Supply chain management method and supply chain management system

Abstract

A supply chain management method according to the present invention comprises: a step for forming, on the basis of transaction information and company information, a plurality of communities which each include one or more companies and storing community information in a storage unit; a step for outputting the community information; a step for storing, in the storage unit, partner information pertaining to a partnership agreement upon receipt of input of information which indicates that the partnership agreement has been concluded between companies; a step for adding, on the basis of the partner information and supply chain information, information indicating a candidate for a new business partner to the supply chain information; a step for updating the supply chain information upon receipt of input of information indicating that a new transaction agreement has been concluded; and a step for generating, on the basis of an order of an article, the partner information, and the supply chain information, a purchase plan which corresponds to the order and includes the purchase quantity of articles and the delivery date between companies, and outputting the purchase plan.

Description

Supply chain management method and supply chain management system Incorporation by Reference

[0001] This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-203872, filed on December 1, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to a technology for managing a supply chain.

[0003] Prior art technologies for supporting stable corporate procurement activities are disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2023-66948 (Patent Document 1) and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-30466 (Patent Document 2). Patent Document 1 describes the following technology: "In a procurement management system, a procurement management server includes: an acquisition unit that acquires request conditions including a requested quantity of an item requested by a user and supply conditions including the supply amounts of the item from each of a plurality of suppliers that can supply the item; a determination unit that determines whether an allocation condition for allocating the requested quantity of the item to two or more of the plurality of suppliers is satisfied based on the request conditions and the supply conditions; a selection unit that selects two or more suppliers from the plurality of suppliers as a supply supplier group if the allocation condition is satisfied; and an allocation unit that allocates the requested quantity to the supply supplier group" (see Abstract).

[0004] Patent Document 2 describes the following technology (see abstract): "It comprises a terminal server that connects ordering companies to a network, an authentication server that determines whether or not connection to the network is possible based on individual information input from the ordering company's terminal in response to instructions from the terminal server, and an authentication database that manages the ordering company's individual information for each user, and the authentication server determines whether or not connection to the network is possible based on the individual information input by the ordering company, receiving means that receives quotation requests distributed to the terminal server, storage means that stores the received quotation requests in a storage device, distribution means that distributes the stored quotation requests to the receiving company's terminal, distribution means that distributes the receiving company's quotation response to the distributed quotation request to the terminal server, and distribution means that distributes the distributed quotation response to the ordering company's terminal in response to a distribution request from the ordering company" (see abstract).

[0005] Patent Document 1: JP 2023-66948 A Patent Document 2: JP 2003-30466 A

[0006] In recent years, the risk of supply chain disruptions due to epidemics, disasters, conflicts, etc. has been increasing. If supply chains are disrupted, it is expected that corporate procurement activities will be significantly affected. As it is difficult for companies to respond alone, there are signs that companies are working together to address this issue.

[0007] To address the risk of supply chain disruptions, it is desirable to promote collaboration between companies in advance before an event that could cause a disruption occurs. To achieve this, companies are expected to search for companies that they deem appropriate as partners. However, since there are many companies operating in society and there are various criteria for determining whether a partner is appropriate and various forms of collaboration, it takes a lot of effort to find appropriate partners and build a supply chain. However, until now, technology to support such activities has not been sufficiently considered.

[0008] In order to achieve at least one of the above-described objects, the present invention provides a supply chain management method using a supply chain management system, the supply chain management system having a calculation unit and a storage unit, the storage unit holding transaction information including transaction records for each item of goods between companies, company information including information on the business of each of the companies, and supply chain information including information on contracts concluded between the companies regarding transactions of goods, the supply chain management method including a first step in which the calculation unit forms a plurality of communities each including one or more companies by grouping mutually related companies based on the transaction information and the company information, and stores community information regarding the formed communities in the storage unit; a second step in which the calculation unit outputs the community information; and a third step in which the calculation unit receives input of information indicating that a partnership agreement for cooperation in business activities has been concluded between a first company and a second company among the plurality of companies. a third step in which, when the calculation unit receives information indicating that a contract between a third company and the first company is included in the supply chain information and when the supply chain information does not include a contract between the third company and the second company, the calculation unit adds information indicating that the second company is a candidate for a new trading partner of the third company to the supply chain information based on the partner information and the supply chain information; a fifth step in which, when the calculation unit receives information indicating that a new trading contract has been concluded between the third company and the second company, the calculation unit updates the supply chain information based on the input information; and a sixth step in which the calculation unit generates and outputs a purchasing plan including a purchase quantity and delivery date of the goods between the companies in response to the order, based on the order of goods, the partner information, and the supply chain information.

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to support the construction of a supply chain that is resilient to the risk of disruption. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become clear from the following description of the embodiments.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a supply chain community system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of transaction information referenced by the supply chain community system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of company information referenced by the supply chain community system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of community information generated by the supply chain community system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of partner information generated by the supply chain community system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of supply chain information generated by the supply chain community system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of a supply chain plan generated by the supply chain community system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of a purchase plan generated by the supply chain community system according to an embodiment of the present invention. A flowchart showing an example of processing executed by the supply chain community system according to an embodiment of the present invention. A flowchart showing an example of processing executed by the supply chain community system according to an embodiment of the present invention. A diagram showing an example of supply chain information update ... a screen displayed in community formation processing executed by the supply chain community system according to an embodiment of the present invention. A diagram showing an example of a screen displayed in automatic partner candidate registration processing executed by the supply chain community system according to an embodiment of the present invention. A diagram showing an example of a screen displayed in purchasing automation processing executed by the supply chain community system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a supply chain community system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] The supply chain community system 100 is a system for managing a supply chain based on a corporate community or the like, and is an information processing device such as a PC or a server computer. The supply chain community system 100 includes an input unit 110, a calculation unit 120, a memory unit 130, a communication unit 140, an output unit 150, and a display unit 160.

