Product shelf management system, information processing device, information processing device control method, and program

Abstract

A product shelf management system (1) comprises: an output device (20) that outputs information with which it is possible to grasp a display state of a product on a product shelf in a store; a quantity information acquisition unit (11a) that acquires, on the basis of the information output from the output device (20), quantity information related to a remaining quantity of the product on the product shelf; a notification determination unit (11b) that determines, on the basis of the quantity information, whether or not it is necessary to issue an alert notification related to replenishment of the product to the product shelf; and a store clerk specification unit (11c) that, on the basis of store clerk situation information related to business situations of store clerks in the store, specifies a store clerk available for the replenishment of the product, and sets the specified store clerk as a target of the alert notification.

Description

Product shelf management system, information processing device, control method and program for information processing device

[0001] The present invention relates to a product shelf management system for managing product shelves, an information processing device, a control method for an information processing device, and a program.

[0002] In a store, the display status of each product on the shelves is managed. When the number of products displayed on the shelves decreases or when an item is out of stock, the store clerk replenishes the product.

[0003] The following Patent Document 1 describes a business support device that notifies a store clerk when a product is out of stock on a shelf. This device captures an image of the shelf with a camera and determines whether a corresponding product is present on the shelf based on the captured image. If a corresponding product is not present, the device notifies the store clerk that the product is out of stock. The store clerk who receives the notification can recognize that the product needs to be quickly replenished on the shelf.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-081911

[0005] However, each store clerk is performing their own duties, such as serving customers, in addition to replenishing the shelves with products. Therefore, if the above-mentioned notification is issued while they are performing their own duties, it may result in a decrease in the efficiency of the work they are currently performing.

[0006] In view of these problems, the present invention aims to provide a product shelf management system, an information processing device, a control method for an information processing device, and a program that enable store clerks to efficiently carry out their own work while smoothly replenishing product shelves.

[0007] A first aspect of the present invention relates to a product shelf management system. The product shelf management system according to this aspect includes an output device that outputs information that enables a user to grasp the display status of products on product shelves in a store, a quantity information acquisition unit that acquires quantity information on the number of products remaining on the product shelves based on the information output by the output device, a notification determination unit that determines whether to issue an alert notification regarding the replenishment of the products on the product shelves based on the quantity information, and a store clerk identification unit that identifies a store clerk who can replenish the products based on store clerk status information on the work status of the store clerk and sets the identified store clerk as a target for the alert notification.

[0008] According to the product shelf management system of this aspect, the employees who are the targets of product replenishment alert notifications are limited to employees who are able to replenish products based on the work status of the employees, and the alert notification is not sent to other employees who are unable to replenish products. Therefore, the employees who are notified of the alert can smoothly replenish products, while the other employees can efficiently carry out their own work.

[0009] In the product shelf management system according to this embodiment, the employee identification unit may include, as a condition for identifying the employee, excluding an employee who is performing a task that has a higher priority than replenishing the product from the list of employees who can replenish the product.

[0010] With this configuration, an alert is not sent to a store clerk who is performing a task with a higher priority than product replenishment, allowing the store clerk to efficiently perform their own task with a higher priority without being distracted by the alert.

[0011] In the product shelf management system of this embodiment, the store clerk status information further includes information associating the store clerk with index information that indicates whether the product can be replenished on the product shelf, and the store clerk identification unit may include, as a condition for identifying the store clerk, excluding the store clerk who has determined that the product cannot be replenished on the product shelf based on the index information from the store clerk who is capable of replenishing the product.

[0012] With this configuration, store clerks who have difficulty replenishing shelves due to factors such as their height or the weight of the items they can carry are excluded from the list of store clerks who are able to replenishing items, and no alert notification is sent to these store clerks, allowing for smooth and efficient replenishing of products on shelves.

[0013] In the product shelf management system according to this aspect, the notification determination unit can be configured to determine that a first alert notification is necessary when the remaining number is a value other than zero and is below a predetermined threshold, and to determine that a second alert notification is necessary when the remaining number becomes zero.

[0014] With this configuration, a store clerk who receives the first alert notification can understand that a product is running low on the shelf, and a store clerk who receives the second alert notification can understand that a product is out of stock on the shelf, thereby enabling smooth replenishment of products.

[0015] In the product shelf management system according to this aspect, the notification determination unit may be configured to decrease the threshold value in response to a decrease in the number of store staff identified by the store staff identification unit.

[0016] With this configuration, the frequency of the first alert notification decreases as the number of available store staff decreases, so even when there are only a few available store staff, these store staff can smoothly respond to product replenishment while efficiently performing their own duties.

[0017] In the product shelf management system according to this aspect, the notification determination unit may be configured to acquire index information that indicates the sales of the product, and to set the threshold value based on the number of store staff and the index information.

[0018] When a product is selling well, the product is more likely to run out of stock. According to the above configuration, the threshold value is set by further taking into account index information that is an indicator of the product's sales, so the first alert notification can be issued at a time when the product is less likely to run out of stock.

[0019] In the product shelf management system according to this embodiment, the notification determination unit may be configured to acquire index information that indicates the product being promoted, and to set the threshold value based on the number of store staff and the index information.

[0020] For promotional products such as sale items, it is desirable to minimize lost sales opportunities due to stockouts. With the above configuration, the threshold is set by further taking into account index information that serves as an indicator of the promotional products, so the first alert notification can be sent at a time when the promotional products are less likely to run out of stock.

[0021] In the product shelf management system according to this aspect, the notification determination unit may be configured to include the remaining number of the product in the first alert notification.

[0022] With this configuration, the store clerk who receives the first alert notification can determine the urgency of restocking the product from the remaining number, and can therefore restock the product appropriately.

[0023] A second aspect of the present invention relates to an information processing device capable of communicating with an output device that outputs information enabling understanding of the display status of products on product shelves in a store. The information processing device according to this aspect includes: a quantity information acquisition unit that acquires quantity information regarding the remaining number of products on the product shelves based on the information output from the output device, a notification determination unit that determines whether an alert notification regarding the replenishment of the products on the product shelves is necessary based on the quantity information, and a store clerk identification unit that identifies a store clerk who can replenish the products based on store clerk status information regarding the work status of the store clerk in the store and sets the identified store clerk as a target for the alert notification.

