Shipping support device, shipping support method, and shipping support program

Abstract

This invention relates to a delivery support device that makes the delivery times of each item as consistent as possible, reduces the number of folding containers and delivery times, and optimizes the carrying capacity of folding containers and delivery vehicles, thereby improving the efficiency of the goods delivery process. The present invention is characterized by: a product information storage means for storing the store inventory and sales trends of each product sold in the store; a transmission threshold storage means for storing a first threshold related to the store inventory and a second threshold larger than the first threshold for each product; an inventory prediction means for calculating a predicted store inventory value for each product after a predetermined period based on the information stored in the product information storage means; a first candidate extraction means for extracting products with store inventory below the first threshold as first transmission candidate products; a second candidate extraction means for extracting products with predicted store inventory values ​​below the second threshold as second transmission candidate products; and a transmission means for performing processing related to the transmission of the first and second transmission candidate products.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a technology for replenishing the inventory of goods from warehouses, logistics centers, etc., to stores. Prior Technology

[0002] Manage the inventory of goods sold in retail stores such as drugstores to ensure that there are no stockouts of goods displayed / sold in the store; when the inventory is lower than a fixed amount, replenish the store's stock by sending the goods from manufacturers, wholesalers, or the store's own warehouse.

[0003] In this context, for example, Patent Document 1 proposes an order determination device that can prompt a quantitative standard for judging a reasonable order quantity when ordering goods, thereby verifying the reasonableness of the order quantity. [Known Technical Documents] [Patent Literature]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2024-049832 Summary of the Invention

[0005] [Problem to be solved by the present invention] However, the above-mentioned prior art has the following problems: when there are many types of goods processed in the store and goods with decreasing inventory are sent out in sequence, the number of folding containers or the number of times they are sent out increases, the carrying capacity of the delivery vehicle is not optimized, resulting in a decrease in the efficiency of goods delivery operations.

[0006] Therefore, in view of the above problems, the object of the present invention is to provide a delivery support device that makes the delivery time of each product as consistent as possible, reduces the number of folding containers and delivery times, and optimizes the carrying capacity of folding containers and delivery vehicles, thereby improving the efficiency of the product delivery process. [Technical means to solve the problem]

[0007] One embodiment of the delivery support device disclosed in this invention is characterized by comprising: a product information storage means for storing the store inventory and sales trends of each product sold in a store; a delivery threshold storage means for storing a first threshold related to the store inventory and a second threshold larger than the first threshold for each product; an inventory prediction means for calculating a predicted value of the store inventory after a predetermined period for each product based on the information stored in the product information storage means; a first candidate extraction means for extracting products whose store inventory is lower than the first threshold as first delivery candidate products; a second candidate extraction means for extracting products whose predicted store inventory is lower than the second threshold as second delivery candidate products; and a delivery means for performing processing related to the delivery of the first and second delivery candidate products. [ ] [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The delivery support device disclosed in this invention makes the delivery time of each product as consistent as possible, reduces the number of folding containers and delivery times, and optimizes the carrying capacity of folding containers and delivery vehicles, thereby improving the efficiency of the product delivery process. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0009] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the transmission support device of this embodiment. Figure 2 is a functional block diagram of the transmission support device in this embodiment. Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the transmission support device in this embodiment. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing a process for handling the in-store location relationship in the delivery support device according to this embodiment. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing a processing example of the delivery support device in this embodiment, taking into account the location relationships within the warehouse. Implementation

[0010] Referring to the drawings, the configurations used to implement the present invention are described. (Operating principle of the transmission support device in this embodiment)

[0011] Using Figures 1 and 2, the operating principle of the transmission support device (hereinafter referred to as "the device") 100 of this embodiment will be explained. Figure 1 is a diagram showing the connection relationship between the device 100 and other devices, and Figure 2 is a functional block diagram of the device 100.

[0012] As shown in Figure 1, this device 100 is connected to the store terminal 340 via a communication network 330. The communication network 330 can be either wired or wireless. The store terminal 340 is a device that notifies this device 100 of the sales and inventory status of the goods 220 sold in the store 210, such as a POS (Point of Sales) system.

