Required inventory calculation system and program

Abstract

[Problem] To calculate the required inventory levels of raw materials, etc., with less labor time and lower cost. [Solution] A required inventory level calculation system is provided, comprising: a product importance coefficient calculation unit that calculates a product importance coefficient representing the importance of each product; a procurement risk coefficient calculation unit that calculates a procurement risk coefficient representing the degree of procurement risk for each raw material or semi-finished product; a total coefficient calculation unit that calculates a total coefficient by multiplying the product importance coefficient and the procurement risk coefficient; a required inventory period calculation unit that multiplies each total coefficient by a predetermined longest inventory period to calculate the required inventory period for each raw material or semi-finished product, and sets the required inventory period to the period corresponding to the shortest inventory period if the required inventory period is less than a predetermined shortest inventory period; and a required inventory quantity calculation unit that multiplies the required quantity of each raw material or semi-finished product needed to supply products to customers or wholesalers within a predetermined period by the required inventory period to calculate the required inventory quantity of raw materials or semi-finished products.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a necessary inventory calculation system for calculating the appropriate necessary inventory of raw materials or semi-finished products purchased from one or more suppliers and placed in the inventory of a product supplier in the course of business activities of purchasing at least one of the raw materials and semi-finished products from one or more suppliers to manufacture products and supply the products to customers or wholesalers. [Previous Technology]

[0002] Manufacturers and other product suppliers (i.e., product manufacturers) purchase raw materials and semi-finished products from one or more suppliers, use the raw materials and semi-finished products to manufacture products, and sell the manufactured products to customers or wholesalers through logistics operators.

[0003] In this process, connections are formed with various companies such as suppliers and logistics providers. The series of processes, including the procurement of raw materials and semi-finished products, the manufacturing of products, the inventory management of raw materials and products, and the distribution and sales of products, are called the supply chain.

[0004] Currently, in order to achieve supply chain efficiency, it is known to use a supply chain model set on a computer for supply chain management (SCM) (for example, see Patent Document 1).

[0005] However, even if product suppliers can properly manage the production volume and delivery time of products, as well as the inventory of raw materials and semi-finished products through SCM in normal times, there may be supply chain disruptions between suppliers and product suppliers in emergency situations such as earthquakes and floods, which are difficult to quantify and control in a planned manner.

[0006] In order to ensure a stable supply of products to customers or wholesalers not only in normal times but also in emergencies, product suppliers must, for example, properly manage the inventory of raw materials and semi-finished products. However, product suppliers provide a wide variety of products, and when dealing with a large number of domestic and foreign suppliers, it is not easy to decide which product's raw materials and semi-finished products should be prioritized for inventory.

[0007] Specifically, for suppliers around the world, it is difficult to decide which product's raw materials and semi-finished products should be prioritized for inventory and how much inventory should be adjusted after taking into account the laws, situations, geographical risks in each country during emergencies.

[0008] Furthermore, when product suppliers determine the inventory levels of raw materials and semi-finished products needed to manufacture each product, the resulting high labor costs (i.e., the product of working hours and the number of workers) incur significant expenses. [Contemporary Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-75919 [Summary of the Invention]

[0010] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention] The present invention was made in view of this problem, and its purpose is to calculate the necessary inventory of raw materials, etc., required by the product supplier for a stable supply of products with less working time and lower cost than the situation determined by the operator.

[0011] [Means for Solving the Problem] According to one aspect of the present invention, a necessary inventory calculation system is provided for calculating the appropriate necessary inventory of raw materials or semi-finished products purchased from one or more suppliers and placed in the inventory of the product supplier in the course of a business activity in which the supplier manufactures a product and supplies the product to a customer or wholesaler. The necessary inventory calculation system has a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores: the name of the product, the name of the raw material or semi-finished product used in the product, the name of the one or more suppliers supplying the raw material or semi-finished product, and the necessary quantity of the raw material or semi-finished product required to supply the product to the customer or wholesaler within a predetermined period. The memory includes: a product importance coefficient calculation unit that calculates a product importance coefficient for each product, the product importance coefficient being set according to the degree of need from the customer or wholesaler and representing the importance of each product; and a procurement risk level. The system includes a coefficient calculation unit, which is set to account for the risk of not being able to procure the raw material or the semi-finished product from the one or more suppliers, and calculates a procurement risk coefficient for each raw material or semi-finished product, representing the degree of procurement risk; a total coefficient calculation unit, which calculates a standardized total coefficient for each raw material or semi-finished product by multiplying the product importance coefficient by the procurement risk coefficient, with the maximum value being 1; a required inventory period calculation unit, which calculates the required inventory period for each raw material or semi-finished product by multiplying each total coefficient calculated by the total coefficient calculation unit by a predetermined longest inventory period, and sets the calculated required inventory period to the period corresponding to the shortest inventory period if the calculated required inventory period is less than the predetermined shortest inventory period; and a required inventory quantity calculation unit, which calculates the required inventory quantity of each raw material or semi-finished product by multiplying the required quantity of each raw material or semi-finished product in the predetermined period by the required inventory period.

[0012] Preferably, the product importance coefficient is set such that the more the product is sold during the predetermined period, the higher the value becomes.

[0013] Furthermore, preferably, the product importance coefficient includes a market price coefficient, which is set to be higher as the average market price of the product or the discount rate is lower during the predetermined period.

[0014] Furthermore, preferably, the procurement risk coefficient is calculated based on the risk of natural disasters in the location of the supplier's manufacturing site or storage site for the raw materials or semi-finished products.

[0015] Furthermore, preferably, the procurement risk coefficient is calculated by taking into account the supplier's geographical factors, which include: the global risk index of the global risk report related to the country where the supplier manufactures the raw materials or the semi-finished products or where the storage location is located; and whether there is nuclear power generation in the location of the manufacturing site or the storage location.