[0024] A third aspect of the present invention relates to a control method for an information processing device capable of communicating with an output device that outputs information that enables understanding of the display status of products on product shelves in a store. The control method according to this aspect includes the steps of: acquiring quantity information on the remaining number of products on the product shelves based on the information output from the output device; determining whether or not an alert notification regarding the replenishment of the products on the product shelves is necessary based on the quantity information; identifying a store clerk who can replenish the products based on store clerk status information on the work status of the store clerk; and setting the identified store clerk as a target of the alert notification.

[0025] A fourth aspect of the present invention relates to a program for causing an information processing device capable of communicating with an output device that outputs information enabling understanding of the display status of products on store shelves to execute predetermined functions. The program according to this aspect causes the information processing device to execute the following functions: acquire quantity information regarding the remaining number of products on the store shelves based on the information output from the output device; determine whether or not an alert notification regarding the replenishment of the products on the store shelves is necessary based on the quantity information; and identify a store clerk who can replenish the products based on store clerk status information regarding the work status of the store clerk in the store, and set the identified store clerk as a target for the alert notification.

[0026] According to the second, third and fourth aspects of the present invention, the same effects as those of the first aspect can be achieved.

[0027] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a product shelf management system, an information processing device, a control method for an information processing device, and a program that enable store clerks to efficiently perform their own work while smoothly replenishing product shelves.

[0028] The effects and significance of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of the embodiments, however, the embodiments shown below are merely examples of how the present invention can be implemented, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below.

[0029] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a product shelf management system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically showing an example of a store layout according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a front view schematically showing the configuration of product shelves according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configurations of an information processing device and a mobile terminal according to the first embodiment. FIGS. 5(a) to 5(f) are diagrams showing the configurations of various information stored in a storage unit of the information processing device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6(a) is a flowchart showing a product shelf management process executed by a control unit of the information processing device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6(b) is a flowchart showing a store clerk identification process according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the configuration of an alert screen displayed on a mobile terminal in response to an alert notification according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a product shelf management process executed by a control unit of the information processing device according to a first modification of the first embodiment. FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b) are diagrams showing the configuration of an alert screen displayed on a mobile terminal according to a first modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a product shelf management process executed by a control unit of the information processing device according to a second modification of the first embodiment. Fig. 11(a) is a flowchart showing threshold value adjustment processing according to Modification 2 of Embodiment 1. Fig. 11(b) is a flowchart showing threshold value adjustment processing according to Modification 3 of Embodiment 1. Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing threshold value adjustment processing according to Modification 4. Figs. 13(a) to 13(c) are diagrams showing the configuration of various information stored in a storage unit of an information processing device according to Embodiment 2. Fig. 14 is a flowchart showing processing for product shelf management executed by a control unit of an information processing device according to Embodiment 2.

[0030] However, the drawings are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the scope of the present invention.

[0031] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0032] First Embodiment FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a product shelf management system 1 according to a first embodiment.

[0033] The product shelf management system 1 includes an information processing device 10, an output device 20, and a transmission / reception device 30. The output device 20 and the transmission / reception device 30 are installed in a store where product shelves 2 are installed. The information processing device 10 is capable of communicating with the output device 20 and the transmission / reception device 30 via a network 40. When the information processing device 10 is installed in the same store where the product shelves 2 are installed, the network 40 is a local area network (LAN) installed in the store. When the information processing device 10 is installed in a facility outside the store, the network 40 is an external communications network such as the Internet.

[0034] The information processing device 10 manages information relating to the store and the product shelves 2. As part of this management, the information processing device 10 monitors whether or not the product shelves 2 need to be restocked. If this monitoring determines that a product needs to be restocked, the information processing device 10 sends a notification to the mobile terminal 50 carried by the store clerk 3 to prompt the store clerk 3 to restock the product. The information processing device 10 is, for example, a server computer or a personal computer. The information processing device 10 may also be a dedicated device.

[0035] The output device 20 outputs information that enables understanding of the display status of products on the product shelves 2. In this embodiment, the output device 20 is a camera. The output device 20 captures an image of the entire front of the product shelves 2 at any time and transmits the captured image to the information processing device 10. By analyzing this captured image, it is possible to detect the number of products remaining and out-of-stock on each shelf of the product shelves 2.

[0036] However, the output device 20 is not limited to a camera. For example, a weight sensor arranged on each shelf of the product shelves 2 may be used as the output device 20. In this case, a weight sensor is arranged on each shelf for each product display area. Products are placed on the weight sensor and then displayed in the display area.

[0037] Each weight sensor may be capable of detecting the weight distribution on the placement surface. This weight distribution can be used to detect the display status of the products in the display area, and the number of remaining products and out-of-stock products in the display area can be detected. Alternatively, if the weight of each product is registered in advance, the number of remaining products and out-of-stock products can be detected from the detected total weight even if the weight sensor cannot detect the weight distribution.

[0038] The transmitting / receiving device 30 is a communication device for wirelessly communicating with the mobile terminal 50. The transmitting / receiving device 30 is installed on the ceiling of the store, the top surface of the product shelf 2, or the like. The transmitting / receiving device 30 may be a wireless LAN router. The mobile terminal 50 is, for example, a mobile phone such as a smartphone. The mobile terminal 50 is distributed to each store clerk 3 and carried by the corresponding store clerk 3.

[0039] FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically showing an example of the layout of the store S1.

[0040] In this example, a store S1 is divided into a sales floor S11, a storage room S12, and a checkout area S13. A plurality of product shelves 2 are installed in the sales floor S11, and a plurality of output devices 20 (cameras) are installed facing each of the product shelves 2. An entrance S14 is provided in the sales floor S11. Products for replenishment are stocked in the storage room S12. The checkout area S13 is separated from the sales floor S11 by a counter 4. Two cash registers 5 are installed at the counter 4.

[0041] In the example of FIG. 2, four store clerks 3 are working at store S1. Two of the store clerks 3 are in charge of their respective cash registers 5. The remaining two store clerks 3 are in charge of the sales floor. One of the store clerks 3 is in storeroom S12 to replenish merchandise. Storeroom S12 can be accessed through store clerk-only entrance S15. As described above, each store clerk 3 carries a mobile terminal 50.

[0042] FIG. 3 is a front view schematically showing the configuration of the product shelf 2. As shown in FIG.