[0014] The calculation unit 120 includes a community formation unit 121, a supply chain update unit 122, and a supply chain planning unit 123. The calculation unit 120 may be a general-purpose CPU. In this case, the calculation unit 120 executes a program stored in the storage unit 130 to realize the functions of the community formation unit 121, the supply chain update unit 122, and the supply chain planning unit 123. The functions of each of these units will be described later (see FIGS. 9A, 9B, etc.).

[0015] The storage unit 130 stores community information 133, partner information 134, supply chain information 135, a supply chain plan 136, and a purchasing plan 137. The storage unit 130 is configured, for example, by a main storage device such as a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and an auxiliary storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD).

[0016] The input unit 110 accepts information input to the item search device 10 via an input device such as a keyboard, a touch panel, or a mouse.

[0017] The output unit 150 outputs, for example, the results of a predetermined process.

[0018] The display unit 160 outputs, for example, screen information including the results of a predetermined process via an output device such as a display.

[0019] The communication unit 140 transmits and receives information to and from devices connected via the network 200. For example, the network 200 is connected to a server that manages transaction information 131, a server that manages company information 132, and servers of each company 300. The communication unit 140 communicates necessary information with these servers.

[0020] The network 200 is, for example, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a virtual private network (VPN), or a communication network that uses a general public line such as the Internet as part or all of the network.

[0021] Next, the information that the supply chain community system 100 refers to for processing and the information that is generated by processing will be described.

[0022] First, we will explain the information referenced by the supply chain community system 100. The supply chain community system 100 executes the processing described below by referencing the transaction information 131 and company information 132. This information is managed by a server or the like external to the supply chain community system 100. At least the information necessary for the processing described below out of the transaction information 131 and company information 132 may be acquired by the supply chain community system 100 from an external server or the like and stored in the storage unit 130.

[0023] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the transaction information 131 referenced by the supply chain community system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] The transaction information 131 is information that records the results of transactions conducted between each company, and includes, for example, ID 131a, branch number 131b, supplier 131c, buyer 131d, item 131e, requested delivery date 131f, quantity 131g, delivery location 131h, delivery date 131i, and delivery quantity 131j.

[0025] The ID 131a is information that identifies each transaction. The sub-number 131b is a number that identifies each transaction when a single transaction is divided into multiple transactions. The supplier 131c and the buyer 131d indicate the seller and the purchaser, respectively, in each transaction. The item 131e, the requested delivery date 131f, the quantity 131g, and the delivery location 131h indicate the item, the requested delivery date, the quantity, and the delivery location of the item (e.g., a product or part) that is the subject of each transaction, respectively. The delivery date 131i and the delivery quantity 131j indicate the date on which the item that is the subject of each transaction was actually delivered and the quantity that was actually delivered, respectively.

[0026] For example, the first line of the transaction information 131 shown in Figure 2 indicates that company A agreed to deliver 200 units of product Z to company F1 by June 30, and that 200 units were actually delivered on June 30. The second and third lines indicate that company P2 agreed to deliver 200 units of part X to company A by June 30, and that 180 units were actually delivered on June 30 and 20 units on July 1.

[0027] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the company information 132 referenced by the supply chain community system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] The company information 132 is information about each company, and includes, for example, company 132a, company name 132b, address 132c, telephone number 132d, and industry type 132e, etc. These indicate the identification information, name, location, contact information, and industry type of each company, respectively.

[0029] Next, we will explain the information generated by the supply chain community system 100. The supply chain community system 100 generates community information 133, partner information 134, supply chain information 135, a supply chain plan 136, and a purchasing plan 137 through processing described below, and stores them in the storage unit 130.

[0030] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the community information 133 generated by the supply chain community system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] The community information 133 is information relating to a community formed by a plurality of companies, and includes, for example, a community ID 133a, a community type 133b, a company 1_133c, and a company 2_133d.

[0032] The community ID 133a is identification information for each community. The community type 133b indicates the type of each community. Examples of community types include "transaction," "item," "location," and "industry." "Transaction" indicates a community formed by companies that have a history of trading with each other. "Item" indicates a community formed by companies that handle similar items. "Location" indicates a community formed by companies that are located nearby. "Industry" indicates a community formed by companies that operate in similar industries.

[0033] Company 1_133c, Company 2_133d, etc. are identification information of companies belonging to each community. In the example of Figure 4, Company 1_133c and Company 2_133d are shown as identification information of companies belonging to each community, but generally each community is formed by many more companies, and the identification information of all of these companies is recorded in community information 133.

[0034] It should be noted that one company may belong to multiple communities. For example, if one company handles multiple items, it may belong to a different community for each item. Alternatively, if one company is engaged in multiple different types of business, it may belong to a different community for each business. Alternatively, one company may belong to a community whose community type 133b is "transaction," a community whose community type 133b is "item," a community whose community type 133b is "location," and a community whose community type 133b is "industry."

[0035] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the partner information 134 generated by the supply chain community system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] The partner information 134 is information relating to a partnership contract concluded between a plurality of companies, and includes, for example, a contract ID 134a, a contract type 134b, an item 134c, a company 1 134d, and a company 2 134e.

