Plan linkage assistance device, plan linkage assistance system, and plan linkage assistance method

Abstract

The present invention provides a multiple plan linkage method and device for linking multiple plans with different planning cycles so that the entire supply chain can be optimized. Provided is a plan linkage assistance device that is capable of executing a process for linking multiple plans which have mutually different contents and which are output by at least one planning device, said plan linkage assistance device being characterized in that: the output of the planning device includes a time-series plan output and an index related to the KPI of the plan output; and said plan linkage assistance device comprises a filter function unit that, when the KPI satisfies a prescribed condition, performs plan linkage and, when the KPI does not satisfy the prescribed condition, determines that the plan linkage is not to be performed.

Description

Planning collaboration support device, planning collaboration support system, and planning collaboration support method

[0001] The present invention relates to a plan coordination support device, a plan coordination support system, and a plan coordination support method.

[0002] In various plants, plant operation plans are prepared in advance and then operated. However, in order to prepare a plant operation plan, it is necessary to comprehensively consider departmental plans prepared by multiple departments, each taking into consideration the circumstances of that department, and ultimately come up with the most optimal plant operation plan possible.

[0003] For example, when formulating a plant operation plan, it is desirable to optimize the final plan by coordinating the plans of each department, such as the sales plan for sales, the process plan for production processes, the production plan for product production, the personnel plan for work instructions to workers, the inventory replenishment plan for inventory replenishment, and the procurement plan for procurement of parts, etc., based on the requirements of these departmental plans.

[0004] However, it is generally difficult to coordinate plans between departments, and plans tend to be formulated with priority given to each department's KPI, resulting in many situations where overall optimization is not being achieved.In addition, in recent years, rising energy costs and the need for environmental considerations have led to a demand for plans that take energy costs and carbon neutrality into consideration.As such, there is a need for technology that can optimize the entire supply chain.

[0005] In this regard, Patent Document 1 discloses "a value chain planning collaboration method that uses a value chain planning collaboration device that configures and executes a combination of multiple software programs according to business operations, wherein at least one of the multiple software programs uses output parameters obtained from any other software program included in the multiple software programs as input parameters, and the value chain planning collaboration device performs an alternative solution request step that calculates multiple output parameters for each of the multiple software programs, and a display step that displays, as an overall plan, the output parameters that provide the best key performance indicator value for the entire value chain according to the combination of input and output parameters of the multiple software programs."

[0006] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-50057

[0007] When creating multiple plans in a specified order, the plan linking process may be started when a request is received after the device is started, or at a predetermined interval (for example, every day).

[0008] In such a case, the processing time of the entire device is determined by the plan with the longest processing time (typically, the processing time is proportional to the planning target period), while the execution cycle of the plan linkage process is determined by the plan with the shortest planning cycle.

[0009] For example, in a case where a production plan and a power plan are linked, if the processing time for the production plan is six hours and the planning cycle is once a month, and the processing time for the power plan is ten minutes and the planning cycle is once every 30 minutes, the processing time for the entire device is six hours and the planning cycle is once every 30 minutes. In other words, because the entire device executes a process that takes six hours once every 30 minutes, the plan linking process cannot be completed. Therefore, in order to complete the plan linking process, Patent Document 1 has no choice but to exclude plans with short planning cycles from being linked. Therefore, it is difficult to link plans with planning cycles shorter than the processing time of the entire device.

[0010] As mentioned above, if overall optimization is attempted without taking differences in planning cycles into consideration, it may be difficult to coordinate plans with short planning cycles among the plans to be coordinated. In such cases, the plans to be coordinated are limited, reducing the effectiveness of overall optimization.

[0011] In Patent Document 1, the above-mentioned problem is not taken into consideration.

[0012] In view of this, the present invention aims to provide a plan coordination support device, a plan coordination support system, and a plan coordination support method that can coordinate plans with different planning cycles to optimize the entire supply chain.

[0013] In view of the above, the present invention is a "planning coordination support device capable of executing a process for linking a plurality of plans with mutually different contents output by one or more planning devices, wherein the output of the planning devices includes a time-series plan output and an index related to the KPI of the plan output, and the plan coordination support device is characterized in that it has a filter function unit that determines to perform plan coordination if the KPI satisfies a predetermined condition, and not to perform plan coordination if the KPI does not satisfy the predetermined condition."

[0014] Furthermore, the present invention is defined as "a plan coordination support system made up of one or more planning devices that create plans with mutually different contents, and a plan coordination support device that can execute processing to coordinate a plurality of plans from the planning devices, wherein the output of the planning devices includes a time-series plan output and an index related to the KPI of the plan output, and the plan coordination support device is provided with a filter function unit that determines to perform plan coordination if the KPI satisfies a predetermined condition, and not to perform plan coordination if the KPI does not satisfy the predetermined condition."

[0015] Furthermore, the present invention is described as "a plan coordination support method capable of using a computer to execute a process for linking multiple plans with different contents output by one or more planning devices, wherein the plans include a time-series plan output and an indicator related to a KPI of the plan output, and the computer determines that plan coordination will be performed if the KPI satisfies a predetermined condition, and that plan coordination will not be performed if the KPI does not satisfy the predetermined condition."

[0016] It is possible to provide a plan coordination support device, a plan coordination support system, and a plan coordination support method that can coordinate plans with different planning cycles to optimize the entire supply chain.