[0043] The product shelf 2 includes a plurality of shelves 201 for displaying products. Each shelf 201 is divided into a plurality of display areas 202. A label 203 indicating the position of the shelf 201 on the product shelf 2 is attached to the right side of each shelf 201. Furthermore, a label 204 indicating the position of the display area 202 on the shelf 201 is attached to the underside of each display area 202. The labels 203 and 204 may display, for example, a number or code indicating the position.

[0044] Furthermore, to the right of each label 204, a tag 205 is provided to display the name and price of the product displayed in each display area 202. Also, a label 206 indicating the identification code of the product shelf 2 is attached to the upper left corner of the product shelf 2. The identification code of the product shelf 2 is, for example, a number assigned consecutively to all the product shelves 2 in the store S1.

[0045] Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing the configurations of the information processing device 10 and the mobile terminal 50. For convenience, two mobile terminals 50 are shown in Fig. 4, but in reality, there are as many mobile terminals 50 as there are store clerks working in the store S1.

[0046] The information processing device 10 includes a control unit 11 , a storage unit 12 , and a communication unit 13 .

[0047] The control unit 11 includes an arithmetic processing circuit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and controls each unit according to a program stored in the storage unit 12. The storage unit 12 includes memory such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and a hard disk, and stores the program. The storage unit 12 is also used as a work area when the control unit 11 executes the program.

[0048] The communication unit 13 communicates with the output device 20 and the mobile terminal 50 under the control of the control unit 11. As described above, communication with the mobile terminal 50 is performed via the transmission / reception device 30.

[0049] In this embodiment, a program for product shelf management is stored in the storage unit 12. This program causes the control unit 11 to execute the functions of a quantity information acquisition unit 11a, a notification determination unit 11b, and a store clerk specification unit 11c.

[0050] The quantity information acquisition unit 11a has a function of acquiring quantity information regarding the remaining number of products on the product shelf 2 based on information output from the output device 20 (in this embodiment, a captured image of the product shelf 2). The notification determination unit 11b has a function of determining whether or not an alert notification regarding the replenishment of products on the product shelf 2 is necessary, based on the quantity information acquired by the quantity information acquisition unit 11a. The store clerk identification unit 11c has a function of identifying a store clerk 3 who is able to replenish products, based on store clerk status information regarding the work status of the store clerk 3 in the store S1, and setting the identified store clerk 3 as a target for the alert notification. These processes will be described later with reference to FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b).

[0051] The mobile terminal 50 includes a control unit 51, a storage unit 52, a display / input unit 53, a speaker 54, and a communication unit 55. As described above, the mobile terminal 50 is a mobile phone such as a smartphone. The mobile terminal 50 may also be another mobile terminal such as a tablet.

[0052] The control unit 51 includes a processing circuit such as a CPU, and controls each unit according to a program stored in the storage unit 52. The storage unit 52 includes memory such as a ROM and a RAM, and stores the program. The storage unit 52 is also used as a work area when the control unit 51 executes processing.

[0053] An application program for product shelf management is stored in the storage unit 52. The control unit 51 transmits and receives information for product shelf management to and from the information processing device 10 in accordance with this application program, and causes the display input unit 53 to display a screen for product shelf management.

[0054] The display / input unit 53 is configured by overlaying a touch panel on a liquid crystal display. A display unit consisting of a liquid crystal display and an input unit consisting of a group of operation keys may be separately arranged instead of the display / input unit 53. The speaker 54 outputs a predetermined sound in response to control from the control unit 51.

[0055] 5A to 5C are diagrams showing the configuration of various information stored in the storage unit 12 of the information processing device 10. FIG.

[0056] 5A shows the structure of product management information for managing products. The product management information is composed of a product code, which is product identification information, a JAN code, a product name, and a product category, all of which are linked together. The JAN code is an international standard product identification code that identifies the business that provides the product and the type of the product.

[0057] Fig. 5(b) shows the configuration of shelf management information for managing product shelves 2. Shelf management information is stored in the storage unit 12 for each product shelf 2. In other words, the shelf management information of Fig. 5(b) is stored in the storage unit 12 for each product shelf 2 installed in the store S1. The shelf management information is configured by linking together a shelf code, which is identification information for a shelf 201 on the product shelf 2, the name of that shelf 201 (product shelf name), a position code indicating the position of a display area 202 on that shelf 201, and the JAN codes of products displayed in that display area 202. The shelf code corresponds to the symbol or number shown on label 203 in Fig. 3, and the position code corresponds to the symbol or number shown on label 204 in Fig. 3.

[0058] FIG. 5(c) shows the structure of staff management information for managing staff. The staff management information is composed of a staff code, which is the identification information of the staff member, linked to the name, attendance status, and work status of the staff member. The attendance status and work status indicate the current status of the staff member. The attendance status is categorized as present, on vacation, absent, etc. The work status indicates the content of the work that the staff member is currently responsible for.

[0059] The product management information in Fig. 5(a) and the shelf management information in Fig. 5(b) are registered in the information processing device 10 by the manager of store S1 in accordance with product procurement and product shelf layout settings. In addition, the staff code and name of the clerk management information in Fig. 5(c) are registered in the information processing device 10 by the manager of store S1 when each clerk 3 is hired.

[0060] In the case where a work schedule for each employee 3 is separately registered in the information processing device 10, the control unit 11 of the information processing device 10 may obtain the work status and current work status for each employee 3 from this work schedule and register them in the store management information. In this case, if a change occurs in the work schedule for a specific employee 3 for that day, the manager can simply modify the work status and work status associated with that employee in accordance with the change.

[0061] If such a work schedule is not registered, the manager of store S1 may register the attendance status and work status as appropriate in the information processing device 10. Alternatively, the work status of each store clerk 3 may be registered in the information processing device 10 by each store clerk 3 via the mobile terminal 50 carried by each store clerk 3 at the start of their assigned work.

[0062] In addition, the storage unit 12 stores management information linking each store clerk 3 with the mobile terminal 50 carried by each store clerk 3 .

[0063] FIG. 6A is a flowchart showing a process for product shelf management executed by the control unit 11 of the information processing device 10.

[0064] In the flowchart of Fig. 6(a), the process of step S101 is executed by the function of the store clerk identification unit 11c in Fig. 4, and the process of step S102 is executed by the function of the quantity information acquisition unit 11a in Fig. 4. Furthermore, the processes of steps S103 and S104 are executed by the function of the notification determination unit 11b in Fig. 4. In the following, these functions will not be particularly mentioned, and the description will be given assuming that the control unit 11 executes the process of Fig. 6(a) by these functions.

