Shipping management system, shipping management method, and program

Abstract

To provide a shipping management system, shipping management method, and program, which manages orders (shipping instructions to a warehouse) made by a store or the like and provides the store or the like with information on shipping and / or delivery for each order.SOLUTION: In a shipping management system 1 for managing shipping instructions issued by a store or the like, a shipping management device 10 comprises: a management unit 12 for managing shipping instructions and delivery status; a computation unit 13 configured to compute the number of shipping instructions issued by the store or the like for each delivery status upon receipt of a request from a terminal 40 of the store or the like; and a transmission / reception unit 11 configured to transmit the computed number of shipping instructions for each delivery status to the terminal 40 of the store or the like.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] In stores and the like, employees and the like need to grasp the status of goods in transit in order to perform proper inventory management, and consider accepting goods or placing orders. For this reason, employees and the like have incurred work hours for tasks such as recording their own orders and checking with the shipping source such as a warehouse.

[0003] In order to reduce this work time, there is disclosed a distribution management apparatus having a database for associating and storing a first identifier managed by a shipper for requesting distribution and a second identifier managed by a carrier for performing distribution, and distribution status registration means for registering a distribution status in the database (see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] By the way, employees in stores and the like also need to perform other tasks such as customer service, so it is necessary to reduce the work hours required for goods acceptance and ordering operations. However, in the distribution management apparatus of Patent Document 1, although the distribution status of goods delivered to stores and the like can be confirmed in a list, the necessary information needs to be read by the employees from the list, and the number of packing boxes of the goods was not included in the list. Therefore, it was not possible to reduce the work hours required for employees in stores and the like for goods acceptance and ordering operations.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention provides a shipping management system, a shipping management method, and a program that manage orders (shipping instructions to warehouses) placed by stores, etc., and provide shipping and / or delivery information to stores, etc. on an order-by-order basis. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] This invention relates to stores, etc. The ordered products A shipping instruction management system, Shipping management information that associates store identification information such as the store that placed the order for the product, inquiry identification information that identifies the package to be delivered, order identification information related to the order for the product, and shipping information including the shipping status of the package containing the product, with shipping information including the inquiry identification information and shipping information including the delivery status of the package, based on the inquiry identification information. The management department manages the terminals in the aforementioned stores, etc. , inquiry regarding the progress of the order for the said product, which includes at least the store identification information. Upon receiving the request, The aforementioned management department extracts shipping management information associated with store identification information of stores that have requested inquiries about the progress of the orders, and aggregates the number of order identification information in the extracted shipping management information as the number of orders, which is the number of shipping instructions, for each delivery status, thereby determining the actions taken by the stores. A calculation unit that calculates the number of shipping instructions for each delivery status, and the calculated number for each delivery status The aforementioned shipping instructions The present invention provides a shipping management system comprising a transmission unit that transmits the number of items to terminals in the aforementioned stores, etc.

[0008] Furthermore, the present invention is The calculation unit receives an inquiry request from a terminal at a store or the like regarding the progress of the order for the product, which includes the store identification information and predetermined conditions. The calculation unit extracts the store identification information and shipping management information that satisfies the predetermined conditions, and calculates the number of shipping instructions for each delivery status. We provide a shipping management system that calculates shipments.

[0010] Furthermore, the present invention is The management unit manages store identification information that identifies the store, etc., and user identification information that identifies the user, etc., in association with each other. When it receives the user identification information from the terminal of the store, etc., it includes an account management unit that identifies the store, etc., based on the store identification information associated with the user identification information. The calculation unit calculates the number of shipping instructions issued by the identified store, etc. We provide a shipping management system.

[0011] Furthermore, the present invention is The terminal in the store, etc., is a mobile terminal that displays multiple delivery statuses and the number of shipping instructions for each delivery status on a single screen, according to predetermined conditions. We provide a shipping management system.

[0012] Furthermore, the present invention is The multiple delivery statuses and the number of shipping instructions for each delivery status are all displayed within the screen frame of the mobile device. We provide a shipping management system.