[0016] According to another aspect of the present invention, a program is provided, stored in a computer-readable medium, and for the purpose of a product supplier manufacturing a product and supplying it to a customer or wholesaler by purchasing at least one of the raw materials and semi-finished products from one or more suppliers, calculating the appropriate necessary inventory level of the raw materials or semi-finished products purchased from the one or more suppliers and placed in the product supplier's inventory, and causing the computer to perform: calculating a product importance coefficient for each product, the product importance coefficient being set according to the degree of need from the customer or the wholesaler and representing the importance of each product; calculating a procurement risk coefficient for each raw material or semi-finished product, the procurement risk coefficient being based on the inability to purchase the raw material or semi-finished product from the one or more suppliers. The risk of the semi-finished product is set and represents the degree of procurement risk of the raw material or the semi-finished product; a total coefficient is calculated, which is standardized for each raw material or semi-finished product by multiplying the product importance coefficient and the procurement risk coefficient, with the maximum value being 1; the required inventory period is calculated for each raw material or semi-finished product by multiplying each total coefficient by a predetermined longest inventory period, and if the calculated required inventory period is less than the predetermined shortest inventory period, the calculated required inventory period is replaced by the shortest inventory period; and the required inventory quantity of the raw material or semi-finished product is calculated by multiplying the required quantity of each raw material or semi-finished product necessary to supply the product to the customer or the wholesaler within the predetermined period by the required inventory period.

[0017] [Effects of the Invention] The required inventory calculation system of the present invention automatically calculates the required inventory of raw materials or semi-finished products during a predetermined period. Therefore, it can calculate the required inventory of products for a stable supply during a predetermined period with fewer working hours and lower cost than the situation determined by the operator. Thus, the required inventory of raw materials or semi-finished products can be calculated at a lower cost than the situation determined by the operator.

[0018] In other forms of the present invention, the program of the media that can be read by the computer also enables the computer to automatically calculate the required inventory, so that the required inventory can be calculated with less time and lower cost than the situation determined by the operator.

Implementation Method

[0020] Referring to the accompanying drawings, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the required inventory calculation system 2 of the first embodiment. The required inventory calculation system 2 of this embodiment is configured in a stand-alone computer 4 that is not connected to other computers via a network.

[0021] The computer 4 having the essential inventory calculation system 2 is, for example, a desktop or laptop computer (i.e., a personal computer) or a server. However, as described later, the essential inventory calculation system 2 may also be provided to the computer 4 from the server via the Internet in the form of SaaS (Software as a Service).

[0022] The computer 4 includes, for example, a processor (processing device) not shown, represented by a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and memory (memory device) 6. The memory 6 includes main memory devices such as DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), and ROM (Read Only Memory); and auxiliary memory devices such as flash memory, hard disk drive, and solid-state drive.

[0023] The auxiliary memory device stores software containing a predetermined program. By operating the processing device and the like based on this software, the function of the necessary inventory calculation system 2 is realized.

[0024] As shown in Figure 1, the computer 4 is connected to an input device 8, which serves as the interface for the product supplier 14's operator to input information into the computer. The input device 8 may be, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, or a media reader, but is not limited to this example.

[0025] As a recording medium, examples include USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory and DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), but the recording medium is not limited to these examples and may also be other recording media.

[0026] The computer 4 is connected to an input device 8 and a display device 10. The input device 8 is used to input information into the computer 4, and the display device 10 is used to display the results of calculations performed on the computer 4.

[0027] In addition, the display device 10 may also be a touch panel that has the function of the input device 8. When the display device 10 is a touch panel, the input device 8 may be omitted.

[0028] A portion of the memory 6 (e.g., a portion of the auxiliary memory device) has a first region 16 that stores the name of the memory product 12 (see FIG2) (i.e., the name of the product 16a). Hereinafter, with reference to FIG2, the product 12 and the like will be described.

[0029] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the business activities of product supplier 14. Product supplier 14 is the entity that manufactures product 12 and sells (supplies) product 12 to customers 18a or wholesalers 18b, and is also referred to as a manufacturer or product manufacturer.

[0030] The product supplier 14 in this embodiment is a legal entity. Furthermore, in this specification, the users, employees, and other natural persons of the legal entity of product supplier 14 are referred to as operators of product supplier 14. Product supplier 14 manufactures product 12 by purchasing at least one of raw materials 22 and semi-finished products 24 from one or more suppliers 20.

[0031] For example, product supplier 14 purchases raw material 22a from supplier 20a, raw material 22b from supplier 20b, semi-finished product 24a from supplier 20c, and semi-finished product 24b from supplier 20d, and manufactures product 12a.

[0032] However, product supplier 14 may sometimes purchase raw materials 22a from supplier 20a to manufacture other products 12b, or purchase semi-finished products 24a from supplier 20c to manufacture other products 12c.

[0033] Furthermore, although a simplified example is shown in Figure 2 for convenience, the product supplier 14 may also purchase various raw materials 22a and 22b from supplier 20a, and may also purchase various semi-finished products 24a and 24b from supplier 20a. The product supplier 14 may also purchase raw material 22a and semi-finished product 24 from supplier 20a.

[0034] One of the products 12 is, for example, a hub-type insert (see Figure 3). The hub-type insert has an annular base (i.e., a hub) formed of aluminum alloy, and an annular cutting edge is fixed to the outer periphery of one side of the base.

[0035] Figure 3 is an example of the correspondence between product 12, raw material 22 and semi-finished product 24. The hub-type insert is manufactured, for example, using a first abrasive grain and a first adhesive material to form the cutting edge and a first base, but other raw materials 22 or semi-finished products 24 may also be used additionally during manufacturing.

[0036] Another type of product 12 is, for example, a hubless blade (also known as a washer blade). The hubless blade does not have a base and is composed of a circular cutting edge. The hubless blade is manufactured, for example, using a second abrasive and a second bonding material, but other raw materials 22 or semi-finished products 24 may also be used additionally during manufacturing.