[0017] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block of the plan formulation device 10. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block of the plan coordination support device 20. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware and software configuration of the plan formulation device 10. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware and software configuration of the plan coordination support device 20. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of master information D11 for a production plan. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of planned data D21 for a production plan. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a plan output D31 for a production plan. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a plan evaluation value D41 for a production plan. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of master information D12 for a power plan. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of planned data D22 for a power plan. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a plan output D32 for a power plan. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a plan evaluation value D42 for a power plan. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a filter output D5 for a power plan. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a coordination range D6 that is one of the processing results of the plan coordination support device 20. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a targeting output D7 that is one of the processing results of the plan coordination support device 20. A flow diagram showing the flow of filtering processing. A flow diagram showing the flow of filtering processing. A flow diagram showing the flow of targeting processing. A flow diagram showing the flow of targeting processing. A diagram showing an example of a display screen of a display unit. A diagram for explaining the concept of a threshold determination method. A diagram showing an example of a targeting processing result. A diagram showing an example of a targeting processing result. A diagram schematically showing a series of processing flows of the present invention.

[0018] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0019] The present invention targets the following supply chain plans. First, each department draws up a plan to optimize KPIs. Second, it is assumed that there is an upstream-downstream relationship between the processes of each department. Third, it is assumed that downstream processes draw up plans to meet the demand of upstream processes. In addition, the planning period and planning cycle differ for each process. The timing of planning is when the plan of a linked process is updated, or when the master information of the plan (e.g., production demand, electricity market price) is updated. Furthermore, it is assumed that the plan for the updated range is output each time the input is updated.

[0020] The plan collaboration support device according to the embodiment of the present invention is connected to a plurality of planning devices that create plans for each department, and acquires a plurality of department plans that are the processing results of these devices. Therefore, in the first embodiment, the configuration examples of the plan collaboration support device are shown in Figures 2 and 4, and the configuration examples of the planning device are shown in Figures 1 and 3 to clarify the functions and the configuration examples of the hardware and software.

[0021] First, an example of the configuration of the planning device 10 will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 3. Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the functional blocks of the planning device 10, and the planning device 10, which is realized using a computer, can be represented as functional blocks of a storage unit 11, a processing unit 12, an input / output unit 13, and a communication unit 14. The storage unit 11 is formed with a plan input information storage area 11A that stores master information D1 and planned data D2, which are plan input information, and a plan output storage area 11B that stores plan output information, plan output D3, and plan evaluation value D4, and the processing functions of the processing unit 12 include at least a plan input update detection unit 12A, a plan planning unit 12B, and a plan evaluation unit 12C.

[0022] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware and software configuration of the planning device 10. The planning device 10 is realized using a computer, and includes an input device 13A and an output device 13B as an input / output unit 13, a communication device 14 as a communication unit 14, an auxiliary storage device 11-1 and a memory 11-2 as a storage unit 11, and a processor 12 as a processing unit 12, all connected via a bus 15.

[0023] The auxiliary storage device 11-1 in Figure 3 corresponds to part of the storage unit 11 in Figure 1, and stores master information D1 and planned data D2, which are plan input information, in a plan input information storage area 11A, and store plan output D3 and plan evaluation value D4 in a plan output storage area 11B. These data (master information D1, planned data D2, plan output D3, and plan evaluation value D4) are sometimes referred to as a table because they are stored in table format. Although not shown in the storage unit 11 in Figure 1, the memory 11-2, which corresponds to part of the storage unit 11, stores at least a plan input update detection program PrA, a plan formulation program PrB, and a plan evaluation program PrC as programs executed by the processor 12.

[0024] Next, an example of the configuration of the plan coordination support device 20 will be described with reference to Figures 2 and 4. Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of the functional blocks of the plan coordination support device 20. The plan coordination support device 20, which is realized using a computer, can be represented as functional blocks including a memory unit 21, a processing unit 22, an input / output unit 23, a communication unit 24, and a display unit 25. The memory unit 21 includes a plan cache memory area 21A that stores the filter output D5 and a collaboration range memory area 21B that stores the collaboration range D6 and the targeting output D7. The processing functions of the processing unit 22 include at least a filter function unit 22A and a targeting function unit 22B. In Figure 2, reference numeral 50 denotes a connection unit between the plan formulation device 10 and the plan coordination support device 20. Multiple unit plans are input to the plan coordination support device 20 via the connection unit 50.

[0025] The planning device 10 itself does not need to be multiple; one or more devices are sufficient. The planning device 10 may be configured as an independent device, or a core system or management system may create plans as part of its function. Furthermore, the present invention can be applied even in cases where the core system or management system creates multiple different types of plans.

[0026] 4 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware and software configuration of the plan coordination support device 20. The plan coordination support device 20 is realized using a computer, and includes an input device 23A and an output device 23B as an input / output unit 23, a communication device 24 as a communication unit 24, an auxiliary storage device 21-1 and a memory 21-2 as a storage unit 21, and a processor 22 as a processing unit 22, all connected via a bus 26. However, the display unit 25 in FIG. 2 is shown as a partial function of the output device 23B in FIG. 4.