[0013] Furthermore, the present invention provides a shipping management method for managing shipping instructions for goods ordered by stores, etc., comprising the steps of: managing shipping management information which associates the store identification information of the store, etc. that placed the order for the goods, inquiry identification information which identifies the package to be delivered, order identification information related to the order for the goods, and shipping information which includes the shipping status of the package containing the goods, and shipping information which includes the inquiry identification information and the delivery status of the package, based on the inquiry identification information; receiving an inquiry request for the progress of the order for the goods which includes at least the store identification information from a terminal of the store, etc., extracts shipping management information which associates with the store identification information of the store, etc. that made the inquiry request for the progress of the order using the shipping management information, calculates the number of shipping instructions made by the store, etc. for each delivery status by aggregating the number of order identification information of the extracted shipping management information as the number of orders which is the number of shipping instructions for each delivery status; and transmitting the calculated number of shipping instructions for each delivery status to a terminal of the store, etc.

[0014] Furthermore, the present invention is A computer-readable program that enables a shipping management system for managing shipping instructions for goods ordered by stores, etc. to function as follows: a management unit that manages shipping management information which associates shipping information including store identification information of the store, etc. that placed the order, inquiry identification information which identifies the package to be delivered, order identification information related to the order of the goods, and shipping information including the shipping status of the package containing the goods, and shipping information which associates the inquiry identification information and shipping information including the delivery status of the package based on the inquiry identification information; a calculation unit that, when it receives an inquiry request for the progress of the order of the goods which includes at least the store identification information from the terminal of the store, etc., extracts the shipping management information associated with the store identification information of the store, etc. that made the inquiry request for the progress of the order from the terminal of the store, etc., using the shipping management information managed by the management unit, calculates the number of shipping instructions made by the store, etc. for each delivery status by aggregating the number of order identification information in the extracted shipping management information as the number of orders which is the number of shipping instructions; and a transmission unit that transmits the calculated number of shipping instructions for each delivery status to the terminal of the store, etc. To provide. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the present invention, it is possible to manage orders (shipping instructions to warehouses) placed by stores, etc., and to provide stores with information regarding shipping and / or delivery on an order-by-order basis. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0018] [Figure 1] This figure illustrates an overview of a shipping management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This figure shows the functional configuration of the shipping management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This figure schematically shows a shipment management information database according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This flowchart shows the process for generating shipping management information in a shipping management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] It is a flowchart showing the provision process of shipping management information of the shipping management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing an example of display on a terminal of the shipping management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing an example of display on a terminal of the shipping management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] It is a diagram showing an example of display on a terminal of the shipping management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] It is a diagram showing an example of display on a terminal of the shipping management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] It is a diagram showing an example of display on a terminal of the shipping management system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention (hereinafter, embodiments) will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following figures, the same elements are denoted by the same numbers or symbols throughout the description of the embodiments.

[0020] [Basic Concept / Basic Configuration] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the outline of a shipping management system Ⅰ according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the shipping management system Ⅰ includes a shipping management device 10 that manages orders placed by stores etc. (in other words, shipping instructions to the warehouse), a warehouse management device 20 that is connected to the shipping management device 10 via a network and manages the goods stored in the warehouse, a delivery management device 30 that manages the goods to be delivered from the warehouse, and a terminal 40 that is operated by employees and managers (hereinafter referred to as employees etc.) of stores etc. and headquarters etc. (hereinafter referred to as stores) that统括 multiple stores etc. Note that the terminal 40 may be a small and portable terminal, and for example, a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet-type terminal may be adopted.

[0021] In the shipping management system 1, the shipping management device 10 is a cloud server in this embodiment and is managed, for example, by a warehouse manager (such as a logistics company). The warehouse management device 20 manages goods that are stored and shipped from multiple shippers (in the example shown in Figure 1, shipper A and shipper B: retail company, retail group, etc.).

[0022] The shipping management system 1, upon receiving product order information from the store's terminal 40, manages the orders made by the store by associating shipping information regarding the shipment of the ordered goods from the warehouse with delivery information regarding the delivery of the goods shipped from the warehouse. In detail, the shipping management device 10 acquires shipping information from the warehouse management device 20 and delivery information from the delivery management device 30, and manages information related to shipments and deliveries based on orders made by the store by associating the acquired shipping information and delivery information.