[0037] Another example of product 12 is a grinding wheel. The grinding wheel has, for example, a metal annular third base and a plurality of grinding stones, which are arranged at approximately equal intervals on one side of the third base in the circumferential direction of the third base.

[0038] Each grinding wheel is manufactured by mixing the third abrasive grains with the third binder and then molding and firing it. However, other raw materials 22 or semi-finished products 24 may also be used additionally when manufacturing the grinding wheel.

[0039] Another product 12 may be, for example, a grinding wheel. The grinding wheel may have, for example, a metal annular fourth base and an annular grinding pad disposed on one side of the fourth base. However, other raw materials 22 or semi-finished products 24 may also be used additionally when manufacturing the grinding wheel.

[0040] Another product 12 is a dressing plate (also known as a grinding plate). The dressing plate is manufactured, for example, by mixing the fifth abrasive grain with the fifth adhesive material and then molding and firing it. However, other raw materials 22 or semi-finished products 24 may also be used additionally during manufacturing.

[0041] Hoop-type inserts, hubless inserts, grinding wheels and polishing wheels and other machining tools or dressing plates are consumables used in semiconductor manufacturing equipment such as cutting devices, grinding devices and polishing devices.

[0042] If the supply chain from product supplier 14 to customer 18a or wholesaler 18b for consumables for semiconductor manufacturing equipment is disrupted, it will affect the manufacturing of semiconductor chips and cause a global standstill in the manufacturing and distribution of various products such as mobile phones, personal computers, and automobiles.

[0043] Therefore, in this embodiment, the supply of product 12 is managed using the required inventory calculation system 2 in the business activities (supply chain) of product supplier 14 from procurement to sales. Specifically, the required inventory calculation system 2 is used to calculate the appropriate required inventory 58a of raw materials 22 or semi-finished products 24 in product supplier 14 (see Figure 11).

[0044] Here, returning to Figure 1. Memory 6 has a second region 26. The name of the raw material 22 or semi-finished product 24 used in product 12 is stored in the second region 26 (that is, the name 26a of the raw material or semi-finished product).

[0045] The memory 6 further has a third region 28. The third region 28 stores the name of one or more suppliers 20 that supply raw materials 22 or semi-finished products 24 (i.e., the name 28a of one or more suppliers).

[0046] Furthermore, the memory 6 further has a fourth region 30. The fourth region 30 stores the necessary amount 30a of raw materials 22 or semi-finished products 24 required to supply product 12 to customers 18a or wholesalers 18b within a predetermined period (one month in this embodiment) (see Figure 11).

[0047] The required quantity 30a of at least one of the raw materials 22 and semi-finished products 24 required for the manufacture of product 12 is calculated based on the average monthly sales quantity of each product 12 during the period of approximately 6 to 12 months prior to the point in time when the required inventory quantity 58a is calculated.

[0048] By using the average sales volume of approximately each month over a period of 6 to 12 months, the sales volume during the off-season and peak season can be averaged out. Therefore, compared to the case where the average is not used, a more appropriate required quantity 30a and required inventory 58a can be calculated.

[0049] Furthermore, the memory 6 further has a fifth region 32. The fifth region 32 stores a product importance coefficient 32a. The product importance coefficient 32a is set according to the level of demand from customers 18a or wholesalers 18b, and represents the importance of each product 12. The product importance coefficient 32a is calculated by the product importance coefficient calculation unit 50.

[0050] Here, with reference to Figure 4, the product importance coefficient 32a will be explained. Figure 4 is a graph showing the product importance coefficient 32a.

[0051] In the top column of the table shown in Figure 4, from left to right, are recorded the following: "Product Name", "Raw Material Name", "Supplier Name", "Sales Quantity in the Scheduled Period", "Sales Quantity Ranking", "Sales Quantity Coefficient", "Discount Rate", "Discount Rate Ranking", "Market Price Coefficient", "Situation Coefficient", "Coefficient Multiplication Value" and "Product Importance Coefficient".

[0052] In the leftmost column of the table shown in Figure 4, the product name 16a is listed. Furthermore, in Figure 4, for convenience, the product name 16a is recorded as A, B, C, D, and E. In the adjacent right column to the product name 16a column, the name of raw material 22 from the raw material or semi-finished product name 26a is listed.

[0053] In product 12 of A, although four kinds of raw materials 22 are shown (i.e., A-1-1, A-1-2, A-2-1, A-3-1), other raw materials 22 and semi-finished products 24 used are omitted for convenience.

[0054] Furthermore, for convenience, only one type of raw material 22 is shown in each of the products 12 of B, C, D and E (i.e., B-1-1, C-1-1, D-1-1, E-1-1), while the other raw materials 22 and semi-finished products 24 used are omitted.

[0055] The number group following the letter is the identification symbol for the raw material 22. For example, "1-1" in A-1-1, B-1-1, C-1-1, D-1-1 and E-1-1 represents the same raw material 22. "1-1" is, for example, an abrasive grain of a predetermined size.

[0056] In the right column adjacent to the column for the name of raw material 26a, multiple suppliers 20 are listed. In Figure 4, four different companies, α, β, γ and δ, are shown as suppliers 20. In Figure 4, it is shown that product supplier 14 purchases the raw material 22 indicated by the identification symbol "1-1" not only from a single company, but also from three companies, α, β and δ.

[0057] The sales volume ranking is the ranking of the average monthly sales volume of each product 12 over a period of 6 to 12 months. Product 12 of product A, which has the highest sales volume, is ranked 1, and product 12 of product E, which has the lowest sales volume, is ranked 5.

[0058] The more a product 12 is sold, the more necessary and important it is to customers 18a and wholesalers 18b. By reflecting the sales quantity coefficient 36a in the product importance coefficient 32a, the degree of need for product 12 caused by customers 18a and wholesalers 18b can be reflected in the product importance coefficient 32a.