[0027] The auxiliary storage device 21-1 in Figure 4 corresponds to the storage unit 21 in Figure 2, and stores the filter output D5, which is plan cache information, in a plan cache storage area 21A, and the linkage range D6 and targeting output D7 in a linkage range storage area 21B. These filter output D5, linkage range D6, and targeting output D7 are sometimes referred to as tables because they are stored in table format. Although not shown in the storage unit 21 in Figure 2, the memory 21-2 also includes at least a user interface program PrF in addition to a filter program PrD and a targeting program PrE as programs executed by the processor 22.

[0028] Next, various types of information handled by the planning device 10 and the plan collaboration support device 20 will be described with reference to Figs. 5 to 15. In this case, the plan collaboration support device 20 will explain an example in which plan collaboration is achieved between a production plan and a power plan.

[0029] First, the planning device 10 handles master information D1 and planned data D2, which are input information stored in a plan input information storage area 11A, and the processing results of the planning device 10 are plan output D3 and plan evaluation value D4, which are stored in a plan output storage area 11B. Figures 5 to 8 show examples of master information D11, planned data D21, plan output D31, and plan evaluation value D41 for a production plan.

[0030] 5 shows an example of master information D11 for a production plan, in which information on product ID (D11a), delivery date D11b, and required quantity D11c is organized in a table format. According to this, which product should be produced, by when, and in how much, is set as the basic requirement of the production planning department.

[0031] 6 shows an example of planned data D21 for a production plan, with information such as a plan ID (D21a), production date D21b, product ID (D21c), and production volume D21d organized in table format. However, at this input stage, the production volume for each date is undetermined. This indicates which products can be produced on each specific date. The master information D11 for the production plan and the planned data D21 are linked to each other by product IDs and can be referenced from each other. In this embodiment, plan IDs for production plans are assigned on a monthly basis.

[0032] 5 and 6 show input information for the production plan, while FIGS. 7 and 8 show examples of a plan output D31 and a plan evaluation value D41 as the processing results of the planning device 10.

[0033] 7 shows an example of the plan output D31 for a production plan, in which information such as a plan ID (D31a), production date D31b, product ID (D31c), and requested production volume D11c is organized in a table format. This table structure is basically the same as the planned data D21 in FIG. 6, with the number of units to be produced on each production date added as a planned value. This sets a plan for which products to produce, when, and in what quantities.

[0034] 8 shows an example of a plan evaluation value D41 for a production plan, and the information on the plan ID (D41a), evaluation index D41b, and plan evaluation value D41c is organized in a table format. This allows you to determine what evaluation index to use for each individual plan and express the evaluation results as specific numerical values. The evaluation value is generally called a key performance indicator (KPI).

[0035] The plan output D31 and the plan evaluation value D41 for the production plan are linked to each other by a plan ID and can be referenced. Furthermore, since the plan output D31 contains product ID information, all input / output data for the production plan (master information D11, planned data D21, plan output D31, and plan evaluation value D41) are linked to each other and can be referenced.

[0036] According to the production plan output D31 of Figure 7, a production plan has been presented in which, for production plan 001, 100 units of product 01 and 1,000 units of product 02 are produced on 2024 / 01 / 10, and then 100 units of product 01 and 2,000 units of product 02 are produced on 2024 / 01 / 11, and by continuing production in this manner, it is possible to produce 3,000 units of product 01, 10,000 units of product 02, and 5,000 units of product 03 by delivery date D11b (2024 / 01 / 25) in Figure 5.

[0037] Furthermore, according to the plan evaluation value D41 of the production plan in Figure 8, when production plan 001 is evaluated from the perspective of evaluation index 01, the evaluation value is 100, whereas when it is evaluated from the perspective of evaluation index 02, the evaluation value is 50, which indicates that the evaluation index is a smaller value.

[0038] Figures 5 to 8 show examples of master information D11, planned data D21, planned output D31, and planned evaluation value D41 for a production plan, while Figures 9, 10, 11, and 12 show examples of master information D12, planned data D22, planned output D32, and planned evaluation value D42 for a power plan.

[0039] Generally, the production planning system and the power planning system are separate systems, and the plans are created to reflect the circumstances of each department.

[0040] 9 shows an example of master information D12 for a power plan, in which information on a process ID (D12a), a product ID (D12b), a lead time D12c, and a basic unit D12d is organized in a table format. According to this, the basic requirements of the power planning department are set as to which products are handled in each process at the production site of the plant, the lead time from the start to the end of the work, and the amount of power consumption as a basic unit.

[0041] 10 shows an example of planned data D22 for a power plan, in which information such as a plan ID (D22a), production date D22b, product ID (D21c), and production volume D21d is organized in a table format. This shows how much of each product can be produced on each specific date. The master information D12 and the planned data D22 for the power plan are linked to each other by product IDs and can be referenced. In this embodiment, the plan ID for the power plan is assigned on a daily basis.

[0042] 9 and 10 show input information for the power plan, while FIGS. 11 and 12 show examples of a plan output D32 and a plan evaluation value D42 as the processing results of the plan formulation device 10.

[0043] 11 shows an example of the plan output D32 for a power plan, in which information such as a plan ID (D32a), a date and time D32b, a process ID (D32c), and power consumption D32d is organized in a table format. According to this table, the power consumption for each process at each date and time is described as the value of a decision variable.