[0023] Furthermore, when the terminal 40 inquires about the progress of an order placed by a store, the shipping management system 1 notifies the terminal 40 of the number of orders placed by the store for each delivery status of the goods based on that order. Specifically, the shipping management device 10 refers to the shipping information and delivery information that it manages in association with each other, extracts information about the orders placed by the inquiring store, calculates the number of orders for each delivery status based on the extracted information, and notifies the terminal 40.

[0024] According to this shipping management system 1, it is possible to manage orders placed by stores and provide stores with shipping and / or delivery information on an order-by-order basis. Employees can also check the progress of orders for each delivery status of goods based on those orders. Therefore, knowing the progress of orders allows employees to carry out their receiving and ordering tasks more efficiently and smoothly, reducing the workload for these tasks.

[0025] [Functional Configuration] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the functional configuration of a shipping management system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the shipping management system 1 comprises a shipping management device 10, a warehouse management device 20 connected to the shipping management device 10 via a network, a delivery management device 30, and a terminal 40. In this embodiment, the warehouse management device 20 and the delivery management device 30 are described as separate devices from the shipping management device 10, but the warehouse management device 20 and / or the delivery management device 30 may be omitted, and the functions of the warehouse management device 20 and / or the delivery management device 30, which will be described later, may be provided by the shipping management device 10.

[0026] [Functional Configuration of Warehouse Management System] The warehouse management device 20 receives order information (in other words, information instructing the shipment of goods to the warehouse) from the terminal 40. The order information includes order identification information to identify the order, store identification information to identify the store that placed the order, store name, store address, order date, shipment type, product identification information to identify the product, product name, and quantity of the product.

[0027] The warehouse management device 20 associates the order information received from the terminal 40 with the inquiry identification information and the shipping status, and records it as shipping information.

[0028] Inquiry identification information is information that identifies the package being delivered and can be used to track and manage the package during delivery. Inquiry identification information is also commonly referred to as a shipping label number, tracking number, inquiry number, or slip number. The warehouse management device 20 generates the inquiry identification information based on conditions agreed upon in advance between the warehouse operator and the delivery company. Furthermore, the inquiry identification information is a string of characters consisting of numbers, symbols, letters, etc.

[0029] The warehouse management device 20 may generate one inquiry identification piece for each box containing the ordered goods, or one piece for multiple boxes delivered simultaneously with the ordered goods.

[0030] As described above, the warehouse management device 20 may generate one or more inquiry identification pieces for a single order. In this case, each of the generated one or more inquiry pieces is associated with the order information, so the warehouse management device 20 records the number of shipment pieces corresponding to the one or more inquiry identification pieces generated for that single order from a single order information.

[0031] The shipping status shows the shipping status for each inquiry identification information for the product in the order information, specifically indicating whether it is before shipping, shipped, or out of stock.

[0032] The warehouse management device 20 issues a shipping label with the necessary delivery information printed on it, based on the shipping information and the warehouse information that the warehouse management device 20 has recorded in advance. The necessary delivery information includes, for example, the shipping warehouse, delivery destination, product name, expected arrival date, and inquiry identification information. The shipping warehouse is the place from which the goods are shipped, and in this embodiment, it is the warehouse from which the goods are shipped. The delivery destination is the place to which the goods are delivered, and is the name and address of the store to which the goods are delivered. The expected arrival date is the expected arrival date of the goods, and is calculated by the warehouse management device 20, for example, based on the shipping date and the delivery destination. The warehouse management device 20 has a database in which the required period for each shipping warehouse and delivery destination is recorded, and it calculates the expected arrival date by referring to the database to find the required period and adding it to the shipping date. The expected arrival date may also be calculated down to the hour.

[0033] A shipping label is a piece of paper or sticker affixed to a package, commonly referred to as a delivery slip, shipping slip, or simply a slip. The shipping information printed on the shipping label may be coded using barcodes or QR codes. The issued shipping label is affixed to the package box, and the box with the shipping label attached is handed over to the delivery company for shipment.