[0059] The sales quantity coefficient 36a is set such that the more the sales quantity of product 12 is during the predetermined period, the higher the value becomes. In the example of Figure 4, since 5 types of product 12 are shown, the sales quantity coefficient 36a is specified in 5 stages.

[0060] However, the sales quantity coefficient 36a may also be appropriately determined according to the types of products 12 supplied by the product supplier 14. For example, if the product supplier 14 supplies 50 or 100 types of products 12, the sales quantity coefficient 36a may be specified in 50 or 100 stages.

[0061] Discount rate 38a is a value representing the percentage of the desired retail price relative to the difference between the desired retail price of the product supplier 14 and the price (i.e., the market price) of the product 12 when actually purchased by the customer 18a or wholesaler 18b. In Figure 4, discount rate 38a is expressed as a percentage.

[0062] For example, if the desired retail price is fixed during the predetermined period, the difference between the desired retail price and the market price is divided by the average market price of product 12 during the predetermined period, and then multiplied by 100 to obtain the discount rate 38a. Of course, if the desired retail price changes during the predetermined period, this change can be appropriately reflected in the discount rate 38a.

[0063] The discount rate 38a will ultimately be reflected in the product importance coefficient 32a. The lower the discount rate 38a of a product 12, the more necessary and important it is to customers 18a and wholesalers 18b. By reflecting the discount rate 38a in the product importance coefficient 32a, the degree of need for product 12 caused by customers 18a and wholesalers 18b can be reflected in the product importance coefficient 32a.

[0064] In this embodiment, the market price coefficient 40a is set as the opposite order of the discount rate 38a. Therefore, the market price coefficient 40a is set to be higher the lower the discount rate 38a. In other words, the higher the market price, the higher the market price.

[0065] In the example of Figure 4, since 5 products 12 are shown, the order of the discount rate 38a is specified in 5 stages. Therefore, the market price coefficient 40a is also specified in 5 stages.

[0066] Specifically, for product D, which is ranked first in the discount rate 38a, the "5" in its opposite position, i.e., the fifth position, is set as the market price coefficient 40a. Similarly, for product B, which is ranked fifth in the discount rate 38a, the "1" in its opposite position, i.e., the first position, is set as the market price coefficient 40a.

[0067] However, the market price coefficient 40a may also be appropriately determined according to the types of products 12 supplied by product supplier 14. For example, if product supplier 14 supplies 50 or 100 types of products 12, the market price coefficient 40a may be specified in 50 or 100 stages.

[0068] The situation coefficient 42a is a value of 1 or less set by the operator of the product supplier 14 in response to the procurement situation of raw materials 22 and semi-finished products 24. For example, if a certain raw material 22 is procured from multiple suppliers 20, the risk of becoming unable to procure this raw material 22 is considered to be low, so the situation coefficient 42a is set to a small value.

[0069] In contrast, in the case where a certain raw material 22 is purchased by only one supplier 20, the risk of becoming unable to purchase this raw material 22 is considered to be higher, so the situation coefficient 42a is set to 1.0 (maximum value).

[0070] Furthermore, in products 12 of B and E shown in Figure 4, although the condition coefficient 42a is 1.0 respectively, this is due to the influence of other raw materials 22 and semi-finished products 24 (not shown) that are not the raw materials 22 specified by the identification symbol "1-1".

[0071] However, the condition coefficient 42a is a coefficient that is selectively set for calculating the product importance coefficient 32a, and the condition coefficient 42a itself can also be omitted.

[0072] In this embodiment, the product of the sales quantity coefficient 36a, the market price coefficient 40a, and the condition coefficient 42a is set as the coefficient multiplication value 44a (S10 in Figure 5). Figure 5 is a flowchart for calculating the product importance coefficient 32a.

[0073] The product coefficient 12 of product A has a product coefficient 44a of 8 (=5×2×0.8), and the product coefficient 12 of product B has a product coefficient 44a of 3 (=3×1×1.0). Also, the product coefficient 12 of product C has a product coefficient 44a of 6 (=4×3×0.5), the product coefficient 12 of product D has a product coefficient 44a of 7 (=2×5×0.7), and the product coefficient 12 of product E has a product coefficient 44a of 4 (=1×4×1.0).

[0074] In this embodiment, the product importance coefficient 32a is represented by dividing the product value 44a by the maximum value among the product values ​​44a. In the example of FIG4, the maximum value of the product value 44a is "8" for product 12 of A, so the product importance coefficient 32a is calculated by dividing the product value 44a by "8".

[0075] The importance coefficients 32a of products 12, from A to E, are shown in Figure 4. The values ​​for A to E are 1.000 (=8 / 8), 0.375 (=3 / 8), 0.750 (=6 / 8), 0.875 (=7 / 8), and 0.500 (=4 / 8), respectively. The product importance coefficient 32a is calculated in this manner, with the maximum value being 1 for each product, and then standardized.

[0076] As shown in FIG1, the system functions as a required inventory calculation system 2 by means of a predetermined program executed by the processor. The required inventory calculation system 2 has a product importance coefficient calculation unit 50. The product importance coefficient calculation unit 50 is executed, for example, by means of a first program read from memory 6.

[0077] Based on the sales quantity, desired retail price, market price (or discount rate 38a), and condition / situation coefficient 42a input into computer 4, the product importance coefficient calculation unit 50 calculates the product importance coefficient 32a according to the above-mentioned factors. The calculated product importance coefficient 32a for each product 12 is stored in the fifth area 32 of memory 6.

[0078] Next, referring to Figures 6 to 10, the procurement risk coefficient 34a (refer to Figure 9) will be explained. The procurement risk coefficient 34a is calculated by the procurement risk coefficient calculation unit 52 shown in Figure 1.

[0079] The procurement risk coefficient 34a represents the degree of risk (i.e., procurement risk) that the product supplier 14 may be unable to procure raw materials 22 or semi-finished products 24 from the supplier 20.

