JP2002211752A - Transportation management device, transportation management system, transportation management method and storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a transportation management system capable of providing accurate, efficient and economical transportation management by determining a discharge port distribution plan minimizing the number of calling at ports and transportation cost under constraints of at least berthing ability and yard stock ability and providing a composition providing sharing of the information and update information. SOLUTION: A determining means 110 determines information (discharge port distribution information such as a destination port, an alongside pier berth, a discharging brand, a discharging amount, and a discharging order) regarding distributions to producing sections 170(x) of transported crude fuel by using management information (information regarding transportation management of the crude fuel provided from outside) inside a storage means 115. The storage means 115 stores the information regarding the distributions of the crude fuel so it can be referred to from outside.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a raw material and fuel (hereinafter referred to collectively as "raw fuel") such as iron ore, coal, other mineral resources, grains, fertilizers, etc., by communication via a communication network. The present invention relates to a transport management device, a transport management system, a transport management method, and a storage medium in which computer-readable processing steps are used for an apparatus or system for performing transport management of the above. Things.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in the transportation of raw fuel, large and occasional large ships have been widely used in order to reduce transportation costs per raw fuel unit. However, for example, there are only 500 to 600 large vessels of the 150,000 ton class in the world, and the schedule of large vessels is extremely limited due to the influence of weather, detention at ports, or previous voyage schedules. It is unstable. Therefore, the seller of raw fuel,
There is an increasing need for buyers and shipping companies to optimize schedule management (transportation management) year by year.

Therefore, for example, Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-1102 discloses
No. 32 proposes a transportation management method for managing transportation of raw fuel via a communication network.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION However, Japanese Patent Application No.
The conventional transport management method described in 000-110232 and the like is a method of performing a vessel allocation plan and managing the transport progress and the like by using transport motion information (information on progress status of transport) generated thereby. However, there is no way for the buyer to manage how to optimally distribute the raw fuel loaded on the ship to the respective production departments.

Specifically, according to the conventional transportation management method, for example, when a buyer is a steel maker, as shown in FIG. A port that stops on the way to the ground (a port of a steelworks (production department) that unloads raw fuel, hereafter referred to as “port destination”), a berth where a ship berths at the port
"Berthing berth"), the name of the raw fuel to be unloaded from the ship at the port of call (hereinafter referred to as "the unloading brand"), and the amount of the raw fuel to be unloaded from the ship at the port of call (hereinafter referred to as "the unloading amount") ) And the order of the brand of raw fuel to be unloaded from the ship at the port of call and the order of yards to be used (yards for temporarily storing the raw fuel) (hereinafter referred to as the “loading order”). It did not cover the management of the distribution of raw fuels at the dumping site (production departments such as steelworks) (hereinafter, also referred to as “distribution management at the dumping site”).

Therefore, conventionally, the management of the distribution of landing sites such as the port of call, berthing berth, unloading brand, unloading amount, and unloading sequence is not managed through a communication network, but is performed by a highly experienced expert in the past. It was done manually based on. This is inefficient, and is not accurate because it is easy to make mistakes due to manual operation.

In the past, in carrying out the above-mentioned landing site distribution management, minimization of the number of port calls and transportation costs was not considered, so that an economical landing site distribution plan was not necessarily formulated. Could not.

[0008] Specifically, for example, if a certain ship waits at the port of call until the yard is full because the yard is full, the cost (yard staying ship fee) is 100,000 yen / 1h. Also, if the berth is full and you wait until the berth becomes empty, the cost (heavy vessel stagnation fee) will be 100,000 yen / 1
h. In addition, the cost required for one port call is
It will be 15 million yen per port. Therefore, in order to reduce the overall transportation costs, it is necessary to formulate a landing site distribution plan without waiting for yards or berths and taking into consideration the minimum number of calls. However, in the past, a landing site distribution plan was drawn up without considering this, and in some cases, enormous costs were required.

The present invention has been made in order to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks, and is intended to minimize the number of port calls and transportation costs under the constraints of berth capacity and yard inventory capacity at least. A transport management device, a transport management system, a transport management method, and a configuration that can determine a plan and share this information and update information, thereby achieving accurate and efficient and economical transport management. It is an object of the present invention to provide a storage medium in which processing steps for carrying out the steps are stored in a computer-readable manner.

[0010]

For such a purpose,
A first invention is a transportation management device capable of communicating with the outside via a network, the information relating to the transportation management of the raw fuel provided from outside via the network, and the distribution of the transported raw fuel. Storage means for storing and managing information related to the information so that the information can be referred to from outside via the network.

According to a second aspect, in the first aspect,
It is characterized by comprising a presenting means for presenting the management information in the storage means to the outside via the network.

[0012] In a third aspect based on the second aspect,
The presenting means presents the result of updating the corresponding information in the storage means based on a change instruction from the information providing side via the network to the outside via the network.

[0013] In a fourth aspect based on the second aspect,
The presenting means presents the corresponding information in the storage means based on an external information request via the network to the information request destination via the network.

[0014] In a fifth aspect based on the first aspect,
The information on the transportation management of the raw fuel in the storage means is provided by the transportation equipment information provided by the management side of the transportation equipment, the movement information provided by the management side, and provided by the buyer or seller of the raw fuel. The information on the distribution of the raw fuel in the storage means includes at least one of the raw fuel brand information and the transportation instruction information provided by the buyer or seller of the raw fuel. In the case where is a ship, at least one of the information of a port of call, a berthing berth, an unloading brand, an unloading amount, and an unloading order is included.

[0015] In a sixth aspect based on the first aspect,
It is characterized by comprising a determining means for determining information relating to the distribution of the raw fuel based on at least the information relating to the transportation management of the raw fuel.

