination unit 202. This determination algorithm may be started when the above work schedule is created or saved (for example, when step S214 or step S216 in Figure 6 is executed), or when a determination instruction is received from the user via the computer 3.

[0060] First, the determination unit 202 calculates the planned number of staff for each job type based on the work schedule for the following month, staff information 212, and shift pattern 213 (step S21). The planned number of staff for each job type is calculated, for example, for the total number of nursing staff and care staff, and for each care staff, nursing staff, manager, life guidance counselor, care plan coordinator, and functional training instructor. Here, the determination unit 202 counts the planned number of full-time staff for each job type and can also perform full-time equivalent calculations for each job type in accordance with the method prescribed by law. The number of full-time equivalent staff can be calculated, for example, by dividing the total planned working hours for all staff subject to full-time equivalent calculation for a certain period in that job type by the prescribed working hours for that certain period at welfare facility C. The certain period is, for example, one week, one month, or 30 days, and if this period includes days when welfare facility C is closed, the prescribed working hours will be the working hours excluding the amount equivalent to the days off. For each job category, the sum of the number of full-time employees who are not included in the full-time equivalent calculation and the number of employees calculated using the full-time equivalent calculation will represent the planned number of employees for that job category.

[0061] Next, the determination unit 202 determines whether the planned number of staff for each job type calculated in step S21 satisfies the staffing standards for each job type imposed on welfare facility C, and creates a determination result. More specifically, the determination unit 202 refers to the staffing standard data 215 stored in the memory unit 21 and compares the planned number of staff for each job type with the lower threshold for each job type identified based on the staffing standard data 215. If the staffing standard data 215 includes a lower threshold for full-time staff when not converted to full-time equivalent, the determination unit 202 compares this lower threshold with the planned number of full-time staff. As a result, if the planned number of staff for all job types is equal to or greater than the lower threshold, and the planned number of full-time staff is equal to or greater than the lower threshold, it is determined that the planned number of staff satisfies the staffing standards. On the other hand, if there is even one job type where the planned number of staff is less than the lower threshold, or if the planned number of full-time staff is less than the lower threshold, it is determined that the planned number of staff does not satisfy the staffing standards.

[0062] In step S23, the judgment unit 202 transmits the judgment result from step S22 to the computer 3. The judgment result is displayed on the display unit 33 as a judgment table T1, for example, as shown in Figure 13A. In judgment table T1, the minimum threshold number of required personnel (required number) and the planned number of personnel (number of personnel assigned) for each job type are displayed in comparison for full-time and full-time equivalent positions. For example, in judgment table T1, the minimum threshold number of full-time "care workers" (not converted to full-time equivalent) is 1, while the planned number of personnel assigned for these "care workers" is 13, as shown in the corresponding cells. Similarly, the minimum threshold number of full-time "nurses" (not converted to full-time equivalent) is 1, while the planned number of personnel assigned for these "nurses" is 3, as shown in the corresponding cells. Since these planned personnel numbers meet the staffing standards, the cells corresponding to the planned personnel numbers are displayed normally. On the other hand, cell C1 shows that the minimum threshold for full-time equivalent "care workers" and "nurses" is 18, while cell C2 shows that the planned number of such "care workers" and "nurses" is 16.9. Cell C3 shows that this planned number does not meet the staffing standards, resulting in a ratio of 1 person for every 3.2 users. Cells C2 and C3 are colored differently from the other cells.

[0063] As described above, if there are items that do not meet the staffing standards, the corresponding cells in Judgment Table T1 will be colored differently from the other cells, warning the user that the work schedule for the following month does not meet the staffing standards. On the other hand, if there are no items that do not meet the staffing standards, all cells in Judgment Table T1 will be displayed in the normal color. However, this display format of the judgment results is merely an example and may be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, the warning that the work schedule for the following month does not meet the staffing standards is not limited to the above form and may be displayed in the form of an icon, text message, pop-up window, etc.

[0064] Users who review the assessment table T1 can easily determine whether their work schedule for the following month meets the staffing standards imposed on welfare facility C, and, if not, in what aspects. Based on this, they can then take appropriate measures to meet the staffing standards, such as securing temporary staff in addition to the M regular staff members, before providing care services based on the following month's work schedule.