[0080] The procurement risk factor 34a is set in response to the risk that it may be impossible to procure raw materials 22 or semi-finished products 24 from one or more suppliers 20, and includes the internal factors of supplier 20 (see Figure 6) and the geographical factors of supplier 20 (see Figure 7).

[0081] Figure 6 is a graph showing the total score 52a of the procurement risk after considering the internal factors of supplier 20. In Figure 6, as in Figure 4, the product name 16a is listed in the leftmost column. In addition, the semi-finished product 24 is omitted for convenience.

[0082] The product name 16a, the raw material name, and the supplier name 28a are the same as in Figure 4. The supplier name 28a has a No. listed in the right column. The No. lists the specific details of each of No. 1 to No. 38 in the right column.

[0083] However, in Figure 6, only the specific content of No. 4 to No. 8 is recorded, while the specific content of No. 1 to No. 3 and No. 9 to No. 38 is omitted. In addition, the omitted parts are marked with the text "omitted".

[0084] The specific content of No. 4 is whether it complies with the independent procurement criteria of the product supplier 14. The independent procurement criteria in this embodiment refers to the criteria indicating whether the raw materials 22 procured by the product supplier 14 from the supplier 20 have a low environmental impact. The procurement of raw materials 22, etc., in accordance with this policy is also known as green procurement.

[0085] The specific content of No. 5 is whether raw material 22 contains the mineral in dispute. The specific content of No. 6 is whether raw material 22 infringes on intellectual property rights such as patents.

[0086] No. 7 specifically addresses concerns about whether raw material 22 will continue to be sold. No. 8 specifically addresses whether the production of raw material 22 depends on the natural persons of supplier 20 (e.g., the skills, abilities, etc. of the natural persons).

[0087] In the right column of the content, the weighting is set by natural numbers from 1 to 10. This weighting is assigned to a larger number in advance if the probability that the product supplier 14 will be unable to purchase raw material 22 from supplier 20 is higher in the case of each No.

[0088] For example, in cases that meet No. 4 and 5, since raw material 22 becomes completely unavailable for procurement, the weighting is set to 10. In contrast, even if No. 6 is met, since there is a possibility that it can be procured through a settlement agreement, the weighting is set to 9, which is lower than 10.

[0089] Furthermore, even if it meets No. 7 and 8, since it can be purchased from other suppliers 20, the weighting can be set to 8, which is lower than 9. In addition, it indicates that the weighting score will be re-estimated and updated appropriately by the operator of product supplier 14 as time goes by.

[0090] The risk level is recorded in the weighted right column. The risk level represents the probability that supplier 20 meets the requirements of No. 1 to 38, and is set in three stages (any number of 0, 1, and 2 in this embodiment). This risk level is set, for example, when calculating the procurement risk coefficient 34a.

[0091] In this embodiment, the operator of the product supplier 14 judges or evaluates the likelihood that the supplier 20 meets the contents of No. 1 to 38 based on the information provided by the supplier 20, such as the answers from the supplier 20 to the questions and surveys conducted by the product supplier 14 to the supplier 20.

[0092] Specifically, the case with a high probability (e.g., more than 50%) is set to 2, the case with a low probability but not zero probability (e.g., greater than 0% and less than 50%) is set to 1, and the case with no probability (i.e., 0%) is set to 0.

[0093] Then, the product of the weighted average and the risk level is set as the risk assessment score (S20 in Figure 10). The same calculation method is used for each of No. 1 to 38, and the risk assessment scores are summed according to the name of each raw material. In this embodiment, the maximum value of the summed score is preset to be 336. In contrast, the sum of A-1-1 is 67.

[0094] In this embodiment, the total score is divided by 336 and then multiplied by 100 according to the name of each raw material, thereby calculating the total score 52a (S22 in Figure 10) converted to a full score of 100. In the example of Figure 6, A-1-1, A-3-1, and C-1-1 (the supplier's name 28a is α) is 19.940.

[0095] In contrast, A-1-2 and E-1-1 (supplier name 28a is β) is 8.929, A-2-1 (supplier name 28a is γ) is 59.524, and B-1-1 and D-1-1 (supplier name 28a is δ) is 44.643.

[0096] Figure 7 is a graph showing the total score 52b of the procurement risk considering the geographical factors of supplier 20. In Figure 7, as in Figure 4, the product name 16a is listed in the leftmost column. The product name 16a, the name of the raw material, and the supplier name 28a are the same as in Figure 4. In addition, the semi-finished product 24 is omitted for convenience.

[0097] In the right column of the supplier's name 28a, the country and location of the manufacturing site where the supplier 20 manufactures the raw materials 22 or semi-finished products 24, or the storage site where the raw materials 22 or semi-finished products 24 manufactured by the supplier 20 are stored are recorded. In addition, for foreign countries other than Japan, the country field is simply indicated as overseas, and the country name is recorded in the location field.

[0098] The right column of the country and location contains the World Risk Index (WRI) of the World Risk Report (WRR) related to the country of manufacture or storage.

[0099] The WRR series has been released annually since 2011. For the 2020 edition of the WRR, please refer to the link in parentheses (https: / / reliefweb.int / sites / reliefweb.int / files / resources / WorldRiskReport-2020.pdf).

[0100] In WRR, indicators such as the risk of natural disasters are assigned to each country in the form of WRI. Furthermore, the WRI is a score with a maximum of 100 points. In this embodiment, the latest WRI at the calculation point when the total score is 52b is used.

[0101] The right column of WRR records the score for whether or not a nuclear power plant exists. For example, 20 points are set for the case where the manufacturing or storage site is located within a circle with a radius of 20 km centered on the nuclear power plant.

[0102] Furthermore, in the case where the location is not within a circle with a radius of 20km centered on the nuclear power plant but is within a circle with a radius of 30km, it is set to 10 points; in the case where it is outside a circle with a radius of 30km centered on the nuclear power plant, it is set to 0 points.