[0065] When the time comes to grasp the status of a specific product shelf 2, the control unit 11 identifies the store clerk to be notified (S101).

[0066] FIG. 6B is a flowchart showing the store clerk identification process in step S101 of FIG. 6A.

[0067] The control unit 11 refers to the employee management information in Figure 5(c) for each employee 3 (S201). If the attendance status of the employee 3 registered in the employee management information is not "present" (S202: NO), the control unit 11 excludes the employee 3 from the notification targets (S204). On the other hand, if the attendance status of the employee 3 is "present" (S202: YES), the control unit 11 refers to the work status (work status information) of the employee 3 registered in the employee management information and determines whether the current work of the employee 3 is a work of higher priority than the work of replenishing the shelves 2 (S203).

[0068] Here, each task that can be registered in the task status section of the store management information is assigned a flag in advance to indicate whether it has a higher priority than the task of replenishing products on the shelves 2. A table linking such task details with flags is stored separately in the storage unit 12. The control unit 11 refers to this table to make the determination in step S203.

[0069] For example, the "cash register" task shown in the task status section of Fig. 5(c) may be set to have a higher priority than product replenishment, and the "sales floor management" task may be set to have a lower priority than product replenishment. This setting may be made by default, or may be made arbitrarily by the manager of store S1.

[0070] If the determination in step S203 is YES, the control unit 11 excludes the store clerk 3 from the notification targets (S204). On the other hand, if the determination in step S203 is NO, the control unit 11 skips step S204 and maintains the store clerk 3 as the notification target.

[0071] If the control unit 11 has not yet executed the processes of steps S201 to S204 for all of the clerks 3 registered in the clerk management information (S205: NO), it executes the processes of steps S201 to S204 for the remaining clerks 3. If the processes of steps S201 to S204 have been executed for all of the clerks 3 (S205: YES), the control unit 11 ends the process of FIG. 6(a). This ends the process of step S101 in FIG. 6(a). In this way, of the clerks 3 working at store S1, the clerks who are able to replenish products are identified as the clerks to be notified.

[0072] 6(b), if all of the employees 3 working at store S1 are excluded, all of the employees 3 who are currently at work may be identified as employees to be notified. For example, if there are four employees 3 working at store S1, two of them are on vacation that day, and the remaining two are currently in charge of two cash registers each, all of the employees 3 will be excluded from the notification targets in the processing of FIG. 6(b). In such a case, all of the employees 3 who are currently at work may be identified as employees to be notified.

[0073] Alternatively, if the table further assigns a priority to each task, the clerks 3 currently on duty with the lowest priority or those up to a certain number of the lowest priority may be set as notification targets, and the other clerks 3 may be excluded from the notification targets. Such processing may be performed when all clerks 3 have been excluded by the processing in FIG. 6(b), or may be performed instead of the processing in FIG. 6(b).

[0074] 6(a), once the store clerk to be notified has been identified in this manner, the control unit 11 acquires quantity information regarding the remaining number of products for each display area 202 on the product shelf 2 (S102). Specifically, the control unit 11 acquires a captured image of the product shelf 2 from the output device 20, and extracts from the acquired captured image the range of the display area 202 from which quantity information is to be acquired. The control unit 11 then analyzes the extracted range of the image to acquire the remaining number of products displayed in the display area 202.

[0075] At this time, the control unit 11 further extracts a code (shelf code) indicating the position of the shelf 201 including the display area 202 and a code (position code) indicating the position of the display area 202 from the images of the labels 203 and 204 in Fig. 3 included in the captured image. The control unit 11 also extracts an identification symbol of the product shelf 2 from the image of the label 206 included in the captured image.

[0076] The control unit 11 references the shelf management information in Figure 5(b) corresponding to the identification code of the product shelf 2 extracted in this way, and further compares this shelf management information with each code (shelf code, position code) to obtain the JAN code of the product displayed in the display area 202. Furthermore, the control unit 11 compares the obtained JAN code with the product management information in Figure 5(a) to identify the product corresponding to the JAN code. In this way, the control unit 11 identifies the product displayed in the display area 202, and links the identified product with the quantity information (remaining number) obtained in step S102.

[0077] The method for identifying products is not limited to the above method. For example, image areas corresponding to the respective display areas 202 may be set in advance on the captured image of each product shelf 2, and information about the products (such as product names) to be displayed in the display areas 202 of the image areas may be registered in advance in these image areas. This makes it possible to identify the products to be displayed in each display area 202 from the image areas of the respective display areas 202 set in the captured image, without obtaining codes from the images of the labels 203, 204 on the captured image as described above.

[0078] In addition, when a weight sensor is installed in each display area 202 as the output device 20 as described above, each weight sensor, information about the product placed on that weight sensor (such as the product name), and the display area 202 in which that weight sensor is installed may be linked and registered. In this case, quantity information (remaining number) in step S102 is acquired from the detection result of the weight sensor in the display area 202 from which quantity information is to be acquired, and the acquired quantity information is linked to the product name (product information) or the like that is linked in advance to that display area 202.

[0079] After acquiring the quantity information for the target product (display area 202), the control unit 11 determines whether the remaining number of the product is equal to or less than a threshold Th1 set for the product (S103). Here, the threshold Th1 is set to the remaining number of products (e.g., three) that is assumed to be necessary to notify the store clerk 3 of a product replenishment request. This threshold Th1 may be arbitrarily set for each product by, for example, the manager of the store S1, and the threshold Th1 may be different for each product. Alternatively, a uniform threshold Th1 may be set for all products.

[0080] If the remaining number of the product is equal to or less than the threshold value Th1 (S103: YES), the control unit 11 determines that an alert notification regarding the replenishment of the product on the product shelf 2 is necessary (S104). On the other hand, if the remaining number of the product is not equal to or less than the threshold value Th1 (S103: NO), the control unit 11 skips step S104. In this case, the product is not subject to the alert notification.

[0081] If the control unit 11 determines that the alert notification is necessary in step S104, it repeats the process of steps S101 to S104 for all products displayed on the shelf 2. When the control unit 11 determines that the alert notification is necessary in step S104, it sends an alert notification to the mobile terminal 50 of the store clerk identified in step S101 (step S106). This causes the control unit 11 to end the process of FIG. 6A.

[0082] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the configuration of an alert screen 500 displayed on the mobile terminal 50 in response to the alert notification sent in step S106 of FIG. 6A.

