Production / transportation plan creation apparatus and production / transportation plan creation method

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to make a production plan in consideration of transportation efficiency and transportation capacity constraints. This production / transportation plan creation apparatus comprises a transportation plan generation unit and a production plan generation unit. The transportation plan generation unit: creates a shipping candidate date of each order; creates transportation draft plans in each of which orders having the same shipping candidate date on the same route are bundled; calculates a vehicle type and the number of vehicles for each of the transportation draft plans; excludes a transportation draft plan for which a vehicle cannot be arranged; and calculates a transportation cost for a transportation plan for which a vehicle can be arranged. The production plan generation unit: creates production completion time limit information for each draft from the transportation draft plans; makes a production plan that is in time for the production completion time limit information of each of the drafts; and calculates a production / stock cost.

Description

Production and Transportation Plan Creation Device, and Production and Transportation Plan Creation Method

[0001] The present invention relates to a production and transportation plan creation device and a production and transportation plan creation method.

[0002] In recent years, due to restrictions on overtime work hours in the transportation industry, it is expected that it will be difficult to transport goods due to a shortage of drivers. Therefore, it is necessary to coordinate a transportation plan starting from logistics constraints and conditions and a procurement and production plan starting from demand, and to achieve both compliance with delivery dates and improvement of management efficiency.

[0003] As a general method for formulating a production and transportation plan, in the method of formulating a transportation plan after formulating a production plan, there is a risk that vehicle allocation will be difficult and the plan cannot be adhered to, or that transportation efficiency will deteriorate. Therefore, a mechanism for considering the quality of the transportation plan is required at the stage of formulating the production plan.

[0004] Conventionally, as a technique for formulating a production and transportation plan, for example, there is one described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-287479 (Patent Document 1). That is, Patent Document 1 describes "a planned product storage means for storing a group of products that need to be produced and transported within a predetermined period, a type / classification storage means for storing the correspondence between product types and product classifications, a transportation mobile body storage means for storing a group of available transportation mobile bodies within a predetermined period, and a transportation mobile body type / accumulation classification pattern storage means for storing the correspondence between the type of transportation mobile body and the accumulation classification pattern of product classifications that can be loaded on the transportation mobile body of that type. Further, using the relationship between the product types and product classifications stored in the type / classification storage means, the information on the group of available transportation mobile bodies stored in the transportation mobile body storage means, and the accumulation classification pattern stored in the transportation mobile body type / accumulation classification pattern storage means, a product / transportation mobile body allocation means for allocating a transportation mobile body for transporting each of the planned products stored in the planned product storage means, and a product production order plan creation means for formulating a production order plan for the planned products on the condition that the results allocated by the product / transportation mobile body allocation means are not disrupted" is described.

[0005] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-287479

[0006] The invention described in Patent Document 1 only involves planning the production sequence of products and assumes that products are transported in the order they are completed. However, when planning production, it is also necessary to consider the storage costs for temporarily storing finished products in a warehouse. The present invention aims to plan production while taking into account transportation efficiency and capacity constraints.

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a production and transportation plan creation device having a transportation plan generation unit and a production plan generation unit, wherein the transportation plan generation unit creates candidate shipping dates for each order, creates a proposed transportation plan by bundling orders with the same route and common candidate shipping dates, calculates the vehicle type and the number of vehicles for each proposed transportation plan, excludes proposed transportation plans for which vehicles cannot be arranged, and calculates transportation costs for proposed transportation plans for which vehicles can be arranged, and the production plan generation unit creates production completion deadline information for each plan from the proposed transportation plans, formulates a production plan that can meet the production completion deadline information for each plan, and calculates production and inventory costs.

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to formulate a production plan that takes into account transportation efficiency and transportation capacity constraints. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will be clarified by the following description of embodiments for carrying out the invention.

