Program, information processing method, and system

Abstract

Provided is a program that causes a computer to execute: registering first supply chain information including the structure of a first supply chain related to provision of a first product, the first supply chain information being configured by one or more first nodes corresponding to one or more first suppliers; registering second supply chain information including the structure of a second supply chain related to provision of a second product, the second supply chain information being configured by one or more second nodes corresponding to one or more second suppliers; and associating the first supply chain information with the second supply chain information when a first node corresponding to the second product is present.

Description

Program, information processing method, and system

[0001] The present invention relates to a program, an information processing method, and a system.

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a technology for managing a supply chain configured with one or more nodes corresponding to suppliers of parts and materials for a product in order to manage a series of processes from procurement to delivery of the product. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a system for generating a supply chain model for producing a product using multiple resources located at multiple bases of business partners, etc., which process parts or materials, transport them within the bases, or transport them to other bases.

[0003] International Publication No. 2019 / 139086

[0004] In supply chain management, a supplier, which is one node in the supply chain information that structures the supply chain as data, also has a supply chain for the products that it manufactures and sells. However, in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, even if multiple products are related to each other, separate supply chain models are generated and managed for the supply chains of these products, which poses a problem in how these supply chains are managed.

[0005] Therefore, one aspect of the disclosed technology aims to provide a program, an information processing method, and a system that support integrated management of the supply chains of multiple interrelated products.

[0006] A program in one aspect of the disclosed technology causes a computer to execute the following operations: registering first supply chain information including a structure of a first supply chain related to the provision of a first product, the first supply chain information being composed of one or more first nodes corresponding to one or more first suppliers; registering second supply chain information including a structure of a second supply chain related to the provision of a second product, the second supply chain information being composed of one or more second nodes corresponding to one or more second suppliers; and, if a first node corresponding to the second product exists, associating the first supply chain information with the second supply chain information.

[0007] An information processing method in one aspect of the disclosed technology includes a computer registering first supply chain information including a structure of a first supply chain related to the provision of a first product, the first supply chain information being composed of one or more first nodes corresponding to one or more first suppliers, registering second supply chain information including a structure of a second supply chain related to the provision of a second product, the second supply chain information being composed of one or more second nodes corresponding to one or more second suppliers, and associating the first supply chain information with the second supply chain information if a first node corresponding to the second product exists.

[0008] In one aspect of the disclosed technology, a system registers first supply chain information including a structure of a first supply chain related to the provision of a first product, the first supply chain information being composed of one or more first nodes corresponding to one or more first suppliers, and registers second supply chain information including a structure of a second supply chain related to the provision of a second product, the second supply chain information being composed of one or more second nodes corresponding to one or more second suppliers, and if a first node corresponding to the second product exists, associates the first supply chain information with the second supply chain information.

[0009] According to one aspect of the disclosed technology, it is possible to support integrated management of the supply chains of multiple products that are related to each other.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an example of a system configuration of an SCM system according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an example of an overview of an SCM system according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an example of an overview of an SCM system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of a functional configuration of a server device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of a screen of an SCM system according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an example of a screen of an SCM system according to an embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an example of a screen of an SCM system according to an embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining an example of a screen of an SCM system according to an embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining an example of a screen of an SCM system according to an embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining an example of a screen of an SCM system according to an embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining an example of a screen of an SCM system according to an embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining an example of a screen of an SCM system according to an embodiment.

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiments described below are merely examples, and are not intended to exclude various modifications or applications of techniques not explicitly described below. In other words, the present invention can be implemented with various modifications within the scope of its spirit. Furthermore, in the following description of the drawings, identical or similar parts are denoted by identical or similar reference numerals. The drawings are schematic and do not necessarily correspond to actual dimensions, ratios, etc. Parts in the drawings may have different dimensional relationships or ratios.

[0012] 1. System Configuration An example of the system configuration of an SCM (Supply Chain Management) system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1 . The SCM system 1 visualizes the supply chain of a provider that provides a product and supports management by the provider. The SCM system 1, for example, registers information about the provider's supply chain (hereinafter also referred to as "supply chain information") and graphically outputs the registered supply chain information so that the provider can easily understand it intuitively. As shown in FIG. 1 , the SCM system 1 includes a server device 100, a first provider device 200a of a first provider, and a second provider device 200b of a second provider. The first provider device 200a and the second provider device 200b are collectively referred to as "provider devices 200." A number of provider devices 200 corresponding to the number of providers are installed in the SCM system 1. The server device 100 and the provider devices 200 are connected to each other via a network NW so that they can communicate with each other.

[0013] The first provider is a party that provides a first product. The second provider is a party that provides a second product. In this embodiment, the first provider and the second provider are different businesses, but the first provider and the second provider are not limited to this. For example, the first provider and the second provider may be the same business.

[0014] Possible users of the SCM system 1 include, for example, providers that provide products, including the first provider and the second provider, suppliers in the provider's supply chain, and system administrators and operators of the SCM system. Hereinafter, information processing devices used by users (including the provider device 200) are also referred to as "user devices." The user devices may be connected to the server device 100 via the network NW so that they can communicate with each other.

[0015] The second product is, for example, a product (e.g., parts or materials of the first product) of an nth-tier supplier (n: a natural number equal to or greater than 2) for manufacturing the first product. The second product is, for example, a product for which its own supply chain information is registered in the SCM system 1, separate from the first supply chain information of the first product.

[0016] The network NW is composed of a wireless network or a wired network. Examples of the network NW include a mobile phone network, a PHS (Personal Handy-phone System) network, a wireless LAN (Local Area Network, including communication conforming to IEEE 802.11 (so-called Wi / Fi (registered trademark))), 3G (3rd Generation), LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th Generation), 5G (5th Generation), WiMax (registered trademark), infrared communication, visible light communication, Bluetooth (registered trademark), a wired LAN, a telephone line, a power line communication network, and a network conforming to IEEE 1394, etc.

[0017] [Server Device] The server device 100 is an information processing device for providing services by the SCM system 1. The server device 100 executes a predetermined program (hereinafter also referred to as a "server program") to realize a server function of managing and visualizing the supply chain information of providers.