[0013] As shown in Figure 2, this device 100 includes a product information storage means 110, a transmission threshold storage means 120, an in-store location storage means 130, an in-warehouse location storage means 140, an inventory prediction means 150, a first candidate extraction means 160, a second candidate extraction means 170, and a transmission means 180.

[0014] The product information storage method 110 stores the store inventory 230 and the store sales trend 240 for each product 220 sold in store 210. The store sales trend 240 includes, for example, the recent sales situation of each product 220, the seasonal characteristics of sales, and the characteristics of sales due to weather, which is necessary information for predicting the future store inventory 270 of product 220.

[0015] The threshold storage method 120 sends a first threshold 250 related to the store inventory 230 and a second threshold 260 that is larger than the first threshold 250 for each of the products 220 sold in the store 210.

[0016] The in-store location storage method 130 stores the display location 300 within the store 210 for each of the products 220 sold in the store 210. The display location 300 may be, for example, the XY coordinates when the store 210 is considered as a flat surface, or the height of the display shelf.

[0017] The in-warehouse storage method 140 stores each of the goods 220 sold in store 210 in a designated location 320 within warehouse 310. Warehouse 310 is a storage facility used to replenish the inventory of goods 220 in store 210, and it incorporates the concept of a logistics center. The designated location 320 can be, for example, the XY coordinates of a planar view of warehouse 310, or the height of the shelves storing the goods 220.

[0018] Inventory forecasting method 150, based on information 230 and 240 stored in product information storage method 110, calculates a predicted value 270 for the future (after a predetermined period) store inventory 230 for each product 220. The predicted value 270 is, for example, the store inventory 230 for 3 days or 1 week later. Furthermore, the predicted value 270 is calculated using a general forecasting method, which is not particularly limited.

[0019] The first candidate extraction method 160 extracts the products 220 whose store inventory 230 is lower than the first threshold 250 as the first candidate products for delivery 280. This is the general process for selecting products for delivery.

[0020] The second candidate extraction method 170 extracts products 220 whose predicted store inventory 270 is lower than the second threshold 260 as second delivery candidate products 290. Additionally, products 220 extracted as first delivery candidate products 280 by the first candidate extraction method 160 are excluded from the second delivery candidate products 290. This is a process of selecting products that "have a surplus of store inventory 230 compared to the first delivery candidate products 280, but are close to the replenishment period (about to be delivered)."

[0021] In this way, if the delivery times of each of the 220 items are made as consistent as possible, the number of 220 items that can be placed in a single collapsible container (hereinafter referred to as a "collapsible container") can be increased, thus ultimately reducing the number of collapsible containers. Furthermore, if the number of 220 items that can be placed in a single collapsible container increases, the number of deliveries can also be reduced. This allows for the optimization of the collapsible container's carrying capacity and the delivery vehicle's carrying capacity, thereby improving the efficiency of the goods delivery process.

[0022] The second candidate extraction method 170 can also take the following form: based on the information 300 stored in the store location storage method 130, products that have a predetermined positional relationship with the first delivery candidate product 280 in the store 210 and whose predicted store inventory value 270 is lower than the second threshold 260 are extracted as the second delivery candidate products 290.

[0023] At this point, the predetermined positional relationship between the first candidate product 280 and the product within store 210 can be such that the product is within a predetermined distance of the product within store 210. Alternatively, the predetermined positional relationship between the product and the product within store 210 can also be such that the product is at the same height as or within a predetermined difference from the height of the display shelf containing the product within store 210. Furthermore, the predetermined positional relationship between the product and the product within store 210 can also be such that the product is within a predetermined distance of the product within store 210 and is at the same height as or within a predetermined difference from the height of the display shelf containing the product within store 210. Similar to the second shipment of candidate product 290, the efficiency would be higher if it were performed together with the first shipment of candidate product 280.

[0024] The second candidate extraction method 170 can also take the following form: based on the information 320 stored in the warehouse location storage method 140, products that have a predetermined positional relationship with the first delivery candidate product 280 in the warehouse 310 and whose predicted store inventory value 270 is lower than the second threshold 260 are extracted as the second delivery candidate products 290.