[0044] 12 is an example of a plan evaluation value D42 for a power plan, and the information on the plan ID (D42a), evaluation criteria D42b, and plan evaluation value D42c (KPI) is organized in a table format. This allows the evaluation criteria for a power plan to be displayed as specific numerical values.

[0045] The plan output D32 and the plan evaluation value D42 for the power plan are linked to each other by a plan ID and can be referenced by each other. Furthermore, since the plan output D32 and the plan evaluation value D42 contain information on either the plan ID or the process ID, or both, they can be referenced by each other with the master information D12 and the planned data D22, which are input information for the power plan. As a result, all input / output data for the power plan (master information D12, planned data D22, plan output D32, and plan evaluation value D42) are linked to each other and can be referenced by each other.

[0046] Furthermore, in the above example, the power plan and production plan were generally initially created independently of each other, taking into account the circumstances of each department. However, because each of these information groups contains information about dates, it is possible to understand the interrelationships between the power and production plans at specific dates and times.

[0047] Although an electric power plan and a production plan are shown as examples here, in general there are upstream and downstream process relationships between plans, and downstream plans are changed in order to comply with the upstream plan. For this reason, the plan linkage support device 20 of the present invention notifies users that mutual adjustment is necessary and that linkage is required when a relationship that causes a problem has arisen between the upstream plan and the downstream plan.

[0048] 11 shows that for power plan 001, process A is to be executed at 10:00 on 2024 / 01 / 10 with a power consumption of 300 kWh, while process B being executed at the same time with a power consumption of 1000 kWh. A similar power plan is formulated, for example, at 30-minute intervals, and shows that process A is to be executed at 10:30 on 2024 / 01 / 10 with a power consumption of 500 kWh, while process B being executed at the same time with a power consumption of 1500 kWh.

[0049] 12, the evaluation value D42 of the power plans shows that when power plan 001 is evaluated from the perspective of evaluation index 03, the evaluation value is 1300, whereas when power plan 002 is evaluated from the perspective of evaluation index 03, the evaluation value is 2000, which is a larger numerical value for the evaluation index. Here, the evaluation values ​​in FIGS. 8 and 12 are obtained by calculating key performance indicators KPIs.

[0050] The input / output data for the production plan (master information D11, planned data D21, planned output D31, planned evaluation value D41) and the input / output data for the power plan (master information D12, planned data D22, planned output D32, planned evaluation value D42) have been explained above. These include various IDs and date and time information, and therefore can be referenced mutually. In order to execute a production plan at a certain date and time, it is necessary to take into account the power plan at that date and time, and the plan coordination support device 20 determines the need for adjustment between these in accordance with the upstream and downstream relationships.

[0051] For this purpose, the plan collaboration support device 20 shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 obtains, as plans created by the plan formulation device 10, the plan output D31 in FIG. 7 and the plan evaluation value D41 in FIG. 8 for the production plan, and the plan output D32 in FIG. 11 and the plan evaluation value D42 in FIG. 12 for the power plan.

[0052] The plan coordination support device 20 generates, through its internal processing, each piece of data, i.e., the filter output D5, the coordination range D6, and the targeting output D7 shown in FIGS. 13 to 15, during the processing process.

[0053] 13 is an example of the filter output D5 for a power plan, in which information such as a plan ID (D5a), date and time D5b, process ID (D5c), and power consumption D5d is organized in a table format. The format of this table is the same as the plan output D32 for the power plan in FIG. 11. According to this table, the period, process, and power consumption of the power plan that violate the constraints of the power plan are described as the filter output D5.

[0054] FIG. 14 shows an example of a collaboration range D6, which is one of the processing results of the plan collaboration support device 20. The ID of the combination of the production plan and the power plan is entered as the plan ID (D6a) to be collaborated, D6b shows the period during which the production plan and the power plan cannot be achieved simultaneously as the excess range, and D6c shows the days on which simultaneous operation is possible as the collaboration range.

[0055] For example, the first line indicates that the conditions for production plan 001 and power plan 001 for 2024 / 01 / 10 do not match (are in the over-range) for 30 minutes from 10:00. Similarly, the second line indicates that the conditions for production plan 001 and power plan 002 for 2024 / 01 / 10 and 2024 / 01 / 11 do not match (are in the over-range) for 30 minutes from 10:00 on 2024 / 01 / 10 and 30 minutes from 11:30 on 2024 / 01 / 11.

[0056] 15 shows an example of a targeting output D7, which is one of the processing results of the plan coordination support device 20, with the plan ID of the production plan described in D7a, the production date in D7b, the product ID in D7c, and the production volume in D7d. The information in Fig. 15 presents the plan ID, production date, and product ID as information for correcting the production plan when the constraints of the power plan cannot be complied with if the production plan remains the initial plan, and is intended to determine the production volume for each individual period by formulating a new production plan.

[0057] The overall flow of the plan collaboration support system for obtaining output data from the various input data described above is shown as a flow diagram in Figure 16. This shows the overall flow of the plan formulation device 10 and the plan collaboration support device 20. In this flow, processing step S100a declares that the plan to be collaborated will be reviewed. In this example, for example, what should be focused on in the production plan and power plan is defined. Note that processing step S100a is paired with processing step S100b, and the intervening processing steps S200, S300, S400, and S500 are repeatedly executed until all processing for the initially defined production plan and power plan is completed.