[0037] The contract ID 134a is identification information for each contract. The contract type 134b indicates the type of each contract. Examples of contract types include "joint purchasing," "production flexibility," "inventory flexibility," and "partner rotation." "Joint purchasing" indicates a contract in which multiple companies jointly purchase the same item. "Production flexibility" indicates a contract in which alternative production is requested when supply capacity is tight. "Inventory flexibility" indicates a contract in which excess inventory is lent when inventory is tight. "Partner rotation" indicates a contract in which multiple companies produce a single product.

[0038] Item 134c indicates the item in the contract in which the item is specified. Company 1 134d, Company 2 134e, etc. are identification information of the companies that concluded each contract. In the example of Figure 5, Company 1 134c and Company 2 134d are shown as the identification information of the companies that concluded each contract, but for a contract concluded by three or more companies, the identification information of all of those companies is recorded in partner information 134.

[0039] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the supply chain information 135 generated by the supply chain community system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] The supply chain information 135 is information about a supply chain formed between multiple companies, and includes, for example, an item 135a, a supplier 135b, a supplier 135c, a contract type 135d, a contract ID 135e, and a lead time (LT) 135f.

[0041] The item 135a is identification information for the item of the product being traded. The supplier 135b and the supplier 135c are identification information for the supplier (e.g., a seller company) and the supplier (e.g., a buyer company) in the product transaction, respectively. The contract type 135d indicates the type of contract. For example, the contract type 135d may record information indicating that a contract has been concluded and a transaction has begun (e.g., "transaction"), or information indicating that the item is a candidate for a contract to be concluded (e.g., "procurement candidate," "sales candidate," etc.).

[0042] The contract ID 135e is identification information of the contract. The lead time 135f indicates the lead time agreed upon in the transaction contract.

[0043] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the supply chain plan 136 generated by the supply chain community system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] As will be described later ( FIG. 9B ), the supply chain planning unit 123 creates a supply chain plan based on the supply chain information 135 and the like, and stores the plan in the storage unit 130 as a supply chain plan 136. The supply chain plan 136 includes, for example, a plan ID 136 a, a supplier 136 b, a supplier 136 c, an item 136 d, a delivery date 136 e, and a quantity 136 f.

[0045] The plan ID 136a is identification information for the created supply chain plan. The supplier 136b and the supplier 136c are identification information for the supplier and the supplier, respectively, of the target items in each supply chain plan. The item 136d, delivery date 136e, and quantity 136f indicate the item identification information, delivery date, and quantity to be procured, respectively, of the target items in each supply chain plan.

[0046] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the purchasing plan 137 generated by the supply chain community system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] As will be described later ( FIG. 9B ), the supply chain planning unit 123 creates a purchasing plan based on the supply chain plan 136 and the like, and stores the purchasing plan 137 in the storage unit 130. The purchasing plan 137 includes, for example, a purchase ID 137a, a branch number 137b, a supplier 137c, a buyer 137d, an item 137e, a delivery date 137f, and a quantity 137g.

[0048] The purchase ID 137a is identification information for the created purchasing plan. The branch number 137b is information for identifying each transaction when a created purchasing plan (for example, a purchasing plan based on a single order) includes multiple purchases. The supplier 137c and buyer 137d are identification information for the seller and purchaser of the items covered by each purchasing plan, respectively. The item 137e, delivery date 137f, and quantity 137g indicate the item identification information, delivery date, and quantity to be purchased, respectively, for the items covered by each purchasing plan.

[0049] Next, the processing executed by the supply chain community system 100 will be described.

[0050] 9A and 9B are flowcharts showing an example of processing executed by the supply chain community system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0051] The community formation unit 121 of the calculation unit 120 of the supply chain community system 100 references the transaction information 131 and the company information 132, forms a community based on conditions, and stores it in the community information 133 (step S901).

[0052] For example, the community creation unit 121 may create a community including multiple companies that do business with each other and store the information about the community in the community information 133. In this case, the community type 133b will be "business." Similarly, if a community is created including multiple companies that handle similar items, the community type 133b will be "item." If a community is created including multiple companies that are located close to each other, the community type 133b will be "location." If a community is created including multiple companies that are in similar industries, the community type 133b will be "industry."

[0053] The community formation unit 121 may execute step S901 by referring to the transaction information 131 and the company information 132, for example, periodically or when either the transaction information 131 or the company information 132 is changed, and update the community information 133.

[0054] A company participating in the services of the supply chain community system 100 logs in to the supply chain community system 100 and selects one of community confirmation, transaction candidate confirmation, and plan execution (step S902). If community confirmation is selected, the community creation unit 121 references the community information 133 and outputs information indicating the community to which the logged-in company belongs, and a person in charge of the company confirms the community to which their company belongs based on the output information (step S903). The person in charge of the company then confirms information about companies in the same community as their company and concludes a partnership agreement with one of the companies (step S904). This process is performed by a person in charge outside the supply chain community system 100. Information on the concluded partnership agreement is recorded in the partner information 134.

[0055] This completes the community confirmation process, and the company that performed the process logs out (step S915).

[0056] The supply chain update unit 122 of the calculation unit 120 of the supply chain community system 100 automatically registers potential business partners by referring to the partner information 134. Specifically, the supply chain update unit 122 adds information that includes the parties to the contract as potential business partners to the supply chain of downstream and upstream companies that have a trading history with each of the parties to the contract, in accordance with the transaction type of the newly concluded partner contract (step S905).

[0057] Here, an example of updating supply chain information based on partner agreements will be described.