[0065] Furthermore, the determination unit 202 may make a determination regarding the work schedule for the following month to determine whether or not the requirements for additional payments such as the "service provision system enhancement allowance" are met. This determination can be made, for example, by calculating the ratio of qualified persons (full-time equivalent) to the total number of care workers (full-time equivalent) based on the work schedule for the following month and the staff information 212, and comparing this ratio with a threshold value stipulated by law. Alternatively, it can be made by calculating the ratio of care workers (full-time equivalent) with a prescribed number of years of service or longer to the total number of care workers (full-time equivalent) based on the work schedule for the following month and the staff information 212, and comparing this ratio with a threshold value stipulated by law.

[0066] Furthermore, the determination unit 202 may, in addition to determining whether the work schedule for the following month satisfies the staffing standards, also determine whether the work schedule for the following month satisfies the shift rules 214, and whether the bathing assistance shift involves same-sex assistance. This allows the user to see, for example, which day and whose work schedule no longer satisfies the shift rules 214, if, when creating the shift, it is permitted not to satisfy the shift rules 214, which have a relatively lower priority.

[0067] The determination unit 202 may create a determination result screen W7 that displays the determination results for the addition requirements and the determination results for the shift rules 214, etc., together with the determination table T1, and send it to the computer 3. Figure 13B shows an example of the configuration of such a determination result screen W7. In addition to the determination table T1, the determination result screen W7 includes a work schedule T2 and a determination table T3. The work schedule T2 includes an employee display area R4, a date area R5, and a table area R6, similar to the work schedule screen W5, and cells corresponding to work schedules that are determined not to satisfy the shift rules 214 or same-sex assistance (for example, cell C4) are displayed in a different color from other cells. The determination table T3 may be a table that, for example, shows a comparison between the lower threshold of the percentage of employees whose qualifications and years of service meet the requirements for each type of addition and the average of that percentage up to the following month.

[0068] <2-4. Monitoring> Figure 14 is a sequence chart showing the data flow when System 1 performs monitoring. Monitoring is performed on the work performance of M employees and temporary staff for a predetermined period. Therefore, at the time the monitoring is performed, the attendance management system 5 (computer 51) has accumulated attendance data for the M employees and temporary staff for the predetermined period. The following explanation will use the case where System 1 performs monitoring on the work performance of the previous month as an example.

[0069] First, the user inputs an instruction to computer 3 to perform monitoring. The control unit 30 transmits the input instruction to server device 2 (step S321). Upon receiving the instruction, server device 2 sends a request to computer 51 to read the performance data for the previous month (step S221). Upon receiving the request, computer 51 transmits the requested performance data to server device 2 (step S521). Upon receiving the performance data, the determination unit 202 performs a determination to determine whether the work performance satisfies the staffing standards imposed on welfare facility C (step S222). The determination can be made by calculating the actual number of staff assigned by job type in the same manner as the shift determination described above, based on the performance data and employee information 212, and comparing this with a lower threshold based on the staffing standard data 215. However, the full-time equivalent for each job type is calculated including the performance data of temporary staff. The determination unit 202 creates a determination result in the same format as, for example, determination table T1 and transmits it to computer 3 (step S223). The judgment results received by computer 3 are displayed on display unit 33 (step S322). In the judgment results, similar to judgment table T1, if there are items where the staffing standards are not met, the cell corresponding to that item is colored differently from the other cells, and the user is warned that the work performance for the previous month did not meet the staffing standards.

[0070] As described above, System 1 can monitor welfare facilities for which pre-configured data has been stored in the storage unit 21 in the pre-configuration, in the same way as welfare facility C. Therefore, when the judgment unit 202 makes the above judgment for multiple welfare facilities, a monitoring screen W8 is created that displays a list of monitoring results for multiple welfare facilities, as shown in Figure 15, and is displayed on the display unit 33, etc. The monitoring screen W8 includes, for example, a facility display area R7, a reference value display area R8, and an alert display area R9. In the facility display area R7, basic information for each welfare facility, such as the name of the welfare facility, business type, and location, is displayed in a vertical list based on the facility information 211. In the reference value display area R8, the number of users, the number of people requiring care, the number of people requiring support, and the additional care ratio for each welfare facility are displayed based on formula (2). These values ​​may be the average of the previous year. In the alert display area R9, each cell is colored differently from other cells if, as a result of the above judgment by the judgment unit 202, there is a warning that the staffing standards are not met. In addition, the number of warnings is displayed in each cell. The alert display area R9 may be configured so that when the user hovers the pointer over a specific cell or clicks on a specific cell via the operation unit 34, the detailed contents of the alert are displayed in a pop-up window.