[0083] 7 shows a case where only one product is the target of an alert notification. If there are multiple products that are the target of an alert notification, the alert screen 500 can be displayed for each product by, for example, scrolling the screen.

[0084] The alert screen 500 includes a message 501 prompting the store clerk 3 to replenish products, a display item 502 displaying the name of the product to be replenished, a display item 503 displaying the installation position of the product shelf 2 on which the product is displayed, an image 504 displaying the product shelf 2 together with the display area 202 in which the product is displayed, and an OK button 505. The display item 503 displays, for example, an identification number assigned to the product shelf 2. The image 504 highlights the display area 202 in which the product to be replenished is displayed so that it can be distinguished from the other display areas 202. The highlighting is performed, for example, by using a special color such as red or yellow.

[0085] As described above, the alert screen 500 is displayed only on the mobile terminal 50 to which the alert notification was sent in step S106 of Fig. 6A. At this time, the control unit 51 of the mobile terminal 50 may cause the speaker 54 to output a chime sound or the like indicating that the alert notification has been received.

[0086] By referring to the alert screen 500, the store clerk 3 who has received the alert notification can understand that the remaining quantity of the product on the product shelf 2 has decreased and that the product needs to be replenished. At this time, the store clerk 3 can understand the product to be replenished by referring to the display item 502, and can easily understand the product shelf 2 and display area 202 where the product should be replenished by referring to the display item 503 and the image 504. After understanding these, the store clerk 3 operates the OK button 505 to replenish the product. This closes the alert screen 500 and ends the product replenishment notification process on the mobile terminal 50.

[0087] <Effects of First Embodiment> The product shelf management system 1 includes an output device 20 that outputs information that enables understanding of the display status of products on the product shelves 2 in store S1; a quantity information acquisition unit 11a that acquires quantity information regarding the remaining number of products on the product shelves 2 based on the information output from the output device 20; a notification determination unit 11b that determines whether or not an alert notification regarding the replenishment of products on the product shelves 2 is necessary based on the quantity information; and a store clerk identification unit 11c that identifies a store clerk 3 that is able to replenish products based on store clerk status information regarding the work status of the store clerk 3 in store S1, and sets the identified store clerk 3 as a target for alert notifications.

[0088] According to this configuration, based on the work status of each clerk 3, the clerks 3 who are the targets of the product replenishment alert notification are limited to those who are able to replenish products, and the alert notification is not sent to other clerks 3 who are unable to replenish products. Therefore, the clerks 3 who have received the alert notification can smoothly replenish products, while the other clerks 3 can efficiently carry out their own work, etc.

[0089] As shown in Figure 6 (b), the condition for identifying a store clerk 3 that the store clerk identification unit 11c uses is to exclude a store clerk 3 who is performing a task with a higher priority than product replenishment from the list of store clerks who can handle product replenishment (S203, S204).

[0090] As a result, an alert is not sent to a store clerk 3 who is performing a task with a higher priority than product replenishment, and the store clerk 3 can efficiently perform his or her own task with a higher priority without being distracted by the alert.

[0091] <Modification 1> FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a process for product shelf management executed by the control unit 11 of the information processing device 10 according to Modification 1.

[0092] In the flowchart of Fig. 8, step S104 in the flowchart of Fig. 6(a) is replaced with steps S111 to S113. The other steps in Fig. 8 are the same as the corresponding steps in Fig. 6(a).

[0093] If the remaining quantity of the product based on the quantity information acquired in step S102 is less than or equal to threshold value Th1 (S103: YES), the control unit 11 further determines whether the remaining quantity is 0, i.e., whether the product is out of stock (S111).

[0094] If the remaining quantity is equal to or less than threshold Th1 but not 0 (S111: NO), the control unit 11 determines that a first alert notification is required for replenishing the product (S112). On the other hand, if the remaining quantity is 0 (S111: YES), the control unit 11 determines that a second alert notification is required for replenishing the product (S113). In step S106, the control unit 11 notifies the alert notification determined in step S112 or step S113 to the store clerk 3 to be notified. At this time, the control unit 11 includes the remaining quantity of each product in the first alert notification.

[0095] 9(a) and 9(b) are diagrams showing the configuration of an alert screen 500 displayed on the mobile device 50 according to Modification Example 1. Fig. 9(a) shows the alert screen 500 displayed when the mobile device 50 receives a first alert notification, and Fig. 9(b) shows the alert screen 500 displayed when the mobile device 50 receives a second alert notification.

[0096] The alert screen 500 of Fig. 9(a) based on the first alert notification differs from the alert screen 500 of Fig. 7 only in the content of the display item 502. That is, in the alert screen 500 based on the first alert notification, the remaining quantity of the product is added to the display item 502. This allows the store clerk 3 to more clearly understand the urgency of replenishing the product. The remaining quantity of the product may also be included in the display item 502 in the alert screen 500 of Fig. 7.

[0097] The alert screen 500 of Fig. 9(b) based on the second alert notification differs from the alert screen 500 of Fig. 7 only in the content of the message 501. That is, on the alert screen 500 based on the second alert notification, the message 501 urges the store clerk 3 to urgently replenish the product because the product is out of stock. This allows the store clerk 3 to clearly understand the urgency of replenishing the product.

[0098] The alert screen 500 may be displayed in different ways for the first and second alert notifications, such as by using different background colors or different colors for the title (the text "Product Replenishment") of the alert screen 500. The notification sound output from the speaker 54 in response to the reception of the first and second alert notifications may also be different. This allows the store clerk 3 to more clearly determine whether the received notification is the first or second alert notification, and allows for smooth handling of each notification.

[0099] <Effects of Modified Example 1> As shown in FIG. 8 , when the remaining number is a value other than zero and is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value Th1 (S103: YES, S111: NO), the notification determination unit 11b determines that a first alert notification is necessary (S112), and when the remaining number is zero (S111: YES), the notification determination unit 11b determines that a second alert notification is necessary (S113).

[0100] According to this configuration, a store clerk who receives the first alert notification can understand that there is a shortage of a product on the product shelf 2, and a store clerk who receives the second alert notification can understand that there is a shortage of a product on the product shelf 2. This allows for smooth replenishment of products.

[0101] As described above, the notification determining unit 11b includes the remaining number of products in the first alert notification sent in step S106 of FIG.