[0058] 10A to 10C are diagrams showing an example of updating supply chain information executed by the supply chain community system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0059] FIG. 10A shows an example of an update of supply chain information when Company A and Company B enter into a production sharing partnership agreement. In this example, Company A and Company B are both manufacturers. As indicated by the solid arrows in FIG. 10A , Company A purchases Part X from Company P1, an upstream company (e.g., a parts manufacturer), and another part from Company P2 to manufacture Product Z, and sells Product Z to downstream companies (e.g., trading companies). Meanwhile, Company B purchases parts from upstream companies P2 and P3, respectively, to manufacture Product Y, and sells Product Y to downstream company F3. Information indicating transactions of these items is included in the supply chain information 135. However, at this point, Company B and Company F1 have not yet traded at least Product Z, and therefore information regarding this transaction has not yet been recorded in the supply chain information 135.

[0060] Here, if Company A and Company B conclude a new partnership contract for production flexibility for Product Z, it is estimated that Company B may produce Product Z in the same way as Company A, that is, Company F1 may be able to purchase Product Z from Company B (instead of or in addition to Company A). Therefore, in step S905, the supply chain update unit 122 generates information indicating a new transaction candidate with the target item 135a as "Product Z," the supplier 135b as "Company B," and the supply destination 135c as "Company F1," and adds this information to the supply chain information 135 (e.g., the third line of the supply chain information 135 in FIG. 6 ).

[0061] At this point, no contract has yet been concluded between company B and company F1. Therefore, information indicating that company B is a candidate for company F1's new supplier of product Z (e.g., "Procurement candidate") is recorded as the contract type 135d of the added information. Meanwhile, the contract ID 135e and lead time 135f are left blank. The supply chain community system 100 may notify company F1 that company A and company B have concluded a new partnership contract for production flexibility for product Z. Company F1 can use this notification as an opportunity to conclude a new contract with company B.

[0062] In addition, if Company A and Company B are trading companies or the like and have concluded a partnership agreement for inventory sharing, similarly to the above, information regarding procurement candidates between Company B and Company F1 for Product Z can be added to the supply chain information 135.

[0063] 10B shows an example of updating supply chain information when Company A and Company B enter into a joint purchasing partnership agreement. The relationships between Company A and Company B and their upstream and downstream companies are the same as those shown by the solid arrows in FIG. 10A.

[0064] If Company A and Company B were to conclude a new partnership agreement for joint purchasing of Part X, it is estimated that there is a possibility that Company B will purchase Part X in the same way as Company A, that is, there is a possibility that Company P1 will be able to sell Part X to Company B as well. Therefore, in step S905, the supply chain update unit 122 generates information indicating a new transaction candidate with the target item 135a being "Part X," the supplier 135b being "Company P1," and the supply destination 135c being "Company B," and adds this information to the supply chain information 135.

[0065] At this point, no contract has yet been concluded between company P1 and company B. Therefore, information indicating that company B is a candidate for company P1's purchase of part X (e.g., "sales candidate") is recorded as the contract type 135d of the added information. Meanwhile, the contract ID 135e and lead time 135f are left blank. The supply chain community system 100 may notify company P1 that company A and company B have concluded a new partnership contract for joint purchasing of part X. Company P1 can use this notification as an opportunity to conclude a new contract with company B.

[0066] 10C shows an example of updating supply chain information when Company A and Company B enter into a partner contract through a round-robin system. The relationships between Company A and Company B and their upstream and downstream companies are the same as those shown by the solid arrows in FIG. 10A.

[0067] Here, we will explain the case where Company A and Company B have concluded a new partner-passing agreement. In this example, Company A and Company B produce Product Z. For example, if a partner-passing agreement is concluded in which Company B performs the earlier steps of the multiple steps required to produce Product Z and Company A performs the later steps, in step S905, the supply chain update unit 122 generates information indicating a new transaction candidate with the target item 135a as "Product Z," the supplier 135b as "Company B," and the supply destination 135c as "Company A," and adds this information to the supply chain information 135.

[0068] At this point, the contract for part-time work has already been concluded, so the contract type 135d of the added information will record information indicating that the contract type is part-time work, the contract ID 135e will record identification information for the contract, and the lead time 135f will record the time required for the work of the process handled by Company B (for example, one day).

[0069] Furthermore, for example, if Company A sells Product Z, which it produced through a pass-through contract with Company B, to Company F1, the supply chain update unit 122 adds information indicating that Product Z is the subject of a pass-through contract to the contract type 135d of the information (the first line in the example of Figure 6) in which the target item 135a is "Product Z," the supplier 135b is "Company A," and the supply destination 135c is "Company F1."

[0070] If the company that logged in in step S902 selects to confirm potential partners, the person in charge of the logged in company will confirm the potential partner companies included in the supply chain information 135, negotiate with the potential partner companies as necessary, and enter the results (i.e., whether or not a contract was concluded) into the supply chain community system 100 (step S906).

[0071] For example, if a person in charge of company F1 logs in after the partnership contract for production sharing shown in Fig. 10A has been concluded and the supply chain information 135 has been updated, the person in charge may negotiate with company B and conclude a new contract to purchase product Z from company B. Alternatively, if a person in charge of company P1 logs in after the partnership contract for joint purchasing shown in Fig. 10B has been concluded and the supply chain information 135 has been updated, the person in charge may negotiate with company B and conclude a new contract to sell part X to company B.

[0072] If information indicating that a contract has been concluded is input in step S906, the supply chain update unit 122 updates the supply chain information 135 to reflect the concluded contract (step S907). For example, the supply chain update unit 122 may update the contract type 135d of the corresponding information in the supply chain information 135 to "transaction," which indicates that the contract has been concluded and that a transaction is being conducted based on the contract, record identification information of the contract in the contract ID 135e, and record the lead time agreed upon in the contract in the lead time 135f.