[0058] In processing step S200 of Figure 16, a planning process shown in detail in Figure 17 is executed, in S300 a filtering process shown in detail in Figures 18A and 18B is executed, in S400 a targeting process shown in detail in Figures 19A and 19B is executed, and in S500 the planning input of the partner is updated.

[0059] In the first stage of the overall flow in Fig. 16, planning (processing step S200) is executed by the planning device 10, the details of which are shown in Fig. 17. Specifically, in the first processing step S201a in Fig. 17, all processing steps S202, S203, S204, and S205 between processing step S201a and processing step S201b are executed as a repetitive process until all plans are completed. Note that in this case, the production plan is handled first, followed by the power plan.

[0060] Next, in processing step S202, it is determined whether the master information D11, D12 or the plan of the linked process (planned data D21, D22) has been updated, and if there has been no change, no new plan is created, but if there has been a change, the process proceeds to processing step S203 and a plan is created. As a result, in processing step S202, the startup timing (planning timing) of the planning device 10 is determined.

[0061] This is because the planning period and planning cycle differ for each process, and therefore, in the present invention, the planning timing is set to when one of the following conditions is met: when the plan of the linked process (planned data D21, D22) is updated, or when the master information D11, D12 of the plan (e.g., production demand, electricity market price) is updated, and the plan for the updated range is output every time the input is updated.

[0062] Generally, plans are often formulated on a large scale from a long-term or medium-term perspective, but by reviewing the plan triggered by changes to the master information D11, D12 and the planned data D21, D22, it becomes possible to apply the plan to relatively recent small-scale changes.

[0063] 17 , if the conditions for planning are met, then in processing step S203, planning processing is performed to obtain plan outputs D31 and D32, in processing step S204, plan evaluation is performed to obtain plan evaluation values ​​D41 and D42, and in processing step S205, the post-planning plan outputs D31 and D32 and plan evaluation values ​​D41 and D42 are output to the plan coordination support device 20. Here, the present invention is characterized mainly in the plan coordination support device 20, and the specific processing in the planning device 10 may be that of an existing method. For this reason, a detailed description of the planning processing will be omitted.

[0064] Furthermore, by determining the timing of planning based on whether the master information D11, D12 or the plan of the linked process (planned data D21, D22) has been updated, it is possible to reduce the frequency of planning cycles and shorten the processing time, thereby achieving the effect of optimizing the response of the entire linked process.

[0065] Fig. 18A is a diagram showing detailed processing contents of the filter processing in processing step S300 in Fig. 16. In the filter processing, first, in processing step S301, the plan output (in the case of a production plan, the plan output D31 in Fig. 7, and in the case of a power plan, the plan output D32 in Fig. 11) is stored as a plan cache in the plan cache storage area 21A in the storage unit 21 in Fig. 2. At this time, the plan evaluation values ​​D41 and D42 are also stored. Hereinafter, the evaluation values ​​may be simply referred to as KPIs.

[0066] Next, in processing step S302, threshold values ​​for the plan outputs D31 and D32 are determined by processing shown in detail in Fig. 18B. In processing step S303, it is determined whether the KPIs (D41, D42) of the plan outputs D31 and D32 exceed the threshold values.

[0067] If the threshold is exceeded (Yes in processing step S303), the process proceeds to processing step S304, where the planned output (in the case of a production plan, the planned output D31 in FIG. 7; in the case of a power plan, the planned output D32 in FIG. 11) is output as the plan cache. If the threshold is not exceeded (No in processing step S303), the process proceeds to processing step S305, where empty (0) is output as the plan cache.

[0068] Here, the evaluation value is calculated as shown in Fig. 18B. Fig. 18B shows an example of a threshold determination method, but thresholds can be set for other cases. In this example, first, in processing step S302a, the Pareto front is calculated from the input plan cache.

[0069] FIG. 21 is a diagram for explaining the concept of the threshold determination method. Here, for example, a two-dimensional plane is assumed with a production plan evaluation value KPI1 and a power plan evaluation value KPI2, and the evaluation values ​​of input cache in past planning data are plotted on this KPI plane. The smaller the evaluation value, the more favorable it is. Each plotted point exists within a certain area, but since this area contains a distribution that includes both favorable and unfavorable evaluation values, a Pareto front calculated simply from past planning data will look like a curve L1, for example, that includes the majority of these. The Pareto front calculated in processing step S302a corresponds to this curve L1.

[0070] In step S302b, a curve L2 is calculated, which is a distance d from the Pareto front. The direction of the distance d is set to the side where the majority exists. In step S302c, each point on the curve L2 is set to a threshold value.

[0071] The determination in processing step S303 distinguishes (filters) between the outside and inside of threshold L2 in Fig. 21. If it is inside (below the threshold), it means that the plan is in a good operating range and operation is possible as is, and if it is outside (above the threshold), it means that the plan is in a bad operating range and operation as is is inappropriate. Therefore, when it is below the threshold, there is no need to change the plan and operation as is is acceptable, but when it is above the threshold, some kind of change to the plan is necessary and operation as is is not acceptable.

[0072] In other words, if the value is below the threshold, it can be left as is and no correction is required, so it will not be used in subsequent processing (the data is set to 0 in processing step S305d).If the value is above the threshold, it is necessary to either change this plan or change another plan to ensure that it is below the threshold, and in either case, the data at this time should be saved as a subject for consideration when making corrections (Yes in processing step S303, output as plan cache).Note that changing this plan or changing another plan means linking the plans.