[0018] As a front-end server, the server device 100 may provide a user interface for using the SCM service via the website of the SCM system 1 (hereinafter also referred to as the "SCM site") or an application program dedicated to the SCM system 1 (hereinafter also referred to as the "SCM app"). The server device 100 may have the function of a web server that generates web pages for the SCM site and distributes them to each provider device 200. Each provider device 200 outputs various information related to the SCM system 1, including the supply chain, via a web browser.

[0019] [Provider Device] The provider device 200 is an information processing device used by the provider, and is, for example, a terminal device such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a laptop. The provider device 200 executes a predetermined program (hereinafter also referred to as a "user program") to accept requests from the provider, receive information (hereinafter also referred to as "output information") related to the SCM system 1 transmitted from the server device 100, and output the information to the provider by screen display or audio. The user program may be, for example, an application dedicated to the SCM system 1 or a general-purpose web browser application. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the user program is a web browser application. In this case, the output information includes, for example, a web page or the like.

[0020] The server device 100 may be communicably connected to an external system 300, such as a third-party system, via a network NW. The external system 300 may be a system that provides the SCM system 1 with information indicating the occurrence of an abnormality due to an incident such as a natural disaster or an accident (hereinafter also referred to as "anomaly information"). The natural disaster may be, for example, an earthquake, heavy rain, a typhoon, a power outage, or a landslide. The accident may be, for example, a traffic accident, a railway accident, an aviation accident, a fire, an explosion, an electrical accident, or a nuclear accident. The external system 300 may be provided with multiple systems for each incident to be provided with information. For example, a meteorological external system and an accident external system may be separate systems.

[0021] 2. Overview An example of an overview of the SCM system 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0022] <2-1. Supply Chain Tree> Figure 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of the structure of a supply chain that the SCM system 1 outputs to the display of the provider device 200 based on output information. As shown in Figure 2, a first supply chain SC1 is a supply chain related to the provision of a first product by a first provider. Also, a second supply chain SC2 is a supply chain related to the provision of a second product by a second provider. The first supply chain SC1 and the second supply chain SC2 are collectively referred to as the "supply chain SC."

[0023] Supply chain information is information including, for example, the structure of a supply chain. For example, the supply chain information is composed of one or more nodes (hereinafter simply referred to as "nodes") corresponding to one or more suppliers. The supply chain structure is, for example, a tree structure that hierarchically shows nodes for each item and / or each supplier of an item required for a product (e.g., a final product or part) corresponding to a parent node at the top of the tree along the supply chain. Specifically, the supply chain information includes one or more pieces of node information, which will be described later, and the node information for each node may be associated with the node information for one or more child nodes. A node in the first supply chain SC1 is also referred to as a "first node," and a node in the second supply chain SC2 is also referred to as a "second node." Although this example describes an example in which two supply chains are associated, three or more supply chains may also be associated.

[0024] For example, the following items can be registered for each node in a supply chain tree (hereinafter also referred to as a "supply chain tree"). Furthermore, information relating to a node (hereinafter also referred to as "node information") may include, for example, the following items in addition to information identifying each node (hereinafter also referred to as "node identification information"). Supplier name: for example, the company name, etc. Classification of each supplier: for example, company classification such as trading company, materials manufacturer, raw material manufacturer, or sales. Item name: the name of the item procured at each node. One or more contact points: for example, each contact point may include the supplier's person in charge name, email address, and / or telephone number, etc. One or more bases: information about each of the one or more bases linked to each node (for example, the name of the base, location information of the base such as address, latitude and longitude, etc.). Status: the status of each node (for example, normal or abnormal, and in the case of an abnormality, abnormality information in addition, etc.). Access authorized user: a user with access authorization to each node.

[0025] Each node in the supply chain tree may have the same supplier name and / or item name as other nodes, for example, Supplier 1A and Supplier 1B may be the same company.

[0026] The first supply chain SC1 has a hierarchical structure with, for example, a first node N01 for the first product at the top. The first node N01 for the first product is associated with, for example, a first node N1 for item 1a supplied by a first-A supplier and a first node N1 for item 1b supplied by a first-B supplier as child nodes of items required for the first product. The relationship between parent nodes and child nodes in the supply chain tree may be, for example, a 1-to-0...n relationship. In this example, two child nodes, the first nodes N1 for items 1a and 1b, are associated with the first node N01 for the first product. However, three or more child nodes may be associated with the parent node. Furthermore, in the example of FIG. 2 , the tree of the first supply chain SC1 shows up to three levels of third-tier suppliers, but it may also include fourth-tier suppliers, i.e., four or more levels.

[0027] The first node N1 of item 1b may be associated with, for example, a first node N11 of item 1b1 (based at "XX Factory") supplied by supplier 1B-1 and a first node N11 of item 1b2 (based at "XX Factory") supplied by supplier 1B-2 as child nodes. This indicates that supplier 1B needs to procure items 1b1 and 1b2 to manufacture item 1b.

[0028] The second supply chain SC2 has a hierarchical structure with, for example, a second node N02 for the second product at the top. The second product node N02 is associated with, for example, child nodes of items required for the second product, a second node N2 for item 2a supplied by a second-A supplier, a second node N2 for item 2b supplied by a second-B supplier, and a second node N2 for item 2c supplied by a second-C supplier. In the example of Figure 2, the tree of the second supply chain SC2 shows up to two levels of second-tier suppliers, but it may also include third-tier and subsequent suppliers, i.e., three or more levels.

[0029] The first supply chain SC1 and the second supply chain SC2 may be associated with each other by associating their respective nodes if they each have a corresponding node in the other supply chain. For example, if an item 1a in the first supply chain SC1 corresponds to a second product in the second supply chain SC2 (i.e., if the item 1a and the second product are the same item), the node information of the node N1 for the item 1a may be associated with the node information of the node N02 for the second product. That is, if a first node corresponding to the second product exists, the first supply chain information in the first supply chain SC1 and the second supply chain information in the second supply chain SC2 may be associated. Note that, because the first supply chain information in the first supply chain SC1 is managed by the first provider, and the second supply chain information in the second supply chain SC2 is managed by the second provider, information security (e.g., confidentiality and integrity) of the respective supply chain information may be ensured even when the association is made. For example, in the SCM system 1, even if the second product and the item 1a are associated, the association and / or at least a portion of the other supply chain information may not be output to the provider device 200. If the first provider or the second provider permits disclosure of its supply chain information to others, the supply chain information may be disclosed to others. In addition, whether or not disclosure is permitted may be set for each node of the supply chain information.