[0016] In a seventh aspect based on the sixth aspect,
The information related to the distribution of raw fuel includes at least one of the following information when the transport equipment is a ship: a port of call, a berth, a loading brand, a discharging amount, and a discharging order. It is characterized in that the information relating to the distribution of the raw fuel is determined based on information provided from the production department of the fuel buyer regarding the berths and yards of the port of the production department.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the seventh aspect,
The determining means determines the information related to the distribution of the raw fuel based on a solution that minimizes the number of calls and the transportation cost at least under the constraints of the berth capacity and the yard stock capacity.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, a raw fuel buyer, a production department, a seller, a raw fuel transport facility manager, and a transport manager on the buyer side are communicably connected at least on the same network. A transport management system comprising: a transport management device having the function of the transport management device according to any one of claims 1 to 8;

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a transportation management system in which a buyer of a raw fuel, a production department in the buyer, a seller, and a manager of a transportation facility for the raw fuel are communicably connected at least on the same network. A system, comprising: storage means for storing information related to raw fuel transport management and information relating to distribution of transported raw fuel so that the raw fuel can be referred to from the outside via the network. .

An eleventh aspect of the present invention is a transportation management method for managing transportation of raw fuel via a network, wherein at least one of a buyer side, a seller side, and a transportation facility management side of the raw fuel on the network. A first management step of managing the information related to the transportation management input by the first step, a determination step of determining information related to the distribution of the raw fuel using the transportation management information managed by the first management step, A second management step of managing the information determined by the determination step; and management information obtained by the first and second management steps, via the network, the buyer side, the production department on the buyer side, the seller And a providing step for providing a reference to at least one of the management side of the transportation facility. And butterflies.

According to a twelfth aspect, in the eleventh aspect, based on change information input by at least one of the buyer, the production department of the buyer, the seller, and the transport equipment manager. And updating the management information by the first and second management steps, and the providing step includes providing the management information updated by the updating step.

According to a thirteenth aspect, in the eleventh aspect, the information on the distribution of the raw fuel includes a port destination, a berthing berth, an unloading brand when the transportation facility is a ship.
And determining at least one of the unloading amount and the unloading order, and the determining step is performed based on a solution that minimizes the number of calls and transportation costs at least under constraints of berth capacity and yard stock capacity. And determining information related to the distribution of the information.

According to a fourteenth aspect, a function of the transportation management device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 or a function of the transportation management system according to any one of claims 9 and 10 is realized by a computer. The program is recorded on a computer-readable storage medium.

A fifteenth invention is characterized in that a program for causing a computer to execute the processing steps of the transportation management method according to any one of claims 11 to 13 is recorded on a computer-readable storage medium.

Specifically, for example, via a communication network, a raw fuel buyer (a steel maker or the like), a seller, a shipping company, and a production department of the buyer (if the buyer is a steel maker, the raw fuel is used) At least one of the following: ironworks, etc.)
With a configuration that can share the transport instruction information and the information related to the distribution of raw fuels at the buyer (discharge distribution information), the necessary information can be obtained in a timely and accurate manner in real time, and an efficient transport plan can be created. In addition, since the landing distribution information can be shared, it is possible to quickly, accurately, and efficiently carry out the landing distribution management work, which was conventionally performed only by a skilled expert.

When determining the above-mentioned landing site distribution information (information on the port of call, berthing berth, unloading brand, unloading amount, unloading order, etc.), it is stable at least under the constraints of berth capacity and yard inventory capacity. Is designed to find solutions that minimize the number of calls and transportation costs while securing inventories, making it easier to manage the economical distribution of landings that could not be realized by a skilled expert. Can be realized.

The "transportation facility information" is information including information on the specifications of the transportation facility.
It is information such as the size (Dimension) of each transport facility and the allowable load capacity. Preferably, the “transportation facility information” includes
It may include vacancy information of the transportation facility, and more preferably, may include partial vacancy information of the transportation facility. “Raw fuel brand information” is information including information on the raw fuel (freight) to be transported, and specifically, for example, information such as the name of the raw fuel, the grade, and the transport amount. The raw fuel brand information is provided by the seller or the buyer.
“Transportation movement information” is information including information on the progress of transportation, and specifically, for example, information such as the current location of transport equipment and schedule information. “Transportation instruction information”
Is information including information on a transportation method, and specifically, for example, information on a loading port and an unloading port, information on a loading procedure, and the like. "Port of call" refers to a port (port in the production department, etc.) that stops on the way from the loading site of raw fuel to the final unloading, and "berthing berth" refers to a berth where a ship berths at the port of call. . “Unloading brand” means the brand of raw fuel unloaded at the port of call, and “unloading quantity”
This refers to the quantity of raw fuel unloaded at the port of call, and the "unloading order" refers to the order of the brands to be unloaded and the yards to be used.
“Berth capacity” refers to the number and type of transport facilities that can be berthed at one time. “Yard stock capacity” refers to the allowable amount of raw fuel for temporarily storing raw fuel.

[0028]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

The present invention is applied to, for example, a transportation management system 100 as shown in FIG.

<Overall Configuration of Transport Management System 100> As shown in FIG. 1, the transport management system 100 uses iron ore, coal, other mineral resources, grains, fertilizers, and other raw materials and fuel (raw fuel) by a ship. Transport efficiently, and
A transportation management function 110 is provided for performing information management for optimizing distribution of the raw fuel at the unloading of the raw fuel. The transport management function 110 is provided for a plurality of sellers 120.
(1), 120 (2), ..., 120 (n), a plurality of buyers 130 (1), 130 (2), ..., 130 (n), a plurality of shipping companies 140 (1), 140 (2), …, 140
(N), and a plurality of certification bodies 150 (1), 150
, 150 (n) are configured to be accessible via a communication network.

The buyers 130 (1), 130 (2),...
130 (n) includes a plurality of production departments 170
, 170 (n) are connected so as to be mutually accessible via a communication network. For example, if the buyer 130 (X) is a steel maker, a plurality of production departments 170 (1), 170 (2),
, 170 (n) correspond to “steel mills” (discharge sites) of the buyer 130 (X). Therefore, the raw fuel purchased by the buyer 130 (X) and transported by the ship is supplied to the respective steelworks (the production department 170) by the ship.
(1), 170 (2),..., 170 (n)), a predetermined amount is distributed by sequentially going around the ports provided.