[0102] 9(a), the remaining number of products is displayed in display item 502, and the store clerk who receives the first alert notification can understand the urgency of the need to replenish products from the displayed remaining number. Therefore, the replenishment of products can be carried out appropriately.

[0103] <Modification 2> FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a process for product shelf management executed by the control unit 11 of the information processing device 10 according to Modification 2.

[0104] In the flowchart of Fig. 10, step S121 is added to the flowchart of Modification 1 of Fig. 8. The function of step S121 is performed by the function of the notification determining unit 11b of Fig. 4. The other steps in Fig. 10 are the same as the corresponding steps in Fig. 8.

[0105] In step S121, the control unit 11 adjusts the threshold value Th1 applied to the relevant product in step S103 in accordance with the number of store clerks 3 identified in step S101.

[0106] FIG. 11A is a flowchart showing the threshold adjustment process in step S121 of FIG.

[0107] The control unit 11 determines whether the number of identified store clerks 3 is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold Th2 (S301). This threshold Th2 may be set by default or may be arbitrarily set by the manager of the store S1. This threshold Th2 may be set to, for example, two.

[0108] If the number of identified store clerks 3 is equal to or less than the threshold value Th2 (S301: YES), the control unit 11 decreases the threshold value Th1, which is compared with the remaining number in step S103 of Fig. 10, by ΔN1 from the reference value (S302). If the number of identified store clerks 3 is not equal to or less than the threshold value Th2 (S301: NO), the control unit 11 skips step S302. In this case, the threshold value Th1, which is compared with the remaining number in step S103 of Fig. 10, is maintained at the reference value.

[0109] Here, the reference value of the threshold Th1 compared with the remaining number is the same as the threshold Th1 used in step S103 of FIG. 6A, and is set to an arbitrary value by, for example, the manager of store S1. ΔN1 is a value smaller than this reference value and is set to an arbitrary value by, for example, the manager of store S1. For example, if the reference value of threshold Th1 is 5, ΔN1 may be set to approximately 1 or 2.

[0110] 10, when the threshold value Th1 is reduced by ΔN1, the determination in step S103 becomes less likely to be YES. Therefore, when there are few store clerks 3 available to handle store S1, alert notifications are suppressed from being sent to the store clerks 3 frequently, and alert notifications are sent to the store clerks 3 at a timing when the urgency of product replenishment becomes greater. This allows each store clerk 3 to smoothly respond to product replenishment while efficiently carrying out their main duties.

[0111] 11A, there is only one threshold Th2 to be compared with the number of identified store clerks, but multiple thresholds Th2 may be set and ΔN1 may vary for each threshold Th2. That is, the fewer the number of identified store clerks, the larger ΔN1 becomes, and the smaller the threshold Th1 in step S103 in FIG.

[0112] <Effect of Modification Example 2> As shown in FIG. 11(a), the notification determination unit 11b reduces the threshold value Th1 in step S103 of FIG. 10 (S302) in accordance with a decrease in the number of store clerks 3 identified by the store clerk identification unit 11c (S301: YES).

[0113] With this configuration, the frequency of the first alert notification decreases in accordance with a decrease in the number of available store clerks 3. Therefore, even when there are few available store clerks 3, these store clerks 3 can smoothly respond to product replenishment while efficiently performing their own duties.

[0114] <Modification 3> In Modification 3, the process of changing the threshold value Th1 in step S121 of FIG. 10 is changed from that in Modification 2 above.

[0115] FIG. 11B is a flowchart showing the process of adjusting the threshold value Th1 according to the third modification.

[0116] 11(b), steps S311 to S313 are added to the flowchart of FIG. 11(a). Here, the adjustment of threshold value Th1 in steps S301 and S302 is applied uniformly to all products. In contrast, the adjustment of threshold value Th1 in steps S311 to S313 is applied to each product individually.

[0117] In step S311, the control unit 11 acquires index information that is an index of the sales of the product.

[0118] Examples of this indicator information include the day of the week, season, time, sale day, temperature, humidity, inventory in the warehouse, POS data, number of times the automatic door is opened and closed, number of people walking on the sidewalk in front of the store, and number of customers visiting the store.

[0119] For example, sales of cold sweets and beverages tend to increase during the summer or during periods and times when temperatures and humidity are high. Furthermore, if a particular product is on sale today, sales of that product are likely to increase. Furthermore, if the information processing device 10 has the function of statistically processing past sales of each product at the store S1 by day of the week and time period, sales of that product are likely to increase on days of the week and time periods when statistical sales are high. Furthermore, if sales are high based on POS data for that day, if the automatic doors (entrances) are opened and closed frequently that day, or if images captured by a camera in front of the store show a large number of passersby and customers entering the store that day, it can be predicted that many customers will visit the store later that day, and sales of products in general will increase. Furthermore, since warehouse inventory can be predicted to be higher for products with higher sales, it can be assumed that sales of that product are also likely to increase.

[0120] Therefore, if the index information exemplified above meets the condition of high sales, the possibility of the product being out of stock increases, so it is preferable to increase the threshold value in step S103 of Figure 10 and ensure that a larger number of products remain.

[0121] Here, for example, if the index information is a season, a day of the week, or a time period, the condition may be whether the current season, day of the week, or time period is included in the season, day of the week, or time period expected to increase sales. For other index information, conditions expected to increase sales are also set based on the relationship with the index information. For index information related to the number of times automatic doors are opened and closed, the number of passersby and customers entering the store, the number of products in stock, etc., exceeding a predetermined threshold may be a condition.

[0122] These conditions may be set as defaults, or may be arbitrarily set by the manager of the store S1. In the case of statistical conditions, the manager may set the conditions by referring to statistical data, or the information processing device 10 may automatically set the conditions based on the statistical data.

[0123] The types of index information and the conditions applied to each index information are set in advance in the information processing device 10. A pair of index information and a condition is set for each product. A pair of index information and a condition that is uniformly applied to all products may also be set. The number of passersby mentioned above is an example of index information that is uniformly applied.

[0124] In step S311, the control unit 11 of the information processing device 10 acquires the set type of index information for each product, and determines whether the acquired index information matches the conditions applied to the index information (S312). For example, if the index information is season, day of the week, or time, the control unit 11 acquires the current month, day of the week, and date and time as index information from its own clock function and calendar function, and compares them with the corresponding conditions.