[0030] For example, when multiple pieces of supply chain information are registered in the system, even if the supply chain information is for multiple products that are actually related to each other, it can be separated because each manager manages the information independently. With the above configuration, the SCM system 1 can associate corresponding nodes with each other and support supply chain management across managers. This makes it possible to support integrated management of the supply chains of multiple products that are related to each other.

[0031] 3 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of a supply chain tree that the SCM system 1 outputs to the display of the provider device 200 when an abnormality occurs at the second node of the second supply chain SC2. In this example, it is assumed that the first supply chain SC1 and the second supply chain SC2 are associated with each other, as shown in the example of FIG. 2. In addition, this example will be described using an example in which an abnormality occurs at a base (e.g., a factory that manufactures item 2a) of a second A supplier in the second supply chain SC due to damage from an earthquake.

[0032] 3, in the SCM system 1, the provider device 200 outputs a control tower screen A1 including a supply chain tree, which will be described later using the example of FIG. 5. The first provider device 200a outputs a control tower screen A1a including first supply chain information, and the second provider device 200b outputs a control tower screen A1b including second supply chain information.

[0033] When an earthquake occurs at a location where item 2a of a second-A supplier in the second supply chain SC is located, the SCM system 1 acquires anomaly information indicating the earthquake from an external system 300 or the like. Based on the anomaly information, the SCM system 1 then transmits information (one form of question information, described below) to the user device of the second-A supplier (specifically, the second-A supplier's contact email address, etc.) as a question about the second supply chain information, inquiring about the status of the location where item 2a is located (e.g., whether it is normal or abnormal). The SCM system 1 then receives response information indicating a response to the response from the user device. Based on the anomaly information and / or the response information indicating that item 2a is abnormal, the SCM system 1 may change the output mode of the second supply chain information of the second supply chain SC2 (specifically, the node information for item 2a output to the second provider device 200b). For example, the SCM system 1 may output a notification badge indicating an attention mark to highlight the node (second node) of item 2a, may thicken the line of the box of the node of item 2a from the default thickness, or may change the fill color and text color of the box from the default color to a color that attracts the user's attention (e.g., yellow or red).

[0034] The SCM system 1 may change the output mode of the node information of item 2a according to the confirmation stage of the status of the base, for example, as in the following (a) and (b): (a) Obtaining abnormality information from the external system 300: Displaying the color of the notification badge in yellow, and displaying a message indicating that a natural disaster has occurred (b) After (1) above, obtaining response information indicating an abnormality at the base from the user device of the second A supplier that was the contact point: Displaying the color of the notification badge in red, and displaying a message indicating that the base is abnormal due to the occurrence of a natural disaster

[0035] The SCM system 1 may notify a first provider in the first supply chain SC1 associated with the second node where the abnormality occurred that the abnormality occurred at the second node. For example, the SCM system 1 may change the output mode so that abnormality information about an abnormality occurring at a site for item 2a, which is a material for the second product, is associated with a first node for item 1a in the first supply chain corresponding to the second product and reflected in the first supply chain information. Specifically, in the tree of the first supply chain SC1, a node for item 2a to be temporarily output (hereinafter also referred to as a "temporary output node") may be associated with the node for item 1a. The SCM system 1 may then anonymize and output information about the second supplier A, such as "An abnormality has occurred at the site of supplier A (pseudonym) for item 2a, a component of item 1a," at this temporary output node.

[0036] When the SCM system 1 receives response information from the user device of the second A supplier indicating that the abnormality has been resolved (or that the system is normal) and / or receives information from the external system 300 or the like indicating that the abnormality has been resolved, the SCM system 1 may return the changed output mode to the mode before the change. Specifically, the SCM system 1 may return the highlighted output of the second node related to the abnormality in the second supply chain information to the normal output, and cancel (or hide) the temporary output node that was output in the first supply chain information.

[0037] With the above configuration, the SCM system 1 can notify the first provider of an abnormality in the second supply chain that may affect the first supply chain while ensuring the confidentiality of the second supply chain information. The first provider can grasp the abnormality on the tree of the first supply chain SC1. This can support the integrated management of the supply chains of multiple interrelated products.

[0038] 3. Functional Configuration The functional configuration of the server device 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4. As shown in Fig. 4, the server device 100 includes a control unit 110, a communication unit 120, and a storage unit 130.

[0039] The control unit 110 includes an acquisition unit 111 and a registration unit 112. The control unit 110 may also include an output unit 113, for example.

[0040] The acquisition unit 111 acquires various requests and / or various information from the provider device 200, the external system 300, and / or the storage unit 130, etc. The acquisition unit 111 may acquire, for example, answer information indicating an answer to question information from a user device that is a destination of question information transmitted from the transmission unit 121.

[0041] The acquisition unit 111 acquires, for example, from a user device such as the provider device 200, first supply chain information including a structure of a first supply chain related to the provision of a first product, the first supply chain information being configured by one or more first nodes corresponding to one or more first suppliers. The acquisition unit 111 also acquires, for example, second supply chain information including a structure of a second supply chain related to the provision of a second product, the second supply chain information being configured by one or more second nodes corresponding to one or more second suppliers. The acquisition unit 111 may also acquire, for example, supply chain information input by a user to a web page (screen) of an SCM site output to the user device by receiving it from the user device.

[0042] For example, the acquisition unit 111 may acquire anomaly information indicating that an anomaly has occurred in the second supplier for each of one or more second nodes in the second supply chain information from the external system 300. The anomaly information may include, for example, the type of anomaly (for example, a natural disaster such as an earthquake, or an accident), the date and time of the anomaly occurrence, the degree of the anomaly (for example, seismic intensity if the anomaly is an earthquake), impact information indicating the extent of the impact of the anomaly (for example, information indicating a seismic intensity distribution map if the anomaly is an earthquake), and the like.