[0073] Furthermore, in step S906, the community establishing unit 121 updates the partner information 134 so as to reflect the concluded contract.

[0074] This completes the process of confirming the transaction candidate, and the company that performed the process logs out (step S915).

[0075] If the company that logged in in step S902 selects plan execution, a person in charge at the logged-in company inputs transaction information into the supply chain community system 100 (step S908). The transaction information input here may include, for example, a demand plan and inventory information. For example, when a company wants to purchase an item (e.g., a product or part), the demand information may include order information such as the item name, requested quantity, and requested delivery date of the item. Furthermore, the inventory information may include the latest inventory quantity for each item at each company.

[0076] Next, the supply chain planning unit 123 of the computing unit 120 of the supply chain community system 100 creates a supply chain plan (step S909). Specifically, the supply chain planning unit 123 creates a supply chain plan based on the updated supply chain information 135, and creates a purchasing plan based on the plan (step S910). The created supply chain plan is stored as a supply chain plan 136, and the created purchasing plan is stored as a purchasing plan 137.

[0077] The purchasing plan created here may include a multi-company purchasing plan based on the drawn-up supply chain plan. For example, as shown in FIG. 10A , if a partner contract for production or inventory sharing for product Z is concluded between company A and company B, resulting in the addition of a supply chain plan for product Z with company B as the supplier and company F1 as the destination (see FIG. 7 ), the supply chain planning unit 123 may create a multi-company purchasing plan in which company F1 purchases product Z from both company A and company B (see, for example, the first and second lines in FIG. 8 ).

[0078] At this time, the supply chain planning unit 123 determines the purchase quantity and delivery date of product Z from each of companies A and B so as not to exceed the upper limit of their supply capacities (e.g., production capacity or inventory amount). For example, if company A sells product Z to companies F1 and F2, and company B sells product Z and product Y to companies F1 and F3, respectively, the purchase quantity and delivery date of product Z from companies A and B may be determined so that the total of company A's production volume of product Z for company F1 and company F2 does not exceed company A's production capacity, and the total of company B's production volume of product Z for company F1 and company Y for company F3 does not exceed company B's production capacity.

[0079] Furthermore, the supply chain planning unit 123 creates a joint purchasing plan based on the partner contract 134 to the supply chain plan 136 and adds the plan to the purchasing plan 137 (step S911). For example, as shown in FIG. 10B , if a partner contract for joint purchasing of part X is concluded between company A and company B, resulting in the addition of a supply chain plan for part X with company P1 as the supplier and company B as the destination, the supply chain planning unit 123 may create a multi-company purchasing plan in which company A and company B jointly purchase part X from company P1 (in other words, in one order). In this case, the same purchasing ID is assigned to purchasing plans in which multiple companies purchase in one order, and different sub-numbers are assigned to the purchasing plans of each company (see, for example, the third and fourth lines in FIG. 8 ).

[0080] Furthermore, the supply chain planning unit 123 creates purchasing plans for the partner companies through the partner contract 134 to the supply chain plan 136, and adds the plans to the purchasing plan 137 (step S912). For example, as shown in FIG. 10C , if a partner contract for the manufacture of product Z is concluded between company A and company B, and as a result, a supply chain plan for product Z with company B as the supplier and company A as the destination, and a supply chain plan for product Z with company A as the supplier and company F1 as the destination, are added, the supply chain planning unit 123 may create a purchasing plan in which company A purchases product Z (e.g., a semi-finished product of product Z, some of which has not yet been processed) from company B, and company F1 purchases product Z from company A.

[0081] In a purchasing plan created in this way, the same purchasing ID is assigned to purchasing plans between partner companies based on a single order, and a different branch number is assigned to each company. For example, as shown in lines 5 and 6 of Figure 8, if product Z is completed by company A through a process after company B has completed the process and sold to company F1, the purchasing plans for company B and company A related to product Z will be assigned the same purchasing ID, but will be distinguished by different branch numbers. In this case, for example, if company A's lead time for product Z (in other words, the time required for company A to receive product Z from company B, complete its own process, and sell it to company F1) is one day, the delivery date for product Z from company B to company A will be set one day before the delivery date for product Z from company A to company F1.

[0082] The planning in steps S909 to S912 can be realized by any method, such as known discrete simulation or mathematical programming, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0083] The supply chain planning unit 123 checks the created supply chain plan 136 and purchasing plan 137, and if the re-plan button 1307 in FIG. 13 (described later) is operated, changes the transaction information and supply chain plan 136 as necessary (step S913). The supply chain planning unit 123 then determines whether re-planning is necessary (step S914), and if it determines that re-planning is necessary, returns to step S909. For example, if the transaction information and supply chain plan 136 are changed in step S913, it may determine whether re-planning is necessary based on the changes.

[0084] If it is determined in step S914 that re-planning is not necessary, the purchasing automation process ends and the company that performed the process logs out (step S915).

[0085] Next, we will explain an example of information displayed during processing in the supply chain community system 100. The information described below may be displayed by the display unit 160 of the supply chain community system 100, or may be displayed by a display device (not shown) within the system of the company 300 that has logged in to the supply chain community system 100. In the latter case, the communication unit 140 of the supply chain community system 100 transmits the information to be displayed to the system of the company 300 via the network 200.