In FIG. 1, for simplicity of explanation, 1
Multiple production departments 1 only for one buyer 130 (1)
70 (1), 170 (2),..., 170 (n) are connected, but in reality, other buyers 130
Similarly, for (2),..., 130 (n),
A plurality of production departments 170 (1), 170 (2), ..., 17
0 (n) is connected. In addition, a plurality of production departments 17
0 (1), 170 (2),..., 170 (n) are connected so as to be able to access the transportation management function 110 via the buyer 130 (X) or directly via the communication network. ing.

In the transportation management system 100, the buyer 13
0 (1), 130 (2), ..., 130 (n), seller 1
, 120 (n), transport companies 140 (1), 140 (2),..., 140 (n), and certification bodies 150 (1), 150 (2),. , 150
(N) information held by each (transportation management information),
Buyers 130 (1), 130 (2), ..., 130 (n)
Production departments 170 (1), 170 (2),
, 170 (n) (Bath /
Yard information) are collectively managed by the transport management function 110 and the buyers 130 (1), 130 (2),.
130 (n), sellers 120 (1), 120 (2),
..., 120 (n), transport companies 140 (1), 140
(2), ..., 140 (n), certification body 150 (1), 1
50 (2),..., 150 (n), and the buyer 130
Each of the production departments 170 (1), 170 (2), ..., 170 (n) in (1), 130 (2), ..., 130 (n) can refer to the management information in the transport management function 110. It has been made like that.

That is, in the transportation management system 100,
Transport management function 110 including a database 115 for storing and managing transport management information and berth / yard information, etc.
Provides a place for neutral and secure information sharing independent of the seller 120 (X), the buyer 130 (X), the shipping company 140 (X), and the production department 170 (X), and via a communication network such as the Internet. And transport management function 11
It is configured such that the management information in the transportation management function 110 can be referred to and updated by easily accessing to the management information.

In this embodiment, the buyer 1
30 (X) accesses the transportation management function 110 via the communication network, and the
Using the management information in the berth, a port loaded with raw fuels stops on the way to the final destination (port destination), a berth that berths the ship at the port (port berth), and a source that unloads from the ship at the port destination The fuel brand (unloading brand), the amount of raw fuel unloaded from the ship at the port of call (loading amount), and the order of the raw fuel brand unloaded from the ship at the port of call and the order of the yards used (loading order) Information related to landing site distribution management (hereinafter referred to as
"Discharge information". The landing ship allocation information is collectively managed by the database 115.

Therefore, buyers 130 (1), 130
(2), ..., 130 (n), sellers 120 (1), 12
0 (2), ..., 120 (n), transport company 140 (1),
140 (2), ..., 140 (n), and the certification body 150
Each of (1), 150 (2),..., 150 (n) accesses the transportation management function 110 via a communication network to transfer the landing location information managed by the database 115 of the transportation management function 110. Can also be referred to.

Further, the buyer 130 (X) transmits the landing location distribution information determined by the transport management function 110 to the buyer 1 (X).
Production departments 170 (1), 170 in 30 (X)
(2),..., 170 (n).

As described above, in the present embodiment, the management information (transport management information, base / yard information, landing distribution information, etc.) managed by the transport management function 110 is transferred to the buyers 130 (1), 130 130 (n), sellers 120 (1), 120 (2),..., 120 (n), transport companies 140 (1), 140 (2),.
(N), certification body 150 (1), 150 (2), ..., 1
50 (n), and buyers 130 (1), 130 (2),
..., production departments 170 (1), 17 in 130 (n)
0 (2),..., 170 (n).

The charter contract with the shipping company 140 (X) is described in, for example, FOB (Free On Board).
In the case of a contract, the buyer makes a charter contract and C & F (Co)
In the case of a (st & Freight) contract, the seller makes a charter contract, but in the present embodiment, for simplicity of explanation,
As a FOB contract, the buyer 130 (X) enters the shipping company 140
(X) shall be chartered. Seller 120
When (X) charters a charter contract (C & F contract), only the positions of buyer 130 (X) and seller 120 (X) are reversed, and the basic configuration in this embodiment is different. Absent. In the present embodiment, the production department 170
(1), 170 (2),..., 170 (n), the buyer 130 (X) is configured to provide the landing distribution information. However, the present invention is not limited to this. , 170 (n) may directly access the transport management function 110 to obtain landing location distribution information.

<Structure of Transport Management Function 110> The transport management function 110 is provided in an arbitrary organization (an independent company or the like). For example, as shown in FIG. 2, a firewall 111, a Web server 112, a switching Hub 11
3, an internal server 114, and a terminal device (system administrator terminal device) 118 for the administrator of the system.

The Web server 112 includes a communication network 160 such as the Internet and a firewall 111.
Through the sellers 120 (1), 120 (2), ..., 1
20 (n), buyers 130 (1), 130 (2), ...,
130 (n), shipping companies 140 (1), 140 (2),
…, 140 (n), and the certification body 150 (1), 150
(2), ..., 150 (n). This W
The sellers 120 (1), 120
(2), ..., 120 (n), buyers 130 (1), 13
0 (2), ..., 130 (n), shipping company 140 (1), 1
40 (2),..., 140 (n), and the certification body 150
For each of (1), 150 (2),..., 150 (n), transportation management information (transportation facility information, raw fuel brand information, transportation instruction information, etc.), berth / yard information, and landing area distribution A series of services for registering, updating, and displaying information (information on the port of call, berthing berth, unloading brand, unloading amount, unloading order, etc.) will be provided.

The internal server 114 includes a database 115 in which various information such as transport management information, berth / yard information, and landing location distribution information are stored, an operation DB server 117 that operates the database 115, and the present invention. The operation AP server 116 controls the operation of the entire system 100 by executing the application.

