JP2002117297A - Method and system for product sales - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the stock of an ordering person and suppress the opportunity loss of the person by realizing a method/system for charging by regarding the point of time when the ordering person actually utilizes a product as the reception of the product. SOLUTION: In the method for product sales by which the ordering person utilizes the product provided by a seller by transmitting and receiving information through a network, the ordering person gives the seller information on a product which he/she will use in the future ('scheduled necessity information', hereafter), and the seller arranges the product at the place of the ordering person corresponding to the scheduled necessity information. When the ordering person takes out the product from here and utilizes it, information on an actually used product ('definite utilization information', hereafter) is given to the seller, who charges the ordering person for the product, which is actually utilized by him/her, corresponding to the definite utilization information.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and system for selling a product, and in particular, reduces the inventory of the orderer by recording the time when the orderer actually uses the product as acceptance and recording it in sales. The present invention relates to a product sales method and system that realizes suppression of loss opportunities.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, in a product distribution between a seller who manufactures and sells a product and an orderer who incorporates a product purchased from the seller into its own product, an order is received using a network such as the Internet. A conventional product sales method for managing up to billing will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG. Referring to FIG. 6, an orderer terminal 1 for ordering a product via a network 200 such as the Internet.
10 and a seller terminal 120 that provides a product are mutually connected.

Referring to the flow chart of FIG. 7, in the conventional product sales method, first, an orderer inputs order information of a product to an orderer terminal 110 based on his / her own manufacturing plan, 120 (S1)
1). Upon receiving the order information (S12), the seller prepares a product according to the order, and if there is no stock product at the time of receiving the order, instructs the manufacturing department to produce the product (S13).
The product thus prepared is delivered to the orderer (S14). Upon receiving the delivered product, the orderer inspects the number of products, quality, and the like, and if the product is good, stores the product in the orderer's warehouse (S15). At the same time, the orderer terminal 11
0 to indicate that the acceptance has been completed,
0 to the seller terminal 120. Upon receiving this, the seller terminal 120 starts billing processing for the inspected product to the orderer (S16, S17). Thereafter, the orderer takes out the product as necessary and incorporates the product into its own product (S18). In the case of this method, the product becomes the orderer's asset when it is accepted in step S15, and the product that is not incorporated into the product due to a change in the manufacturing plan or for some reason becomes the orderer's inventory asset (S19).

[0004]

However, in this conventional product sales method, the product once delivered by the seller to the orderer based on the order becomes the inventory of the orderer when the delivery and acceptance are completed. However, there has been a problem that a product that is not incorporated into the orderer's product for some reason becomes unnecessary inventory for the orderer. In addition, since the delivered product has already become the property of the orderer, there is an inconvenience that the seller cannot redirect the product that has not been incorporated into the orderer's product to another customer.

[0005] Usually, the orderer arranges for the delivery of the product to be incorporated a considerable time before the manufacture of his or her own product, so that there is a certain period from delivery to actual incorporation into the product. In such a case, for example, when the seller receives an urgent order from another customer, the product already in hand of the orderer is distributed to the other customer, and until the production of the original orderer is started. If the same product can be delivered, it will be convenient in a distribution system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention regards a point in time when an orderer actually uses a product as an acceptance and issues a bill, thereby reducing the orderer's inventory and reducing the opportunity for loss. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and system for selling products that realize suppression.

[0007]

A method according to the present invention is a method of selling products provided by a seller by transmitting and receiving information via a network. Notifying the seller of information about the product to be performed (hereinafter, referred to as “scheduled required information”), and the seller arranging the product at hand of the orderer according to the scheduled required information. Steps to
When the orderer takes out the product from here and uses it, a step of notifying the seller of information on the product actually used (hereinafter, referred to as “confirmed use information”); And charging the orderer for a product actually used by the orderer based on the

[0008] As described above, by making a price request based on the confirmed usage information notified when the orderer actually uses the product, the orderer is not charged for the product not used, Unnecessary inventory assets can be avoided.

[0009] The step of the orderer notifying the seller of the schedule required information includes the step of the seller, upon request of the orderer via the network, information on the products that can be provided and the orderer at that time. Preferably, the method includes a step of providing the orderer with data including the latest schedule requirement information, and a step of the orderer updating the data of the schedule requirement information and transmitting the data to the seller. By adopting such a method, the seller can always grasp the required schedule information, so that the seller can immediately respond when the required schedule information is updated.