[0034] [Functional Configuration of the Delivery Management System] The delivery management device 30 receives inquiry identification information and delivery status from the terminal of the person in charge of the package, which is attached to the shipping label attached to the box of the package. The inquiry identification information is obtained, for example, by the driver delivering the package or an employee of a business that the package passes through, by scanning the inquiry identification information on the shipping label attached to the box of the package with their own terminal. The delivery status is obtained, for example, by the employee entering it into their own terminal, or by the terminal automatically selecting the delivery status based on location information obtained by the terminal's GPS function. The delivery management device 30 associates the obtained inquiry identification information and delivery status and transmits it to the delivery management device 30 as delivery information. The delivery management device 30 then records and updates the received delivery information.

[0035] [Functional Configuration of the Shipping Management System] The shipping management device 10 includes a transmission / reception unit 11 that sends and receives data with the warehouse management device 20, the delivery management device 30, and the terminal 40, as well as a management unit 12, a calculation unit 13, an acquisition unit 14, and a storage unit 15. In this embodiment, since the shipping management device 10 is a cloud server, the storage unit 15 is composed of cloud storage or a distributed ledger, but it may also be composed of a hard disk, semiconductor memory, storage medium, memory card, etc.

[0036] The management unit 12 receives shipping information from the warehouse management device 20 via the transmitting / receiving unit 11. The management unit 12 also receives delivery information from the delivery management device 30 via the transmitting / receiving unit 11. The management unit 12 then generates and updates a shipping management information database based on shipping management information that associates shipping information and delivery information based on query identification information, and records and manages it in the storage unit 15. Hereinafter, in this specification, the database may be referred to as DB.

[0037] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the shipping management information database according to this embodiment. The shipping management information in the shipping management information database includes information such as order identification information, store identification information, store name, store address, order date, shipping type, product identification information, product name, quantity (quantity of products), shipping warehouse, shipping status, inquiry identification information, shipping date, expected arrival date, delivery status, and delivery completion date. In the shipping management information shown in Figure 3, the order identification information, store identification information, store name, store address, order date, shipping type, product identification information, product name, quantity, shipping warehouse, shipping status, and inquiry identification information are based on shipping information. In addition, in the shipping management information, the inquiry identification information, shipping date, expected arrival date, delivery status, and delivery completion date are based on delivery information.

[0038] When the calculation unit 13 receives an inquiry request from the terminal 40 via the transmission / reception unit 11 regarding the progress of an order placed by a store, it refers to the shipping management information DB and aggregates the number of orders for each delivery status for the orders placed by the store that made the inquiry request. The inquiry request may be an inquiry for any order placed by a store that meets predetermined conditions. In this case, one or more pieces of information included in the shipping management information, such as shipping type, order date or order period, and product name, are set as predetermined conditions.

[0039] In detail, the calculation unit 13 receives an inquiry request from the terminal 40 via the transmission / reception unit 11, which includes store identification information, or store identification information and predetermined conditions. Note that store name or store address may be used instead of store identification information. If the inquiry request includes store identification information, the calculation unit 13 refers to the shipment management information DB and obtains shipment management information associated with the received store identification information. On the other hand, if the inquiry request includes store identification information and predetermined conditions, the calculation unit 13 refers to the shipment management information DB and obtains shipment management information associated with the received store identification information that satisfies the predetermined conditions.

[0040] Next, the calculation unit 13 aggregates the number of order identification information from the acquired shipping management information as the number of orders for each delivery status (e.g., before warehouse shipment, in transit, completed delivery). Then, the calculation unit 13 creates order count confirmation screen data that displays the aggregated number of orders for each delivery status and sends it to the terminal 40 via the transmission / reception unit 11. The calculation unit 13 also temporarily stores the acquired shipping management information.

[0041] The acquisition unit 14 receives the delivery status selected on terminal 40 via the transmission / reception unit 11 from terminal 40 displaying the order quantity confirmation screen. Next, the acquisition unit 14 refers to the temporarily stored shipment management information and acquires the shipment information of the received delivery status. Then, the acquisition unit 14 creates shipment information screen data that displays the acquired shipment information and sends it to terminal 40. Note that the acquisition unit 14 does not have to acquire all of the shipment information; it may acquire only information related to the ordered product, such as order identification information, product name, and quantity, or it may acquire only arbitrary shipment information, such as detailed information of the order made by the store, such as order identification information, order date, shipment type, product name, and quantity.