[0043] The acquiring unit 111 may acquire, for example, from the second provider, information indicating consent to outputting at least a portion of the second supply chain information to the first provider of the first supply chain information associated with the second supply chain information (hereinafter also referred to as "consent information"). The consent information may, for example, consent to outputting all or a portion of the second supply chain information (for example, information excluding corporate information such as the legal names of some nodes or companies) to the first provider after anonymizing it.

[0044] [Registration Unit] The registration unit 112 registers the first supply chain information acquired by the acquisition unit 111 in the storage unit 130 or the like. The registration unit 112 also registers the second supply chain information acquired by the acquisition unit 111 in the storage unit 130 or the like. The registration unit 112 may also register the first supply chain information or the second supply chain information based on, for example, a registration request received by the reception unit 112a.

[0045] The registration unit 112 may register a new user account, for example, based on a request to register a new user account from a user such as a provider. Specifically, the registration unit 112 assigns a new ID to the account, associates the assigned user ID with user information about the user of the user account (for example, the user's name, contact information, etc.), and registers the associated user ID in the storage unit 130.

[0046] The user account may be, for example, at least one of (a) an administrator account, (b) a general account, and (c) a trading partner account. The administrator account may be granted, for example, all access rights to supply chain information (e.g., CRUD rights) and access rights to user accounts. The general account may be granted, for example, the same rights as the administrator account except for access rights to user accounts. On the other hand, the trading partner account is, for example, an account granted to a second-tier or later supplier for manufacturing a product, and may be granted only access rights to the node information of the supplier's node.

[0047] The registration unit 112 includes a reception unit 112a. The reception unit 112a receives an association request from the second provider via the second provider device 200b to associate the first supply chain information with the second supply chain information. This association request may include, for example, a request to specify a first node in the first supply chain corresponding to the second product.

[0048] The receiving unit 112a may receive, for example, a request to register first supply chain information from a first provider, or a request to register second supply chain information from a second provider that provides a second product.

[0049] For example, when a first provider that provides a first product registers second supply chain information for a second product corresponding to a first node, the receiving unit 112a may receive an association request to associate the first supply chain information with the second supply chain information. Furthermore, when the first provider requests the second provider to register the second supply chain information and the second provider registers the second supply chain information, the receiving unit 112a may receive an association request to associate the first supply chain information with the second supply chain information, triggered by the completion of registration of the second supply chain information.

[0050] The registration unit 112 includes an association unit 112b. When a first node corresponding to the second product exists, the association unit 112b associates the first supply chain information with the second supply chain information.

[0051] A first supply chain for a first product and a second supply chain for a second product that is substantially related (connected) to the first supply chain may be separated because they are managed using multiple pieces of supply chain information. According to the above configuration, the first supply chain information for the first product can be associated with information on the second supply chain for the second product that is not managed as the first supply chain information but is substantially connected to the first supply chain. This association can support integrated management of the supply chains of multiple products that are related to each other.

[0052] The associating unit 112b may associate the first supply chain with the second supply chain based on, for example, an association request received by the receiving unit 112a. With this configuration, the first supply chain SC1 and the second supply chain SC2 can be associated in response to a request from the first provider or the second provider. This makes it possible to provide SCM services that reflect the provider's intentions.

[0053] The receiving unit 112a may receive, for example, question information about the first supply chain information from the first provider via the first provider device 200a or the like. The question information is information indicating a question about the supply chain information and may include, for example, a question for assessing the risk of the first supply chain SC of the first provider. As another example, the question information may include a question for confirming the impact of an abnormality on each node included in the supply chain tree when an abnormality occurs.

[0054] When outputting information included in the second supply chain information to the first provider, the masking unit 112c masks the information included in the second supply chain information. For example, the masking unit 112c may mask information that is set in advance by an administrator, or may mask information specified by the second provider or the second supplier. When information to be masked is specified, the receiving unit 122 may receive designation information specifying the information to be masked from an information processing device used by the second provider or the second supplier. The masking unit 112c masks the information included in the second supply chain information based on the received designation information. The information to be masked includes, for example, the specific location of a base. The masking unit 112c may also set the granularity of the area to be masked. For example, the masking unit 112c may mask information to be masked for each first area level (e.g., prefecture level) or each second area level (e.g., Kyushu, Kanto, etc.).

[0055] The generation unit 112d generates aggregate information regarding the aggregation results of the information masked by the masking unit 112c based on the information. The generation unit 112d, for example, counts predetermined information included in the masked information and generates aggregate information including the count value. When areas to be masked are designated (e.g., the above-mentioned first area level or second area level), the generation unit 112c may generate aggregate information for each designated area.

[0056] The generation unit 112d may generate template information indicating a template for a question regarding the first supply chain information. In this case, the storage unit 130 may store past question information. The generation unit 112d extracts question information of a question that has been asked a predetermined number of times or more from the past question information. In other words, the generation unit 112d extracts question information of a question that has been asked relatively frequently from the past question information. The generation unit 112d generates template information based on, for example, the extracted question information. The generation unit 112d may generate template information for each first provider.

[0057] The generation unit 112d may generate template information indicating a template for a question that is periodically asked by the first provider to the second supplier. For example, the generation unit 112d extracts question information about a question that is continuously asked at predetermined intervals from past question information. For example, the generation unit 112d generates template information based on the extracted question information.

[0058] The registration unit 112 may include, for example, a name matching unit 112e. The name matching unit 112e performs name matching on each of the first supply chain information and the second supply chain information. Furthermore, when associated first supply chain information and second supply chain information exist, the name matching unit 112e may perform name matching on a combination of the first supply chain information and the second supply chain information. For example, there may be cases where the same product is registered under different company names, different item names, different base names, or different base addresses (i.e., cases where spelling variations occur). In such cases, the name matching process by the name matching unit 112e may, for example, extract candidate information for name matching (hereinafter also referred to as "candidate information") and update the extracted candidate information to unify the different spellings. The conditions for extracting candidate information (hereinafter also referred to as "weekly output conditions") in the name matching unit 112e may include general name matching extraction conditions, such as a condition for extracting non-identical character strings that belong to the same category and have a predetermined similarity or higher.

[0059] For example, when multiple pieces of supply chain information are managed separately because they are managed by different managers, etc., and these supply chains are in fact connected, there may be a need to standardize the notation of these pieces of supply chain information. The above configuration can meet such needs.