[0103] The score for whether or not there is a nuclear power plant is converted to a score of 100 and recorded in the right column. The right column of this converted score records the score assigned in response to the risk of earthquakes, floods, landslides and tsunamis (i.e., natural disasters).

[0104] Because it is difficult to conduct evaluations under the same criteria in countries outside of Japan, only suppliers 20 with manufacturing or storage facilities in Japan are evaluated for earthquakes, floods, landslides, and tsunamis. Earthquakes, floods, landslides, and tsunamis are each recorded with a maximum score of 10.

[0105] The earthquake data is calculated using the "probability of being shaken" provided in the form of J-SHIS Map (https: / / www.j-shis.bosai.go.jp / map / ) in J-SHIS (Japan Seismic Hazard Information Station).

[0106] In this embodiment, the probability of the manufacturing site or storage site experiencing a tremor of intensity 6 or lower in the next 30 years is converted into a maximum score of 10. For example, a probability of 0% or higher but less than 0.1% is set as 1 point, and a probability of 0.1% or higher but less than 3% is set as 2 points.

[0107] Furthermore, a probability of 3% or higher but less than 6% is set to 3 points, a probability of 6% or higher but less than 26% is set to 5 points, and a probability of 26% or higher is set to 10 points. However, the probability of an earthquake occurring at intensity 6 or higher can be used instead of the probability of an earthquake occurring at intensity 6 or lower. In any case, the probability of an earthquake occurring in the local area is converted to a maximum score of 10 points.

[0108] Furthermore, the items for floods, soil and sand disasters and tsunamis are calculated, for example, using the "overlay disaster map - freely investigate risk information" provided by the hazard map portal site (https: / / disaportal.gsi.go.jp / ) operated by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

[0109] For example, in the case of a flood project, where the location of the manufacturing or storage site corresponds to the assumed flood inundation area (assumed maximum scale) during river flooding, points are awarded based on the water depth of that area.

[0110] For example, the case of no flood (i.e., water depth of 0.0m) is set to 0 points, the case of water depth in the area is greater than 0.0m and less than 0.3m is set to 1 point, the case of water depth is greater than 0.3m and less than 0.5m is set to 2 points, and the case of water depth is greater than 0.5m is set to 10 points.

[0111] The case of 0.5m or more is given a higher score because semiconductor manufacturing equipment is generally large and heavy, and is often installed on the ground floor of a building.

[0112] In the case of soil and sand disasters, if the location of the manufacturing site or storage site is in a landslide warning area with a large slope, a debris flow warning area or a landslide warning area, it is set at 5 points.

[0113] Furthermore, the above-mentioned location is set to 10 points if it is in one of the following situations: (4) a special warning area for landslides with a large slope, (5) a special warning area for debris flow, (6) a special warning area for landslides, (7) a stream with a risk of debris flow nearby, (8) a place with a landslide hazard, (9) a place with a landslide hazard, or (10) a place with an avalanche hazard.

[0114] In contrast, if the location of the manufacturing or storage site does not meet any of the above (1) to (10), the soil and sand disaster item is set to 0 points.

[0115] In the tsunami category, in cases corresponding to the tsunami inundation assumption (assuming maximum scale), the score is given based on the water depth of the area. Furthermore, similar to the flood case, cases with depths of 0.5m or more are given a higher score.

[0116] For example, the case where there is no tsunami (i.e., the water depth is 0.0m) is set to 0 points, the case where the water depth in the area is more than 0.01m and less than 0.5m is set to 2 points, the case where the water depth is more than 0.5m and less than 1.0m is set to 5 points, and the case where the water depth is more than 1.0m is set to 10 points.

[0117] The total score for earthquakes, floods, landslides and tsunamis (out of 40) is recorded in the column for total score of municipal groups. The total score of municipal groups with a total score of 40 is converted to a maximum score of 100 points and recorded in the right column of the total score of municipal groups.

[0118] In cases where the manufacturing or storage location is within Japan, as shown in Figure 8, the sum of 40% of WRR's WRI, 10% of nuclear power plant (converted from a maximum of 100 points), and 50% of municipality total (converted from a maximum of 100 points) is set as (domestic) total score 52b (S24 in Figure 10).

[0119] Figure 8 is a graph showing the composition ratio of WRI, nuclear power plant (converted score out of 100) and local government (converted score out of 100) in the total score 52b of procurement risk showing geographical factors.

[0120] In cases where the location is within Japan, the reason for setting the total percentage of local governments at 50% is that domestic information is more detailed than overseas information, and therefore reflects the more accurate reality.

[0121] In contrast, in cases where the manufacturing or storage location is not in Japan but overseas, as shown in Figure 8, the sum of 90% of WRR's WRI and 10% of the nuclear power plant (out of 100) is set as the (overseas) total score 52b (S24 of Figure 10).

[0122] Regarding overseas locations, since it is difficult to obtain detailed forecasts for each location as for domestic risks such as earthquakes, floods, landslides, and tsunamis, WRR is used as a substitute for the assessment of these risks. Therefore, the WRI is set at a relatively high ratio.

[0123] Then, the procurement risk total score (out of 200 points) is calculated by summing the total score 52a shown in Figure 6 and the total score 52b shown in Figure 7 (see S26 in Figures 9 and 10).

[0124] Next, the procurement risk coefficient 34a (S28 in Figure 10) is calculated by dividing the sum of each procurement risk score by the largest procurement risk score (74.780 for A-2-1 in the example of Figure 9).

[0125] Thus, a standardized procurement risk coefficient 34a is calculated for each raw material 22 or semi-finished product 24, with the maximum value being 1. Figure 9 is a diagram showing the procurement risk coefficient 34a, and Figure 10 is a flowchart for calculating the procurement risk coefficient 34a.

[0126] As shown in Figure 1, the required inventory calculation system 2 has a procurement risk coefficient calculation unit 52. The procurement risk coefficient calculation unit 52 is executed, for example, by a second program that is read from memory 6 and executed.