[0010] The product selling method of the present invention further comprises the step of, when the schedule required information is updated, adjusting a production plan of a product according to the information when the schedule required information is updated. I do. This makes it possible to flexibly draft and modify the product manufacturing plan in accordance with the update of the required schedule information, and to prepare necessary and sufficient products in accordance with the scheduled required information of each orderer.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that the seller can collect the product once placed at the orderer's hand or transfer it to a different orderer's hand as needed. As a result, a product delivered to a certain orderer can be distributed to another customer in order to collect a product that is no longer used by the orderer for some reason or to temporarily divert the product in response to an urgent order or the like. .

On the other hand, in order to realize the above method, a product sales system according to the present invention has an information terminal in which a seller providing a product and an orderer using the product each have an information terminal connected to each other via a network. A product sales system that manages from product ordering to billing processing, at least a first storage area for storing information on products that can be provided by a seller, and a future use by the orderer for each orderer. A second storage area for storing information about the product to be scheduled (hereinafter, referred to as “scheduled required information”); and input means provided on the information terminal of the orderer to update the scheduled required information. A delivery means for delivering a product based on the scheduled required information for each orderer, and information when the orderer actually uses the product (hereinafter, referred to as "confirmed use information").
And a billing means for performing a billing process to the orderer based on the confirmed use information, wherein the billing means transmits the information when the confirmed use information is transmitted and received. The delivery and acceptance of the product according to (1) is considered completed and recorded in sales.

[0013] As described above, instead of generating the sales when the ordered product is delivered as in the related art, the orderer actually delivers the product to the orderer in accordance with the scheduled required information, and then the orderer actually executes the product. When the product is used and the delivery and acceptance is completed and recorded in the sales, even if the orderer's usage plan is changed for some reason and the product is no longer needed, it will be counted by the orderer. It does not become an asset, and the occurrence of unnecessary inventory assets of the orderer can be avoided.

In the above-mentioned product sales system, it is desirable that the network is the Internet. As a result, benefits from the Internet such as convenience and low cost can be obtained.

Further, the storage medium according to the present invention is incorporated in an information terminal of a seller that provides a product, and stores a program for managing product sales by exchanging information with an orderer via a network. A storage medium, wherein the program transmits information transmitted when a product delivered to the orderer is actually used.
This is referred to as “confirmed use information”. ) Is received, and it is determined that the delivery and acceptance of the product related to the confirmed usage information has been completed, and is recorded in the sales.

[0016] When the program receives information about a product that the orderer intends to use in the future from the orderer, it is preferable that the program adjusts a production plan of the product according to the information. .

Further, it is preferable that the program executes a billing process to the orderer based on the confirmed use information.

[0018]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of the present invention. In the following description, an example will be described in which an orderer incorporates a product provided by a seller into its own product. As shown in FIG. 1, an information terminal 1 of an orderer who uses a product and an information terminal 2 of a seller who provides the product are connected via a communication network 3. This network 3 is L
A communication network such as an AN, a WAN, and the Internet that can mutually transmit and receive information can be used. In this example, the Internet is used.

The orderer terminal 1 is an information processing device such as a personal computer used by the orderer. The orderer terminal 1 includes a display unit 11 for displaying various information on a screen and an input unit 12 for updating the information displayed on the screen. Equipped. On the other hand, the seller terminal 2 is an information processing device such as a workstation server used by the seller of the product. This seller terminal 2
Is product information 21 on products that can be provided by the seller.
a, a storage device 21 for storing information (scheduled required information) 21b about products to be used for each orderer and information (fixed use information) 21c for products actually used by the orderer; Means 22. Also,
Although not shown, the production department and the distribution department of the product as the institution on the seller side, the schedule required information 21b and the confirmed usage information 2
1c, and an information control section for adjusting a production plan and a delivery plan of the product.

Of the information stored in the storage device 21, the product information 21a is information relating to a product that the orderer incorporates into its own product, and includes information such as the product name, model number, product number, and price. The schedule requirement information 21b is different for each orderer, and is information on products required for each orderer to execute a production plan of the company's products, and includes information such as the number of products and the date when the products are required. included. The confirmed use information 21c is information transmitted from the orderer when the orderer actually incorporates the product into the product of the company, and includes information such as the name of the incorporated product and the quantity of the product. The billing processing unit 22 calculates a billing amount to the orderer based on the confirmed usage information 21c, and performs a billing process to the orderer by an appropriate method. The billing processing means 22 may be connected to an affiliated financial institution via the network 3 so as to be capable of performing an electronic settlement processing or the like via the network 3.