[0060] The first supply chain information may include, for example, base information for each base of one or more first nodes. Furthermore, the second supply chain information may include base information for each base of one or more second nodes. In such a case, the name matching unit 112e may perform name matching on a combination of the first supply chain information and the second supply chain information, for example, based on the base information. For example, the name matching unit 112e can perform name matching within the same country or within the same prefecture within Japan, based on the latitude and longitude information of each base. In other words, the name matching unit 112e can select the geographical granularity or geographical range to be used for name matching and perform the name matching.

[0061] For example, referencing the node information of multiple nodes included in each of the associated multiple supply chain information to search for entities that have the same product but have variations in registered information can impose a processing load and may pose a problem in processing efficiency. With the above configuration, the scope of name matching can be narrowed based on the geographical conditions of the bases of each node, allowing for efficient execution of name matching processing.

[0062] The reception unit 112a may receive a registration request for registering a new user account from a user such as a provider. The reception unit 112a may limit users from whom the registration request is received to users of administrator accounts.

[0063] [Output Unit] The output unit 113 causes the user device to output various types of information via a display, a speaker, etc. The output unit 113, for example, generates output information and transmits the generated output information to the provider device 200. The provider device 200 receives the output information and outputs various types of information to a display or a speaker based on the received output information. The output unit 113 may, for example, cause the user device to output each screen shown in the example of FIG. 3 and each screen of the SCM site shown in the examples of FIGS. 5 to 12 described below.

[0064] The output unit 113, for example, causes the first provider device 200a to output the first supply chain information for the first provider, and the output unit 113 causes the second provider device 200b to output the second supply chain information for the second provider, for example.

[0065] For example, based on the abnormality information acquired by the acquisition unit 111, if there is first supply chain information associated with second supply chain information that includes the second node in which the abnormality occurred, the output unit 113 may change the output mode of the first supply chain information.

[0066] The output unit 113 may, for example, anonymize the anomaly information and the node information of the second node where the anomaly has occurred, and output the anonymized information to the first provider device 200a in addition to the first supply chain information. This anonymization may be, for example, deleting items or cell values ​​from the node information, generalizing (pseudonymizing) all or part of the node information by abstracting, superseding, or abbreviating it with numerical values, top (bottom) coding, data exchange, and / or adding noise (error) to the target node information.

[0067] When an abnormality occurs in a second product that is substantially connected to the first product's first supply chain, if the first supply chain information and the second supply chain information are managed separately, there is a concern that the first provider may not be able to detect the abnormality or may be delayed in detecting the abnormality. According to the above configuration, the output mode of the first supply chain information can be changed based on the association between the first supply chain information and the second supply chain information and the abnormality information, thereby helping to quickly detect an abnormality that may affect the first supply chain. Furthermore, by anonymizing confidential corporate information and the like contained in the node information and the abnormality information, the first provider can be notified of the abnormality early and information security (confidentiality) of the second provider's supply chain information can be ensured.

[0068] For example, the output unit 113 may cause the first provider device 200a to output at least a portion of the second supply chain information to the first provider based on the consent information. Specifically, the output unit 113 may extract from the second supply chain information the portion of the second supply chain information for which consent has been obtained for output to the first provider, and output the extracted information. If the output of the second supply chain information to the first provider is not permitted at all, it would be impossible to accommodate the second provider's request for such output. With this configuration, the second supply chain information can be output to the first provider with the second provider's consent, thereby providing a flexible SCM service.

[0069] The output unit 113 may output the information masked by the mask unit 112 to the first providing device 200a of the first provider.

[0070] The output unit 113 may output the aggregated information generated by the generation unit 112d to the first provider.

[0071] [Communication Unit] The communication unit 120 transmits and receives various information and / or various requests to and from the provider device 200 and / or the external system 300, etc., via the network NW. The communication unit 120 includes, for example, a transmission unit 121 and a reception unit 122. The transmission unit 121 transmits, for example, question information received from the first provider or the second provider to the contact information of the first supplier in the first supply chain information and / or the contact information of the second supplier in the second supply chain information. The transmission unit 121 may transmit, for example, the question information received from the first provider to the contact information of the second supplier in the second supply chain information associated with the first supply chain information.

[0072] According to the above configuration, it is possible to efficiently send inquiries about SCM by utilizing the supplier network included in the supply chain information. Furthermore, it is possible to send inquiries across supply chains that are managed separately in multiple pieces of associated supply chain information.

[0073] The sending unit 121 may send the template information generated by the generating unit 112d to the contact information of the second supplier in the second supply chain information associated with the first supply chain information.

[0074] [Storage Unit] The storage unit 130 stores various types of information such as supply chain information, anomaly information, consent information, and / or output information. The storage unit 130 may store various types of information using a database management system (DBMS) or a file system. When using a DBMS, for example, a table may be provided for each type of information, and the tables may be associated with each other to manage each type of information.

[0075] 4. Screen Examples Screen examples of the SCM system 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0076] FIG. 5 shows an example of a menu bar D1 for outputting a screen menu of an SCM site and a control tower screen A1, which are output on the display of a user device.

[0077] As shown in FIG. 5 , the menu bar D1 includes a menu output area d11 that outputs a list menu of the SCM site screen. The menu output area d11 includes a first icon d11 corresponding to the control tower screen A1, a second icon d12 corresponding to the report screen A2, a third icon d13 corresponding to the map screen A3, and a fourth icon d14 corresponding to the questionnaire screen A41. Although not shown, for example, the menu output area d11 may include a fifth icon corresponding to the name identification screen A51. For example, when the menu bar D1 receives a designation of the first icon d11 from a user, the reception unit 112a of the server device 100 receives the designation via the user device, and the output unit 113 of the server device 100 outputs the control tower screen A1 on the right side of the display of the user device.

[0078] The control tower screen A1 is a screen that visualizes an overall picture of a registered supply chain. The control tower screen A1 includes a supply chain selection area a11, a supply chain tree output area a12, and a node information output area a13.

[0079] The supply chain selection area all is an area for selecting a supply chain to be output in the supply chain tree output area a12. For example, if the user wants to output first supply chain information for a first product in the supply chain tree output area a12, the user can select the character string "first product" to output the first supply chain information for the first product in the supply chain tree output area a12.