[0086] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed during the community formation process executed by the supply chain community system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0087] FIG. 11 shows a community list display screen 1110, a company list display screen 1120, a map display screen 1130, and a partner registration screen 1140.

[0088] The community list display screen 1110 is, for example, a screen displayed in step S903 of FIG. 9A and includes a community list 1111, a list display button 1112, and a map display button 1113. The community list 1111 displays a list of communities stored in the community information 133. For example, the community list 1111 may include, for each community type, the number of registered communities, the number of companies belonging to the community, the last update date of the information, and the status. Here, the status is, for example, information indicating whether the logged-in company has confirmed the information about the community in step S903.

[0089] When a logged-in company representative selects one of the community types and operates the list display button 1112, a company list display screen 1120 is displayed. The company list display screen 1120 includes, for example, a company list 1121, an inquiry button 1122, and a partner registration button 1123.

[0090] A list of companies belonging to each community of the selected type is displayed as company list 1121. This company list 1121 may include, for example, company identification information, name, address, telephone number, email address, etc. When a logged-in company representative selects one of the companies and operates inquiry button 1122, a means of contacting the selected company (e.g., a calling application or mailer) is launched, allowing the representative to contact the company. As a result, if a partner agreement is concluded with one of the companies, the representative operates partner registration button 1123 to register it, and partner registration screen 1140 is displayed.

[0091] The partner registration screen 1140 includes, for example, a new partner registration section 1141 and an existing partner selection section 1142. When a new partner agreement is concluded, the person in charge operates the new partner registration section 1141 to register information about the partner agreement. On the other hand, when a new partner agreement is concluded between other companies, the person in charge operates the existing partner selection section 1142 to add information indicating that the company will participate in the partner agreement.

[0092] Furthermore, when the person in charge operates the map display button 1113, a map display screen 1130 is displayed. The map display screen 1130 displays, for example, a map including information showing the distribution of communities of the selected type by region.

[0093] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed during the automatic registration process of supplier candidates executed by the supply chain community system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0094] FIG. 12 shows a supplier candidate list display screen 1200 and a supply chain display screen 1210 .

[0095] 9A, and includes a candidate supplier list 1201, a supply chain display button 1202, a company information confirmation button 1203, an inquiry button 1204, and a start trading button 1205. The candidate supplier list 1201 displays a list of information related to the logged-in company from among the information stored in the supply chain information 135. For example, the candidate supplier list 1201 includes a list of information in the supply chain information 135 where either the supplier 135b or the supply destination 135c is the logged-in company and where the contract type 135d is a value indicating that the company is a candidate for a contract to be concluded.

[0096] Specifically, the list of potential business partners 1201 may include the identification information of the partner company, the target product line, the type of candidate (e.g., procurement candidate, purchase candidate, sales candidate, referral candidate, etc.), the date the information was registered, and a status. Here, the status is, for example, information indicating whether the logged-in company has confirmed the information about the community in step S906.

[0097] When a logged-in company employee selects any of the information displayed as the supplier candidate list 1201 and operates the supply chain display button 1202, a supply chain display screen 1210 is displayed. The supply chain display screen 1210 displays information indicating the transaction flow of goods related to the selected supply chain information.

[0098] 12 shows an example of a supply chain display screen 1210 that is displayed when a person in charge at company F1 logs in to the supply chain community system 100, refers to the list of potential suppliers 1201, selects the first row, and operates the supply chain display button 1202. In this example, the flow of goods based on contracts that have already been concluded is indicated by solid arrows, and the flow of goods based on candidate contracts to be concluded in the future is indicated by dashed arrows.

[0099] For example, if a transaction has already been made in which company F1 purchases parts called Item01 and Item11 from company A, produces a product called Prod01, and ships it to company X1, and company B is presented as a new candidate supplier of part Item01, a dashed arrow related to Item01 pointing from company B to company F1 is displayed. By referring to this information, the person in charge at company F1 becomes aware of the existence of company B, which is a new candidate supplier of part Item01, and can take the next step.

[0100] For example, if the person in charge specifies Company B and operates the Confirm Company Information button 1203, information about Company B may be displayed. Furthermore, if the person in charge operates the Inquiry button 1204, a means for contacting Company B is activated, allowing the person in charge to contact Company B. If a purchase contract for Item01 is concluded with Company B as a result, the person in charge operates the Start Transaction button 1205 to register it, and the supply chain information 135 is updated to reflect the conclusion of the contract (step S907). Specifically, the contract type 135d for the transaction is updated to a value indicating that a contract has been concluded and the transaction is being carried out. Additionally, the values ​​of the contract ID 135e that identifies the contract and the lead time 135f stipulated by the contract are entered.

[0101] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed during the supply chain planning and purchasing automation process executed by the supply chain community system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0102] 13 shows a planning result confirmation screen 1300. The planning result confirmation screen 1300 is a screen displayed, for example, in step S913 of FIG. 9B, and includes a result search section 1301, a supply chain display section 1302, a supply chain plan display section 1303, a purchase plan display section 1304, a transaction data edit button 1305, a plan edit button 1306, a re-plan button 1307, and a plan confirmation button 1308.

[0103] Search conditions for the supply chain plan 136 and the purchasing plan 137 are input to the result search section 1301. For example, a company employee who logs in to the supply chain community system 100 can input desired search conditions for searching the supply chain plan 136 and the purchasing plan 137 to the result search section 1301.