[0009] This is a diagram of the system having a production and transportation plan creation device in an embodiment of the present invention. This is a processing flowchart of the production and transportation plan creation device in an embodiment of the present invention. This is an example of order information in an embodiment of the present invention. This is an example of transportation master information in an embodiment of the present invention. This is an example of calendar master information in an embodiment of the present invention. This is an example of operating time master information in an embodiment of the present invention. This is an example of shipping candidate date information in an embodiment of the present invention. This is another example of shipping candidate date information in an embodiment of the present invention. This is an example of transportation plan proposal information in an embodiment of the present invention. This is an example of loading pattern master information in an embodiment of the present invention. This is an example of vehicle master information in an embodiment of the present invention. This is an example of vehicle number information by transportation plan proposal in an embodiment of the present invention. This is an example of vehicle information in an embodiment of the present invention. This is an example of transportation cost information by transportation plan proposal in an embodiment of the present invention. This is an example of total transportation cost information by transportation plan proposal in an embodiment of the present invention. This is an example of shipping preparation master information in an embodiment of the present invention. This is an example of production completion deadline information by transportation plan proposal in an embodiment of the present invention. This is an example of production master information in an embodiment of the present invention. This is an example of equipment master information in an embodiment of the present invention. This is an example of production plan information by transportation plan proposal in an embodiment of the present invention. This is an example of production preparation master information in an embodiment of the present invention. This is an example of storage cost master information in an embodiment of the present invention. This is an example of production and inventory cost information by transportation plan in an embodiment of the present invention. This is an example of screen display content in an embodiment of the present invention. This is an example of screen display content in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments (examples) for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the figures as appropriate.

[0011] The examples provided are illustrative for illustrating the present invention, and have been omitted and simplified as appropriate for clarity of explanation. The present invention can also be implemented in various other forms. Unless otherwise specified, each component may be singular or plural.

[0012] The positions, sizes, shapes, and ranges of the components shown in the drawings may not represent their actual positions, sizes, shapes, and ranges in order to facilitate understanding of the invention. Therefore, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the positions, sizes, shapes, and ranges disclosed in the drawings.

[0013] Examples of various types of information may be described using terms such as "table" and "list," but these types of information may also be represented by other data structures. For example, various types of information such as "XX table" and "XX list" may also be referred to as "XX information." When describing identification information, terms such as "identification information," "identifier," "name," "ID," and "number" are used, but these terms are interchangeable.

[0014] When there are multiple components with the same or similar function, they may be described using the same symbol but with different subscripts. Furthermore, if it is not necessary to distinguish between these multiple components, the subscripts may be omitted in the description.

[0015] In the examples, the processes performed by executing a program may be described. Here, the computer executes the program using a processor (e.g., CPU, GPU) and performs the processing defined in the program using memory resources (e.g., memory) and interface devices (e.g., communication ports). Therefore, the main entity performing the processing by executing the program may be the processor. Similarly, the main entity performing the processing by executing the program may be a controller, device, system, computer, or node having a processor. The main entity performing the processing by executing the program may be an arithmetic unit, and may include dedicated circuits that perform specific processing. Here, dedicated circuits include, for example, FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays), ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), CPLDs (Complex Programmable Logic Devices), etc.

[0016] The program may be installed on the computer from the program source. The program source may be, for example, a program distribution server or a storage medium readable by the computer. If the program source is a program distribution server, the program distribution server includes a processor and storage resources for storing the program to be distributed, and the processor of the program distribution server may distribute the program to other computers. In addition, in the embodiment, two or more programs may be implemented as one program, or one program may be implemented as two or more programs.

[0017] First, let's explain the overview of this embodiment. In the conventional method of formulating a transportation plan after formulating a production plan, there is a possibility that vehicle arrangements may be difficult, making it impossible to adhere to the plan or resulting in poor transportation efficiency. Therefore, a mechanism is needed to consider the quality of the transportation plan at the stage of formulating the production plan. In other words, it is important to formulate a production plan that takes into account transportation efficiency and capacity constraints.

[0018] Generally, the loading rate is calculated from the size and quantity of each item. However, for heavy items or items with non-rectangular packaging, the loading rate cannot be accurately calculated using only size information. To improve the loading rate, it is necessary to adjust the shipping dates of each item, but because procurement and production lead times are longer than transportation lead times, procurement and production plans must be planned first. As a result, consideration of transportation efficiency and capacity is postponed, and it becomes impossible to adjust shipping dates. Furthermore, when formulating production plans, the priority given to either production cost or inventory cost KPIs, and the acceptable ranges for each KPI, are influenced by the business situation, making it difficult to set them uniquely in advance.

[0019] Therefore, in order to calculate transportation resources (i.e., the number of vehicles of each type required to transport one item), a loading pattern master combining loading / non-loading of each item and a vehicle master summarizing the number of vehicles of each type required for each pattern are prepared. A loading rate considering the loading layout is then calculated, and multiple transportation plans with different transportation efficiencies are devised (for example, Plan 1: maximum transportation efficiency, Plan 2: slightly lower transportation efficiency than Plan 1). For each transportation plan, a production plan is devised that minimizes production costs and inventory costs while meeting the transportation plan requirements. By visualizing the trade-off relationship between production costs, inventory costs, and transportation costs, it becomes possible to derive the optimal production and transportation plans that minimize total costs.