[0080] The supply chain tree output area a12 outputs supply chain information for the product selected in the supply chain selection area all. For example, the supply chain tree output area a12 outputs one or more nodes included in the first supply chain SC in a tree-like format along the supply chain as first supply chain information. The supply chain tree output area a12 also accepts, for example, the addition and registration of new nodes. The node information for the new nodes that have been accepted for addition and registration can be registered in the node information output area a13.

[0081] The node information output area a13 accepts input of node information for the node specified in the supply chain tree output area a12 (in this example, the node for item 1a of supplier 1A). When the "Update" button in the node information output area a13 is selected by the user, the input node information is sent to the registration unit 112 of the server device 100 and registered as part of the supply chain information. Furthermore, when the add supplier account button in the node information output area a13 (labeled "External Editing Authorized User" in the example of FIG. 5) is selected, the registration unit 112 of the server device 100 can invite an employee of the supplier as a supplier of the node for item 1a and register a new supplier account for the invited employee of the supplier.

[0082] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a menu bar D1 and an incident report screen A2. As shown in FIG. 6, the incident report screen A2 outputs one or more incident reports in a list. This incident report is one form of anomaly information, and includes, for each incident, for example, the incident name, incident type, incident occurrence time, incident scale, incident investigation status (e.g., information indicating "in progress" or "completed"), the number of responses to the incident investigation, and target locations that may be affected by the incident. This incident report can be output by switching between automatically created and manually created reports using tabs, for example.

[0083] 7 is a diagram showing an example of the menu bar D1 and the map screen A3. As shown in Fig. 7, the map screen A3, as an example of outputting abnormality information, links the base of each node in the supply chain information with the abnormality information (information about earthquakes in this example) and outputs it on a map or in a list.

[0084] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displaying masked information. In the example shown in FIG. 8, the base where the abnormality occurred on the map screen A3 shown in FIG. 7 is masked on the map by the mask unit 112c. On the map screen A3 shown in FIG. 7, the location of the base where the abnormality occurred is shown on the map. In contrast, on the screen shown in FIG. 8, the mask unit 112c performs mask processing on the specific base where the abnormality occurred within a predetermined range on the map (e.g., the Kanto region), and controls to display a map of the Kanto region after the mask processing. For example, the specific base is masked by the mask processing of the mask unit 112c, and it is displayed on the map screen that the abnormality has occurred in the Kanto region.

[0085] As a result, the location on the map of the base where the abnormality occurred is no longer displayed on the screen of the first provider device 200a of the first provider. Therefore, if it is inconvenient for the second supplier to disclose the specific location of the base where the abnormality occurred to the first provider, it is possible to output to the first provider that the abnormality occurred in the Kanto region without the first provider knowing the location. Note that in the example shown in FIG. 8, the masked information is the specific location of the base where the abnormality occurred, but this is not limited to this. Furthermore, the second supplier may be able to select the information to be masked as appropriate.

[0086] 8 displays "abnormalities have occurred at five locations in the Kanto region" on the map screen. That is, the aggregated information generated by the generating unit 112d, which is the aggregated information of the locations where abnormalities have occurred, is displayed. The generating unit 112d counts the number of locations to be masked within a predetermined range and generates aggregated information including the count value.

[0087] 8, the number of bases (five bases) where the anomalies occurred can be output to the first provider based on the masked locations on the map of the bases where the anomalies occurred. As a result, the first provider can perform tasks such as determining where to procure parts based on the number of bases, even if the specific locations of the bases where the anomalies occurred are masked. In other words, the first provider can perform tasks without disclosing information that would be inconvenient for the second supplier.

[0088] 9 is a diagram showing another example of a screen displaying the aggregated information generated by the generation unit 112d. In the example shown in FIG. 8, the aggregated information "abnormalities have occurred at five locations in the Kanto region" is displayed on a map, but the display form is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the aggregated information may be displayed in association with the first supply chain tree.

[0089] 10 to 12 are diagrams illustrating an example of the menu bar D1 and the questionnaire screen A4. As shown in FIG. 10, the questionnaire screen A41 includes a questionnaire list output area a411. The questionnaire list output area a411 outputs a list of questionnaires. A questionnaire is one form of question information. For example, in the case of an assessment, attribute information may include the assessment item (e.g., "CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility)" or "Safety and Health"), the questionnaire creator, the questionnaire creation date, the last editor of the questionnaire, the last edit date of the questionnaire, the number of companies being assessed, and the number of locations being assessed. The questionnaire list output area a411 outputs this attribute information, for example, for each questionnaire. When a user selects a specific questionnaire from one or more questionnaires displayed in the list, the output unit 113 of the server device 100 transitions to a questionnaire screen A42, which outputs details of the selected questionnaire.

[0090] 11 and 12 illustrate an example in which a questionnaire with an assessment item of "CSR (Social Social Responsibility)" is selected from the questionnaires output in the questionnaire list output area a411 of the questionnaire screen A41. As shown in FIG. 11, the questionnaire screen A42 outputs attribute information of the questionnaire (indicated as "Summary" in the example of FIG. 11). Also, as shown in FIG. 12, the questionnaire screen A43 outputs one or more question forms of the questionnaire. The questionnaire screen A42 shown in FIG. 11 and the questionnaire screen A43 shown in FIG. 12 can be switched using tabs labeled "Summary" and "Question Form," respectively. For example, the receiving unit 112a of the server device 100 may receive a transmission instruction for the output questionnaire from the first provider. The transmitting unit 121 of the server device 100 may transmit the selected questionnaire to the contact information of the second supplier in the second supply chain information associated with the first supply chain information. The acquisition unit 111 of the server device 100 may also acquire response information indicating the responses to the questionnaire from the user device of the supplier to which the questionnaire is sent.

[0091] According to the above configuration, the SCM system 1 can send a questionnaire about SCM to each supplier in a supply chain. For example, the first provider can send the questionnaire about SCM to the contact information of a first supplier in the first supply chain, and, if there is a second supply chain associated with the first supply chain, to the contact information of the second supplier. Therefore, the SCM system 1 can send questionnaires along the supplier network indicated in the supply chain information.