[0104] The supply chain plan display section 1303 and the purchase plan display section 1304 respectively display the search results of the supply chain plan 136 and the purchase plan 137 based on the input search conditions. In the example of Fig. 13, the search results of the supply chain plan and purchase plan for product Z with a delivery date from June 26 to July 7, 2023, as input into the result search section 1301, are displayed. Furthermore, the supply chain display section 1302 displays the supply chain for product Z (for example, the flow of product Z and parts X that constitute it).

[0105] The logged-in company personnel can edit the transaction data by operating the edit transaction data button 1305. Furthermore, if the personnel refer to the above information to check the supply chain and the like related to the goods handled by their company and wish to edit these plans, they can do so by operating the edit plan button 1306. Furthermore, if the personnel operates the re-plan button 1307, it is determined in step S914 of FIG. 9B that re-planning is necessary, and if the personnel operates the confirm plan button 1308B, it is determined in step S914 that re-planning is not necessary.

[0106] Furthermore, the system according to the embodiment of the present invention may be configured as follows.

[0107] (1) A supply chain management method using a supply chain management system (e.g., supply chain community system 100), the supply chain management system having a calculation unit (e.g., calculation unit 120) and a storage unit (e.g., storage unit 130), the storage unit holding transaction information (e.g., at least a part of transaction information 131 copied to storage unit 130) including transaction records for each item of goods between companies, company information (e.g., at least a part of company information 132 copied to storage unit 130) including information on the business of each company, and supply chain information (e.g., supply chain information 135) including information on contracts concluded regarding transactions of goods between the companies, the supply chain management method including a first step (e.g., step S901) in which the calculation unit groups mutually related companies based on the transaction information and the company information to form a plurality of communities, each including one or more companies, and stores community information related to the formed communities in the storage unit; and a second step (e.g., step S902) in which the calculation unit outputs the community information. a third step (e.g., step S904) in which, when the calculation unit receives input of information indicating that a partner contract for cooperation in business activities has been concluded between a first company and a second company among the plurality of companies, the calculation unit stores information on the partner contract in the storage unit as partner information; a fourth step (e.g., step S905) in which, when the calculation unit determines, based on the partner information and the supply chain information, that a contract between a third company and the first company is included in the supply chain information and that a contract between the third company and the second company is not included in the supply chain information, the calculation unit adds information indicating that the second company is a candidate for a new business partner of the third company to the supply chain information; a fifth step (e.g., steps S906 and S907) in which, when the calculation unit receives input of information indicating that a new transaction contract has been concluded between the third company and the second company, the calculation unit updates the supply chain information based on the input information; andand a sixth procedure (e.g., steps S908 to S912) of generating and outputting a purchasing plan including purchase quantities and delivery dates of the items between the companies in response to the order.

[0108] This will help build resilient supply chains by utilizing information from the communities to which companies belong.

[0109] (2) In the supply chain management method described in (1) above, the partner information includes information indicating whether the type of partner contract between the companies is a production contract for sharing production capacity, an inventory contract for sharing inventory, a joint purchasing contract for jointly purchasing goods from the same company, or a round-robin contract for producing goods by sharing processes among multiple companies.

[0110] This helps build a supply chain that is tailored to the type of partner agreement.

[0111] (3) In the supply chain management method described in (2) above, in the fourth step, if the type of the partnership contract between the first company and the second company is the production agreement or the inventory agreement and the supply chain information includes information indicating that the first company is a supplier of the third company, the calculation unit adds information indicating that the second company is a candidate for a new supplier of the third company to the supply chain information.

[0112] This helps build a supply chain that is tailored to the type of partner agreement.

[0113] (4) In the supply chain management method described in (2) above, in the fourth step, if the type of the partnership contract between the first company and the second company is the joint purchasing and the supply chain information includes information indicating that the first company is a customer of the third company, the calculation unit adds information indicating that the second company is a candidate for a new customer of the third company to the supply chain information.

[0114] This helps build a supply chain that is tailored to the type of partner agreement.

[0115] (5) In the supply chain management method described in (2) above, in the sixth step, when the type of the partnership contract between the first company and the second company is the production accommodation or the inventory accommodation, the calculation unit generates the purchasing plan so that the supply amounts of the first company and the second company due to purchases from the first company and the second company do not exceed their respective available supply amounts (i.e., upper limits of supply capacity, for example, production capacity or inventory amount) (e.g., step S910).

[0116] This allows a purchasing plan to be created according to the type of partner contract and the supply chain information based on that contract.

[0117] (6) In the supply chain management method described in (2) above, in the sixth step, when the type of the partnership contract between the first company and the second company is joint purchasing, the calculation unit generates the purchasing plan so that items purchased by the first company and the second company from the same company are included in a single order (e.g., step S911).

[0118] This allows a purchasing plan to be created according to the type of partner contract and the supply chain information based on that contract.

[0119] (7) A supply chain management method as described in (2) above, wherein the supply chain information includes information on lead times (e.g., lead time 135f) in transactions of goods between companies, and in the sixth step, when the type of partnership agreement between the first company and the second company is the round-robin type and a process of the first company is carried out after a process of the second company, the calculation unit determines a required delivery date from the first company to the second company based on the required delivery date for the ordered goods to the first company and the lead time at the first company, and generates the purchasing plan (e.g., step S912).

[0120] This allows a purchasing plan to be created according to the type of partner contract and the supply chain information based on that contract.

[0121] (8) A supply chain management method as described in (1) above, wherein the company information includes information on the location and industry of each of the companies, and in the first step, the calculation unit forms the multiple communities by grouping at least one of multiple companies that have a history of trading with each other, multiple companies that trade similar items, multiple companies that are located close to each other, and multiple companies that are in similar industries.