[0020] Next, the details of this embodiment will be described. Figure 1 shows the overall configuration of the system having the production and transportation planning device in this embodiment. The production and transportation planning system 1 consists of the production and transportation planning device 10, a user terminal 20, a database 30, and a communication network 40 that connects them by wired or wireless communication.

[0021] The production and transportation planning device 10 is, for example, a computer device or a server device, and is composed of a main memory 11, an auxiliary memory 12, an arithmetic processing unit 13, an input unit 14, an output unit 15, a communication unit 16, and a display unit 17.

[0022] The main memory 11 includes a transport plan generation unit 111, a production plan generation unit 112, and a screen generation unit 113. These units store programs that realize their respective functions, and the arithmetic processing unit 13 reads and executes these programs to enable them to function. The transport plan generation unit 111, the production plan generation unit 112, and the screen generation unit 113 may be implemented using dedicated circuits or the like. Details of the functions of each unit will be described later.

[0023] The auxiliary storage device 12 stores various types of information in predetermined areas and includes a transport master unit 121, a calendar master unit 122, an operating time master unit 123, a loading pattern master unit 124, a vehicle master unit 125, a shipping preparation master unit 126, a production master unit 127, an equipment master unit 128, a production preparation master unit 129, a storage cost master unit 12A, an order information unit 12B, a vehicle information unit 12C, a shipping candidate date information unit 12D, a transport plan proposal information unit 12E, a transport plan proposal production completion deadline information unit 12F, a transport plan proposal production plan information unit 12G, a transport plan proposal production / inventory cost information unit 12H, a transport plan proposal vehicle count information unit 12I, a transport plan proposal transport cost information unit 12J, and a transport plan proposal total transport cost information unit 12K. Details of this information will be described later, but it stores result data obtained during the intermediate stages of the processing described later, as well as management and setting data necessary for processing. Regarding the former, it is not necessarily required to provide a dedicated storage area for each individual item; a predetermined primary storage area may be shared. Regarding the latter, information may be obtained via the communication network 40 from other production management devices or transportation management devices (not shown), or from a database 30 that is managed centrally in advance, or it may be input by the operator using a user terminal 20 or the like. In addition, information that does not change with each processing, such as calendar information, may be stored in advance.

[0024] The arithmetic processing unit 13 is, for example, a processor such as a CPU (central processing unit), and has the function of performing processing other than that of the main memory 11 as described above, as well as the overall control of the production and transportation planning device 10. In the future, unless otherwise specified, the arithmetic processing unit 13 will perform the processing of the production and transportation planning device 10 by executing a predetermined program.

[0025] The input unit 14 is an input device such as a keyboard or mouse for operating the production / transportation planning device 10 and inputting / setting various information. The output unit 15 outputs processing results, etc., to external devices via the communication unit 16 or displays them on the display unit 17. The communication unit 16 communicates with external devices. The display unit 17 is a display device such as a display device. The input unit 14 and the display unit 17 may be an integrated touch panel display device, or they may be provided separately from the production / transportation planning device 10.

[0026] The user terminal 20 operates the production and transportation planning device 10 from another location or remote location via the communication network 40, and inputs necessary data, etc. It has an input unit 21, a display unit 22, and a communication unit 23. These functions are the same as those of the input unit 14, display unit 17, and communication unit 16 of the production and transportation planning device 10, however, the communication unit 23 may have its functions built into the input unit 21 or display unit 22. Furthermore, the user terminal 20 itself may be a computer device or a tablet terminal.

[0027] The communication network 40 may consist of wired or wireless public lines or VPNs to connect the production / transportation planning device 10, the user terminal 20, and the database 30 when they are located in remote locations, or it may also consist of connecting various devices located at the same location with communication cables, or using short-range wireless communication or wireless LAN.

[0028] Next, the specific process for creating production and transportation plans in this embodiment will be explained based on the processing flowchart shown in Figure 2, with reference to the various data contents shown in Figure 3 and subsequent figures as appropriate.

[0029] <Step S011> The transport plan generation unit 111 acquires various information necessary for subsequent processing from the database 30 and other management devices (not shown) as described above, and records it in a predetermined storage area of ​​the auxiliary storage device 12. Figure 3 is an example of order information 300 recorded in the order information unit 12B, Figure 4 is an example of transport master information 400 recorded in the transport master unit 121, Figure 5 is an example of calendar master information 500 recorded in the calendar master unit 122, and Figure 6 is an example of operating time master information 600 recorded in the operating time master unit 123.