[0042] Furthermore, when the acquisition unit 14 receives the order identification information selected on the terminal 40 via the transmission / reception unit 11 from the terminal 40 displaying the shipping information screen, it refers to the temporarily stored shipping management information and acquires the delivery information associated with the order identification information. The acquisition unit 14 then creates delivery information screen data to display the acquired delivery information and transmits it to the terminal 40. Note that the acquisition unit 14 does not need to acquire all of the delivery information; it may acquire only the arbitrary delivery information.

[0043] [Device Functionality Configuration] The terminals 40 are operated by employees, etc., and consist of devices such as smartphones, tablet devices, and personal computers, and are each connected to the shipping management device 10 via a network to send and receive information.

[0044] Terminal 40 includes an input / output unit (not shown) which is, for example, a touch panel, and accepts operations from employees, etc., and accesses the shipping management device 10 to display the number of orders placed by the store for each delivery status, and also displays delivery information and shipping information for each delivery status and each order.

[0045] The functional configuration of this system described above is merely an example, and a single functional block (database and functional processing unit) may be divided, or multiple functional blocks may be combined into a single functional block. Each functional processing unit is realized by a computer program (for example, core software or an application that causes the CPU to execute the various processes described above) stored in a storage device (storage unit) such as ROM (Read Only Memory), flash memory, SSD (Solid State Drive), or hard disk, which is read by the CPU (Central Processing Unit) built into the device or terminal, and executed by the CPU. In other words, each functional processing unit is realized by this computer program reading and writing necessary data such as tables from a database (DB) stored in the storage device or from a storage area in memory, and, if necessary, controlling related hardware (for example, input / output devices, display devices, communication interface devices). Furthermore, the database (DB) in the embodiments of the present invention may be a commercial database, but it also means a mere collection of tables and files, and the internal structure of the database itself is not specified.

[0046] Using Figure 4, the process for generating shipping management information in the shipping management system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be explained. This process is performed by the shipping management device 10.

[0047] First, the management unit 12 obtains shipping information from the warehouse management device 20 via the transmission / reception unit 11 (S1). Next, the management unit 12 obtains delivery information from the delivery management device 30 (S2). Then, the management unit 12 generates and updates a shipping management information DB based on the shipping management information obtained by associating the shipping information obtained in S1 and the delivery information obtained in S2 with the query identification information contained in each, and records and manages it in the storage unit 15 (S3). Note that the order of S1 and S2 may be reversed.

[0048] Using Figure 5, the process of providing shipping management information in the shipping management system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be explained. This process is performed by the shipping management device 10.

[0049] First, the calculation unit 13 receives an inquiry request from the terminal 40 via the transmission / reception unit 11 regarding the progress of an order placed by the store (S11). Next, the calculation unit 13 determines whether the inquiry request received in S11 includes predetermined conditions (S12). If the predetermined conditions are included (YES), the process proceeds to S13. On the other hand, if the predetermined conditions are not included (NO), the process proceeds to S14. If the predetermined conditions are not included (NO), the process may be terminated.

[0050] Next, the calculation unit 13 refers to the shipping management information DB and extracts shipping management information based on the store identification information and predetermined conditions of the inquiry request obtained in S11, or based on the store identification information alone (S13, S14). Next, the calculation unit 13 aggregates the number of order identification information for each delivery status based on the shipping management information extracted in S13 or S14, and calculates the aggregated number as the number of orders (S15). Then, the calculation unit 13 generates order count confirmation screen data including the number of orders for each delivery status calculated in S15, and transmits it to the terminal 40 via the transmission / reception unit 11 (S16).

[0051] Figures 6-10 show examples of displays on terminal 40 of the shipping management system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In these display examples, terminal 40 is a smartphone, which is a type of mobile terminal. When an employee checks the progress of an order, they first display the login screen (Delivery & Order Tracking) shown in Figure 6. The login screen has a field for entering the store code (store identification information), and after the employee enters the store code (store identification information), they press the LOGIN button. The login screen may also have fields for entering the company code, company name, store name, etc.