[0125] If the determination in step S312 is YES for any of the index information, the control unit 11 increases the threshold value Th1 of step S103 in Fig. 10 that is applied to the product by ΔN2 (S313). If the determination in step S312 is NO for any of the index information, the control unit 11 skips step S313. In this case, the threshold value Th1 that is applied to the product is not adjusted by ΔN2.

[0126] ΔN2 does not necessarily have to be uniform for all products, and may be different for each product. Also, ΔN2 may be different for each index information. In this case, for each product, the maximum ΔN2 among the ΔN2s linked to the index information that satisfies the condition is used to adjust the threshold value Th1 in step S313.

[0127] <Effect of Modification Example 3> As shown in Figure 11 (b), the notification determination unit 11b acquires index information that is an indicator of product sales (S311), and sets the threshold value Th1 in step S103 of Figure 10 based on the number of store clerks 3 and the index information (S301, S302, S312, S313).

[0128] According to the above configuration, the threshold value Th1 in step S103 of Fig. 10 is set by further taking into account index information that is an indicator of the sales of the product, so that the first alert notification can be sent at a timing when the product is less likely to run out of stock.

[0129] <Modification 4> In Modification 4, the process of changing the threshold value Th1 in step S121 of FIG. 10 is changed from that in Modification 2 above.

[0130] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the process of adjusting the threshold value Th1 according to the fourth modification.

[0131] 12, steps S321 and S322 are added to the flowchart of FIG. 11A. As in the third modification, the adjustment of the threshold value Th1 in steps S301 and S302 is applied uniformly to all products, while the adjustment of the threshold value Th1 in steps S321 and S322 is applied to each product individually.

[0132] In step S321, the control unit 11 acquires index information for the products that are the subject of the sales promotion. The type of the products to be promoted and the promotion period are set in advance in the information processing device 10 by an administrator. If the current day is included in the promotion period, the control unit 11 increases the threshold value Th1 used for the products to be promoted in step S103 of FIG. 10 by ΔN3 (S322). ΔN3 may be the same as or different from ΔN2.

[0133] <Effect of Modification Example 4> As shown in Figure 12, the notification determination unit 11b acquires index information (S321) that is an indicator of the product being promoted, and sets the threshold value Th1 in step S103 of Figure 10 based on the number of store clerks 3 and the index information (S301, S302, S322).

[0134] For promotional products such as sale items, it is desirable to minimize lost sales opportunities due to stockouts. With the above configuration, the threshold value Th1 is set by further taking into account index information that serves as an indicator of the promotional product, so the first alert notification can be sent at a time when the promotional product is less likely to run out of stock.

[0135] Second Embodiment The configuration of a product shelf management system 1 in a second embodiment is similar to that shown in FIGS.

[0136] 13A to 13C are diagrams showing the configuration of various pieces of information stored in the storage unit 12 of the information processing device 10 according to the second embodiment.

[0137] The product management information shown in Fig. 13(a) is the same as that of the product management device in Fig. 5(a). The shelf management information in Fig. 13(b) has an additional item for limiting elements compared to the shelf management information in Fig. 5(b). Furthermore, the store clerk management information in Fig. 13(c) has an additional item for store clerk index information compared to the store clerk management information in Fig. 5(c).

[0138] The restriction elements in Figure 13(b) include the height of each shelf and the weight of the products displayed on each shelf. The shelf height item is selected and registered from three options: high (tall), medium (medium), and low (low). The product weight item is selected and registered from three options: heavy (heavy), medium (medium), and light (light). These options are registered by the manager of store S1.

[0139] 13(c) includes items such as gender, age, weight limit, and height limit. The gender and age of each store clerk 3 are registered in the gender and age items.

[0140] The heavy item limit field registers whether each store clerk 3 can lift heavy items. If the store clerk 3 can lift heavy items, a flag indicating no limit is registered in the heavy item limit field. If the store clerk 3 has difficulty lifting heavy items, a flag indicating limit is registered in the heavy item limit field. This registration is performed by the manager of store S1.

[0141] The height limit field registers, for each store clerk 3, whether or not the store clerk 3 can place an item on a shelf that is considered to be high. If the store clerk 3 can place an item on a high shelf, a flag indicating no limit is registered in the height limit field. If it is difficult for the store clerk 3 to place an item on a high shelf, a flag indicating limit is registered in the height limit field. This registration is also performed by the manager of store S1.

[0142] FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing a process for product shelf management executed by the control unit 11 of the information processing device 10 according to the second embodiment.

[0143] The flowchart in Fig. 14 is obtained by adding steps S131 to S133 to the flowchart in Fig. 6(a). The processing in steps S131 to S133 is executed by the function of the store clerk identification unit 11c in Fig. 4.

[0144] If the determination in step S105 is YES, the control unit 11 refers to the restriction factors of the product determined in step S104 to require an alert notification (S131) ​​and determines whether or not it is necessary to restrict the store clerk who replenishes the product (S132). In step S132, it is determined whether or not the shelf height for the product in FIG. 13(b) is high, and it is also determined whether or not the product weight of the product is heavy. If at least one of these determinations is YES, the determination in step S132 is YES.

[0145] If the determination in step S132 is YES, the control unit 11 excludes the store clerks corresponding to the restriction element that requires restriction from the targets of the alert notification for the product (S133). Specifically, if the restriction element that requires restriction is shelf height, the control unit 11 excludes the store clerks 3 identified in step S101 who have the height restriction shown in FIG. 13(c) from the targets of the alert notification. Furthermore, if the restriction element that requires restriction is product weight, the control unit 11 excludes the store clerks 3 identified in step S101 who have the heavy object restriction shown in FIG. 13(c) from the targets of the alert notification.

[0146] After further limiting the store clerks 3 who are the targets of alert notifications in this way, the control unit 11 transmits an alert notification for each product for which it has been determined that an alert notification is required to the mobile terminal 50 of the final remaining store clerk 3. For example, if the processing of steps S102 to S105 results in two products being the targets of alert notifications, and a store clerk 3 is excluded from the targets of notification for only one of these products in step S133, only the alert notification for the other product will be transmitted to the mobile terminal 50 of that store clerk 3. In this way, the control unit 11 ends the processing of FIG.

[0147] In addition, if the weight of the product is heavy, women and elderly people may be excluded from the targets of the alert notification. The limiting factors and the store clerk indicator information that are indicators for excluding people from the alert notification are not limited to those shown in Figures 13(b) and 13(c).