[0025] At this point, the predetermined positional relationship between the first candidate item 280 and the warehouse 310 can be that the candidate item 280 is within a predetermined distance within the warehouse 310. Alternatively, the predetermined positional relationship between the candidate item 280 and the warehouse 310 can also be that the candidate item 280 is at the same height as or within a predetermined difference from the storage rack within the warehouse 310. Furthermore, the predetermined positional relationship between the candidate item 280 and the warehouse 310 can also be that the candidate item 280 is within a predetermined distance and at the same height as or within a predetermined difference from the storage rack within the warehouse 310. Similar to the selection and retrieval (picking) operation of the second candidate item 290 mentioned above, it would be more efficient to perform it together with the operation of the first candidate item 280.

[0026] The sending means 180 performs processing related to the sending of the first sending candidate product 280 and the second sending candidate product 290. The sending means 180 may be, for example, instructing employees to send the first sending candidate product 280 and the second sending candidate product 290, or a form that supports sending.

[0027] The sending method 180 can also take the form of performing sending-related processing to send the first sending candidate product 280 and the second sending candidate product 290 through the same folding container. In this way, the number of products 220 placed in a folding container increases, thus ultimately reducing the number of folding containers used. Furthermore, if the number of products 220 placed in a folding container increases, the number of sending operations can also be reduced.

[0028] Based on the above operating principle, this device 100 ensures that the delivery times of each of the goods 220 are as consistent as possible, reduces the number of folding containers and delivery times, and optimizes the carrying capacity of folding containers and delivery vehicles, thereby improving the efficiency of the goods delivery process. (Hardware configuration of the transmission support device in this embodiment)

[0029] Using FIG3, an example of the hardware configuration of the present device 100 will be described. FIG3 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the present device 100. As shown in FIG3, the present device 100 includes: CPU (Central Processing Unit) 510, ROM (Read-Only Memory) 520, RAM (Random Access Memory) 530, auxiliary storage device 540, communication interface (I / F) 550, input device 560, display device 570, and storage media interface 580.

[0030] CPU 510 is a device that executes programs stored in ROM 520. Following the program's instructions, it processes the data loaded into RAM 530 and controls the entire device 100. ROM 520 stores the programs and data executed by CPU 510. RAM 530, when CPU 510 executes the programs stored in ROM 520, loads the executed programs and data and temporarily stores the processing data during the operation.

[0031] The auxiliary storage device 540 is a device that stores the basic software, i.e., the OS (Operating System), the applications of this embodiment, and related data. The auxiliary storage device 540 may be, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or flash memory.

[0032] The communication interface 550 is used to connect to a wired / wireless LAN (Local Area Network), Internet or other communication network 310, and to send and receive data with other devices (POS system, etc.) 340 that provide communication functions.

[0033] Input device 560 is a device such as a keyboard used for inputting data into this device 100. Display device (output device) 570 is a device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) that functions as a user interface when the user utilizes the functions of this device 100 or makes various settings. Storage media interface 580 is an interface used for receiving and sending data to and from storage media 590 such as CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, and USB memory.

[0034] The various means provided by this device 100 can be configured such that the CPU 510 executes the program corresponding to each means stored in the ROM 520 or the auxiliary storage device 540. Furthermore, the various means provided by this device 100 can also be configured to implement the related processing of each means as hardware. Additionally, it can be configured such that the program of this invention is read from an external server device via the communication interface 550, or the program of this invention is read from the storage medium 590 via the storage medium interface 580, causing the device 100 to execute the program. (Processing example performed by the transmission support device in this embodiment) (1) Example of handling considering the location relationship within the store

[0035] Using Figure 4, an example of processing considering the location relationships within the store using this device 100 will be described. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the process of processing considering the location relationships within the store using this device 100.

[0036] In S10, the inventory forecasting method 150, based on the information 230 and 240 stored in the product information storage method 110, calculates a forecast value 270 for the future (after a predetermined period) store inventory 230 for each product 220. The forecast value 270 is, for example, the store inventory 230 3 days or 1 week later. Furthermore, the forecast value 270 is calculated based on a general forecasting method, and the forecasting method is not particularly limited.