[0030] The order information 300 includes the order number (301), the ordering party 302, the supplier 303, the item 304, the standard supply lead time (LT) 305, the delivery address 306, and the delivery date 307. The item 304 includes the name of the item and its quantity. The standard supply LT (305) is the time required for production and packaging, and is, for example, the average value of past performance. In this embodiment, "AM" means, for example, "8 a.m." and "PM" means, for example, "1 p.m."

[0031] The transport master information 400 includes a route 401 that identifies the transport route, From (402) that indicates the source of transport, To (403) that indicates the destination of transport, and a transport lead time (LT) 404 that indicates the time required for transport.

[0032] The calendar master information 500 includes a date 501, a day of the week 502, and a flag 503 indicating the operating status of the equipment (factory, warehouse, etc.) on that day.

[0033] The operating time master information 600 includes a location 601 that identifies a factory or the like, and its operating time 602.

[0034] <Step S012> Next, the transportation plan generation unit 111 creates a candidate shipping date for each order based on the various information described above and records it in the candidate shipping date information unit 12D. Figure 7A is an example of candidate shipping date information 700 recorded in the candidate shipping date information unit 12D, and includes order No. (701), item 702, route 703, and date 704.

[0035] For example, for order No. (701) being "#001", the system refers to order No. (301) being "#001" in order information 300 in Figure 3, and "A" in item 304 is recorded as item 702 in the candidate shipping date information 700. Also, since the supplier 303 in order information 300 in Figure 3 is "X Factory" and the delivery destination 306 is "Y Warehouse", "1" is recorded as route 703 in the candidate shipping date information 700 as route 401 in transportation master information 400 in Figure 4, where From (402) is "X Factory" and To (403) is "Y Warehouse". Furthermore, the system recognizes from calendar master information 500 in Figure 5 that Saturday and Sunday are "non-working" days, and the date 704 records the date excluding the "non-working" dates from today (4 / 2) onwards (in this example, 4 / 7 (Sat) and 4 / 8 (Sun)). Since the delivery date 307 in order information 300 is "4 / 10 PM" and the transport LT (404) in transport master information 400 is "2 days", the latest possible shipping date is "4 / 6 AM", which is obtained by subtracting non-working days (2 days) from "4 / 10 PM". Also, since the standard supply LT (305) in order information 300 is "3 days", the earliest possible shipping date is "4 / 5 AM", which is 3 days after today (4 / 2), and "4 / 5 PM", which is between this and the latest "4 / 6 AM", is also a possible shipping date, and the symbol "〇" is recorded to indicate that these dates (4 / 5 AM, 4 / 5 PM, 4 / 6 AM) are possible shipping dates. The symbol "-" indicates that it is not a possible shipping date. In the same way, possible shipping dates can be selected for orders No. (701) from "#002" onwards.

[0036] Figure 7B is an example of other potential shipping date information 700B recorded in the potential shipping date information unit 12D. Instead of indicating the potential shipping date with the symbol "〇", the potential shipping date may be recorded only in the date column 704B for each order No. (701). Hereafter, when "potential shipping date information 700" is written, it may also mean "potential shipping date information 700B".

[0037] <Step S013> Next, based on the candidate shipping date information 700 created in step S012, a proposed transportation plan is created and recorded in the proposed transportation plan information unit 12E. Figure 8 is an example of proposed transportation plan information 800 recorded in the proposed transportation plan information unit 12E, and includes the transportation plan No. (801), date and time 802, route 803, and loaded items 804. Specifically, orders with the same route and the same shipping date and time are bundled together from the candidate shipping date information 700 to form a single proposed transportation plan. For example, transportation plan No. (801) "P001" is a plan in which the candidate shipping date is selected as "4 / 6 AM", and items "A, B, C" on the same route "1" are bundled and transported, with item "C" being transported on "4 / 5 PM". Furthermore, transportation plan No. (801) "P002" is a plan in which the candidate shipping date is selected as "4 / 5 PM", and items "A, C, and D" on the same route "1" are transported together, and item "B" is transported on "4 / 6 AM".

[0038] <Step S014> Next, based on the transportation plan information 800 created in step S013, the loading pattern master information recorded in the loading pattern master unit 124, and the vehicle master information recorded in the vehicle master unit 125, the vehicle types to be used for each transportation plan and the required number of vehicles are calculated and recorded in the transportation plan vehicle number information unit 12I.