[0071] The determination unit 202 may, based on the work performance for the previous month and the employee information 212, further determine whether the requirements for additional payments such as the "service provision system enhancement allowance" are met, in the same manner as the determination for shifts, and transmit the determination result to the computer 3 in the same format as the determination table T3.

[0072] <2-5. Document Preparation> As mentioned above, System 1 automatically generates a work schedule list (planned and actual) and a reference calculation sheet. The work schedule list is required to be submitted to the relevant public institution as documentation to report to the relevant public institution that the requirements for staffing standards are met for various services based on the Long-Term Care Insurance Act, or as confirmation for long-term care fee claims. The recommended format for the work schedule list may differ depending on the type of welfare facility, but each has fields for recording the employee's name, work schedule, job title, qualifications held, prescribed working hours at welfare facility C, number of care recipients and support recipients, and each employee's planned or actual work for a given month.

[0073] When a work schedule for a given month is first saved to the memory unit 21, the document creation unit 203 reads a format from the format 216 that corresponds to the type of welfare facility C, and inserts appropriate data into the blanks in the format based on the work schedule, facility information 211, and staff information 212. This creates a work schedule list (scheduled). Furthermore, the document creation unit 203 saves the created work schedule list (scheduled) to the memory unit 21 as the first version. Subsequently, in conjunction with updates to the work schedule saved in the memory unit 21 by the user, the document creation unit 203 creates a new version of the work schedule list (scheduled) and saves it separately from the old version. In other words, the document creation unit 203 updates the previously created work schedule list (scheduled) based on the staff information 212 and the updated work schedule, and saves the updated work schedule list (scheduled) together with the pre-update work schedule list (scheduled) to the memory unit 21. As a result, the memory unit 21 stores work schedule lists (scheduled) in each version.

[0074] Furthermore, when the document creation unit 203 receives the previous month's performance data from the computer 51 through the above monitoring, it creates a work schedule list (actual) based on the said performance data, facility information 211, and staff information 212, and saves it to the storage unit 21. The work schedule list (actual) is created using the same format as the work schedule list (planned).

[0075] When submitting to the relevant public agency that has jurisdiction over fulfilling the requirements of "Service Provision System Strengthening Addition", or as evidence for claiming caregiving compensation, the reference calculation document needs to be submitted to the relevant public agency. The recommended format of the reference calculation document may vary according to the type of welfare facility and the type of addition. However, in order to calculate the proportion of staff with predetermined qualifications respectively, there are columns for entering the calculation period of the proportion of eligible persons, the established working hours of regular staff in one month, the number of regular staff per month during the above calculation period, the working hours of staff in terms of regular work per month, the working hours of part-time staff, etc. When the work schedule for a certain month is first saved in the storage unit 21, the document creation unit 203 reads out the data of the latest version of the reference calculation document saved in the storage unit 21, and inserts appropriate data into the blank fields for the corresponding month based on the above work schedule and staff information 212. However, if there is no data of the reference calculation document saved in the storage unit 21 at this time, a format corresponding to the type of welfare facility C and the current type of addition is read out from the format 216, and appropriate data is inserted into the blank fields in the format based on the above work schedule, facility information 211 and staff information 212.

[0076] The document creation unit 203 saves the reference calculation document with the data inserted as above in the storage unit 21 as the latest version. Thereby, the reference calculation document is created or updated. Furthermore, in conjunction with the update of the work schedule saved in the storage unit 21 by the user, the document creation unit 203 creates a new version of the reference calculation document and saves it separately from the old version. In other words, the document creation unit 203 updates the previously created reference calculation document based on the staff information 212 and the updated work schedule, and saves the updated reference calculation document together with the reference calculation document before the update in the storage unit 21. Thereby, the reference calculation documents for each version are saved in the storage unit 21.