The database 115 mainly stores and manages the following information as transport management information, berth / yard information, and landing location distribution information.
(1), 120 (2), ..., 120 (n), buyer 13
0 (1), 130 (2), ..., 130 (n), shipping company 1
40 (1), 140 (2), ..., 140 (n), certification bodies 150 (1), 150 (2), ..., 150 (n), and buyers 130 (1), 130 (2), ..., 130
(N) production departments 170 (1), 170 (2),
, 170 (n) can be referred to.

Information provided by the buyer 130 (X) who makes the charter contract: Information on the loading port, unloading port, loading method, etc. of the ship that has been chartered by himself (transportation instruction information). The transport instruction information further includes schedule information such as which port departs at which time and when it arrives at which port, designation of loading space (hold), and which raw fuel is loaded in which space.
Information such as which port to remove raw fuel from at which port may be included.・ Information (brand information) such as the place of origin, grade, and weight of raw fuel to be loaded on ships.

Information provided by the seller 120 (X) Information on whether or not transport by a ship chartered by the buyer 130 (X) is acceptable (consignment information) Invoice information for the buyer 130 (X).

Information provided by shipping company 140 (X) Information on a ship chartered with buyer 130 (X) (transportation facility information). Specifically, for example, a ship name, a ship size (Dimension), a loadable amount, a ship bottom,
Height from the water surface, age of ship, real-time vacancy information for each ship, vacancy information (vacancy space information) in the loading space of the vessel, etc. Information such as the position (current position) of the ship chartered with the buyer 130 (X) and the progress of the schedule (movement information). -Bill information for buyer 130 (X). The bill information is information generated from transport equipment information, brand information, transport instruction information, quality information described later, and transport amount information, and is used for the payment decision.

Information provided by the certification body 150 (X) Here, the transportation cost of the raw fuel is generally determined based on the result obtained by a third party analyzing the raw fuel and measuring the quality when loading or unloading the raw fuel. Since the final transportation costs are determined, the third party certification body 150 will be the institution that implements this.
(X) is provided. Therefore, the certification body 150
The information provided by (X) is the result of the component analysis of the raw fuel, the grade information indicating the quality (quality information), and the information such as transport weight information (transport amount information).

Information provided by the production department 170 (X) Information on berths and yards at the port on the production department 170 (X) side (berth / yard information).

The buyer 130 (X) has the transport management function 11
Information determined by performing the optimal allocation calculation based on 0 The buyer 130 (X) accesses the transportation management function 110, and uses the information indicated by-to produce the production departments 170 (1), 170 using raw fuel. (2), ..., 1
Calling destination, berthing berth, unloading brand, unloading quantity, unloading order, etc., determined by performing optimal distribution calculation of raw fuel to 70 (n) (steel mill if buyer 130 (X) is a steel company). Information (discharge distribution information).

In this embodiment, as an example,
The transportation management function 110 (specifically, the operation AP server 116) is provided with the functions of the optimal distribution calculation and the determination of the landing distribution information, and the buyer 130 (X) accesses the transportation management function 110 to optimize the distribution. The distribution calculation and the determination of the landing distribution information are configured to be performed. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the transportation management function 110 (the operation AP server 116) may directly use the function of the buyer 130 (X )
And internal processing may be performed by the buyer 130 (X).

The database 115 to which the above information (transport management information), information (berth / yard information), and information (discharge distribution information) are provided is provided by the operation DB server 117 and the operation AP server 116. The transport management information, the berth / yard information, and the landing distribution information are always stored in the latest state.

When the information in the database 115 is changed, the sellers 120 (1), 120 (2),
..., 120 (n), buyers 130 (1), 130
(2), ..., 130 (n), shipping companies 140 (1), 14
0 (2),..., 140 (n) and buyer 130 (X)
, 170 (1), 170 (2), ..., 1
70 (n) inputs the change information (update information), and the operation DB server 117 and the operation AP server 116
Thereby, the change information is accumulated in the database 115.

Therefore, sellers 120 (1), 120
(2), ..., 120 (n), buyers 130 (1), 13
0 (2), ..., 130 (n), shipping company 140 (1), 1
40 (2),..., 140 (n) and the buyer 130
(X) production departments 170 (1), 170 (2),
, 170 (n) can always refer to the updated information together with the latest transport management information, berth / yard information, and unloading distribution information without any misunderstanding.

The terminal device 118 for the system administrator
U and a personal computer including a memory, and a Web server 11 via a switching hub 113.
2 and the internal server 114.

<Seller 120 (X), Buyer 130
(X), shipping company 140 (X), and certification body 150
Configuration of (X)> Seller 120 (X), Buyer 130
(X), shipping company 140 (X), certification agency 150 (X),
Each of the production departments 170 (X) includes a terminal device such as a personal computer including a CPU and a memory, and can access the transport management function 110 via the communication network 160 by operating the terminal device. Has been made.

For example, the terminal device has a computer function 600 as shown in FIG. 3, and the CPU 601 of the computer function 600 performs the operation in the present embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 3, the computer function 600 includes a CPU 601, a ROM 602, a RAM 6
03, a keyboard controller (KBC) 605 of a keyboard (KB) 609, and a CRT controller (CR) of a CRT display (CRT) 610 as a display unit.
TC) 606, a disk controller (DKC) 607 of a hard disk (HD) 611 and a floppy (registered trademark) disk (FD) 612, and a network interface card (NIC) 608 so that they can communicate with each other via a system bus 604. It has a connected configuration. Then, the system bus 604 is connected to the communication network 160 shown in FIGS.

The CPU 601 has a ROM 602 or an HD
By executing the software stored in the 611 or the software supplied from the FD 612, each component connected to the system bus 604 is generally controlled.
That is, the CPU 601 stores a processing program according to a predetermined processing sequence in the ROM 602 or the HD 61.
1, or by reading from the FD 612 and executing,
Control for realizing the operation in the present embodiment is performed.

The RAM 603 functions as a main memory or a work area of the CPU 601. KBC605
Controls an instruction input from the KB 609 or a pointing device (not shown). CRTC 606 uses C
The display of the RT 610 is controlled. The DKC 607 includes a boot program, various applications, editing files,
HD 611 and F which store a user file, a network management program, and the predetermined processing program, etc.
The access to D612 is controlled. The NIC 608 exchanges data bidirectionally with devices or systems on the communication network 160.