[0148] Moreover, the configurations of the above-described modified examples 1 to 4 may also be applied to the second embodiment.

[0149] <Effects of Second Embodiment> In the second embodiment, the same effects as those in the first embodiment are achieved.

[0150] As shown in FIG. 13(b), the store clerk management information further includes information associating the store clerk 3 with index information (store clerk index information) that indicates whether or not products can be replenished on the product shelves 2, and as shown in FIG. 14, the store clerk identification unit 11c includes, as a condition for identifying the store clerk 3, excluding a store clerk who has determined that it is not possible to replenish products on the product shelves 2 based on the store clerk index information from the store clerks who are capable of replenishing products (S131 to S133).

[0151] As a result, store clerks who have difficulty replenishing shelves due to factors such as their height or the weight of the items they can carry are excluded from the list of store clerks who are able to replenishing items, and no alert notification is sent to these store clerks, allowing for smooth and efficient replenishing of products on shelves.

[0152] 5(a) to 5(c) are managed by the information processing device 10, but this information may be managed by another management device connected to the network 40. In this case, the information processing device 10 may acquire this information from the other management device as appropriate. The same applies to the information in FIGS. 13(a) to 13(c).

[0153] Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments, the functions of the quantity information acquisition unit 11a, the notification determination unit 11b, and the store clerk identification unit 11c are assigned to the control unit 11 of the information processing device 10, but these functions do not necessarily have to be assigned to one information processing device 10. For example, if the product shelf management system 1 includes other information processing devices in addition to the information processing device 10, the functions of the quantity information acquisition unit 11a, the notification determination unit 11b, and the store clerk identification unit 11c may be distributed to these information processing devices. In this case, these information processing devices may cooperate with each other to execute the above-mentioned process for product shelf management.

[0154] Furthermore, in the above-described first and second embodiments, the store clerk 3 who can replenish products is identified by the priority of the work content and the index information that indicates whether or not products can be replenished on the product shelves 2, but the method for identifying the store clerk 3 who can replenish products is not limited to this. For example, if the store clerk 3 is currently dealing with an unexpected work, the method for identifying the store clerk 3 who can replenish products can be changed in various ways as long as the store clerk 3 can efficiently perform his or her own work while smoothly replenishing products on the product shelves.

[0155] In addition, steps S301 and S302 may be omitted from the adjustment process of threshold value Th1 of modified example 3 shown in Figure 11 (b), and steps S301 and S302 may be omitted from the adjustment process of threshold value Th1 of modified example 4 shown in Figure 12.

[0156] Furthermore, the configuration of the product shelves 2 and the layout of the store S1 shown in the first embodiment are merely examples, and other configurations and layouts may be used. Similarly, the alert screen 500 is not limited to the configurations shown in Figures 7 and 9(a) and (b), and may be a screen with other configurations.

[0157] In addition, the embodiments of the present invention can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the claims.

[0158] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Product shelf management system 10 Information processing device 11 Control unit 11a Quantity information acquisition unit 11b Notification determination unit 11c Store clerk identification unit

Claims

1. A product shelf management system comprising: an output device that outputs information that enables an understanding of the display status of products on product shelves in a store; a quantity information acquisition unit that acquires quantity information regarding the remaining number of the products on the product shelves based on the information output from the output device; a notification determination unit that determines whether or not an alert notification regarding the replenishing of the products on the product shelves is necessary based on the quantity information; and a store clerk identification unit that identifies a store clerk who is able to replenish the products based on store clerk status information regarding the work status of store clerks in the store, and sets the identified store clerk as a target for the alert notification.

2. A product shelf management system as described in claim 1, characterized in that the store clerk identification unit includes, as a condition for identifying the store clerk, excluding a store clerk who is performing a task having a higher priority than replenishing the product from the store clerks who are capable of replenishing the product.

3. A product shelf management system as described in claim 1, wherein the store clerk status information further includes information associating the store clerk with index information that indicates whether the product can be replenished on the product shelf, and the store clerk identification unit includes, as a condition for identifying the store clerk, excluding the store clerk who has determined that the product cannot be replenished on the product shelf based on the index information from the store clerks who are capable of replenishing the product.

4. A product shelf management system as described in claim 1, characterized in that the notification decision unit decides that a first alert notification is necessary when the remaining number is a value other than zero and is below a predetermined threshold, and decides that a second alert notification is necessary when the remaining number becomes zero.

5. A product shelf management system as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the notification determination unit reduces the threshold value in response to a decrease in the number of store clerks identified by the store clerk identification unit.

6. A product shelf management system as described in claim 4, characterized in that the notification determination unit acquires index information that is an indicator of sales of the product, and sets the threshold value based on the number of store clerks and the index information.

7. A product shelf management system as described in claim 4, characterized in that the notification determination unit acquires index information which is an indicator of the product being promoted, and sets the threshold value based on the number of store clerks and the index information.

8. A product shelf management system according to any one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that the notification determination unit includes the remaining number of the product in the first alert notification.

9. An information processing device capable of communicating with an output device that outputs information enabling understanding of the display status of products on a store's shelves, comprising: a quantity information acquisition unit that acquires quantity information regarding the remaining number of the products on the shelves based on the information output from the output device; a notification decision unit that decides whether or not to send an alert notification regarding the replenishing of the products on the shelves based on the quantity information; and a store clerk identification unit that identifies a store clerk who is able to replenish the products based on store clerk status information regarding the work status of store clerks in the store, and sets the identified store clerk as the target of the alert notification.

10. A control method for an information processing device capable of communicating with an output device that outputs information enabling understanding of the display status of products on a store's shelves, comprising the steps of: obtaining quantity information regarding the remaining number of the products on the shelves based on the information output from the output device; determining whether or not an alert notification is required regarding the replenishing of the products on the shelves based on the quantity information; identifying a store clerk capable of replenishing the products based on store staff status information regarding the work status of store staff in the store; and setting the identified store clerk as the target of the alert notification.

11. A program that causes an information processing device capable of communicating with an output device that outputs information enabling understanding of the display status of products on a store's shelves to execute the following functions: obtain quantity information regarding the remaining number of products on the shelves based on the information output from the output device; decide whether or not to send an alert notification regarding the replenishing of the products on the shelves based on the quantity information; and identify a store clerk who is able to replenish the products based on store staff status information regarding the work status of store staff in the store, and set the identified store clerk as the target of the alert notification.

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