[0077] In addition, when the document creation unit 203 receives the performance data of the previous month from the computer 51 in the above monitoring, it creates a reference calculation document based on the performance data, facility information 211 and staff information 212, and saves it in the storage unit 21.

[0078] As described above, the memory unit 21 stores versions of the work schedule list (including planned and actual) and reference calculation sheet created in conjunction with the update of work schedules and the acquisition of actual data. The document creation unit 203 further creates a download screen W9 (see Figure 16) that displays a list of versions of the work schedule list and reference calculation sheet for a specific month that are stored in the memory unit 21. The download screen W9 is a screen for the user to download the desired document to the computer 3, and displays a list of document names such as "Shift Schedule (corresponding to the planned work schedule list)", "Work Schedule List (corresponding to the actual work schedule list)", and "Reference Calculation Sheet", along with the version number and update date and time. The download screen W9 shown in Figure 16 is configured so that when the user clicks on the desired version of each document, the data of that document is sent from the server device 2 to the computer 3.

[0079] Furthermore, if pre-configured data for multiple welfare facilities is stored in the storage unit 21, the document creation unit 203 creates or updates a work schedule list and a reference calculation sheet for each welfare facility and saves them to the storage unit 21 each time. The work schedule list is a document that should be created monthly. Therefore, the download screen W9 may include a pull-down menu for the user to select one facility from multiple facility names registered in the pre-configured data, and a pop-up menu for selecting a month, etc.

[0080] <3. Features> According to the system 1 of the above embodiment, the creation of staff work schedules that take into account the shift work conditions specific to nursing care facilities, monitoring whether the system in place during service provision satisfies staffing standards, and the creation of work schedule lists and reference calculation sheets are performed automatically. This reduces the burden of manually creating work schedules, the various workloads required to satisfy staffing standards, and the burden of creating documents, thereby improving nursing care services and ensuring the sound operation of welfare facility C.

[0081] Furthermore, according to System 1, employee work schedules are created, in principle, according to a predetermined algorithm. This ensures fairness among employees while reflecting each employee's preferences in the creation of work schedules, thereby improving the ease of work for employees.

[0082] Furthermore, according to System 1, the created work schedule list and reference calculation sheet are saved in the memory unit 21 for each version, along with the update date and time. This makes it easier to prepare documents that may be required to be submitted if welfare facility C undergoes an audit (operational guidance) by a public institution.

[0083] Furthermore, System 1 allows an operating organization to manage multiple facilities collectively. This promotes the standardization of service quality among welfare facilities operated by the same organization, as well as the sharing of information among welfare facilities.

[0084] <4. Variation> The following describes some variations of the embodiment. These variations can be combined as appropriate.

[0085] Welfare facility C is not limited to nursing care facilities; any facility that provides welfare services and is able to claim the legally mandated remuneration is acceptable.

[0086] The functions of server device 2 may be distributed across multiple computers. Furthermore, some of the operations performed by server device 2 may be configured to be performed by computer 3.

[0087] The shift rule 214 according to the above embodiment is merely an example, and its content and priority may be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, at least a part of the shift rule 214 may be rewritten by the user as needed.

[0088] The acceptance of employee requests via the information processing terminal 4 may be done without using the application 410. In other words, the application 410 may be omitted.

[0089] The user interfaces, such as the settings screen W1, work request input screen W2, form W3, list display screen W4, work schedule screen W5, individual work schedule screen W6, judgment result screen W7, monitoring screen W8, and download screen W9, are not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment and can be modified as appropriate.

[0090] The algorithm executed by the shift creation unit 200 when creating a work schedule is not limited to the shift creation algorithm of the above embodiment, and can be changed as appropriate.

[0091] The documents created by Document Creation Department 203 are not limited to work schedule lists and reference calculation sheets. The documents created by Document Creation Department 203 are any documents that can be created based on facility information 211, employee information 212 and work schedules, or facility information 211, employee information 212 and work performance.