[0052] When the LOGIN button is pressed on the login screen shown in Figure 6, the entered store code (store identification information) is sent to the shipping management device 10. The shipping management device 10 refers to the shipping management information shown in Figure 3, and if there is shipping management information associated with the entered store code (store identification information), it sends the order progress inquiry screen data shown in Figure 7 to the terminal 40. The terminal 40 then displays the order progress inquiry screen shown in Figure 7.

[0053] The order progress inquiry screen shown in Figure 7 includes fields for entering the shipping type, order date, and product code. Employees can enter the shipping type, order date, and product code as they wish, and then press the search button. Note that the fields may also be for entering other predetermined conditions, such as the product name, instead of just the shipping type, order date, and product code.

[0054] When the search button is pressed on the order progress inquiry screen shown in Figure 7, an inquiry request including the store code entered on the login screen and the predetermined conditions entered on the order progress inquiry screen is sent to the shipping management device 10, and the shipping management device 10 executes the shipping management information provision process shown in Figure 5. If the predetermined conditions are not entered on the order progress inquiry screen, an inquiry request including only the store code entered on the login screen is sent to the shipping management device 10. Then, the terminal 40 receives the order count confirmation screen data from the shipping management device 10 and displays the order count confirmation screen shown in Figure 8.

[0055] The order count confirmation screen shown in Figure 8 includes the order progress inquiry screen shown in Figure 7 at the top, and displays the results of aggregating the orders placed by the store by delivery status at the bottom. The order count confirmation screen shown in Figure 8 shows that the store has placed a total of 18 orders, with 0 orders including a delivery status of "before warehouse shipment", 10 orders including a delivery status of "in transit", 5 orders including a delivery status of "delivered", and 3 orders including a delivery status of "other". Here, "other" means situations such as not being shipped from the warehouse due to being out of stock, or being shipped but delivery not being completed due to the recipient's long-term absence, etc. Note that if an order contains both "before warehouse shipment" and "in transit" items, each may be counted as one order, or either one may be counted as one order.

[0056] To view details of each delivery status, select the delivery status. To view details of all delivery statuses, select "View All." The order count confirmation screen displays the number of orders for each delivery status, allowing employees to check the progress of orders.

[0057] In the order confirmation screen shown in Figure 8, when a delivery status is selected, the selected delivery status is sent to the shipping management device 10. The shipping management device 10 then obtains shipping information associated with the received delivery status from the shipping management information extracted in S13 or S14 of the shipping management information provision process shown in Figure 5, and generates shipping information screen data to display the obtained shipping information. When the terminal 40 receives the shipping information screen data, it displays the shipping information screen shown in Figure 9.

[0058] The shipping information screen shown in Figure 9 displays shipping information listed for each order number (corresponding to order identification information). For example, the shipping information screen in Figure 9 displays the order date, shipping type, representative status, product code, and quantity of each product for each order number, including the delivery status of orders in transit. Employees can check the shipping information for each order's progress on the shipping information screen. Here, the representative status is the delivery status selected on the order count confirmation screen shown in Figure 8, and is used because one order may include multiple delivery statuses.

[0059] In addition to the shipping information, the shipping information screen may also include input fields for filtering keywords to further narrow down the displayed shipping information, as shown in Figure 9, and fields for selecting the display order of the shipping information. This makes it possible to display only the information that employees need, and to quickly respond to customers regarding the status of out-of-stock items or customer orders without making them wait. Also, although Figure 9 shows the shipping information screen displaying shipping information for one order number per screen, it may also display shipping information for multiple order numbers on one screen. However, it is preferable to display shipping information for one order number per screen so that the screen does not need to be scrolled.

[0060] In the shipping information screen shown in Figure 9, when an order number is selected, the selected order number is sent to the shipping management device 10. The shipping management device 10 then obtains the delivery information associated with the received order number from the shipping management information extracted in S13 or S14 of the shipping management information provision process shown in Figure 5, and generates delivery information screen data to display the obtained delivery information. When the terminal 40 receives the delivery information screen data, it displays the delivery information screen shown in Figure 10.