[0122] This allows for the formation of a community that is appropriate from various perspectives.

[0123] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to provide a better understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those including all of the described configurations. Furthermore, it is possible to replace part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, or to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. Furthermore, it is possible to add, delete, or replace part of the configuration of each embodiment with other configurations.

[0124] Furthermore, the above-described configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, etc. may be partially or entirely implemented in hardware, for example, by designing them as integrated circuits. The above-described configurations, functions, etc. may also be implemented in software, with a processor interpreting and executing a program that implements each function. Information such as programs, tables, and files that implement each function can be stored in storage devices such as nonvolatile semiconductor memory, hard disk drives, and solid-state drives (SSDs), or in computer-readable, non-transitory data storage media such as IC cards, SD cards, and DVDs.

[0125] In addition, the control lines and information lines shown are those that are considered necessary for the explanation, and not all control lines and information lines in the product are necessarily shown. In reality, it can be considered that almost all components are interconnected.

Claims

1. A supply chain management method using a supply chain management system, the supply chain management system having a calculation unit and a storage unit, the storage unit holding transaction information including transaction results for each item of goods between companies, company information including information on the business of each company, and supply chain information including information on contracts concluded between the companies regarding transactions of goods, the supply chain management method comprising: a first step in which the calculation unit forms a plurality of communities each including one or more companies by grouping mutually related companies based on the transaction information and the company information, and stores community information related to the formed communities in the storage unit; a second step in which the calculation unit outputs the community information; and a third step in which, when the calculation unit receives input of information indicating that a partner contract for cooperation in business activities has been concluded between a first company and a second company of the plurality of companies, stores information related to the partner contract as partner information in the storage unit. a fourth step in which, when a contract between a third company and the first company is included in the supply chain information and a contract between the third company and the second company is not included in the supply chain information, the calculation unit adds information indicating that the second company is a candidate for a new trading partner of the third company to the supply chain information based on the partner information and the supply chain information; a fifth step in which, when the calculation unit receives input of information indicating that a new trading contract has been concluded between the third company and the second company, the calculation unit updates the supply chain information based on the input information; and a sixth step in which the calculation unit generates and outputs a purchasing plan including a purchase quantity and delivery date of the goods between the companies in response to the order, based on an order for goods, the partner information, and the supply chain information.

2. A supply chain management method as described in claim 1, characterized in that the partner information includes information indicating the type of partner contract between the companies, whether it is production sharing to share production capacity, inventory sharing to share inventory, joint purchasing to jointly purchase goods from the same company, or peer rotation to produce goods by sharing processes among multiple companies.

3. A supply chain management method as described in claim 2, characterized in that in the fourth step, the calculation unit adds to the supply chain information information indicating that the second company is a candidate for a new supplier of the third company when the type of the partner contract between the first company and the second company is the production flexibility or the inventory flexibility and the supply chain information includes information indicating that the first company is a supplier of the third company.

4. A supply chain management method as described in claim 2, characterized in that in the fourth step, the calculation unit adds to the supply chain information information indicating that the second company is a candidate for a new customer of the third company if the type of the partner contract between the first company and the second company is the joint purchasing and the supply chain information includes information indicating that the first company is a customer of the third company.

5. A supply chain management method as described in claim 2, characterized in that in the sixth step, when the type of the partner contract between the first company and the second company is the production accommodation or the inventory accommodation, the calculation unit generates the purchasing plan so that the supply volumes of the first company and the second company do not exceed their respective available supply volumes through purchases from the first company and the second company.

6. A supply chain management method as described in claim 2, characterized in that in the sixth step, the calculation unit generates the purchasing plan so that, when the type of the partner contract between the first company and the second company is the joint purchasing, items purchased by the first company and the second company from the same company are included in a single order.

7. A supply chain management method as described in claim 2, wherein the supply chain information includes information on lead times for transactions of goods between companies, and in the sixth step, when the type of partner contract between the first company and the second company is the round-robin system and a process of the first company is carried out after a process of the second company, the calculation unit determines a required delivery date from the first company to the second company based on the required delivery date for the goods to be ordered from the first company and the lead time at the first company, and generates the purchasing plan.

8. A supply chain management method as described in claim 1, wherein the company information includes information on the location and industry of each of the companies, and in the first step, the calculation unit forms the multiple communities by grouping at least one of a plurality of companies that have a history of trading with each other, a plurality of companies that trade similar items, a plurality of companies that are located close to each other, and a plurality of companies that are in similar industries.

9. A supply chain management system comprising: a calculation unit; and a storage unit, wherein the storage unit holds transaction information including transaction results for each item of goods between companies, company information including information on the business of each of the companies, and supply chain information including information on contracts concluded between the companies regarding transactions of goods, wherein the calculation unit: forms a plurality of communities each including one or more companies by grouping mutually related companies based on the transaction information and the company information, and stores community information related to the formed communities in the storage unit; outputs the community information; when information indicating that a partner contract for cooperation in business activities has been concluded between a first company and a second company among the plurality of companies is input, stores information related to the partner contract in the storage unit as partner information; and when, based on the partner information and the supply chain information, a contract between a third company and the first company is included in the supply chain information and a contract between the third company and the second company is not included in the supply chain information, adds information indicating that the second company is a candidate for a new business partner of the third company to the supply chain information, a supply chain management system which, when it receives input of information indicating that a new trading contract has been concluded between the third company and the second company, updates the supply chain information based on the input information, and generates and outputs a purchasing plan including a purchase quantity and delivery date of the goods between the companies in response to the order, based on the order of the goods, the partner information and the supply chain information.

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