[0127] The procurement risk coefficient calculation unit 52 calculates the procurement risk coefficient 34a based on the weighting, risk level (see Figure 6), WRI, risk of nuclear power plants, earthquakes and other natural disasters (see Figure 7) that are input into the computer 4 respectively.

[0128] The memory 6 further has a sixth region 34. The sixth region 34 stores the procurement risk coefficient 34a calculated by the procurement risk coefficient calculation unit 52. Then, based on the product importance coefficient 32a and the procurement risk coefficient 34a, the required inventory quantity 58a is calculated for each raw material 22 or semi-finished product 24 (see Figure 11).

[0129] Figure 11 is a diagram showing the required inventory level 58a, and Figure 12 is a flowchart for calculating the required inventory level 58a. First, the total coefficient calculation unit 54 of the required inventory level calculation system 2 (refer to Figure 1) calculates the total coefficient 54a (S30 in Figure 12) for each raw material 22 or semi-finished product 24 by multiplying the product importance coefficient 32a and the procurement risk coefficient 34a.

[0130] The total coefficient calculation unit 54 is executed, for example, by a third program read from and executed from memory 6. Since the product importance coefficient 32a and the procurement risk coefficient 34a in this embodiment have been standardized so that the maximum value becomes 1, the total coefficient 54a, which has been standardized so that the maximum value becomes 1, is obtained by multiplying the product importance coefficient 32a and the procurement risk coefficient 34a.

[0131] However, the total coefficient 54a can also be calculated by multiplying the product importance coefficient 32a before standardization of the coefficient multiplication value 44a (see Figure 4) with the procurement risk coefficient 34a before standardization of the procurement risk total score (see Figure 9), and then standardizing the obtained value.

[0132] The higher the product importance coefficient 32a and the higher the procurement risk coefficient 34a, the higher the total coefficient 54a becomes. That is, the higher the need from customers 18a or wholesalers 18b, and the higher the risk of not being able to procure, the higher the total coefficient 54a becomes.

[0133] Next, the required inventory period calculation unit 56 (see Figure 1) of the required inventory calculation system 2 calculates the required inventory period 56a for each raw material 22 or semi-finished product 24 by multiplying each total coefficient 54a by a predetermined longest inventory period (S32 in Figure 12). The required inventory period calculation unit 56 is executed, for example, by a fourth program that is read from memory 6 and executed.

[0134] In the case where the calculated required inventory period 56a is less than the predetermined minimum inventory period (S34 in Figure 12 is true), the calculated required inventory period 56a is set to the period corresponding to the minimum inventory period (S36 in Figure 12). That is, the required inventory period 56a is replaced by the minimum inventory period.

[0135] In contrast, if the calculated required inventory period 56a is greater than the predetermined minimum inventory period (S34 in Figure 12 is not), the calculated required inventory period 56a will be used directly in the next step.

[0136] In this embodiment, the maximum inventory period is 24 months. This maximum inventory period of 24 months is determined, for example, by taking into account the burden of costs incurred due to the increase in inventory of product supplier 14.

[0137] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the predetermined minimum inventory period is 6 months. The minimum inventory period is, for example, the period during which the product supplier 14 can supply the product 12 to the customer 18a or the wholesaler 18b in a fixed supply quantity, and reflects the period announced to the customer 18a or the wholesaler 18b.

[0138] Next, the required inventory calculation unit 58 (see Figure 1) of the required inventory calculation system 2 multiplies the required quantity 30a of each raw material 22 or semi-finished product 24 in a predetermined period (one month in this embodiment) with the required inventory period 56a, thereby calculating the required inventory quantity 58a (S38 in Figure 12).

[0139] The required inventory calculation unit 58 is executed, for example, by a fifth program that is read from memory 6 and executed. In this embodiment, the calculated required inventory 58a is regarded as the appropriate required inventory 58a of raw materials 22 or semi-finished products 24 placed in the inventory of product supplier 14, and is stored in the required inventory calculation system 2 and reflected in the business activities of product supplier 14.

[0140] In this embodiment, since the required inventory calculation system 2 automatically calculates the required inventory 58a of raw materials 22 or semi-finished products 24 during a predetermined period, the required inventory 58a can be calculated with fewer working hours than the situation determined by the operator of the product supplier 14. Therefore, the required inventory 58a of raw materials 22 or semi-finished products 24 can be calculated at a lower cost than the situation determined by the operator of the product supplier 14.

[0141] Next, the second embodiment will be described. Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the required inventory calculation system 2 of the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, the computer 60 is connected to the server (computer) 64 via the Internet 62 or a network.

[0142] Each of the computer 60 and the server 64 has a processor and memory. The computer 60 stores the name of the product 16a, the name of the raw material or semi-finished product 26a, the name of the supplier 28a and the required quantity 30a, and transmits this information to the server 64 via the Internet 62.

[0143] The processor of the server 64 executes a predetermined program stored in the memory of the server 64. In this way, the server 64 performs the function of a necessary inventory calculation system 2 having the above-mentioned product importance coefficient calculation unit 50, procurement risk coefficient calculation unit 52, total coefficient calculation unit 54, necessary inventory period calculation unit 56, and necessary inventory quantity calculation unit 58.

[0144] That is, the calculation of each item is performed by the server 64, not the computer 60. The server 64 calculates the product importance coefficient 32a and the procurement risk coefficient 34a based on the information from the computer 60, and calculates the total coefficient 54a, the required inventory period 56a and the required inventory quantity 58a.

[0145] The information containing the required inventory level 58a is stored in the memory (not shown) of the computer 60 of the product supplier 14 and displayed on the display device 10. In the second embodiment, the required inventory level 58a of raw materials 22 or semi-finished products 24 can also be calculated at a lower cost than that determined by the operator of the product supplier 14.