[0061] The shipping information screen displays shipping information associated with the order number. For example, as shown in Figure 10, it displays the inquiry number, shipping status, shipping warehouse, shipping carrier, shipping date, estimated arrival date, and delivery completion date. This makes it possible to respond to customer inquiries about product arrival by providing the estimated arrival date (estimated delivery date). For orders that have been delivered, the delivery completion date is displayed, and for orders that have not yet been shipped from the warehouse, the shipping status (out of stock, delivery not yet completed) is displayed.

[0062] Furthermore, the shipping information screen may also include input fields for filtering keywords to narrow down the displayed shipping information, as well as fields for selecting the display order of the shipping information, similar to the shipping information screen. Also, although Figure 10 shows the shipping information screen displaying shipping information for one tracking number per screen, it may also display shipping information for multiple tracking numbers on a single screen. However, it is preferable to display shipping information for one tracking number per screen to avoid the need to scroll the screen.

[0063] As explained above, the shipping management system 1 manages orders placed by stores and provides stores with shipping and / or delivery information on an order-by-order basis. Employees can also check the progress of orders for each delivery status based on that order. Therefore, knowing the progress of orders allows employees to carry out receiving and ordering tasks more efficiently and smoothly, reducing the workload for these tasks. In addition, details of each order, shipping information, and delivery information can be checked for each order number, making it possible to answer customer inquiries.

[0064] Furthermore, order details, shipping information, and delivery information can be checked for each order number, enabling responses to customer inquiries. In addition, the progress of orders can be checked on mobile devices, allowing employees to instantly and easily check the status from any location, including the sales floor or outside the store, not just the back room.

[0065] [Differentiation] (1) For example, the shipping management device 10 may include a store identification unit and an account database in the storage unit 15. The account database records the ID of an employee operating the terminal 40 and the store identification information to which that employee belongs, in association with each other. When an employee makes an inquiry from the terminal 40, they enter their own ID to access the shipping management device 10, and the store identification unit can refer to the account database, extract the store identification information based on the ID, and identify the store from which the inquiry was made. As a result, employees do not need to enter the store name or store identification information, and can immediately check the number of boxes for each delivery status after logging in. In other words, after entering the ID, Figure 8 can be displayed without Figure 7 being displayed, improving immediacy and ease of use.

[0066] Furthermore, if the account database records passwords associated with employee IDs, the store identification unit can identify stores and authenticate employees.

[0067] (2) For example, in one embodiment, if one inquiry number is generated for multiple boxes containing ordered goods that are delivered simultaneously, when the warehouse management device 20 ships the goods, the warehouse management device 20 counts the number of boxes with the same inquiry number as the number of packages and includes the counted number of packages in the shipping information. When the calculation unit 13 of the shipping management device 10 calculates the number of boxes, it does not count the number of inquiry numbers, but rather calculates the number of packages associated with the inquiry numbers as the number of boxes.

[0068] Furthermore, instead of shipping from the warehouse management device 20, when the goods are handed over to the delivery company, the delivery management device 30 counts the number of boxes with the same inquiry number as the number of packages, and includes the counted number of packages in the delivery information. When the calculation unit 13 of the shipping management device 10 calculates the number of boxes, it does not count the number of inquiry numbers, but rather calculates the number of packages included in the delivery information as the number of boxes.

[0069] (2) For example, in the embodiment, a shipping management system that manages packages by box has been described, but it is not limited to boxes as long as it can hold the ordered goods, in other words, anything that can pack the ordered goods, such as bags, envelopes, containers, etc. Therefore, a shipping management system that manages packages by box may also be a shipping management system that manages packages by packing.