[0073] These processes are executed sequentially for each plan evaluation value D41, D42 of the imported plan (for example, power plan 001 and power plan 002 for power plans). For example, power plan 001 in the first line of Figure 12 has an evaluation value of 1300, which is below a threshold value (for example, 1500), so it is not output as a plan cache (0 output), but power plan 002 in the second line of Figure 12 has an evaluation value of 2000, which is above a threshold value (for example, 1500), so it is output as a plan cache.

[0074] According to the processing in Fig. 18A, for each plan ID, the KPIs for this ID are monitored to classify (filter) plans into adoptable and unadoptable plans. Note that, although the KPIs are calculated for each power plan according to the data structure in Fig. 12, filtering by process or date and time is possible by calculating an evaluation value for each power plan classified by process or date and time information.

[0075] Here, to summarise the filter in FIG. 18A, the filter function section slows down and suppresses high frequency planning cycles, which has the effect of reducing the frequency of planning cycles for the entire device.

[0076] In terms of this operational logic, the filter function unit determines whether to perform plan linkage based on the contents of the plan output. If plan linkage is not performed, the plan output is saved as a plan cache, and if the plan cache is not empty, it is accumulated, but the filter output is set to empty (filtered). If plan linkage is performed, the plan output is saved as a plan cache, and if the plan cache is not empty, it is accumulated, but the filter output is set to the plan cache (not filtered), and the plan cache is reset to empty.

[0077] The condition for determining whether or not to perform plan linkage is that if the KPI of the plan output is equal to or greater than a threshold, it is determined that plan linkage is to be performed, and if it is less than the threshold, it is determined that plan linkage is not to be performed.

[0078] 18B , as shown in FIG. 21 , the present invention uses a parameter d input by the user as a given parameter, and sets the threshold to a curve L2 that is a distance d from the Pareto front L1 calculated from past planning data. Curve L2 can be interpreted as a curve that "weakens Pareto optimality by the distance d." This allows for filter determination that takes into account the optimality of multiple KPIs. For example, when KPI1 is 10, the threshold for KPI2 is 20, and when KPI1 is 20, the threshold for KPI2 is 10. This allows for filter processing that takes multiple KPI values ​​into account.

[0079] If the present invention is not adopted, the limit value for revising the plan if the KPI worsens beyond that is used as a threshold value for filtering. As a result, the trade-off relationship between KPIs cannot be taken into consideration, and the frequency of plan linkage increases, reducing the effectiveness of the filter function unit. For example, because KPI1 and KPI2 are in a trade-off relationship, if KPI1 is 10, KPI2 cannot be made smaller than 20. However, setting the threshold for KPI2 to 10 results in a situation where the frequency of plan linkage increases.

[0080] Regarding filter judgment, it is easiest to explain using a threshold value, and it is highly feasible, but it does not necessarily have to be a threshold judgment; for example, you could make a threshold judgment on the rate of change of the KPI rather than the KPI itself, look at the magnitude relationship with other indicators, or use a labeled evaluation; generally, it is sufficient to be able to distinguish between cases where the KPI meets a certain condition and cases where it does not. A threshold value is just one specific method.

[0081] Next, a specific example of processing by the plan coordination support device shown in Figures 18A and 18B will be described. Here, first, the production plan and the power plan for the same day and at the same time are focused on, and it is determined that the KPI of the power plan at the date and time when the production plan was executed exceeds its threshold, and only the information on the power plan for the period in which the threshold was exceeded is extracted as a filter output D5.

[0082] In other words, as a result of employing the filter in Figure 18A, data that has been determined to require plan coordination as a result of the KPI threshold exceedance determination is extracted as filter output D5. In the example of the power plan in Figure 13, it has been determined that coordination is required for process A and process B for 30 minutes from 10:00 on 2024 / 01 / 10 in power plan 001. When compared with the previous power plan output, plan output D32 in Figure 11, it can be seen that there are no KPI-related problems with operations during other time periods, and that only this period has been extracted as a target for coordination.

[0083] 19A shows detailed procedures for the targeting process (processing step S400) in the overall process of FIG. 16. In this process, first, the filter output D5 of FIG. 13, which is the output of the filter function unit, is input, and it is determined whether this input is 0. If it is 0, the process proceeds to processing step S408, where 0 is output. If a significant filter output D5 exists, the process from processing step S402 onwards is executed. Note that processing step S402 is a repetitive process between processing step S405 and processing step S402, and each period is extracted for the input filter output D5. Note that the viewpoint of extraction may be equipment (process in the illustrated example) in addition to the period.

[0084] When the filter output D5 is a power plan, the extraction of the period involves extracting the date and time, and first extracting information on the period of process A for 30 minutes from 10:00 on 2024 / 01 / 10 from the first row, and at the next processing opportunity, extracting information on the period of process B for 30 minutes from 10:00 on 2024 / 01 / 10 from the second row.

[0085] In processing step S403, it is determined whether the KPI for each period exceeds the threshold, and if a period in which the threshold is exceeded is extracted, this period is set as the exceedance range in processing step S404. If the KPI in the information for the period of process A in the first row for 30 minutes from 10:00 on 2024 / 01 / 10 is exceeded, the 30 minutes from 10:00 on 2024 / 01 / 10 is set as the exceedance range.