[0092] <5. Addendum> This disclosure includes the matters described in the following sections. [Section 1] A memory unit that stores employee information about M (M≧2) employees working at a welfare facility that provides welfare services, A shift scheduling department receives requests from the aforementioned M employees regarding their work schedules for a specified period, and based on these requests, creates a work schedule for the aforementioned M employees for the specified period. For the aforementioned predetermined period, the performance acquisition unit acquires the work performance of the aforementioned M employees, A determination unit that determines whether the staffing standards stipulated by law are met for the welfare facility for the specified period, based on the aforementioned employee information and the aforementioned work schedule, or based on the aforementioned employee information and the aforementioned work performance. A facility operation support system comprising a document creation unit that, based on the aforementioned employee information and work schedule, or based on the aforementioned employee information and work performance, creates documents for submission to a public institution in a prescribed format, as confirmation for at least one of the prescribed notifications and claims for remuneration under the long-term care insurance system that are publicly stipulated for welfare services. [Section 2] The staff information includes at least one of the qualifications held by each of the M staff members related to the welfare service, the number of years of service of each of the M staff members in the welfare service, and the working form of each of the M staff members, for the facility operation support system according to claim 1. [Item 3] The determination unit performs full-time conversion based on the staff information and the work schedule or work performance, for the facility operation support system according to claim 1 or 2. [Item 4] When the staffing standard for staff of a predetermined job type is defined with 1 as the standard for the number of users P, and the number of users X of the welfare facility satisfies (k - 1)P < X < kP (where k is an integer of 2 or more), the determination unit compares the full-time converted number of staff of the predetermined job type with a predetermined threshold Th to determine whether the staffing standard is satisfied. The predetermined threshold Th is determined so as to be in the range of (k - 1) < Th < k and to be a value corresponding to the number of users X, for the facility operation support system according to claim 3. [Item 5] The document includes at least one of a reference calculation sheet and a work form list, for the facility operation support system according to any one of claims 1 to 4. [Item 6] The document includes a reference calculation sheet, for the facility operation support system according to any one of claims 1 to 5. [Item 7] The shift creation unit receives an instruction to change the created work schedule and updates the work schedule according to the instruction to change. The document creation unit updates the created document based on the staff information and the updated work schedule, and stores the document before update and the document after update in the storage unit, for the facility operation support system according to any one of claims 1 to 6. [Item 8] The shift creation unit For the nth day (n = 1, 2,..., N) of the predetermined period, randomly determines a temporary work schedule for the mth (m = 1, 2,..., M) staff member among the M staff members. Determining whether the aforementioned provisional work schedule succeeded or failed to satisfy a plurality of predetermined shift rules, including the aforementioned preference of the mth employee. Execute, If it is determined to be successful, the provisional work schedule for the (m+1)th employee is then randomly determined. A facility operation support system according to any one of items 1 to 7, wherein, in cases where a failure is determined, and the total number of times a failure has been determined for the nth day is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold, the system further performs the action of randomly determining a provisional work schedule again for the mth employee. [Section 9] The shift creation unit, for the nth day, if the total number of times it has determined to be a failure exceeds a predetermined threshold, On the (n-1)th day of the aforementioned predetermined period, a provisional work schedule for the first of the M employees is randomly determined. To determine whether the aforementioned provisional work schedule succeeded or failed to satisfy the aforementioned multiple predetermined shift rules, including the aforementioned preference of the first employee. The facility operation support system described in item 8, which performs the following actions. [Section 10] If the shift scheduling unit determines that the provisional work schedule determined for the M employees on the nth day has successfully satisfied the plurality of predetermined shift rules, For the (n+1)th day of the aforementioned predetermined period, a provisional work schedule for the first employee is determined randomly, The determination of whether the aforementioned provisional work schedule succeeded or failed to satisfy the aforementioned multiple predetermined shift rules. The facility operation support system described in item 8 further implements the above. [Section 11] The task involves memorizing employee information for M (M≧2) staff members working at welfare facilities that provide welfare services. The following are to receive requests from the aforementioned M employees regarding their work schedules for a specified period, and to create work schedules for the aforementioned M employees for the specified period based on the received requests. To obtain the work performance records of the aforementioned M employees for the aforementioned specified period, Based on the aforementioned employee information and the aforementioned work schedule, or based on the aforementioned employee information and the aforementioned work performance, it is determined whether or not the welfare facility satisfies the staffing standards stipulated by law. Based on the aforementioned employee information and work schedule, or based on the aforementioned employee information and work performance, prepare documents to be submitted to a public institution in accordance with a prescribed format, as confirmation for at least one of the prescribed notifications and claims for remuneration under the long-term care insurance system that are officially established for the welfare services. A method for supporting facility operations, performed by one or more computers. [Section 12] The task involves memorizing employee information for M (M≧2) staff members working at welfare facilities that provide welfare services. The following are to receive requests from the aforementioned M employees regarding their work schedules for a specified period, and to create work schedules for the aforementioned M employees for the specified period based on the received requests. To obtain the work performance records of the aforementioned M employees for the aforementioned specified period, Based on the aforementioned employee information and work schedule, or based on the aforementioned employee information and work performance, it is determined whether or not the welfare facility satisfies the staffing standards stipulated by law. Based on the aforementioned employee information and work schedule, or based on the aforementioned employee information and work performance, prepare documents to be submitted to a public institution in accordance with a prescribed format, as confirmation for at least one of the prescribed notifications and claims for remuneration under the long-term care insurance system that are officially established for the welfare services. A facility operation support program that runs on one or more computers. [Explanation of symbols]