<Operation of Transport Management System 100> FIG.
Shows an example of an operation that is a feature of the transportation management system 100. FIG. 5 shows an example of the operation of the entire transportation management system 100 including the operation shown in FIG. The operations (functions) shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 are performed by the operation AP server 116 and the CPU 601 (see FIG. 3) of the computer function 600 by the application to which the present invention is applied (shown in FIGS. 4 and 5). This is implemented by executing a control program according to a flowchart.

Here, for simplicity of explanation, buyer 130 (X) makes a charter contract (FOB contract), and buyer 130 (X), seller 120 (X), shipping company 140
Although attention is paid to (X) and the production department 170 (X), the certification organization 150 (X) may be included in these.
That is, the information held by the certification organization 150 (X) may also be stored and managed in the database 115 and presented via the communication network 160.

(1) Operation characteristic of the transportation management system 100: See FIG.

Step S201: shipping company 140 (X)
Inputs transportation facility information (information such as a ship name, a Dimension, a loadable amount, a vacancy information of a ship, and a vacancy information of a part of a loading space) to the transportation management function 110 via the communication network 160. . The buyer 130 (X) or the seller 120 (X) who makes the charter contract, based on the vessel allocation schedule based on the charter contract that he / she has contracted with, purchases raw fuel brand information (information such as the place of production, grade, and weight of raw fuel) and transportation. Instruction information (information such as loading port, unloading port, loading method, etc.) is input to the transport management function 110 via the communication network 160. Production department 170 (X) of buyer 130 (X)
Is information on what berths and yards are available as information on the port on the side (berth / yard information)
To the transport management function 1 via the communication network 160.
Input for 10.

The transportation management function 110 stores and manages berth / yard information in the database 115 together with transportation equipment information, raw fuel brand information, and transportation instruction information (transportation management information) input via the communication network 160. I do. This management information can be referred to via the communication network 160.

Step S202: Transport management function 110
Communicates with communication network 1 to seller 120 (X).
The transportation management information in the database 115 is presented via 60. As a result, the seller 120 (X) is
30 (X) considers whether or not it is possible to accept the transport by the chartered ship, and as a result information (consignment information)
To the transport management function 110.

The transport management function 110 is provided for the seller 120
The buyer 130 (X) is notified of the acceptance of the transportation instruction notified from (X). Thereby, the buyer 130
(X) recognizes whether or not the transportation based on the charter contract with the shipping company 140 (X) is possible at the seller 120 (X).

Here, the “notification” may be a notification by e-mail, or the seller 120 (X) may directly access the transport management function 110 to send a transport instruction to the seller 120 (X). You may make it acquire the information of the propriety of consignment.

Therefore, the buyer 130 (X) accesses the transportation management function 110 via the communication network 160, and uses the management information in the database 115 to make the production department 170 (1), 170
(2),..., 170 (n) (calculate the optimal distribution of raw fuel to 170 (n) (steel mill if buyer 130 (X) is a steel company), call at port, berth, unloading brand, unloading quantity, Information such as the unloading order (discharge distribution information) is determined. The details of the calculation of the optimal distribution and the determination of the landing distribution information at the buyer 130 (X) will be described later.

Step S203: Transport management function 110
Accumulates and manages the landing site distribution information determined in step S202 in the database 115. This management information can be referred to via the communication network 160.
Further, the buyer 130 (X) provides the landing section distribution information managed by the transport management function 110 to the production department 170 (X).

Step S204: Seller 120 (X),
The result of each of the buyer 130 (X), the shipping company 140 (X), and the production department 170 (X) referencing the management information in the database 115 by accessing the transportation management function 110 via the communication network 160. In the event of a change (such as a change in ship assignment),
The information is input to the transportation management function 110 via the communication network 160.

Step S205: Transport management function 110
Updates the information in the database 115 based on the change information input via the communication network 160. As a result, the seller 120 (X) and the buyer 130
(X), shipping company 140 (X), and production department 170
Each of (X) can refer to the updated information in the database 115 by accessing the transportation management function 110 via the communication network 160.

For example, when the schedule is changed at the buyer 130 (X), the seller 120 (X) refers to the information in the database 115 updated according to the change, and thereby the buyer 130 (X). Recognize the schedule change in) and consider whether to accept new transportation instructions based on the change.

The shipping company 140 (X) accesses the transportation management function 110 via the communication network 160, refers to the information in the database 115, creates a bill based on the information, and creates a bill. The book information is input to the transportation management function 110 via the communication network 160. The transport management function 110 accumulates the bill information provided from the shipping company 140 (X) via the communication network 160 in the database 115 and then stores the bill information in the buyer 13.
Present to 0 (X). Thereby, the buyer 130 (X)
Confirms a bill for a ship chartered with the shipping company 140 (X).

As described above, the transportation management function 110 includes the buyer 130 (X), the seller 120 (X), and the shipping company 1
Raw fuel-specific information (transport equipment information, raw fuel brand information, transport instruction information, and transport management information such as invoice information) held by 40 (X), production department 1 of buyer 130 (X)
The berth / yard information of the port held by 70 (X) and the landing distribution information determined by the buyer 130 (X) are accumulated and managed in the database 115, and the information is updated as necessary, and the database 115 is updated. Is provided externally via the communication network 160.

(2) Overall operation of the transportation management system 100: See FIG.

Step S301: The buyer 130 (X) who makes a charter contract sends the ship management plan information (transport instruction information) based on the charter contract with the shipping company 140 (X) via the communication network 160 to the transport management. Send to function 110.
Further, the buyer 130 (X) has previously requested the transportation management function 11
When a change occurs in the vessel assignment plan information transmitted to “0”, the change information is transmitted to the transportation management function 110 via the communication network 160.