[0037] In S20, the first candidate extraction method 160 extracts the products 220 whose store inventory 230 is lower than the first threshold 250 as the first candidate products for delivery 280. This is the general process for selecting products for delivery.

[0038] In S30, the second candidate extraction method 170 extracts products 220 whose predicted store inventory value 270 is lower than the second threshold 260 as second delivery candidate products 290. Additionally, products 220 extracted as first delivery candidate products 280 by the first candidate extraction method 160 are excluded from the second delivery candidate products 290. This is a process of selecting products that "have a surplus of store inventory 230 compared to the first delivery candidate products 280, but are close to the replenishment period (about to be delivered)."

[0039] In S30, the second candidate extraction method 170 can also take the following form: based on the information 300 stored in the store location storage method 130, products that have a predetermined positional relationship with the first delivery candidate product 280 in the store 210 and whose predicted store inventory value 270 is lower than the second threshold 260 are extracted as the second delivery candidate product 290.

[0040] At this point, the predetermined positional relationship between the first candidate product 280 and the product within store 210 can be such that the product is within a predetermined distance of the product within store 210. Alternatively, the predetermined positional relationship between the product and the product within store 210 can also be such that the product is at the same height as or within a predetermined difference from the height of the display shelf containing the product within store 210. Furthermore, the predetermined positional relationship between the product and the product within store 210 can also be such that the product is within a predetermined distance of the product within store 210 and is at the same height as or within a predetermined difference from the height of the display shelf containing the product within store 210.

[0041] In this way, if the delivery times of each of the 220 items are made as consistent as possible, the number of 220 items that can be placed in a single folding container increases, thus ultimately reducing the number of folding containers. Furthermore, if the number of 220 items that can be packed into a single folding container increases, the number of deliveries can also be reduced. This optimizes the carrying capacity of folding containers and delivery vehicles, thereby improving the efficiency of the goods delivery process. Furthermore, similar to the second shipment of candidate product 290, the efficiency would be higher if it were performed together with the first shipment of candidate product 280.

[0042] In S40, the sending means 180 performs processing related to the sending of the first sending candidate product 280 and the second sending candidate product 290. The sending means 180 may be, for example, an instruction to an employee to send the first sending candidate product 280 and the second sending candidate product 290, or a form that supports sending.

[0043] In S40, the sending method 180 can also take the form of performing sending-related processing to send the first sending candidate product 280 and the second sending candidate product 290 through the same folding container. In this way, the number of products 220 placed in a folding container increases, thus ultimately reducing the number of folding containers used. Furthermore, if the number of products 220 placed in a folding container increases, the number of sending operations can also be reduced.

[0044] By performing the processes described above, this device 100 ensures that the delivery times of each of the goods 220 are as consistent as possible, reduces the number of folding containers and delivery times, and optimizes the carrying capacity of folding containers and delivery vehicles, thereby improving the efficiency of the goods delivery process. (2) Example of handling the location relationship within the warehouse

[0045] Using Figure 5, an example of processing considering the location relationships within a warehouse using this device 100 will be described. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the process of the example of processing considering the location relationships within a warehouse using this device 100.

[0046] In S110, the inventory forecasting method 150, based on the information 230 and 240 stored in the product information storage method 110, calculates a predicted value 270 for the future (after a predetermined period) store inventory 230 for each product 220. The predicted value 270 is, for example, the store inventory 230 for 3 days or 1 week later. Furthermore, the predicted value 270 is calculated using a general forecasting method, which is not particularly limited.

[0047] In S120, the first candidate extraction method 160 extracts the products 220 whose store inventory 230 is lower than the first threshold 250 as the first candidate products for delivery 280. This is the general process for selecting products for delivery.