The operation of this system will be described below. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the procedure of the product selling method of the present invention.
First, the orderer accesses the product sales homepage established by the seller on the Internet 3 using the orderer terminal 1 and performs authentication with the seller terminal 2 by inputting an appropriate password or the like. A request for information is made to the seller terminal 2 (step S1). In response to this, the seller terminal 2 sends the product information and the current required schedule information of the orderer to the orderer terminal 1 (step S2). Thus, for example, when an arbitrary product is clicked from the product list displayed on the screen of the orderer terminal 1, the current scheduled required information for the product is displayed on the screen of the orderer terminal 1 (step S3).

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the required schedule information displayed on the screen. As shown in FIG. 3, the scheduled requirement information displays the product name, product number, price, date required by the orderer, required product quantity, and the like.
The orderer inputs, adds, changes, deletes, etc. the required schedule information for each product in accordance with the production plan of the company's product, and registers on the screen that the revised required schedule information is updated on the screen ( Step S4). When the updating of the required schedule information on the necessary products is completed in this way, the latest scheduled required information is transmitted to the seller terminal 2 by an operation such as clicking a transmission button (not shown) on the screen ( Step S
5).

Upon receipt of the request (step S6), the seller terminal 2 updates the schedule requirement information 21b corresponding to the orderer registered in the storage area. At the same time, the updated required information of the product becomes reference information for drafting and correcting a manufacturing plan, and an appropriate instruction is transmitted to the manufacturing department of the corresponding product (step S7). In other words, if the information control department (not shown) compares the product production plan up to that point with the updated scheduled requirement information and confirmed usage information, and the number of products to be delivered to the orderer increases, An instruction to increase production is issued, and in the opposite case, an instruction to reduce production is transmitted to the manufacturing department.

When the seller prepares the product corresponding to the required schedule information, it delivers it to the orderer and stores it near the orderer's production line (step S8). Here, when the schedule required information is as shown in FIG. 3, the designated quantity is delivered on the designated date (for example, the case A is
Individual delivery), always arrange for a sufficient quantity (for example, always keep 50 pieces), or deliver in advance for an arbitrary period (for example, 100 (Delivered at the beginning of the month). In addition, "storage near the orderer's production line" means that the delivered product has not yet been accepted by the orderer at this time, and the ownership of the product still belongs to the seller, and It means that it is in stock. Therefore, the product may be stored not only in the storage place of the seller, but also in the storage of the orderer, but the seller can collect the delivered product if necessary. .

The orderer pays out the delivered and stored product to the orderer's production line at the time required by his own production line, and incorporates the product into his own product. Without delay, the orderer inputs the confirmed use information (ie, acceptance information) including the paid out quantity to the terminal 1 for the product paid out to the production line and transmits it to the seller terminal 2 (step S9). FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of an input screen for acceptance information displayed on the orderer terminal 1. The quantity paid out by the orderer to the production line is entered in the inspection quantity item on this screen, and transmitted from the orderer terminal 1 to the seller terminal 2. In this process, the orderer does not input the quantity into the terminal 1 and transmits it to the seller terminal 2, but the information is automatically sent to the seller terminal 2 when the orderer pays out the product to the production line. The system may be configured to communicate.

When the seller terminal 2 receives the confirmed use information, it stores it in the storage area 21c in association with the orderer,
The product will be recorded in sales assuming that the delivery and acceptance of the product related to this information has been completed. That is, the fact that the orderer actually used the product related to this information is grasped, the price is recorded in the sales, and the process can be shifted to the billing process.

At the time of subsequent product delivery, the seller delivers the product in consideration of the scheduled required information and the confirmed use information. That is, the planned required information corresponds to the product quantity indicated by the confirmed use information, and when it is determined that the orderer uses the product as planned, the number of products according to the planned required information is delivered. If the product quantity indicated by the two information does not correspond and it is determined that there is excess product at the orderer's hand, the product is subtracted from the planned required quantity by the product inventory at the orderer's hand, Make sure it is delivered. If the orderer always arranges to have an appropriate stock quantity, the orderer replenishes the orderer with only the number of products actually used indicated by the confirmed use information. This adjustment is performed by the information control department (not shown) of the seller terminal 2, and the system is configured so that instructions are automatically given to the product production department as needed.

After that, the seller terminal 2 having received the confirmed use information from the orderer terminal 1 creates billing information based on the confirmed use information using the billing processing means 22 and transmits the billing information to the orderer terminal 1. . This processing may be automatically performed each time the confirmed usage information is received, or may be collectively billed for all of the confirmed usage information transmitted every predetermined period (for example, once a month). .