[0039] Here, Figure 9 is an example of loading pattern master information 900, where each pattern 901 represents a combination of products 902 to be loaded. For example, pattern "1" is a pattern for loading items A, B, and C, and pattern "2" is a pattern for loading items A, C, and D. Also, Figure 10 is an example of vehicle master information 1000, where for each pattern 1001 corresponding to pattern 901 in the loading pattern master information 900, the vehicle type 1002 and the required number of units 1003 are recorded. For example, when loading pattern "1", that is, items A, B, and C, if a "10-ton truck" is used as the vehicle type 1002, the required number of units 1003 is "1.5 units", and if a "4-ton truck" is used, it is "3.7 units".

[0040] The loading pattern master information 900 and vehicle master information 1000 may be pre-defined taking into account the shape and weight of each item (such as the presence or absence of dead space in the cargo compartment, whether to keep items upright / can be stacked or placed on the bottom, etc.), or they may be created or updated based on past transportation records.

[0041] Figure 11 shows an example of the vehicle count information 1100 for each transport plan created in step S014, which includes the transport plan No. (1101), transport branch No. (1102), date and time 1103, route 1104, loaded items 1105, pattern 1106, vehicle type 1107, and required number of vehicles 1108. Here, the transport plan No. (1101), date and time 1103, route 1104, and loaded items 1105 correspond to the transport plan No. (801), date and time 802, route 803, and loaded items 804 shown in Figure 8, respectively. Then, the loading pattern corresponding to the loaded items 804 is extracted from the loading pattern master information 900 and designated as pattern 1106, and the vehicle type 1107 that can be loaded with that pattern and the required number of vehicles 1108 are obtained from the vehicle master information 1000. Furthermore, the transport branch number (1102) is a branch number that identifies two different vehicle types 1107 when they are applied to the same pattern 1106.

[0042] For example, transportation plan No. (1101) is a plan to transport items "A, B, C" on "4 / 6 AM" and item "D" on "4 / 5 PM". In contrast, transportation branch No. (1102) "S01" uses a "10-ton truck" for items "A, B, C" and a "4-ton truck" for item "D", while transportation branch No. "S02" uses a "4-ton truck" for items "A, B, C" and a "4-ton truck" for item "D".

[0043] <Step S015> Based on the vehicle information recorded in the vehicle information unit 12C, determine whether the vehicle can be arranged for the transportation plan No (1101) and the transportation branch No (1102) created in Step S014. FIG. 12 shows an example of the vehicle information 1200 recorded in the vehicle information unit 12C, indicating how many vehicles of a certain vehicle type (vehicle type 1203) can be used at what cost (unit price 1204) per vehicle at a predetermined date and time / route (date and time 1201, route 1202). For example, on the route "1" at "4 / 5 AM", it shows that "10t trucks" can be used "3 vehicles" at "40,000 yen" per vehicle.

[0044] In the vehicle number information 1100 for each transportation plan (FIG. 11), for example, for the transportation plan of transportation plan No "P001" / transportation branch No "S01", "1.5 vehicles" of "10t trucks" are required on route "1" at "4 / 6 AM" and "1.0 vehicle" of "4t trucks" is required on route "1" at "4 / 5 PM". However, referring to the vehicle information 1200, since both are below the available number of vehicles, it is determined that vehicle arrangement is possible. On the other hand, for the transportation plan of transportation plan No "P001" / transportation branch No "S02", "3.7 vehicles" of "4t trucks" are required on route "1" at "4 / 6 AM". Referring to the vehicle information 1200, since the available number of vehicles is "3 vehicles", it is determined that vehicle arrangement is impossible. Also, for the transportation plan No (1101) and transportation branch No (1102) for which it is determined that vehicle arrangement is impossible (in Step S015, "No"), skip the subsequent processing and determine whether vehicle arrangement is possible for the next (other) transportation plan No (1101) and transportation branch No (1102).

[0045] <Step S016> For the transportation plan determined to be able to arrange vehicles in Step S015, calculate the transportation cost for each loaded item based on the unit price 1204 of the vehicle information 1200 shown in FIG. 12, and record it in the transportation plan-specific transportation cost information unit 12J as transportation plan-specific transportation cost information.

[0046] Figure 13 shows an example of the transportation cost information by transportation plan case 1300 recorded in the transportation cost information section 12J by transportation plan case, which includes transportation plan No (1301), transportation branch No (1302), date and time 1303, route 1304, loaded item 1305, pattern 1306, vehicle type 1307, required number of vehicles 1308, and transportation cost 1309. The transportation plan cases determined to be vehicle allocation impossible are deleted from the vehicle number information 1100 by transportation plan case shown in Figure 11, and the transportation cost 1309 is added. For example, for the transportation plan case of transportation plan No "P001" / transportation branch No "S01", at "4 / 6 AM" on route "1", "1.5 vehicles" of "10t trucks", that is, "2 vehicles" are required. Therefore, the transportation cost is 40,000 yen × 2 vehicles = 80,000 yen from the unit price 1204 of the vehicle information 1200, and since there is "1.0 vehicle" of "4t trucks", it can be calculated as 20,000 yen × 1 vehicle = 20,000 yen.