[0048] In S130, the second candidate extraction method 170 extracts products 220 whose predicted store inventory value 270 is lower than the second threshold 260 as second delivery candidate products 290. Additionally, products 220 extracted as first delivery candidate products 280 by the first candidate extraction method 160 are excluded from the second delivery candidate products 290. This is a process of selecting products that "have a surplus of store inventory 230 compared to the first delivery candidate products 280, but are close to the replenishment period (about to be delivered)."

[0049] In S130, the second candidate extraction method 170 can also take the following form: based on the information 320 stored in the warehouse location storage method 140, the product that has a predetermined positional relationship with the first delivery candidate product 280 in the warehouse 310 and whose predicted store inventory value 270 is lower than the second threshold 260 is extracted as the second delivery candidate product 290.

[0050] At this point, the predetermined positional relationship between the first candidate item 280 and the warehouse 310 can be that the candidate item 280 is within a predetermined distance within the warehouse 310. Alternatively, the predetermined positional relationship between the candidate item 280 and the warehouse 310 can also be that the candidate item 280 is at the same height as or within a predetermined difference from the storage rack within the warehouse 310. Furthermore, the predetermined positional relationship between the candidate item 280 and the warehouse 310 can also be that the candidate item 280 is within a predetermined distance and at the same height as or within a predetermined difference from the storage rack within the warehouse 310.

[0051] In this way, if the delivery times of each of the 220 items are made as consistent as possible, the number of 220 items that can be placed in a single collapsible container (hereinafter referred to as a "collapsible container") can be increased, thus ultimately reducing the number of collapsible containers. Furthermore, if the number of 220 items that can be placed in a single collapsible container increases, the number of deliveries can also be reduced. This allows for the optimization of the collapsible container's carrying capacity and the delivery vehicle's carrying capacity, thereby improving the efficiency of the goods delivery process. Similar to the selection and retrieval (picking) operation of the second candidate item 290 mentioned above, it would be more efficient to perform it together with the operation of the first candidate item 280.

[0052] The sending means 180 performs processing related to the sending of the first sending candidate product 280 and the second sending candidate product 290. The sending means 180 may be, for example, instructing employees to send the first sending candidate product 280 and the second sending candidate product 290, or a form that supports sending.

[0053] The sending method 180 can also take the form of performing sending-related processing to send the first sending candidate product 280 and the second sending candidate product 290 through the same folding container. In this way, the number of products 220 placed in a folding container increases, thus ultimately reducing the number of folding containers used. Furthermore, if the number of products 220 placed in a folding container increases, the number of sending operations can also be reduced.

[0054] By performing the processes described above, this device 100 ensures that the delivery times of each of the goods 220 are as consistent as possible, reduces the number of folding containers and delivery times, and optimizes the carrying capacity of folding containers and delivery vehicles, thereby improving the efficiency of the goods delivery process.

[0055] While the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments. Various modifications and alterations can be made within the scope of the spirit of the present invention as described in the claims.

[0056] 100: Sending support device 110: Product Information Storage Methods 120: Method for storing transmission thresholds 130: In-store location storage methods 140: In-warehouse location storage methods 150: Inventory Forecasting Methods 160: Method for selecting the first candidate 170: Second candidate extraction method 180: Sending method 210: Shop 220: Goods sold in the store 230: Store inventory 240: Trends in Store Sales Volume 250: First threshold 260: Second threshold 270: Forecast of store inventory levels after a given period 280: First candidate product sent 290: Second batch of candidate products sent. 300: Display location within the store 310: Warehouse 320: Configuration location within the warehouse 330: Communication Network 340: Shop Terminal (POS System) 510: CPU 520:ROM 530: RAM 540: Auxiliary storage device 550: Communication Interface 560: Input device 570: Output device 580: Storage Media Interface 590: Storage Media

Claims

1. A delivery support device, characterized by comprising: a product information storage means for storing the store inventory and sales trends of each product sold in a store; a delivery threshold storage means for storing a first threshold related to the store inventory and a second threshold greater than the first threshold for each product; an inventory prediction means for calculating a predicted value of the store inventory after a predetermined period for each product based on the information stored in the product information storage means; a first candidate extraction means for extracting products whose store inventory is lower than the first threshold as first delivery candidate products; a second candidate extraction means for extracting products whose predicted store inventory is lower than the second threshold as second delivery candidate products; and a delivery means for instructing employees to perform delivery operations for the first delivery candidate products and the second delivery candidate products, or supporting delivery.