Step S302: Transportation management function 110
When ship arrangement plan information is transmitted from the buyer 130 (X), the ship arrangement plan information is transmitted to the database 115.
When the buyer 130 (X) transmits the change information of the ship arrangement plan, the corresponding ship arrangement plan information in the database 115 is updated based on the change information.

Step S303: Shipping company 140 (X)
Transmits the transport facility information and the movement information of the ship in the charter contract with the buyer 130 (X) to the transport management function 110 via the communication network 160.

Step S304: Transportation management function 110
Accumulates (registers) transport facility information and movement information from the shipping company 140 (X) in the database 115. And
The transportation management function 110 transmits the movement information accumulated in the database 115 to the buyer 130 (X) via the communication network 160.

Step S305, Step S306: The buyer 130 (X) refers to the movement information from the transportation management function 110 (Step S305), re-examines the vessel assignment plan (transportation instruction) in Step S301, and If so, the vessel assignment plan is changed, and the finally decided vessel assignment plan information (transportation instruction information) is transmitted to the transport management function 110 via the communication network 160 (step S306).

Step S307: Transport management function 110
Updates the corresponding ship arrangement plan information in the database 115 with the ship arrangement plan information from the buyer 130 (X). Then, the transportation management function 110 transmits the updated shipping plan information in the database 115 to the seller 120 (X) and the shipping company 140 (X) via the communication network 160.

Step S308, Step S309: The seller 120 (X) receives the vessel allocation plan information from the transportation management function 110 (Step S308), and
Similarly, (X) receives the vessel allocation plan information from the transportation management function 110 (step S309).

Step S310: Seller 120 (X)
Examines the acceptability of transport by a ship as a transport facility indicated by the ship assignment plan information (transportation instruction information) from the transport management function 110, and determines whether or not to accept the transport instruction (consignment information) Is transmitted to the transportation management function 110 via the communication network 160.

Step S311: Transport management function 110
Accumulates (registers) the trust information from the seller 120 (X) in the database 115. And the transport management function 11
0 transmits the commission information in the database 115 to the buyer 130 (X) and the shipping company 140 (X) via the communication network 160, respectively.

Step S312: Buyer 130 (X)
Recognizes whether or not the seller 120 (X) has accepted the transportation instruction based on the entrustment information from the transportation management function 110. For example, if the seller 120 (X) has not accepted the transportation instruction, the seller 120 (X) re-enters. If necessary, a new chartering contract is concluded with the shipping company 140 (X), or an operation schedule based on the already concluded charter contract is adjusted, thereby modifying the vessel allocation plan.

Step S313: Similarly, the shipping company 140 (X) recognizes whether or not the seller 120 (X) has accepted the transportation instruction based on the acceptance information from the transportation management function 110. As a result, for example, if the seller 120 (X) has not received a transportation instruction, a new charterer contract is concluded with the buyer 130 (X) in step S312, or the operation schedule is adjusted based on the concluded charterer contract. Accordingly, the processing steps after step S303 are executed as described above.

Steps S 314 to S 316: For example, even if the seller 120 (X) once accepts a transportation instruction, the buyer 130 (X), the seller 120 (X), or the shipping company 140 (X) may receive the transportation instruction for some reason. When the schedule change occurs, the side on which the change has occurred transmits the change information to the transportation management function 110 via the communication network 160.

Steps S317 and S318: The transportation management function 110 updates the corresponding information in the database 115 based on the change information (step S317), and transmits the updated information via the communication network 160. , Buyer 130 (X), seller 120
(X) and the shipping company 140 (X), respectively (step S318).

Step S319: Buyer 130 (X)
Refers to the updated information from the transportation management function 110,
If necessary, the charter contract with the shipping company 140 (X) is concluded again, or the operation schedule is adjusted based on the charter contract that has been concluded, and the processing steps after step S301 are executed as described above.

Step S320: Seller 120 (X)
Refers to the updated information from the transportation management function 110,
Recognize that a schedule change has occurred.

Step S321: Shipping company 140 (X)
When a new charter contract with the buyer 130 (X) is generated in step S319 based on the change information from the transportation management function 110, or when the operation schedule is adjusted based on the charter contract already concluded, The processing steps after step S303 are executed as described above.

Step S322: Buyer 130 (X)
If the user wants to refer to or analyze information (transportation facility information, raw fuel brand information, transport instruction information, transport movement information, berth / yard information, etc.) managed in the database 115 of the transport management function 110, The instruction information is transmitted to the transportation management function 110 via the communication network 160.

Step S323: Similarly, the seller 120 (X) also manages the information (transport equipment information, raw fuel brand information, transport instruction information, transport movement information, and berth / yard information) managed in the database 115 of the transport management function 110. Information or the like), the instruction information (information inquiry / analysis instruction information) to that effect is transmitted to the communication network 16.
0 to the transport management function 110.

Steps S324 to S325, Step S401: The transport management function 110
(X) or / and information inquiry from seller 120 (X) /
Based on the analysis instruction information (step S324), the corresponding information is extracted from the database 115 and analyzed as needed (step S325).

Particularly, in the present embodiment, step S32
If the instruction from the buyer 130 (X) in Step 2 is an instruction for calculating the optimal distribution calculation and the landing distribution information, the following operation is performed.

First, as described above, the production department 170
(X) inputs berth and yard information to the transportation management function 110 via the communication network 160 in advance (step S401). The transportation management function 110 stores the berth and yard information from the production department 170 (X) in the database 115.

Next, the buyer 130 (X)
Production department 170 (1), 170 at 0 (X)
(2),..., 170 (n), the optimal distribution calculation and the determination of the landing distribution information for optimal distribution of the purchased raw fuel via the communication network 160 via the communication network 160. (Step S322).

Next, the transport management function 110 sends the buyer 13
0 (X) (step S32)
4) Using the management information in the database 115, the landing location distribution information such as the port of call, the berthing berth, the unloading brand, and the unloading order is determined (step S325).