[0070] Although the present invention has been described above using embodiments, it goes without saying that the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications or improvements can be made to the above embodiments. Furthermore, it is clear from the claims that such modified or improved forms may also be included in the technical scope of the present invention. In the above embodiments, the present invention was described as a product invention and a shipping management system was explained, but the present invention can also be considered as an invention of a method executed by the shipping management system or a program that makes the shipping management system function as various means. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0071] 1. Shipping Management System 10. Shipping management device 11 Transmitter / Receiver 12 Management Department 13 Calculation Section 14 Acquisition Department 15 Storage section 20 Warehouse management equipment 30 Delivery management device 40 devices

Claims

1. A shipping management system that manages shipping instructions for products ordered by stores, etc. A management unit manages shipment management information that associates store identification information such as the store that placed the order for the product, inquiry identification information that identifies the package to be delivered, order identification information related to the order for the product, and shipment information including the shipment status of the package containing the product, with the inquiry identification information and shipment information including the delivery status of the package, based on the inquiry identification information. When the Management Unit receives an inquiry request from a terminal of the store, etc., regarding the progress of an order for the product, which includes at least the store identification information, the Management Unit extracts the shipment management information associated with the store identification information of the store, etc. that made the inquiry request regarding the progress of the order from the store, etc., using the shipment management information managed by the Management Unit, and calculates the number of shipments issued by the store, etc. for each delivery status by aggregating the number of order identification information in the extracted shipment management information as the number of orders, which is the number of shipment instructions, for each delivery status. A transmission unit that transmits the calculated number of shipping instructions for each delivery status to the terminal of the store, etc. A shipping management system equipped with the following features.

2. The shipping management system according to claim 1, wherein the calculation unit receives an inquiry request for the progress of the order of the product, which includes predetermined conditions in addition to the store identification information, from a terminal such as the store, extracts the store identification information and shipping management information that satisfies the predetermined conditions, and calculates the number of shipping instructions for each delivery status.

3. The management unit manages store identification information that identifies the store, etc., and user identification information that identifies the user, in association with each other. The system includes an account management unit that, upon receiving user identification information from a terminal at the store, identifies the store based on store identification information associated with the user identification information. The shipping management system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the calculation unit calculates the number of shipping instructions issued by the identified store or the like.

4. The shipping management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the terminal of the store or the like is a mobile terminal that displays multiple delivery statuses and the number of shipping instructions for each delivery status on a single screen according to predetermined conditions.

5. The shipping management system according to claim 4, wherein multiple shipping statuses and the number of shipping instructions for each shipping status are all displayed within the screen frame of the mobile terminal.

6. A shipping management method for managing shipping instructions for goods ordered by stores, etc., A step of managing shipment management information that associates store identification information such as the store that placed the order for the product, inquiry identification information that identifies the package to be delivered, order identification information related to the order for the product, and shipment information including the shipment status of the package containing the product, with the inquiry identification information and shipment information including the delivery status of the package, based on the inquiry identification information. When a request for inquiry regarding the progress of an order for the product, which includes at least the store identification information, is received from a terminal of the store, the shipment management information is used to extract the shipment management information associated with the store identification information of the store that made the order progress inquiry request, and the number of order identification information in the extracted shipment management information is used as the number of orders, which is the number of shipment instructions, and the number of shipment instructions issued by the store is calculated for each delivery status by aggregating these numbers. The steps include: transmitting the calculated number of shipping instructions for each delivery status to a terminal at the store, etc. A computer-based shipping management method that includes the following features.

7. A shipping management system that manages shipping instructions for products ordered by stores, etc. A management unit manages shipment management information that associates store identification information such as the store that placed the order for the product, inquiry identification information that identifies the package to be delivered, order identification information related to the order for the product, and shipment information including the shipment status of the package containing the product, with the inquiry identification information and shipment information including the delivery status of the package, based on the inquiry identification information. When the Management Unit receives an inquiry request from a terminal at a store or the like regarding the progress of an order for the product, which includes at least the store identification information, the Management Unit extracts the shipping management information associated with the store identification information of the store or the like that made the inquiry request regarding the progress of the order from the shipping management information managed by the Management Unit, and calculates the number of shipping instructions issued by the store or the like for each delivery status by aggregating the number of order identification information in the extracted shipping management information as the number of orders, which is the number of shipping instructions. A transmission unit that transmits the calculated number of shipping instructions for each delivery status to the terminal of the store, etc. A computer-readable program that functions as such.

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