2. As requested in item 1, the sending support device, wherein, It also has an in-store location storage method, which stores the display location of each product in the store; the second candidate extraction method, based on the information stored in the in-store location storage method, extracts products that have a predetermined positional relationship with the first candidate product in the store and whose predicted inventory value in the store is lower than the second threshold as the second candidate product.

3. As requested in item 2, the sending support device, wherein, This predetermined location relationship is related to the fact that the first candidate product being sent is located within a predetermined distance of the store.

4. As requested in item 2 or 3, the sending support device, wherein, The established positional relationship is that the height of the first candidate product being sent is the same as or within a certain range of the height of the display shelf in the store.

5. As requested in item 1, the sending support device, wherein, The system has an in-warehouse location storage method, which stores the configuration location of each product within the warehouse. The second candidate extraction method, based on the information stored in the in-warehouse location storage method, extracts products that have a predetermined positional relationship with the first delivery candidate product in the warehouse and whose predicted inventory value is lower than the second threshold as the second delivery candidate product.

6. As requested in item 5, the sending support device, wherein, This predetermined location relationship is related to the fact that the first candidate goods to be sent are located within a predetermined distance in the warehouse.

7. As requested in item 5 or 6, the sending support device, wherein, The established positional relationship is that the height of the first candidate goods to be sent is the same as or within a certain difference from the height of the shelf in the warehouse.

8. As requested in item 3, the sending support device, wherein, The first and second candidate goods were shipped in the same folding container.

9. A delivery support method, which is a delivery support method in a delivery support apparatus having a product information storage means and a delivery threshold storage means: the product information storage means stores the store inventory and store sales trends for each product sold in the store; and the delivery threshold storage means stores a first threshold related to the store inventory and a second threshold larger than the first threshold for each product; the delivery support method includes the following steps: causing an inventory prediction means to calculate a predicted value of the store inventory for each product after a predetermined period based on the information stored in the product information storage means; causing a first candidate extraction means to extract products whose store inventory is lower than the first threshold as first delivery candidate products; causing a second candidate extraction means to extract products whose predicted store inventory is lower than the second threshold as second delivery candidate products; and causing a delivery means to instruct employees to perform delivery operations for the first delivery candidate products and the second delivery candidate products, or to support delivery.

10. As per request item 9 regarding the method of sending support, wherein, The delivery support device has an in-store location storage method, which stores the display location of each product in the store; the second candidate extraction method, based on the information stored in the in-store location storage method, extracts products that have a predetermined positional relationship with the first delivery candidate product in the store and whose predicted inventory value in the store is lower than the second threshold as the second delivery candidate product.

11. As in the sending support method of request item 10, wherein, This predetermined location relationship is related to the fact that the first candidate product being sent is located within a predetermined distance of the store.

12. As per the sending support method in request item 10 or 11, wherein, The established positional relationship is that the height of the first candidate product being sent is the same as or within a certain range of the height of the display shelf in the store.

13. As per request item 9 regarding the method of sending support, wherein, The delivery support device has an in-warehouse location storage method, which stores the configuration location of each product in the warehouse. The second candidate extraction method, based on the information stored in the in-warehouse location storage method, extracts products that have a predetermined positional relationship with the first delivery candidate product in the warehouse and whose predicted inventory value is lower than the second threshold as the second delivery candidate product.

14. As in request item 13, the method for sending support, wherein, This predetermined location relationship is related to the fact that the first candidate goods to be sent are located within a predetermined distance in the warehouse.

15. As per the sending support method in request item 13 or 14, wherein, The established positional relationship is that the height of the first candidate goods to be sent is the same as or within a certain difference from the height of the shelf in the warehouse.

16. As in the sending support method of request item 11, wherein, The first and second candidate goods were shipped in the same folding container.

17. A sending support program that enables a computer to perform a sending support method for any one of request items 9 to 16.

Images