[0092] Furthermore, a template may be used for the above-described questionnaire that the first provider administers to the second supplier. The generation unit 112d generates template information indicating the template. The storage unit 130 stores the template information generated by the generation unit 112d. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a template for questions regarding the first supply chain information. The questions included in the template are, for example, relatively frequently asked questions that the first provider administers to the second supplier. As a non-limiting example, the questions in the template may include questions regarding changes in item specifications, human rights, etc.

[0093] The sending unit 121 sends the template information to the contact information of the second supplier in the second supply chain information associated with the first supply chain information. This allows the second supplier to have a templated questionnaire. As a result, for example, the second supplier can prepare answers to questions in the template and, when a first supplier requests an answer to a question included in the template, simply send the prepared answers, thereby reducing the effort required to prepare questionnaire answers. Furthermore, the second supplier can respond to multiple first providers based on the template, eliminating the need to prepare answers for each first provider, thereby reducing the effort required to prepare questionnaire answers.

[0094] The template may also be based on questions that are periodically asked by the first provider to the second supplier. That is, the questions in the template may include questions that are periodically asked by the first provider to the second supplier. This allows the second supplier to have a questionnaire in which the questions that are periodically asked are templated. As a result, the second supplier does not need to create answers to the periodically asked questions each time, which reduces the effort required to create answers to the questionnaire.

[0095] 14 and 15 are diagrams showing examples of screens related to the name matching process. As shown in FIG. 14, the name matching candidate extraction setting screen A51 includes an extraction condition setting area a511 and an extraction execution button a512. The extraction condition setting area a511 is an area for setting and inputting extraction conditions for name matching candidate information. The extraction conditions may include, for example, the following conditions 1 to 3. The extraction conditions may be one condition or multiple conditions. Condition 1: A condition for specifying the information to be matched and unified Condition 2: A condition for specifying the range of bases to be matched and unified Condition 3: A condition for specifying each item of node information in the supply chain information to be matched

[0096] When the user selects the extraction execution button a512, the user device may transmit information indicating the extraction conditions entered in the extraction condition setting area a511 to the server device 100. The name matching unit 112e of the server device 100 may receive this transmitted information via the receiving unit 122 and extract candidate information based on the extraction conditions indicated in this information. The name matching unit 112e may include this extracted candidate information in output information and transmit it to the provider device 200 via the transmitting unit 121. Upon receiving this output information, the user device outputs a candidate list screen A52 shown in FIG. 15 .

[0097] As shown in FIG. 15 , the candidate list screen A52 includes a candidate list output area a521 and a name matching execution button a53 for executing the name matching process. The candidate list output area a521 outputs candidate information in a list. For each candidate, the candidate information may include, for example, the classification of the items to be matched, the registered details of the user's own supply chain information, the registered details of the higher-level supply chain information to be matched, and the reason for extraction. The candidate list output area a521 may also include an input form (in this example, a check box) for specifying whether or not to perform name matching for each candidate.

[0098] When the user selects the execute name matching button a522, the user device may transmit information indicating the name matching candidates specified and input in the candidate list output area a521 to the server device 100. The name matching unit 112e of the server device 100 may receive this transmitted information via the receiving unit 122 and perform the name matching process based on the name matching candidates indicated in this information.

[0099] 5. Operation Example An operation example of the server device 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 16. Fig. 16 is a flow diagram showing the flow of processing by the server device 100.

[0100] 16 , the receiving unit 112a of the server device 100 receives a request to register first supply chain information of a first product from the first provider via the first provider device 200a (step S10). Based on the registration request, the registration unit 112 registers the first supply chain information in the storage unit 130 (step S11).

[0101] The receiving unit 112a of the server device 100 receives a request to register second supply chain information of the first product from the second provider via the second provider device 200b (step S12). Based on the registration request, the registration unit 112 registers the second supply chain information in the storage unit 130 (step S13).

[0102] The receiving unit 112a of the server device 100 receives an association request to associate the first supply chain information with the second supply chain information from the first or second provider via the first provider device 200a or the second provider device 200b (step S14). The associating unit 112b of the server device 100 associates the first supply chain information with the second supply chain information based on the association request (step S16).

[0103] 17 , an example of a hardware configuration in which the above-described server device 100 and user device are realized by a computer 800 will be described. Note that the functions of each device can also be realized by dividing them into multiple devices.

[0104] As shown in FIG. 17, a computer 800 includes a processor 801, a memory 803, a storage device 805, an input I / F unit 807, a data I / F unit 809, a communication I / F unit 811, and a display device 813.

[0105] The processor 801 controls various processes in the computer 800 by executing a program (e.g., a server program or a user program) stored in the memory 803. For example, the various functional units provided in the control unit 110 of the server device 100 and the control unit of the user device can be realized by the processor 801 executing a program temporarily stored in the memory 803.

[0106] The memory 803 is a storage medium such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The memory 803 temporarily stores the program code of the program executed by the processor 801 and data required when the program is executed.

[0107] The storage device 805 is a non-volatile storage medium such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or flash memory. The storage device 805 stores an operating system and various programs for implementing the above-mentioned configurations. In addition, the storage device 805 can also store tables that register various information such as supply chain information and / or consent information, and a database that manages the tables. Such programs and data are loaded into the memory 803 as needed and can be referenced by the processor 801.

[0108] The input I / F unit 807 is a device for receiving input from a user. Specific examples of the input I / F unit 807 include a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, various sensors, and a wearable device. The input I / F unit 807 may be connected to the computer 800 via an interface such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus).

[0109] The data I / F unit 809 is a device for inputting data from outside the computer 800. A specific example of the data I / F unit 809 is a drive device for reading data stored in various storage media. The data I / F unit 809 may be provided outside the computer 800. In this case, the data I / F unit 809 is connected to the computer 800 via an interface such as a USB.

[0110] The communication I / F unit 811 is a device for performing data communication via the Internet N, either wired or wirelessly, with devices external to the computer 800. The communication I / F unit 811 may be provided external to the computer 800. In this case, the communication I / F unit 811 is connected to the computer 800 via an interface such as a USB.

[0111] The display device 813 is a device for displaying various types of information. Specific examples of the display device 813 include a liquid crystal display, an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display, and a display of a wearable device. The display device 813 may be provided outside the computer 800. In this case, the display device 813 is connected to the computer 800 via, for example, a display cable. Furthermore, when a touch panel is used as the input I / F unit 807, the display device 813 can be configured as an integral part of the input I / F unit 807.