[0086] When all filter outputs D5 have been checked from the viewpoint of the period and the equipment, the range of cooperation is determined in processing step S406, and the plan output narrowed down to the range of cooperation is output in processing step S407.

[0087] The linked range D6 in FIG. 10 and the targeting output D7 in FIG. 11 reflect these processes, and the specific processing methods will be described below.

[0088] The targeting process outlined above limits the scope of collaboration to a specific period and specific target for which collaboration is highly effective, thereby achieving the effect of shortening the processing time of the entire device.

[0089] The operational logic here is that if the filter output is empty, the targeting output is set to empty (no plan linkage), and if the filter output is not empty, the following action is taken: First, a period or target where the KPI of the filter output is fluctuating is identified, for example, where the fluctuation is large (this is called the "excess range"). Then, a period or target where the linkage effect is high corresponding to the excess range is identified (this is called the "linkage range"). Then, the plan output limited to the linkage range is set as the targeting output.

[0090] 22 and 23 are examples showing the results of the targeting process, with Fig. 22 showing a case where the period (date and time) is limited, and Fig. 23 showing a case where the target (process) is limited. Here, the criteria for determining whether to perform plan linkage are as follows: if the KPI of the plan output is equal to or greater than a threshold, it is determined to perform plan linkage; if it is less than the threshold, it is determined not to perform plan linkage.

[0091] Figure 22 shows an example of a case where power consumption during the late night hours is to be reduced, with the late night hours being used as the excess range (range of planned output) and the group of equipment operating during the late night hours being used as the coordination range. Figure 23 shows an example of a case where inventory levels for a specified month are to be reduced, with the specified month being used as the excess range (range of planned output) and the equipment producing products with delivery dates within the specified month being used as the coordination range. In this example, the planned output needs to be reviewed for the range where the planned output KPI is above the threshold, and the content of the plan review is the coordination range.

[0092] In the case of a production plan and a power plan, this can be said to determine the scope and content of the revision of the production plan that can comply with the power system when the production plan violates the constraints of the power plan. Depending on the targeting processing results, it will instruct that the production plan should be revised again in accordance with the period, process, and processing content in accordance with this output.

[0093] To explain in more detail how to determine the range of collaboration, we want to determine a range of collaboration that will optimize excessive KPIs with as few collaborations as possible. For example, optimizing the KPI of equipment A can sometimes cause the KPI of equipment B to exceed the limit, resulting in a whack-a-mole situation, so determining the range of collaboration is generally difficult. For this reason, in this invention, we believe that if the range of collaboration is set wide enough, it should be possible to optimize KPIs within that range, so we gradually expand the range of collaboration until the KPI falls within the appropriate range.

[0094] Here, we will explain specific examples and operational considerations for gradually expanding the collaboration range. First, if the range identified as a candidate for the collaboration range is a first range, and the KPI does not meet the criteria within the first range, an expansion process for the collaboration range is performed. The expansion process involves determining a range of a predetermined unit related to the first range as the expanded range. Examples of "related to the first range" include a relationship based on the characteristics of the process (upstream / downstream of the process, related equipment, etc.) or a continuous period, and the user may set this appropriately depending on the target. The predetermined unit may be determined based on the size of the first range or the category of the range to be expanded. For example, if the first range is one day, the expanded range may be one day before and one day after. Then, the above-mentioned plan collaboration process is performed again within a second range, which is the combination of the first range and the expanded range. Then, a determination is made as to whether the KPI satisfies the conditions. This process is repeated until the KPI satisfies the conditions.

[0095] Taking the example of Figure 22 as an example of a situation where it is desired to reduce power consumption during the late night hours, in the first coordination, the power consumption during the late night hours is the excess range and the operating process during the late night hours (processes include equipment and work; the following explanation will use the example of operating equipment) is the coordination range, in the second coordination, the power consumption at 8 o'clock is the excess range and the equipment operating during the late night hours and the equipment operating at 8 o'clock are the coordination range, in the third coordination, the power consumption at 12 o'clock is the excess range and the equipment operating during the late night hours, the equipment operating at 8 o'clock and the equipment operating at 12 o'clock are the coordination range, and in the fourth coordination, the excess is eliminated and a situation can be created where no coordination is required.

[0096] To explain the situation in which it is desired to reduce the inventory quantity for a specified month in the example of Figure 23, in the first linkage, the linkage range is the excess range of December inventory and the equipment that produces products with a delivery date of December, and in the second linkage, the linkage range is the excess range of December and August inventory and the equipment that produces products with delivery dates of December, November, and August, and by changing this, it is possible to reduce the inventory quantity for the specified month.

[0097] Figure 20 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen when the processing results of the plan coordination support device are displayed on the display unit 25. The upper part of Figure 20 displays the plan name, the name of the plan to be coordinated, the necessity of plan coordination, the scope of coordination, etc., along with the execution date and time, and the lower part displays the execution content in chronological order or by process.

[0098] 24 is a diagram showing a schematic flow of a series of processes according to the present invention. Here, the planning device 10 creates a production plan and a power plan separately. The production plan, for example, calculates the production volume for each process as of January 10, 2024, while the power plan shows the amount of power consumed by date and time as of January 10, 2024.