[0093] 1...System (facility operation support system), 2...Server device, 3...Computer, 4, 4a, 4b, 4c...Information processing terminal, 5...Attendance management system, 20...Control unit, 21...Storage unit, 22...I / O interface, 30...Control unit, 31...Storage unit, 32...I / O interface, 33...Display unit, 34...Operation unit, 40...Control unit, 41...Storage unit, 42...Communication unit, 43...Display unit, 44...Operation unit, 50...Time recorder, 51...Computer, 200...Shift creation unit, 201...Performance acquisition unit, 202...Judgment unit, 203...Document creation unit, 204...Data management unit, 205...Distribution unit, 210...Program, 211...Facility information, 212...Employee information, 213...Shift pattern, 214...Shift rules, 215...Staffing standard data 216…Format, 410…App (Application), S1~S20, S21~S23, S201, S202, S211~218, S221~S223, S301~S304, S311~S316, S321, S322, S411~S413, S521…Step, C…Welfare facility, C1~C4…Cell, R1, R4…Staff display area, R2, R5…Date area, R3, R6…Table area, R7…Facility display area, R8…Reference value display area, R9…Alert display area, T1, T3…Judgment table, T2…Work schedule, W1…Settings screen, W2…Work request input screen, W3…Form, W4…List display screen, W5…Work schedule screen, W6…Individual work schedule screen, W7…Judgment result screen, W8…Monitoring screen, W9…Download screen

Claims

1. A memory unit that stores employee information about M (M≧2) employees working at a welfare facility that provides welfare services, A shift scheduling department receives requests from the aforementioned M employees regarding their work schedules for a specified period, and based on these requests, creates a work schedule for the aforementioned M employees for the specified period. For the aforementioned predetermined period, the performance acquisition unit acquires the work performance of the aforementioned M employees, A determination unit that determines whether the staffing standards stipulated by law for the welfare facility are satisfied for the specified period based on the aforementioned employee information and the aforementioned work schedule, and determines whether the staffing standards stipulated by law for the welfare facility are satisfied for the specified period based on the aforementioned employee information and the aforementioned work performance, A facility operation support system comprising a document creation unit that, based on the aforementioned employee information and work schedule, or based on the aforementioned employee information and work performance, creates documents for submission to a public institution in a prescribed format, as confirmation for at least one of the prescribed notifications and claims for remuneration under the long-term care insurance system that are publicly stipulated for welfare services.

2. The facility operation support system according to claim 1, wherein the employee information includes at least one of the following in relation to the welfare service: the qualifications held by each of the M employees, their occupation, their length of service at the welfare facility, and their work style.

3. The facility operation support system according to claim 2, wherein the determination unit performs full-time equivalent calculations based on the employee information and the work schedule or work performance.