In this method of selling products, for example, a product ordered by a seller from another customer cannot be manufactured in time for the seller due to an emergency or the like, and is not delivered and stored at a certain orderer's hand. If there is no stock, the seller can appropriately collect the stocked product from the orderer's hand and allocate it to another customer. In this case, taking into account the planned required information of the orderer from whom the product is to be collected, the orderer will either manufacture a new product and deliver it by the time the orderer actually needs it, or will have another customer Make sure to assign inventory products from.

In the above-described embodiment, various types of information are registered in the storage device 21 of the seller terminal 2, but the information is registered by a third server or the like connected to the network 3 according to the implementation environment. Is also good. For example, in the example shown in FIG.
Claim processing means 41 and storage area 4 for storing fixed use information
2 is provided in the third information terminal 4 connected to the network 3 to perform a billing process. Also, in the above embodiment, an example was described in which the orderer incorporated the product provided by the seller into the company's own product, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to this example. It can also be applied to the method of selling products between a store and a retail store. In this case, for example, by using a POS system or the like, when the retail store sells the product to the consumer, the confirmed use information is transmitted to the seller terminal, and the delivery and the inspection are completed at that time. And account for sales to retailers.

[0031]

As described above in detail, according to the product sales system and method of the present invention, it is assumed that the delivery and acceptance are completed when the orderer actually uses the product, and the sales are recorded in the sales. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the orderer from holding unnecessary inventory assets.

Further, for example, when the orderer does not use or the seller receives an urgent order from another customer, the product already at hand of the orderer can be distributed to the other customer. The opportunity loss of the seller can be suppressed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a product sales system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a product selling method according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of scheduled required information displayed on a screen of an orderer terminal.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of confirmed usage information displayed on a screen of an orderer terminal.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing another example of the product sales system according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram for explaining a conventional product sales system.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining a conventional product selling method.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Orderer terminal 11 Display means 12 Input means 2 Seller terminal 21 Storage device 21a Product information 21b Schedule required information 21c Final use information 22 Billing processing means 3 Network

Claims (9)

[Claims] Claims: 1. A method for selling a product provided by a seller by an orderer by transmitting and receiving information via a network, wherein the orderer obtains information about a product to be used in the future (hereinafter, referred to as a product). Notifying the seller of the “scheduled required information”), the seller placing the product in the hands of the orderer in accordance with the scheduled required information, When the orderer takes out and uses the product, the step of notifying the seller of information of the product actually used (hereinafter, referred to as “confirmed use information”) to the seller, Charging the orderer for a product actually used. 2. The product selling method according to claim 1, wherein the step of notifying the orderer of the schedule required information to the seller is performed by the seller upon request of the orderer via the network. Providing the orderer with data including product information and the latest scheduled requirement information on the orderer at that time; and the orderer updates the data of the schedule requirement information and transmits the data to the seller. And a step of selling the product. 3. The product sales method according to claim 1, wherein the seller updates the schedule required information,
Adjusting the production plan of the product according to the information in response thereto. 4. The product selling method according to claim 1, wherein the seller collects the product once placed at hand of the orderer, or obtains a product of a different orderer, if necessary. A product sales method characterized in that it can be transported at hand. 5. A product sales system in which a seller who provides a product and an orderer who uses the product each have an information terminal connected to each other via a network, and manages from ordering of the product to billing. At least a first storage area for storing information on products that can be provided by the seller, and information on products that the orderer intends to use in the future for each orderer (hereinafter, “scheduled required information”). ), A second storage area for storing
Input means provided on the information terminal of the orderer to update the schedule requirement information, delivery means for delivering a product based on the schedule requirement information for each orderer, and the orderer actually using the product A third storage area for storing the information (hereinafter, referred to as “confirmed use information”) when the request is made, and a billing means for performing a billing process to the orderer based on the confirmed use information. Means for, when the transmission and reception of the confirmed use information is performed, deeming that the delivery and acceptance of the product relating to the information have been completed and recording the completion in the sales. 6. The product sales system according to claim 5, wherein said network is the Internet. 7. A storage medium which is incorporated in an information terminal of a seller that provides a product and stores a program for managing product sales by exchanging information with an orderer via a network, wherein the program stores the program. Receives information transmitted when the product delivered to the orderer is actually used (hereinafter referred to as “confirmed use information”), A storage medium characterized in that it is determined that the delivery and acceptance of the product have been completed and is recorded in sales. 8. The storage medium according to claim 7, wherein the program sends, from the orderer, information on a product that the orderer intends to use in the future (hereinafter, referred to as “scheduled required information”). A storage plan for adjusting a production plan of the product in accordance with the information when the information is received. 9. The storage medium according to claim 7, wherein the program executes a billing process to the orderer based on the confirmed usage information.