[0099] In the plan coordination support device 20, a comparison of the production plan and the power plan reveals that the power consumption threshold was exceeded for process A between 10:00 and 10:30 on 2024 / 01 / 10, and so the filter function unit determines that plan coordination for this period is necessary. Furthermore, the targeting function unit extracts the production plan for process A on 2024 / 01 / 10 as the coordination range and makes it the target for correction.

[0100] Thereafter, the cooperation range is passed to the production planning device 10, and the production plan is revised to one that can comply with the constraints on the amount of power consumption on the power plan side.

[0101] The plan coordination support device according to the present invention, as explained above in the embodiments, is essentially configured as "a plan coordination support device capable of executing processing to link a plurality of plans having different contents output by one or more planning devices, wherein the output of the planning devices includes a time-series plan output and an index related to a KPI of the plan output, and the plan coordination support device is characterized in that it has a filter function unit that determines to perform plan coordination if the KPI satisfies a predetermined condition, and not to perform plan coordination if the KPI does not satisfy the predetermined condition."

[0102] Regarding KPI indicators, in principle, the KPIs output by the planning device can be used for filter judgment, but it is also possible for the collaboration support device to calculate the KPIs to be used for filtering based on the information output by the planning device. For example, it is possible to calculate an evaluation value that is appropriate for the filter function unit, or to convert it into an evaluation value that can be compared between different plans. Therefore, the KPIs may or may not be the same as those used for judgment by the filter function unit.

[0103] In the examples, it has been explained that "the plan coordination support device is equipped with a filter function unit that compares a KPI with a threshold value and determines that plan coordination will be performed if the KPI exceeds the threshold value, and that plan coordination will not be performed if the KPI does not exceed the threshold value," but in a broader sense, or more generally, this can be said to mean that "the plan coordination support device is equipped with a filter function unit that determines that plan coordination will be performed if the KPI satisfies a predetermined condition, and that plan coordination will not be performed if the KPI does not satisfy the predetermined condition."

[0104] 10: Planning device 11: Memory unit 11A: Plan input information memory area 11B: Plan output memory area 11-1: Auxiliary storage device 11-2: Memory 12 Processing unit 12A: Plan input update detection unit 12B: Plan planning unit 12C: Plan evaluation unit 13: Input / output unit 14: Communication unit 15: Bus 21: Memory unit 21A: Plan cache memory area 21B: Linkage range memory area 22: Processing unit 22A: Filter function unit 22B: Targeting function unit 23: Input / output unit 24: Communication unit 25: Display unit 26: Bus 50: Connection unit

Claims

1. A plan coordination support device capable of executing a process of coordinating a plurality of plans with different contents output by one or more planning devices. The output of the planning device includes a time-series plan output and an index related to the KPI of the plan output. The plan coordination support device includes a filter function unit that determines to perform plan coordination when the KPI satisfies a predetermined condition and does not perform plan coordination when the KPI does not satisfy the predetermined condition. A plan coordination support device characterized by that.

2. The plan coordination support device according to claim 1, wherein a line separated by a distance d from the Pareto front when plotting the KPI using past plan data within a region determined by a plurality of KPIs is used as the predetermined condition. A plan coordination support device characterized by that.

3. The plan coordination support device according to claim 1, wherein the filter function unit includes a targeting function unit that limits the coordination range to a specific period or specific target with a high coordination effect when plan coordination is to be performed. A plan coordination support device characterized by that.

4. The plan coordination support device according to claim 3, wherein the targeting function unit specifies a period or target process during which the KPI fluctuates or exceeds a range, and specifies a period or target process with a high coordination effect corresponding to the exceeded range as the coordination range. A plan coordination support device characterized by that.

5. The plan coordination support device according to claim 4, wherein the coordination range is gradually expanded until the KPI falls within an appropriate range. A plan coordination support device characterized by that.

6. A plan coordination support system composed of one or more planning devices for formulating plans with different contents and a plan coordination support device capable of executing a process of coordinating a plurality of plans from the planning devices. The output of the planning device includes a time-series plan output and an index related to the KPI of the plan output. The plan coordination support device includes a filter function unit that determines to perform plan coordination when the KPI satisfies a predetermined condition and does not perform plan coordination when the KPI does not satisfy the predetermined condition. A plan coordination support system characterized by that.

7. The planning collaboration support system according to claim 6, wherein, in the filter function unit of the planning collaboration support apparatus, when planning collaboration is to be performed, there is provided a targeting function unit that limits the collaboration range to a specific period and a specific target with a high collaboration effect.

8. The planning collaboration support system according to claim 6, wherein the planning device stores input data for planning, and re-executes planning at least for the data change part when there is a change in the input data.

9. A planning collaboration support method executable by a computer to perform a process of collaborating a plurality of plans with different contents output by one or more planning devices, wherein the plans include a time-series plan output and an index related to the KPI of the plan output, and the computer determines to perform planning collaboration when the KPI satisfies a predetermined condition, and determines not to perform planning collaboration when the KPI does not satisfy the predetermined condition.

10. The planning collaboration support method according to claim 9, wherein, when determining the planning collaboration for a first plan and a second plan including the constraint conditions of the first plan, when a part of the first plan violates the constraint conditions of the second plan at this time, it is determined that the first plan and the second plan are to be collaboratively planned for the part, and at least the part of the first plan corresponding to the violation of the constraint conditions is instructed to re-plan.

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