4. The determination unit determines whether the staffing standards are satisfied when the staffing standards for a given job category are set at 1 for the number of users P, and the number of users X of the welfare facility is (k-1)P < X < kP (where k is an integer of 2 or more), by comparing the full-time equivalent number of staff for the given job category with a predetermined threshold Th. The facility operation support system according to claim 3, wherein the predetermined threshold Th is determined to be a value corresponding to the number of users X, within the range of (k-1) < Th < k.

5. The facility operation support system according to claim 1, wherein the aforementioned documents include at least one of a reference calculation sheet and a work schedule list.

6. The aforementioned documents include a reference calculation sheet, and the facility operation support system is as described in claim 1.

7. The shift scheduling unit receives instructions to change the created work schedule and updates the work schedule in accordance with the instructions to change it. The facility operation support system according to claim 1, wherein the document creation unit updates the created document based on the employee information and the updated work schedule, and stores the document before the update and the updated document in the storage unit.

8. The aforementioned shift creation unit, On the nth day (n = 1, 2, ..., N) of the aforementioned predetermined period, a provisional work schedule is randomly determined for the mth employee (m = 1, 2, ..., M) out of the M employees. Determining whether the aforementioned provisional work schedule succeeded or failed to satisfy a plurality of predetermined shift rules, including the aforementioned preference of the mth employee. Execute, If it is determined to be successful, the provisional work schedule of the (m+1)th employee is randomly determined, The facility operation support system according to claim 1, further comprising the action of randomly determining a provisional work schedule again for the mth employee if, in the case of determining a failure, the total number of times a failure has been determined for the nth day is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold.

9. The shift creation unit, for the nth day, if the total number of times it has determined to be a failure exceeds a predetermined threshold, On the (n-1)th day of the aforementioned predetermined period, a provisional work schedule for the first of the M employees is randomly determined. To determine whether the aforementioned provisional work schedule succeeded or failed to satisfy the aforementioned multiple predetermined shift rules, including the aforementioned preference of the first employee. A facility operation support system according to claim 8, which performs the following:

10. If the shift scheduling unit determines that the provisional work schedule determined for the M employees on the nth day has successfully satisfied the plurality of predetermined shift rules, For the (n+1)th day of the aforementioned predetermined period, a provisional work schedule for the first employee is determined randomly, The determination of whether the aforementioned provisional work schedule succeeded or failed to satisfy the aforementioned multiple predetermined shift rules. The facility operation support system according to claim 8, further performing the following:

11. To memorize employee information for M (M≧2) staff members working at welfare facilities that provide welfare services, The following are to receive requests from the aforementioned M employees regarding their work schedules for a specified period, and to create work schedules for the aforementioned M employees for the specified period based on the received requests. To obtain the work records of the aforementioned M employees for the aforementioned specified period, Based on the aforementioned employee information and work schedule, it is determined whether the staffing standards stipulated by law are met for the welfare facility; and based on the aforementioned employee information and work performance, it is determined whether the staffing standards stipulated by law are met for the welfare facility. Based on the aforementioned employee information and work schedule, or based on the aforementioned employee information and work performance, prepare documents to be submitted to a public institution in accordance with a prescribed format, as confirmation for at least one of the prescribed notifications and claims for remuneration under the long-term care insurance system that are officially established for the welfare services. A method for supporting facility operations, which involves performing the operation using one or more computers.

12. To memorize employee information for M (M≧2) staff members working at welfare facilities that provide welfare services, The following are to receive requests from the aforementioned M employees regarding their work schedules for a specified period, and to create work schedules for the aforementioned M employees for the specified period based on the received requests. To obtain the work records of the aforementioned M employees for the aforementioned specified period, Based on the aforementioned employee information and work schedule, it is determined whether the staffing standards stipulated by law are met for the welfare facility; and based on the aforementioned employee information and work performance, it is determined whether the staffing standards stipulated by law are met for the welfare facility. Based on the aforementioned employee information and work schedule, or based on the aforementioned employee information and work performance, prepare documents to be submitted to a public institution in accordance with a prescribed format, as confirmation for at least one of the prescribed notifications and claims for remuneration under the long-term care insurance system that are officially established for the welfare services. A facility operation support program that runs on one or more computers.

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