[0047] Among the vehicle number information 1100 by transportation plan case shown in Figure 11, for the transportation plan case of transportation plan No "P001" / transportation branch No "S02", it has been determined that vehicle allocation is impossible in step S015, and it is not included in the transportation cost information 1300 by transportation plan case in Figure 13.

[0048] <Step S017> Then, the transportation costs 1309 by loaded item in the transportation cost information 1300 by transportation plan case are totaled to calculate the total transportation cost information 1400 by transportation plan case as shown in Figure 14, and it is recorded in the total transportation cost information section 12K by transportation plan case. The total transportation cost information 1400 by transportation plan case includes the total transportation cost 1403 for each transportation plan No (1401) / transportation branch No (1402). For example, all the transportation costs 1320 of transportation plan No "P001" / transportation branch No "S01" in Figure 3 are totaled (80,000 yen + 20,000 yen + □□0,000 yen +.....), and "300,000 yen" (1420) is obtained as the total transportation cost 1403 in Figure 14.

[0049] <Step S018> Next, the production plan generation unit 112 creates the production completion deadline information by transportation plan case based on the transportation plan case information 800 (Figure 8) created in step S013 and the shipping preparation master information, and records it in the production completion deadline information section 12F by transportation plan case.

[0050] Figure 15 shows an example of shipment preparation master information 1500 recorded in the shipment preparation master unit 126, where the shipment preparation LT (1503) is recorded as the time required to prepare item 1502 for shipment at the shipping source base 1501. Therefore, the production completion deadline is calculated by going back from the shipment date and time 802 in the transportation plan information 800 to the shipment preparation LT (1503).

[0051] Figure 16 shows an example of production completion deadline information 1600 for each transportation plan recorded in the transportation plan production completion deadline information unit 12F, and includes the transportation plan No. (1601), date and time 1602, item 1603, and production completion deadline 1604. For example, in the transportation plan information 800 in Figure 8, transportation plan No. "P001" will transport items "A", "B", and "C" as loaded items on "4 / 6 AM" (here, "AM" means "8:00 AM"). Also, from the shipment preparation master information 1500 in Figure 15, the shipment preparation LT (1503) for all of these items is "4 hours". Therefore, counting back "4 hours" from "4 / 6 AM" and considering the previous day's operating hours (working hours), the production completion deadline 1604 becomes "4 / 5 12:00".

[0052] <Step S019> Next, the production plan generation unit 112 creates production plan information for each transportation plan based on the production completion deadline information 1600 (Figure 16) for each transportation plan created in step S017, the production master information, and the equipment master information, and records it in the production plan information unit 12G for each transportation plan.

[0053] Figure 17 shows an example of production master information 1700 recorded in the production master unit 127, which records a base 1701 indicating a manufacturing plant, equipment 1702 indicating a production line at that plant, production load 1704 indicating the time required to produce item 1703 with that equipment, and production cost 1705 indicating the cost. Figure 18 shows an example of equipment master information 1800 recorded in the equipment master unit 128, which records the maximum daily production capacity 1803 for equipment 1802 at base 1801. In other words, for some production equipment, the total daily operating time of a factory is not necessarily equal to the production capacity, so this is managed using equipment master information 1800.

[0054] Therefore, based on item 1603 and its production completion deadline 1604 in the transportation plan-specific production completion deadline information 1600, and considering the base 1701, equipment 1702, item 1703, and production load 1704 in the production master information 1700, as well as the equipment master information 1800, the transportation plan-specific production plan information 1900 as shown in Figure 19 is created. The transportation plan-specific production plan information 1900 includes the transportation plan No. (1901), production plan No. (1902), base 1903, equipment 1904, item 1905, and production date and time 1906.

[0055] For example, production plan No. (1902) "M01" (1920) for transportation plan No. (1901) "P001" is a plan to produce items "A", "B", and "C" in that order, and all plans use "Line I" of "Factory X". Therefore, production date and time 1906 cannot be duplicated, and since item "A" requires a production load (production time) of "3 hours", and considering the calendar master information 500 (Figure 5) and the operating time master information 600 (Figure 6), the proposed production date and time 1906 for item "A" is "4 / 4 10-14" (1921). Similarly, for item "B", considering that the setup changeover time from item "A" to item "B" as described in the production preparation master information 2000 (Figure 20) is "1 hour", "4 / 4 15-17" (1922) is obtained.