Specifically, for example, the transport management function 110
Finds an optimal solution that minimizes the number of calls, yard departure charges, heavy ship departure charges, etc. As described above, the “number of calls” means that a ship is connected to a plurality of production departments 170 (1),
0 (2),..., 170 (n) This is the number of ports to drop in when calling at and unloading from a steelworks or the like. The “yard demurrage fee” is a cost for making the ship wait until the yard becomes empty because the yard for temporarily storing raw fuel is full, and is, for example, a fee per hour of waiting time.
The “heavy ship overage fee” is a cost for making the ship wait until the berth becomes empty because the berth is full, and is, for example, a fee per hour of waiting time.

As an example of the method for obtaining the above-mentioned optimal solution, for example, in addition to the prerequisites such as securing safety stock, hull form restrictions, and brand restrictions, the number of ports to be called must be first determined while protecting berth capacity and yard stock capacity. Macro optimization, and then micro-optimization to determine the port of call, the berthing berth, the unloading brand, and the unloading order that minimize the total amount of the yard and heavy ship berthing charges. I do. As the timing of the optimization at this time, for example, the macro optimization is performed every season, and the micro optimization is performed every time the ship arrives at the buyer 130 (X) side.

"Safety stock" refers to surplus raw fuel that is reserved in advance, assuming that additional raw fuel is urgently needed. The “hull form restriction” is, for example, a restriction on a ship that can berth at a berth. “Restrictions on brands” refer to restrictions on stocks of raw materials and fuels for which unloading capacity should be secured. “Berth capacity” refers to the restriction on the number of ships that can berth at one time. “Yard inventory capacity” refers to the capacity of a yard to temporarily store raw fuel.

Step S326: Transportation management function 110
Returns the information extracted from the database 115 and, when the information is analyzed, the analysis result to the source of the information inquiry / analysis instruction information. In particular, transport management function 1
10 is the port of call,
When the landing distribution information such as the berthing berth, the unloading brand, and the discharging order is determined, the landing distribution information is stored in the database 11.
5 and transmitted via the communication network 160 to the buyer 130 (X), who is the request destination of the optimal distribution calculation and the determination of the landing distribution information.

Therefore, each of the seller 120 (X), the buyer 130 (X), and the shipping company 140 (X)
By accessing the transport management function 110 via the communication network 160, it is possible to refer to the landing distribution information in the database 115 and reflect this in future transport instruction information.

Steps S327 and S328: The buyer 13 is determined by steps S324 to S326.
Each of 0 (X) and the seller 120 (X) can acquire information managed by the database 115 of the transportation management function 110, and can also acquire the analysis result.
That is, the buyer 130 (X) and the seller 120 (X)
By accessing the transportation management function 110, each can retrieve and acquire only necessary information on the transportation of raw fuel when necessary. Further, since all information (transportation management information) related to the transportation of raw fuel is collectively managed in the database 115, the buyer 130 (X)
Since the same information is provided to the seller 130 (X) and the seller 120 (X), and the database 115 always manages the latest information, the buyer 130 (X) and the seller 120 (X)
(X) can always be provided with the latest information.

The buyer 130 (X) receives the landing distribution information from the transportation management function 110 and distributes the landing distribution information to the production department 170 (X).

Step S402: Production department 170 (X)
Receives the landing location distribution information from the buyer 130 (X),
Based on the unloading distribution information, a work of receiving raw fuel and the like is performed.

As described above, in the present embodiment, raw fuel buyer 130
(X), seller 120 (X), shipping company 140 (X), and production department 170 (X) at buyer 130 (X).
However, the management information (transport equipment information, raw fuel brand information, transport instruction information,
(Berth / yard information, landing information, etc.) can be shared in the most up-to-date state, so the necessary information can be obtained in a timely and accurate manner in real time, and an efficient transportation plan can be created. Can be. In particular, the landing site distribution information allows the buyer 130 (X) to quickly, accurately, and efficiently perform the landing site allocation management operation without a skilled expert.

[0108] When deciding the landing site distribution information (information on the port of call, berthing berth, unloading brand, unloading amount, unloading order, etc.), at least a stable inventory is obtained under the constraints of the berth capacity and the yard inventory capacity. So that the solution that minimizes the number of ports of call and transportation costs while minimizing
It is possible to realize a transportation plan that minimizes transportation costs that could not be realized by a skilled expert in the past.

In the present embodiment, the number of sellers and buyers who trade raw fuels and the shipping company that transports them may be predetermined, but the present invention is not limited to this. There may be candidates. For example, a buyer may conduct a transaction with a plurality of sellers, and when a plurality of sellers receive a response from a consignment, may determine an appropriate seller by referring to brand information, transportation facility information, and the like. .

The raw fuels include, for example, iron ore,
Raw materials and fuels (raw fuels) such as coal, other mineral resources, grains, fertilizers, etc., not solid products, but various bulk or bulk cargoes of unspecified shape, or "B
"ulk Cargo" or the like.

In this embodiment, a ship is used as a transport facility. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and any apparatus capable of loading raw fuel, such as an airplane or a truck, can be used.

Further, an object of the present invention is to supply a storage medium storing program codes of software for realizing the functions of the host and the terminal of the present embodiment to a system or an apparatus, and to provide a computer (or a computer) of the system or the apparatus. Needless to say, the present invention can also be achieved by a CPU or an MPU) reading and executing a program code stored in a storage medium. In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium implements the functions of the present embodiment, and the storage medium storing the program code constitutes the present invention. As a storage medium for supplying the program code, a ROM, a floppy disk, a hard disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a CD-R, a magnetic tape, a nonvolatile memory card, or the like can be used. In addition, by executing the program code read by the computer, not only the function of the present embodiment is realized,
It goes without saying that the OS or the like running on the computer performs part or all of the actual processing based on the instructions of the program code, and the functions of the present embodiment are realized by the processing. . Further, after the program code read from the storage medium is written to a memory provided in an extended function board inserted into the computer or an extended function unit connected to the computer,
Based on the instructions of the program code, the CPU of the function expansion board or the function expansion unit may perform part or all of the actual processing, and the processing may realize the functions of the present embodiment. Needless to say.