[0112] The components of the server device described in the above embodiment are assumed to implement predetermined processing in cooperation with other hardware by the processor 801 executing a program stored in the storage device 805. In other words, these components are assumed to be software or firmware, as well as corresponding hardware, and in both of these concepts, they are also referred to as "functions," "means," "parts," "processing circuits," "units," or "modules," and can be interpreted as such.

[0113] The above-described embodiments are merely examples for explaining the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention to these embodiments. Furthermore, the present invention can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, those skilled in the art can adopt embodiments in which the above-described elements are replaced with equivalents, and such embodiments are also within the scope of the present invention.

[0114] [Modifications] Although the present invention has been described based on the above embodiment, the following cases are also included in the present invention.

[0115] [Modification 1] At least some of the components included in the server device 100 according to the above embodiment may be included in a user device and / or a device of another system such as the external system 300 .

[0116] [Modification 2] In the above embodiment, the storage unit for storing the supply chain information and the consent information is the storage unit of the server device 100, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, at least a part of these storage units may be provided in devices of the linked system or other systems.

[0117] [Variation 3] Although not illustrated in the above embodiment, the SCM system 1 may present other supply chains that are candidates for supply chain association to users such as providers. The associating unit 112b of the server device 100 may, for example, extract, from the second supply chain information, second nodes of a second supply chain that may correspond to one or more first nodes included in the first supply chain information. The extraction condition may include, for example, a substantial match between at least one of the item name, supplier name, and base name included in the node information of each node. The output unit 113 may output, to the first provider device 200a of the first provider, the first node information corresponding to the extracted second node and an input form for specifying whether to associate them. When the receiving unit 112a of the server device 100 receives an input specifying the association from the input form, the associating unit 112b may associate the node information of the extracted second node with the corresponding first node information.

[0118] 1...SCM system, 100...server device, 110...control unit, 111...acquisition unit, 112...registration unit, 113...output unit, 120...communication unit, 130...storage unit, 200...provider device, 300...external system, 800...computer, 801...processor, 803...memory, 805...storage device, 807...input I / F unit, 809...data I / F unit, 811...communication I / F unit, 813...display device

Claims

1. A program that causes a computer to execute the following: registering first supply chain information including a structure of a first supply chain for the provision of a first product, the first supply chain information being composed of one or more first nodes corresponding to one or more first suppliers; registering second supply chain information including a structure of a second supply chain for the provision of a second product, the second supply chain information being composed of one or more second nodes corresponding to one or more second suppliers; and if a first node corresponding to the second product exists, associating the first supply chain information with the second supply chain information.

2. The program of claim 1, further comprising: receiving, on the computer, a request to associate the first supply chain information with the second supply chain information from a second provider of the second product; and associating the first supply chain with the second supply chain information based on the association request.

3. The program of claim 1, further causing the computer to: receive a request to register the second supply chain information from a second provider that provides the second product; and receive an association request from a first provider that provides the first product to associate the first supply chain information with the second supply chain information when the second supply chain information of the second product corresponding to the first node is registered, wherein registering the second supply chain information includes registering the second supply chain information based on the registration request, and associating includes associating the first supply chain with the registered second supply chain based on the association request.

4. A program as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, further causing the computer to execute the following: outputting the first supply chain information to a first provider that provides the first product; acquiring anomaly information indicating that an anomaly has occurred related to the second supplier for each of the one or more second nodes in the second supply chain information; and changing the output mode of the first supply chain information if there is first supply chain information associated with the second supply chain information that includes the second node in which the anomaly has occurred based on the anomaly information.

5. A program as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, further executing the following: obtaining consent information from a second provider that provides the second product, the consent indicating consent to outputting at least a portion of the second supply chain information to a first provider of the first supply chain information associated with the second supply chain information; and outputting at least a portion of the second supply chain information to the first provider based on the consent information.

6. A program according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further causing the computer to mask information contained in the second supply chain information when outputting information contained in the second supply chain information to the first provider.

7. The program according to claim 6, further comprising: generating aggregate information regarding an aggregation result of the information based on the masked information; and outputting the aggregate information to the first provider.

8. The program of any one of claims 1 to 3, further causing the computer to execute the following: receiving question information indicating a question regarding the first supply chain information from a first provider that provides the first product; and sending the question information to a contact point of the second supplier in the second supply chain information associated with the first supply chain information.

9. The program of any one of claims 1 to 3, further causing the computer to: generate template information indicating a template of questions regarding the first supply chain information; and send the template information to a contact of the second supplier in the second supply chain information associated with the first supply chain information.

10. The program according to claim 9, wherein generating the template information includes generating template information indicating a template of the question based on questions periodically posed by the first provider to the second supplier.

11. A program as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, further causing the computer to perform name matching for each of the first supply chain information and the second supply chain information, and, if associated first supply chain information and second supply chain information exist, performing name matching for a combination of the first supply chain information and the second supply chain information.

12. The program described in claim 7, wherein the first supply chain information includes base information regarding each of the bases of the one or more first nodes, the second supply chain information includes base information regarding each of the bases of the one or more first nodes, and performing the name matching includes performing name matching on a combination of the first supply chain information and the second supply chain information based on the base information.

13. An information processing method in which a computer executes the following steps: registering first supply chain information including a structure of a first supply chain for the provision of a first product, the first supply chain information being composed of one or more first nodes corresponding to one or more first suppliers; registering second supply chain information including a structure of a second supply chain for the provision of a second product, the second supply chain information being composed of one or more second nodes corresponding to one or more second suppliers; and, if a first node corresponding to the second product exists, associating the first supply chain information with the second supply chain information.

14. A supply chain management system comprising: registering first supply chain information including a structure of a first supply chain for the provision of a first product, the first supply chain information being composed of one or more first nodes corresponding to one or more first suppliers; registering second supply chain information including a structure of a second supply chain for the provision of a second product, the second supply chain information being composed of one or more second nodes corresponding to one or more second suppliers; and associating the first supply chain information with the second supply chain information if a first node corresponding to the second product exists.

Images