[0056] Furthermore, when creating the production plan information 1900 for each transportation plan, it is also possible to calculate the inventory forecast for parts from the inventory information and outstanding order information for parts used in production, and extract candidate production dates 1906 to prevent parts shortages during production. Alternatively, it is also possible to calculate the inventory forecast for how long the produced products will stay in the warehouse, compare it with the available warehouse capacity to determine whether storage is possible, and extract candidate production dates 1906 that allow for storage.

[0057] <Step S020> Next, the production plan generation unit 112 calculates production costs and inventory costs for each transportation plan based on the transportation plan production plan information 1900 (Figure 19) created in step S019, the production master information 1700 (Figure 17), the production preparation master information, and the storage cost master information. Figure 20 is an example of the production preparation master information 2000 recorded in the production preparation master unit 129, and Figure 21 is an example of the storage cost master information 2100 recorded in the storage cost master unit 12A.

[0058] The production preparation master information 2000 records the time (production load 2003) and cost (production cost 2004) required for preparations such as equipment adjustments when the manufactured item switches from "previous item 2001" to "next item 2002" on the same equipment. In addition, the storage cost master information 2100 records the cost (inventory storage cost 2103) for storing item 2102 at site 2101.

[0059] The production plan generation unit 112, for each production plan in the transportation plan production plan information 1900 (Figure 19), refers to the production cost 1705 in the production master information 1700 (Figure 17) and the production cost 2004 in the production preparation master information 2000 (Figure 20), and calculates the total production cost by summing the production costs for all production items. It also refers to the inventory storage cost 2103 in the storage cost master information 2100 (Figure 21), and calculates the total inventory cost by summing the inventory storage costs for all production items. This information is then recorded in the transportation plan production / inventory cost information unit 12H. Figure 22 shows an example of the transportation plan production / inventory cost information 2200 recorded in the transportation plan production / inventory cost information unit 12H, where the total production cost 2203 and total inventory cost 2204 for transportation plan No. (2201) and production plan No. (2203) are recorded.

[0060] <Step S021> For all proposed transport plans (transport plan No. (1101) and transport branch No. (1102) of the transport plan number information 1100 (Figure 11)), the process from step S015 onwards is repeated (resulting in "No" in step S021). Once the processing for all plans is complete (resulting in "Yes" in step S021), the process proceeds to step S022.

[0061] <Step S022> The screen generation unit 113 generates images for display on the display unit 17 of the production / transportation plan creation device 10 and the display unit 22 of the user terminal 20 by appropriately extracting the contents recorded in each recording unit according to the user's specifications, etc., of the transportation plan, production plan, and their costs generated and calculated in each of the above steps.

[0062] Figure 23A shows an example of the screen display content on the display unit 17 (22), and as a results summary screen 2300, it displays the transportation cost (2305), production cost (2306), inventory cost (2307), and the total cost (2308) which is the sum of these costs, for the production plan No. (2304) corresponding to the transportation plan No. (2302) and its transportation branch No. (2303). If the detailed plan display button 2310 is selected and executed (pressed), the detailed content of the plan marked in the selection field 2301 will be displayed. Figure 23B is an example of the detailed content display 2320, which displays the details of the transportation plan 2321 and the details of the production plan 2322. Of course, the content to be displayed is not limited to the above examples, and it is also possible to display content specified by the user as appropriate.

[0063] Furthermore, when calculating the total cost of 2308, instead of simply adding up each cost, it is also possible to pre-assign a weight to each cost, multiply each cost by that weight, and then add them up. For example, if you want to minimize inventory costs, you can set a large weight for inventory costs, which will result in a higher value than the calculated cost, allowing you to lower the priority of that option.

[0064] As explained above, according to this embodiment, by using data summarizing the number of vehicles required when loading each item, the transportation resources required to transport the ordered quantity are calculated, multiple transportation plans are formulated that allow for the arrangement of transportation resources, and multiple production plans are formulated and visualized that take into account production and inventory costs while meeting the shipping date of the transportation plan. This makes it possible to formulate production plans that take into account transportation efficiency and transportation capacity constraints.

[0065] Furthermore, this embodiment can be modified as appropriate to the extent possible. For example, some or all of the processing in each of the above-described processing units may be performed by other processing units, or the recorded contents of each storage unit (information unit) may be partially integrated or separated for recording.