[0113]

As described above, according to the present invention, the information on the transport management of the raw fuel (transport management information) and the distribution of the transported raw fuel (the distribution of the raw fuel to the Information (distribution information, etc.) related to raw materials and fuel (built-in buyers, sellers, shipping companies, and production departments of buyers (or steel mills that use raw fuels if the buyer is a steel maker), etc. , The required information can be obtained in a timely and accurate manner in real time, and an efficient transportation plan can be created. In particular, the distribution of landing sites (information such as port destinations, berthing berths, unloading brands, unloading amounts, and unloading sequences) enables quick, accurate and efficient management of unloading and delivery by buyers without skilled personnel. Can be implemented

For example, in the case where the transport equipment is a ship, when determining the landing distribution information, the number of ports to call and the transport cost can be secured while securing a stable inventory at least under the constraints of the berth capacity and the yard inventory capacity. When the configuration is such that a solution that minimizes the cost is obtained, it is possible to realize a transportation plan that minimizes the transportation cost that could not be realized by a skilled expert in the past.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a transportation management system to which the present invention has been applied.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a transportation management function of the transportation management system.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a computer function of a buyer, a seller, a shipping company, a certification agency, and a production department of the buyer in the transportation management system.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining an operation of a main function of the transportation management system.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the entire transportation management system.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a conventional method of managing a landing ship.

[Explanation of symbols]

Reference Signs List 100 transport management system 110 transport management function 111 firewall 112 Web server 113 switching hub 114 internal server 115 database 116 operational AP server 117 operational DB server 118 administrator terminal device 120 (1), 120 (2), ..., 120 ( n) Sellers 130 (1), 130 (2), ..., 130 (n) Buyers 140 (1), 140 (2), ..., 140 (n) Shipping companies 150 (1), 150 (2), ..., 150 (n) Third party certification organization 160 Communication network 170 (1), 170 (2), ..., 170 (n) Production department at buyer

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Motoharu Saito 2-6-3 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Inside Nippon Steel Corporation (72) Inventor Tetsuya Okamoto 2-6-3, Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Nippon Steel Corporation

Claims (15)

[Claims] 1. A transportation management device capable of communicating with the outside via a network, comprising: information on transportation management of raw fuel provided from outside via the network; and distribution of raw fuel transported. A transportation management device comprising storage means for storing and managing related information so as to be referred to from the outside via the network. 2. The transportation management apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a presentation unit for presenting the management information in the storage unit to the outside via the network. 3. The presenting means, based on a change instruction from an information providing side via the network, updates the relevant information in the storage means to present the result to the outside via the network. The transport management device according to claim 2, wherein 4. The present invention is characterized in that the presenting means presents corresponding information in the storage means based on an external information request via the network to the information request destination via the network. The transport management device according to claim 2, wherein 5. The information related to the transportation management of the raw fuel in the storage means, the transportation equipment information provided by the transportation equipment management side, the transportation status information provided by the management side, the raw fuel buyer side. Or at least one of the raw fuel brand information provided by the seller and the transport instruction information provided by the buyer or seller of the raw fuel, and relating to the distribution of the raw fuel in the storage means. 2. The transportation management device according to claim 1, wherein the information includes at least one of a port destination, a berth, an unloading brand, an unloading amount, and an unloading order when the transportation equipment is a ship. 6. The transportation management apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a determination unit that determines information related to the distribution of the raw fuel based on at least the information related to the transportation management of the raw fuel. 7. The information relating to the distribution of raw fuels includes a port of call, a berthing berth, and
Including information on the unloading brand, unloading quantity, and unloading order, wherein the determining means is based on information provided by the production department at the raw fuel buyer regarding the berth and yard of the port of the production department, 7. The transportation management device according to claim 6, wherein information related to the distribution of the raw fuel is determined. 8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining means determines information related to the distribution of the raw fuel based on a solution that minimizes the number of calls and the transportation cost under at least the constraints of the berth capacity and the yard inventory capacity. The transportation management device according to claim 7, wherein: 9. A transportation management system in which a buyer side of a raw fuel, a production department at the buyer side, a seller side, a management side of a transportation facility for raw fuel, and a transportation management side are communicably connected at least on the same network. A transportation management system, wherein the transportation management side has a function of the transportation management device according to any one of claims 1 to 8. 10. A transportation management system in which a raw fuel buyer side, a production department in the buyer side, a seller side, and a raw fuel transport facility management side are communicably connected at least on the same network. , So that they can be referenced externally via the network,
A transportation management system, comprising: storage means for storing information relating to transport management of raw fuel and information relating to distribution of transported raw fuel. 11. A transportation management method for managing transportation of raw fuel via a network, wherein the method is input by at least one of a buyer, a seller, and a transportation equipment manager on the network. A first management step of managing information related to transportation management; a determination step of determining information related to the distribution of raw fuel using the transportation management information managed by the first management step; Second to manage the information obtained
And the management information of the first and second management steps is transmitted to the buyer side, the production department at the buyer side, the seller side, and the management side of the transport facility via the network. A providing step of providing the information so that it can be referred to the transportation management method. 12. Based on change information input by at least one of the buyer, the production department of the buyer, the seller, and the manager of the transportation facility,
The method according to claim 11, further comprising an update step of updating the management information by the first and second management steps, wherein the providing step includes a step of providing the management information after the update by the update step. Transportation management method. 13. The information on the distribution of raw fuel includes at least one of a port of call, a berthing berth, an unloading brand, an unloading amount, and an unloading order when the transport equipment is a ship; The method further comprises a step of determining information relating to the distribution of raw fuel based on a solution that minimizes the number of calls and transportation costs at least under the constraints of berth capacity and yard inventory capacity. Item 1
1. The transportation management method according to 1. 14. A program for causing a computer to realize the function of the transportation management device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 or the function of the transportation management system according to any one of claims 9 and 10. Computer readable storage medium. 15. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute the processing steps of the transportation management method according to claim 11.