[0146] Next, the third embodiment will be described. Figure 14(A) is a schematic diagram of the required inventory calculation system 2 of the third embodiment. In the third embodiment, a predetermined program 66 that makes the computer 60 calculate the product importance coefficient 32a, the procurement risk coefficient 34a, the total coefficient 54a, the required inventory period 56a, and the required inventory quantity 58a is stored in the server 64.

[0147] The pre-program 66 is provided to the computer 60 from the server 64 via the Internet 62. The computer 60 performs the function of the necessary inventory calculation system 2 by reading the pre-program 66.

[0148] In the third embodiment, the computer 60 functions as the necessary inventory calculation system 2, which calculates the product importance coefficient 32a, the procurement risk coefficient 34a, the total coefficient 54a, the necessary inventory period 56a, and the necessary inventory quantity 58a.

[0149] Next, the fourth embodiment will be described. Figure 14(B) is a schematic diagram of the necessary inventory calculation system 2 of the fourth embodiment. In the fourth embodiment, a predetermined program 66 is stored in a non-temporary computer-readable medium such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory 68.

[0150] The computer 60 functions as the necessary inventory calculation system 2 by reading a predetermined program 66 from the USB memory 68. Furthermore, the structure and method of the above-described embodiments can be appropriately modified and implemented as long as they do not depart from the scope of the present invention. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0019] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the required inventory calculation system. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the business activities of product suppliers. Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of the correspondence between products, raw materials, and semi-finished products. Figure 4 is a diagram showing the product importance coefficient. Figure 5 is a flowchart of calculating the product importance coefficient. Figure 6 is a diagram showing the sum of procurement risks considering internal factors. Figure 7 is a diagram showing the sum of procurement risks considering geographical factors. Figure 8 is a diagram showing the composition ratio of WRR's WRI, nuclear power plants, and municipalities in the sum of procurement risks showing geographical factors. Figure 9 is a diagram showing the procurement risk coefficient. Figure 10 is a flowchart of calculating the procurement risk coefficient. Figure 11 is a diagram showing the required inventory. Figure 12 is a flowchart of calculating the required inventory. Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the required inventory calculation system of the second embodiment. Figure 14(A) is a schematic diagram of the required inventory calculation system of the third embodiment, and Figure 14(B) is a schematic diagram of the required inventory calculation system of the fourth embodiment.

Claims

1. A required inventory calculation system for calculating the appropriate required inventory of raw materials or semi-finished products purchased from one or more suppliers and placed in the supplier's inventory during a business activity of a product supplier that manufactures products from at least one of one or more suppliers and supplies the products to customers or wholesalers, characterized in that the required inventory calculation system has a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores: the name of the product; the name of the raw material or semi-finished product used in the product; the name of the one or more suppliers that supply the raw material or semi-finished product; and the required quantity of the raw material or semi-finished product needed to supply the product to the customer or wholesaler within a predetermined period, and the memory includes: a product importance coefficient calculation unit that calculates a product importance coefficient for each product, the product importance coefficient being set according to the degree of need from the customer or wholesaler and representing the importance of each product; The procurement risk coefficient calculation unit is set to account for the risk of not being able to procure the raw material or the semi-finished product from the one or more suppliers, and calculates a procurement risk coefficient representing the degree of procurement risk for each raw material or the semi-finished product; the total coefficient calculation unit calculates a standardized total coefficient for each raw material or the semi-finished product by multiplying the product importance coefficient by the procurement risk coefficient, with the maximum value being 1; the required inventory period calculation unit multiplies each total coefficient calculated by the total coefficient calculation unit by a predetermined longest inventory period, thereby calculating the required inventory period for each raw material or the semi-finished product, and sets the calculated required inventory period to the period corresponding to the shortest inventory period if the calculated required inventory period is less than the predetermined shortest inventory period; and the required inventory quantity calculation unit multiplies the required quantity of each raw material or the semi-finished product in the predetermined period by the required inventory period, thereby calculating the required inventory quantity of the raw material or the semi-finished product.

2. As in Request 1, the required inventory calculation system, wherein, The product importance coefficient is set such that the higher the sales volume of the product during the predetermined period, the higher the value becomes.

3. As in Request 1, the required inventory calculation system, wherein, The product importance coefficient includes a market price coefficient, which is set to be higher as the average market price of the product or the discount rate is lower during the predetermined period.

4. As in Request 1, the required inventory calculation system, wherein, The procurement risk factor is calculated based on the risk of natural disasters in the location of the supplier's manufacturing site or storage site for the raw materials or semi-finished products.

5. A required inventory calculation system as described in any of requests 1 to 4, wherein, The procurement risk factor is calculated by taking into account the supplier's geographical factors, which include: the global risk index of the global risk report related to the country where the supplier manufactures or stores the raw materials or semi-finished products; and whether there is nuclear power generation in the location of the manufacturing or storage site.

6. A required inventory calculation program, stored in a computer-readable medium, for use by a product supplier in a business activity of manufacturing products and supplying them to customers or wholesalers by purchasing at least one of raw materials and semi-finished products from one or more suppliers, and placing them in the supplier's inventory, wherein the computer performs the following actions: calculating a product importance coefficient for each product, the product importance coefficient being set according to the degree of need from the customer or wholesaler and representing the importance of each product; calculating a procurement risk coefficient for each raw material or semi-finished product, the procurement risk coefficient being set according to the risk of not being able to purchase the raw material or semi-finished product from the one or more suppliers and representing the degree of procurement risk of the raw material or semi-finished product; and calculating a total coefficient for each raw material or semi-finished product, standardized by multiplying the product importance coefficient and the procurement risk coefficient, with the maximum value being 1. The required inventory period for each raw material or semi-finished product is calculated by multiplying each total coefficient by the predetermined longest inventory period. If the calculated required inventory period is less than the predetermined shortest inventory period, the calculated required inventory period is replaced by the shortest inventory period. The required inventory quantity for each raw material or semi-finished product is calculated by multiplying the required quantity of each raw material or semi-finished product needed to supply the product to the customer or the wholesaler within the predetermined period by the required inventory period.

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