[0066] 1: Production and transportation planning system, 10: Production and transportation planning device, 11: Main memory, 12: Auxiliary memory, 13: Arithmetic processing unit, 14: Input unit, 15: Output unit, 16: Communication unit, 17: Display unit, 20: User terminal, 21: Input unit, 22: Display unit, 23: Communication unit, 30: Database, 40: Communication network

Claims

1. A production and transportation planning device having a transportation plan generation unit and a production plan generation unit, wherein the transportation plan generation unit creates candidate shipping dates for each order, creates a proposed transportation plan by bundling orders with the same route and common candidate shipping dates, calculates the vehicle type and the number of vehicles for each proposed transportation plan, excludes proposed transportation plans for which vehicles cannot be arranged, and calculates transportation costs for the proposed transportation plans for which vehicles can be arranged, and the production plan generation unit creates production completion deadline information for each proposed transportation plan from the proposed transportation plans, formulates a production plan that can meet the production completion deadline information for each proposed plan, and calculates production and inventory costs.

2. A production and transportation plan creation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transportation plan generation unit calculates a candidate shipping date for the product from order information having the supplier, delivery destination and delivery date of the product, transportation master information having the source and destination of transportation and the transportation lead time thereof, calendar master information indicating the operating days of the equipment and operating time master information indicating the operating hours of the equipment, creates a plurality of transportation plan proposals that summarize transportation patterns of the combination of the product whose transportation route and shipping date and time match based on the candidate shipping date, calculates the vehicle type and the required number of vehicles required to transport the combination of the product for each of the plurality of transportation plan proposals using loading pattern master information that summarizes the combination of products to be loaded and vehicle master information that summarizes the number of vehicle types required to transport the combination of the product, calculates the suitability and total transportation cost for each of the plurality of transportation plan proposals based on vehicle information including the unit price of the vehicle type and the number of available vehicles at a predetermined date and time and route, and the production plan generation unit, A production and transportation planning device characterized by: creating production completion deadline information for each of the multiple transportation plan proposals, including a production completion deadline, based on shipment preparation master information including the time required to prepare the product for shipment; creating production plan information for each transportation plan proposal, including multiple production plan proposals that satisfy the production completion deadline, based on production master information including the time required to produce a specified product at a specified facility and its production cost; calculating the total production cost for each production plan proposal from the production cost and the production cost when the product is changed at a specified facility; and calculating the total inventory cost for each production plan proposal from storage cost master information including the inventory storage cost of a specified product at a specified location.

3. A production and transportation planning device according to claim 2, further comprising a screen generation unit, wherein the screen generation unit generates a screen displaying the proposed transportation plan and the total transportation cost, and the proposed production plan, the total production cost, and the total inventory cost.

4. A production and transportation planning device according to claim 2, characterized in that the transportation planning generation unit creates the loading pattern master information and vehicle master information from transportation records.

5. A production and transportation planning device according to claim 2, characterized in that the transportation planning generation unit updates the loading pattern master information and vehicle master information from transportation records.

6. A production and transportation planning device according to claim 3, wherein the screen generation unit generates a screen that calculates and displays the total cost by taking the sum of the total transportation cost, the total production cost, and the total inventory cost.

7. A production and transportation planning device according to claim 6, wherein the screen generation unit calculates the total cost by multiplying each of the costs by a predetermined weight and then taking the sum.

8. A production and transportation planning device according to claim 2, wherein the production planning generation unit, when creating production planning information for each transportation plan, calculates an inventory forecast for parts from inventory information and outstanding order information for parts used in production, and extracts candidate production dates and times so as not to cause shortages of parts during production.

9. A production and transportation planning device according to claim 2, wherein the production planning generation unit, when creating production planning information for each transportation plan, calculates an inventory forecast of how long the produced products will stay in the warehouse, compares it with the available capacity of the warehouse to determine whether storage is possible, and extracts candidate production dates and times for which storage is possible.

10. A production and transportation planning method comprising the steps of generating a transportation plan and generating a production plan, wherein the step of generating a transportation plan comprises the steps of: creating candidate shipping dates for each order; creating a proposed transportation plan that bundles orders with the same route and common candidate shipping dates; calculating the vehicle type and the number of vehicles for each proposed transportation plan; excluding proposed transportation plans for which vehicles cannot be arranged, and calculating transportation costs for the proposed transportation plans for which vehicles can be arranged; and the step of generating a production plan comprises the steps of: creating production completion deadline information for each proposed transportation plan from the proposed transportation plans; and formulating a production plan that can meet the production completion deadline information for each proposed transportation plan, and calculating production and inventory costs.

Images